A good winter coat for men should never sacrifice style for warmth or vice versa—both should be just as important when you make a decision to invest in one. Dan Hendricks, Brand Manager of Bespoke Post, believes the best winter coat for you should keep you looking good while protecting you from the weather. “In a good winter coat, you want the elements that make it warm to be the elements that give it style.” With that in mind, there are several factors to consider before you buy a winter jacket.
Material: Your winter coat can give off some seriously good looks, but if it’s not warm or durable then it won’t do you any good wearing it. Thus, Taka Kasuga, Senior Director of Design at Arc’teryx, recommends a waterproof outer shell that’s insulated with down. “With winter coats, you want to achieve a high warmth-to-weight ratio,” he further adds. Hence, pay attention to the type of fabric as well as the material used for the shell and down fill. “Natural fibers like down and wool are the most effective material to keep our body temperatures up, and wool is a high-performing material that will keep you warm without overheating,” says Woody Blackford, Canada Goose’s Chief Product Officer, EVP. “A touch of natural fiber in your shell materials makes for a much more flexible material in below-freezing temperatures, it’s also much quieter so you can hear the sounds of nature and not your coat,” Blackford adds. And stay away from faux furs and thin cotton (and really any thin fabric unless it’s made with some high-tech blend).
Insulation: Insulation is what makes a coat or jacket a winter coat or winter jacket. It helps seal in your body heat and prevent the cold from getting through the outerwear. The best insulation is often down fill or synthetic fill, both of which use pockets to trap warm air. We’ll give a special shout-out explainer to the down fill, but the synthetic fill is essentially more breathable and less expensive than down fill which often uses duck feathers. Synthetic fill often consists of polyester, and some of the better-known synthetic insulations are PrimaLoft and Thinsulate, both are made of fiber blend.
Construction: How much of the body does the coat cover? What kind of outer material is it made of? Is it waterproof? Will the fabric cut through the wind or will let the wind go right through you? How strong are the seams? These are all questions you want to ask when looking to maximize your warmth. “Overall versatility is the key word—both for function and style”, says Matthew Congdon, the Creative Director of Mack Weldon. “Quick change days and even quicker changing weather means you need something that can be dressed up or down, and provides warmth without overheating.”
Miscellaneous Specs: Do you enjoy a fur liner or a large hood that will help keep your ears warm? Is it made with GORE-TEX fabric? What about how easy it is to pack? There are tons of options out there so if you can write down what you usually enjoy in a winter coat then it will help you sort through the sea of choices. And if waterproofness or water resistance is your chief concern, Blackford explains that there will be a trade-off. “Waterproof products… can work well in damp cold above freezing, but if you are truly subzero (when waterproof is not needed) this choice is less breathable which can create excess moisture and discomfort.”
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