How to Choose the Best Winter Jacket for Women
A winter jacket is the number one most important layer for facing winter. Whether you're looking to just survive winter or perhaps even enjoy it, selecting the right coat is the first step. The climate and environment you live in are important factors to consider when buying your next one, as are your intended uses. A casual parka with thick down and nylon fabric may be great for keeping you warm, but if you live in a wet climate like the Pacific NW, it's probably not the best choice. Similarly, the coat that is going to keep you warm and dry in below 0 degree Fahrenheit weather is probably not suited for outdoor technical pursuits like ice climbing or ski mountaineering. In this article we'll break down all the different features and construction details to consider when purchasing a winter jacket. Note that we've chosen to focus our women's winter jacket review on casual parkas that are manufactured by some of the leading outdoor apparel manufacturers. These models are all designed to keep you warm in cold weather while being stationary. If you are looking for technical layers to wear while being active in winter, have a look at our Women's Down Jacket, Women's Insulated Jacket and Women's Softshell Jacket reviews. We also have a specific Women's Ski Jacket review if you are looking for something to hit the slopes in, and you can read our full Women's Winter Jacket review to see how the different models we tested fared in our side-by-side comparison process.
Features There are many different features available in a winter jacket, from fleece-lined pockets and removable hoods to higher quality insulation and waterproof outer shells. These feature can be critical to making our time outside in winter more enjoyable, or our life more functional. We'll break "down" what features we loved and what ones we found so-so. Read on to find out more!
Shell When deciding on what winter jacket to buy it's important to consider the climate and environment that it's going to be worn in. Some are designed to be water "resistant" only, while others are completely waterproof. The ability to completely (or only partially) seal out water largely depends on the type of shell used, either light nylon or polyester materials with DWR coatings, or two-layer membranes. DWR coatings: DWR (durable water repellent) coatings are commonly used on fabrics as a finish to make them water-resistant. A DWR coating repels light rain and snow, but it isn't fully waterproof. Nylon and polyester fabrics have a low absorbency rate, and when treated with a DWR, water will typically bead up on the outside of the fabric and roll off. While a DWR can help extend your time out in the elements, they are not fully waterproof and eventually saturate through. DWR coatings work best when the surface is clean, and wear off over time. Once that occurs, you can buy after-market treatments that you can reapply at home, like ReviveX Durable Waterproofing. All of the models that we tested in this review had some type of DWR coating on them, and this is an advantage to buying one manufactured by an outdoor apparel company – they understand that a winter jacket needs to be able to protect you from wet weather, and they have the technical expertise and materials to do so. While you might really like the look and style of a long "puffy" down parka, like the Patagonia Downtown Loft Parka or the The North Face Gotham Parka Women's, if you live in a wet winter climate then you'll really want to consider a model with a hard-sided shell that is actually waterproof and not just water resistant.
Most down jackets have a DWR (durable water repellent) coating on the exterior nylon or polyester fabric, which makes water bead up and roll off initially but is not fully waterproof. Two-Layer Membranes: A waterproof jacket will have several different layers. The exterior layer is a waterproof fabric that is laminated to an inner breathable membrane. The "breathable" membranes contain millions of pores per cubic inch, and they allow your water vapor to pass through the shell – hence the "breathability." In addition, the exterior layer is typically coated with a DWR, as it can't breathe your water vapor if it is saturated with rain. Some fabrics will have an inner mesh or tafeta layer, and there are many variations in construction. You can check out our How to Choose the Best Rain Jacket for Women article for more information on shell construction, as well as even more technical 2.5 and 3-layer shells. These highly technical fabrics, like Gore-Tex, Marmot's "MemBrain," The North Face's "HyVent," and Patagonia's "H2No," were designed with active pursuits in the mountains in mind. When used on a casual winter jacket, they bring an amazing layer of protection to your everyday use. The waterproofness of the material is designated by an MM rating. MM refers to how many millimeters of water a jacket can withstand in 24 hours before becoming saturated. A rating of 10,000 MM is perfect for light rain or snow. Our Top Pick for Wet climates, the Patagonia Tres Down Parka is rated to 20,000 MM.
The twolayer H2No shell on the Patagonia Tres Down Park is waterproof, windproof and breathable.
Insulation When it comes to insulation there are two options to consider: down or synthetic. Each type has its pros and cons when used in winter jackets. Down Insulation Pros: High warmth-to-weight ratio, lightweight, compressible, long lasting with the proper care. Cons: Loft and warmth jeopardized when wet, expensive, hard to clean. Down insulation comes from ducks and geese. It's actually the fluffy plumage that grows underneath their exterior feathers – their own insulation in fact! And here's the sad news; harvesting down usually involves the death of the bird. Most down comes from birds that are raised for their meat. You can see our Sourcing Ethics discussion below for more information on this topic. The quality and loft of the down is measured by how many cubic inches one ounce of down fills, or the fill-power. So, one ounce of 600-fill-power down takes up 600 cubic inches when compressed by a set weight, and 900-fill-power takes up 900 cubic inches. Down keeps you warm by trapping air that you've warmed up against your skin. The more space that the down takes up, the more air it can trap, and the warmer you stay. So, one ounce of 900-fill-power down will keep you warmer than the same weight of a lower fill-power. Just by that reasoning you'd think you'd want to only buy a coat with 900-
fill-power down; however, that is very expensive stuff and not necessarily needed for a casual winter coat. The other consideration with down is the fill-weight, or total amount of down in the jacket. If you have twice as much 600-fill-power down as 900, the 600 coat will actually be warmer because there is more down overall. The down models in this review ranged from 550-fill-power to 750-fill-power.
Down insulation has a high warmthtoweight ratio. Lightweight and highly compressible, down is a great choice for cold climates. Synthetic Insulation Pros: Water-resistant, still provides some warmth if wet, less expensive. Cons: Heavier than down for same warmth, loses loft over time, less compressible. Synthetic insulation is made from synthetic materials, like polyester, that are extruded into fibers that mimic the structure of down. The fibers trap your warm air just like down does, and won't clump up or lose loft when it gets wet, unlike what down does. Synthetic insulation is typically less expensive than down, but also heavier and not as warm for its weight. Its real value comes in its ability to help you maintain warmth even when wet and dry out quickly as well. If you've ever washed a down jacket or sleeping bag, you know there is no way to get the loft back without popping it into the drier with a couple of tennis balls for an hour or two, but synthetic insulation will dry out easier and faster (though the tennis ball trick can help with them too). Synthetic insulation is a great option for wet climates, people on a budget, or if you don't live in a particularly cold climate and only need a bit of extra warmth in your winter jacket.
Unlike down, synthetic insulation usually requires more weight to reach a comparable warmth. Not as durable but more waterresistant, synthetic is a good option for a wet climate.
Hoods An important part of a winter jacket is the hood. It's what helps protect you in stormy weather, and provides extra warmth on very cold days. Not everyone like having a hood, though, which is why it's great that some models have removable ones, like the Marmot Chelsea Down. Others have options to stow the hood; the Patagonia Downtown Loft's hood zips into itself and becomes a neck buff, and the Mountain Hardwear ZeroGrand Metro Coat's hood tucks away into the collar. Ruffs A lot of the models that we tested had fur ruffs around the hood, either faux, or in the case of the Canada Goose Kensington Parka, real coyote fur. Again, you can skip down to our Sourcing Ethics section for more considerations on this topic. When it comes to a fur ruff, for the most part they are a stylish accent more than anything, though they can provide an extra level of protection in windy or stormy conditions. Real fur can actually help trap heat around your face and protect from frostbite, which is why you see them on polar expedition parkas, but for most people in the lower 48 this is probably not a huge concern. The ruffs are usually removable, so if you love a particular design but not the fur, you can always take it off. Note that not all faux fur ruffs are created equal. While the ones on the Marmot Montreaux and The North Face Arctic Down Parka did a great job maintaining
their loft and style even when wet and snowy, the one on the Columbia Snow Eclipse Mid Jacket - Women's was not as high quality.
Some may like the look and feel of a real coyote fur ruff, and others not so much. For most people, fur ruffs are more of a style statement than anything else, though they do help protect your face from precipitation and the cold. Hood Insulation Insulation is an important component for warmth. We noticed that the hoods that were lined with plush down or fleece, such as the Patagonia Downtown Loft Parka or the Canada Goose Kensington Park, were warmer and more comfortable than those that weren't, like the Patagonia Tres Down Parka. If you anticipate wearing your coat in stormy or very cold conditions, you'll want to make sure the hood is insulated. Some will have room for a hat underneath as well, though it's nice if there is a cinch pull on it so that you can customize it to your head.
Pockets It's freezing out, you forgot your gloves, and you slip your hands into a cold pocket with no lining. Brrr! What we loved about all the women's winter jackets that we tested was that they all had at least one side of the pockets lined with fleece. We didn't realize the true importance of this feature until we tested them in below freezing weather. A little detail like
fleece-lined pockets made a big difference in warming our hands up quickly, so definitely look for this feature on your next coat. They are also more comfortable than unlined pockets.
All of the models we tested had pockets with at least one side of fleece lining. This helped warm our hands up on cold days. Besides warmth and comfort, pockets protect your valuables. No one wants to lose their keys or brand new smartphone in a snowbank, so pockets with zippers are preferred. One thing to consider though is the durability and shape of the zipper. The North Face Gotham Parka has curved pockets and small zippers which were harder to zip up and tended to snag on the fabric. Be sure to check out the structure of the pockets and size of the zippers when buying your next coat, and even assessing if you can manipulate the pull tabs with gloves on or not.
Twoway Zippers A knee-length parka is by nature harder to move around in than a mid-thigh or hip-length coat, unless it has a two-way zipper. All of the different models we tested came with a twoway zipper, except the down layer of the Patagonia Tres Down Parka (since it is designed to zip into the outer shell). This is a crucial feature for a long parka, both for mobility and ventilation, so be sure to check that your next long coat has one.
Kneelength parkas have limited mobility compared to midthigh or hiplength ones. A two way zipper gives you better mobility when you need it.
Cuffs Cuffs are great for trapping heat in and keeping precipitation out, and come in a variety of styles. The cuffs on the different models we tested included fleece, knit, nylon, and elastic, and some had addition snap or Velcro closures. Each kind of cuff had something to offer. The fleece cuffs on the Marmot Montreaux were soft and warm, but in wet conditions their warmth and comfort were jeopardized. Knitted cuffs were warmer and more durable than fleece, and the ones on the Mountain Hardwear ZeroGrand Metro Coat were great because they stayed in place the best and didn't allow any room for precipitation to enter or heat to escape. The Patagonia Downtown Loft Parka has elastic cuffs that aren't very tight, but provide basic protection from cold air and precipitation.
Most of the jackets we tested had some type of internal cuff. They help the sleeves stay in place, and seal out precipitation while trapping warm air in. If you live in a climate that gets a lot of rain in the winter, or you need to clear mounds of snow off your car every day, you'll want a coat that has adjustable exterior cuffs on the sleeves, like the Velcro ones on the Arc'teryx Patera Parka or the snaps on the Canada Goose Kensington Parka. This lets you lock the cuffs down around your wrists or gloves, providing an extra layer of protection against the elements.
The adjustable snap cuffs on the sleeves of the Canada Goose Kensington Parka let you tailor the fit for any environment.
Other Considerations Warmth & Climate A winter jacket's most important function is to keep you warm, whether you're standing outside at the bus stop or shoveling the driveway in a snowstorm. While each parka did a good job at keeping us warm, depending on the climate and environment you live in some options make more sense than others. While it can be tempting to purchase the warmest model on the market, not everyone actually needs a coat that can withstand below 0 degrees Fahrenheit weather. Moreover, most manufacturers don't even rate their jackets for temperature like they do a sleeping bag (with the exception of Canada Goose which gives a temperature rating on all of their coats), so it can be hard to even know how warm a jacket will keep you. Check out our Warmth column on our ratings chart to get a sense of which ones were warmer than others, and don't shy away from some of the least warm jackets if you don't experience really cold winters. You can always throw an extra layer on underneath on really cold days, but can't actually take some extra down out on mild ones. Less insulation can actually make for a more versatile coat.
Sourcing Ethics These days, many customers are concerned with the eco-friendliness of the products they buy. There are numerous products on the market that use recycled materials, reusing old, discarded items to make something new. So this brings to light the important question: where do all the materials come from? And what about the materials that come from animals? With the exception of two models, all of the winter jackets in this review use down insulation, which is an animal product. Many consumers choose not to buy products that use real fur because they don't want an animal to die for them to have a jacket, but in most cases, down-filled products also require the death of an animal to produce it. Recently, companies have started to really pay attention to where their down comes from and how it is produced. Patagonia has redesigned all of their down products to now use traceable down, which they claim is third party-verified, not live-plucked, and comes from animals that are never force-fed. This resulted in a reduction in quality for all of the down used in their products, but it is an increase in concern about the footprint the company is leaving on the globe. Canada Goose also does not agree with live-plucking geese, so they have partnered with a supplier that shares this value: Feather Industries Canada Limited. Feather Industries was founded as a division of Canada Packers, a food distributor, and all down is harvested from animals raised for meat. No birds are raised and then killed for the sole purpose of down production. Canada Goose also uses real coyote fur to line the hoods of their jackets because it protects faces better than faux fur. They have chosen coyote fur specifically because these animals are not endangered and are in fact plentiful in North America. The company states that it only purchases fur from certified Canadian trappers who comply with humane trapping methods. Arc'teryx also values ethically sourcing down. Like Canada Goose, they disclose their down supplier, Allied Feather and Down, which gets down from small European farms that have the same standards as Patagonia: no-force feeding and no live-plucking. It is heartening to see that so many manufacturers are considering the impact they are making on the world with their products, and they are aiming to do it right. Now we as customers need to follow suit with our purchases. Get 50% Off Coats and Jacket at Maurices Promo Code 20% Off. Click to find Code Now!