With the arrival of the hardcore winter season, it is time to commission the most serious jackets into action for maximum protection. The products covered in this list are the best winter coats for extreme cold and are designed to stand up to howling winds and freezing cold.
The list includes jackets designed for fancy around-town use to heavy-duty performance required for mountaineering. if you are looking to make a purchase this winter, you should come across something that catches your fancy.
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The North Face Gotham III
Stats – Casual, 550-fill down, 3lbs, $299
Pros – Warm, value for money, stylish
Cons – Bulky
The Gotham III might not be the most expensive jacket in the market, but it gets the right balance between functionality and price. This jacket is warm, waterproof, windproof, and is breathable, making it the perfect bet for moderate temperatures too.
The Gotham III is a casual jacket that gets the job done. It is not the warmest jacket for its weight and is not highly compressible, which makes it difficult to carry around. However, the jacket is perfect for using in the city, and makes you look good!
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Rab Neutrino Pro
Stats – Casual, performance, 800-fill down, 1lb, $375
Pros – Value for money
Cons – Can be an eyesore
While the Gotham III is aimed at the stylish crowd, the Neutrino Pro is more performance oriented. It is quite warm and lightweight, and is perfect for carrying around. The Rab features a new Pertex Quantum Pro shell, but retains everything else that is popular in its jacket lineup.
The only downside of this jacket is that it can be to much of an eyesore, thanks to the monotonous use of color and its somewhat technical design. Once you look past the styling, the Rab is one of the best jackets for city use in its price bracket.
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Patagonia City Storm Parka
Stats – Casual, performance, 700-fill down, 2lbs, $499
Pros – Excellent weather resistance, clean styling, coverage
Cons – Overpriced for a casual jacket
Settling on a winter jacket that is warm enough and looks fascinating can be quite a challenge for most of us. But the Patagonia City Storm Parka fits the bill perfectly. The jacket is comfortable, warm, waterproof and is designed using clean lines that lend it a cool and casual appeal.
The jacket is a bit on the bulkier side and does not offer the usual range of movements that we see on the performance jackets, but is perfect for everyday use in high cold spells. Comparing the City Storm Parka to some of the other jackets in our list, the 700-fill down jacket is more portable than the North fact Gotham III, and offers a lot of coverage for the price.
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REI Co-op Stormhenge 850
Stats – Casual, 850-fill down, 1lb, $249
Pros – Value for money, feature-packed
Cons – Too many unnecessary technical features for a casual jacket
REI has been stepping up its game lately with its range of performance/casual jackets, and the Stormhenge 850 is the latest offering from the brand. Like the name suggests, this jacket features 850-down fill along with dual layers of waterproofing, and a range of technical features including a 2-way zipper up front, an adjustable hood, and pit zips for controlling internal temperatures.
The Stormhenge 850 is quite similar to a ski-jacket or belay jacket when considering its extreme waterproofing and technical features, but is compatible for city use. This is quite a practical jacket, despite its lower price tag and can be used comfortably even in areas where the temperature dips below 20 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Feathered Friends Khumbu Parka
Stats – Performance, 900-fill down, 2lbs, $599
Pros – Extremely warm and comfortable, the most down fill in this list
Cons – The hardcore mountaineering design is not for everyone
Feathered Friends is a small Seattle-based company that specializes in premium quality jackets. This jacket is lightweight but is as warm as it gets. It is a well-designed product with synthetic insulation around the collar, handy two-faced zipper and reinforced elbows.
This jacket is not the best bet for daily use, even though it is sleeker than some of the more popular jackets from Feathered Friends. However, this is better suited for mountaineering than everyday city use.
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Marmot Fordham Jacket
Stats – Casual, 700-fill down, 2lbs, $325
Pros – Warm, stylish
Cons – Slim fit
Much like the North Face Gotham III, the Marmot Fordham is a reasonably-priced winter jacket designed for casual use. It is an all-round jacket, with 700-fill down, a removable hood, 2-layers of waterproofing, along with numerous pockets.
The material is durable, offers quite a snug fit, especially around the collar which doubles up as a scarf. When compared to the Gotham, the Marmot Fordham is a lot bulkier and you can feel the extra weight around the arms and shoulder.
Overall, the Fordham jacket is the perfect balance between form, functionality, price, comfort, and durability.
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Mountain Equipment Lightline
Stats – Performance, casual, 700-fill down, 1lb, $260
Pros – Stylish, warm, comfortable, affordable
Cons – Build quality is not up to the mark
If you are in the market for a warm and comfortable winter jacket that will not break the bank, the Lightline from Mountain Equipment is your best bet. Packed with 700-fill down, this jacket is wind resistant, waterproof, and offers a clean and elegant look.
It is available in a wide variety of colors and is suitable for everyday use as well as in extreme cold climates. Even though the jacket is moderately priced, it is packed with a whole list of features. It is durable and purpose-built to handle quite a bit of torture, although, the build quality could have been a lot better. But, considering the price tag there is not much to complain about!
What are your views on the products mentioned above? Are you currently using any of them? Share your experiences with our readers in the Comments Section below.
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