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Ah, winter—it’s the season of festive fun, bright, sparkling, frosty mornings, and rosy-cheeked gatherings around the nearest fire. It’s also the season of freezing your extremities off, as icy winds blast down the back of your neck and frozen slush falls from the sky. Keep winter at bay this year with our picks for the best winter jackets for extreme cold.
Budget is pretty subjective when it comes to winter jackets, as anything designed to keep the cold and wet out will almost certainly not come cheap. While not the least expensive coat on this list, in terms of feature-stuffed value for money, this one is a winner. “The Alpha 4.0 Jacket by Helly Hansen uses proprietary waterproofing and insulation to keep you warm and dry,” says Evans. “It's a great bang for your buck!” Helly Hansen also made our lists for the best fleece jackets for men and the best ski pants for men, in case you need to round out your winter outdoor wardrobe.
A great value coat with a ton of useful features, designed to keep you warm and dry no matter what.
For hardcore insulation, nothing beats down. Think about it—have you ever seen a shivering goose? Our pick for the best down jacket for extreme cold is this super-warm option from Rab. “The Rab Infinity Down Jacket is worth the price for the added protection of Gore-Tex Windstopper in the outer layer,” says Manville. “It also boasts 800 fill power down for added warmth.” For the truly chilly, pair it with heated gloves for unparalleled coziness.
A ridiculously warm jacket for extra-frozen days.
“Due to their length, parkas are the best option overall for extreme cold,” says Manville. “The North Face McMurdo parka has great features and style to keep you warm and dry.” These features include lined pockets, a faux fur-trimmed hood with an adjustable drawcord, and 600 fill power recycled down insulation. Shopping tip: The North Face also makes some of the best winter boots for men.
A reliable, warm parka in a range of stylish colors.
“For more active pursuits, you want something with synthetic insulation in combination with a waterproof, breathable shell fabric,” says Manville. “You also want to make sure your jacket has features that are sport specific, like a powder skirt to help protect snow or even wind gusts from coming up your jacket.” Her pick to cover all these bases is the Helly Hansen Carv Lifaloft ski jacket, which does all she says, and more.
A slope-friendly jacket to keep you warm and dry in any conditions.
“The difference between a parka and a long coat can be subjective, but generally parkas can be considered at least thigh-, and long coats at least knee-length,” explains Manville. “This Helly Hansen parka has more of the traditional long coat, knee-length style, but is a great option for a less traditional long jacket, featuring more active styling and synthetic insulation for better performance in a range of conditions.”
A stylish, extra-long winter jacket to keep more of you warmer, for longer.
Since this jacket was designed for speeding down ski slopes, it’s warm, but also lightweight enough to fold easily into a small backpack, or even just be tied around your waist when not needed. Featuring a windproof, water-repellent design, with a helmet-compatible hood for those using it on the mountain, it’s supremely practical for pretty much any outdoor winter activity.
A lightweight, warm, convenient jacket ideal for layering.
When looking for a waterproof winter jacket, Manville recommends checking for one with seam-sealed, multi-layer construction. Her personal pick is the Mountain Hardwear Weather Down Parka: “The hardshell face is waterproof and windproof, and in terms of insulation, it has 650 fill power down to keep you warm.” It also has lots of pocket space, and a snap-close split hem for better mobility.
An ideal option for those dealing with very cold, wet conditions.
Stylish and practical don’t always go hand in hand—that’s why Triple Fat Goose’s insanely warm but beautiful coats are such a good find. They’re definitely not cheap, but with their sleek look, waterproofing, windproofing, 750 fill power recycled down, fleece-lined pockets, and insulated, detachable hood, they’ll get you through the worst of the winter while standing out from the sea of black puffer jackets.
A stylish but still supremely practical winter coat.
While there are plenty of cheaper options on Amazon, in terms of a winter jacket that really stands up to the elements, this one is hard to beat. “Canada Goose comes to mind when talking down jackets or extreme cold,” says Manville. “You’re paying a premium, but the warmth ratings by degree, the attention to detail, and the lifetime warranty are elements not to be missed.”
A pricey but reliable option, delivered to your door.
We made selections incorporating a mix of expert advice (from Laurel Manville, product development manager at Eastern Mountain Sports, and Kelly Evans, CMM of men's and youth apparel at Christy Sports), first-hand experience, and thorough research to ensure all of our picks have overwhelmingly positive customer reviews.
“Materials may vary, but in general you’ll want to look for jackets that are water resistant, wind resistant, and insulated, at a minimum,” says Laurel Manville, product development manager at Eastern Mountain Sports. “Look for a durable, multi-layer construction. If the exterior of the jacket is seam sealed and waterproof, that will help protect the insulation from getting wet.”
“Jacket length is important,” says Manville. “Varying lengths of parkas will provide more coverage for warmth, but too long may be less comfortable when sitting, or not functional for many activities. Look for two-way zippers or side slits with zips or snaps to add ease and flexibility to a longer jacket.”
“If you typically run cold, going for a water- and windproof jacket with insulation will be your best bet,” says Kelly Evans, CMM of men's and youth apparel at Christy Sports. “Down is the warmest insulation, but there are a variety of amazing synthetic options, too!”
“Many outdoors brands have their version of the ‘warmest’ jacket,” says Manville. “In some cases you can pay a premium for them! Because down has a better warmth-to-weight ratio, the ‘warmest’ may be a multilayer down parka with at least 750+ fill power down, and with a hard shell outer that’s waterproof and windproof. Multilayer constructions are better than just a puffer alone to help keep the wind and weather at bay.”
“Make sure the exterior layer of fabric has waterproof and windproof protection,” reiterates Manville. “A multilayer construction is best, so if there are baffles—the little pillows created by stitching insulation—you want to make sure they’re not stitched through the entire jacket and you have a solid layer for protection. For insulation, down is preferred for the warmth-to-weight ratio. Look for at least 650 fill power down, but the more the better, so you may want to look for higher fill power options.”
Manville also suggests looking for the following features if you’re going to be somewhere particularly cold.
“Overall, synthetic insulation has made great strides in technology and is a sensible choice in more moist climates like the PNW or New England,” says Evans. “If synthetic insulation gets wet, it still performs. The con with synthetic is the warmth will never fully measure up to down on the coldest of days.”
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