I’ve gotten good advice from you all in the past so hopefully I will again.
Up to now, I’ve mainly been buying cheaper jackets for the winter, but I’m thinking of getting a really decent Winter Jacket, especially after the winter we had last year here in DC. (It was very cold and snowed a lot.) So I’m wondering what you all think are decent brands. Preferably waterproof as my last jacket finished the season damp and a bit smelly. I’m not averse to spending a decent amount of money, but would like to keep it south of $300 if possible, though I could be induced to go a little higher for something really good. It would mostly be used for urban living rather than any serious outdoors adventures, but some day hiking might happen. I know we’ve got people from cold weather climates here, so I’m curious what you all would recommend. North Face, maybe?
Of course if I do buy this, the weather is certain not to fall below 40F this winter.
Go to REI or Columbia. You can buy a good waterproof outer shell that has a down zip out liner, so the coat can be worn through most any inclement weather. The hoods on these are not usually insulated, but that’s what a good warm wool hat is for.
For winter hiking you typically want an uninsulated shell. Hiking in an insulated jacket for any length of time is just too hot. If that’s really a requirement then the jackets with zip-out liners may be a good choice.
All brands make pretty good stuff for your use. LL Bean is great, but I think if you get something from Columbia it would meet your needs at a lower cost. You can also buy from the house brands at EMS or REI.
Seconding this. I bought an LL Bean parka from the outlet store in Tysons 20 years ago. The hanging loop and the leather pull on the main zipper broke but otherwise it’s still perfectly servicable.
Good Lord, I live in the frozen north and I don’t have a winter jacket that costs $300.
If you’re looking for warmth as opposed to high style, you can get something WAY cheaper than that, and they’ll even look good. North Face makes great stuff, but unless you’re doing a lot of outdoor hiking or winter camping or such, it’s overkill. Hell, it’s overkill even if you ARE doing that stuff in most cases.
Think layers, rather than some super thick coat. If I’m going to be spending time outside walking or standing (as opposed to skiing or something that generates body heat), I wear a thick wool coat, with a sweater underneath, long sleeve shirt under that, gloves/mittens, and a hat. Warm boots, too. Wool coat ran me $56, on sale from Amazon a couple years ago. This is good down to about 20 below.
I have a nice ski parka as well, but I find it’s too hot unless it’s both extremely cold and windy. I wear it for downhill skiing.
Unless it’s raining, you don’t really need waterproof. Snow falling on a jacket doesn’t melt and run through. If you have a smelly coat, you probably sweat in it.
I third (or fourth) the idea of getting a three in one - doesn’t have to be Columbia, North Face makes some good ones too, or get a knock-off/off-brand. You don’t want to sweat, so layers are nice, you want to just be - neither hot nor cold (unless you are physically exerting yourself, then you want to start off cold). I would think DC would have damp winters, so you do want waterproof/windproof (that damp chill just seeps into everything).
Do you need style over pure function? For example, will you be wearing this in more formal settings, day to day or strictly as a to/from work kind of thing? Columbia, North Face and LL Bean all make some nice gear, or you can look at snowboarding jackets that give you range of motion, are lightweight, waterproof and do a really decent job of keeping you warm. I use them in N.Alberta for my day to day jacket and it gets down to -40C here. Ripzone, Helly Hansen, Volcom or Arcteryx make some nice ones.
Catch them on an off season sale and you can get a good deal, too. I got two Ripzone jackets for less than $100.
Neither of these is going to look good with business dress. I have several coats, including a long wool overcoat and a shorter wool peacoat for dressier occasions, but we have a lot of winter where I live. FTR, I get through most of winter with my raincoat outer and my fleece inner. If I am actually deploying North of 60, then I get out the parka.
I’m in DC as well, and finally breaking down and getting a very good jacket made an enormous improvement to my quality of life. Yes, it’s not that crazy cold. But DC folks are big commuters and DC isn’t set up for the cold the way Northern cities are- lots of un sheltered bus stops, open metro stations, etc. even if it’s “only” 30, that’s damn cold if you are exposed and not moving around.
6pm.com (Zappo’s overstock outlet) has some amazing deals. I got a $400 North Face jacket for $150. They have limited sizes and their stock changes often, so check back often and if you see something in your size, grab it. You can do research on the different types of down and synthetics-- the REI website has some good explanations.
I opted for a more classic, less sporty look. DC loves their ugly overcoats, and a parka- especially a bright one- will look out of place in many offices.
Do you drive or take the subway/buses? I’ve spent some time in New York and Tokyo taking the subway in the winter and found out that even though I am from fairly cold Detroit I wasn’t prepared for trekking to the station because I generally drive everywhere and never have to walk more than a 200 yards max.
I like Columbia jackets, but LL Bean is nice if you can afford it. Also it depends on the style you want.
If you want one for fashion as well as warmth, LL Bean makes some awesome leather jackets for a good price. I have a dark brown one with Thinsulate lining that is rated down to any reasonable temperature you will see in DC. I wear mine every day for at least half the year here in New England. I have had it for 5 years and it still looks new. I get compliments on it all the time and you can wear it anywhere and with just about anything. It wouldn’t make a very good ski jacket but it is good for everything else. Life span for them is decades as long as you take the most basic care of them them. It is a little more expensive than you were asking for ($349 for the insulated version) but you will be happy with a get lots of use out of it if you get one.
LL Bean doesn’t have to be that spendy if you shop outlets, eBay and so on.
If you don’t need to be stylish, Carhartt seems very popular in northern climates and well within your budget. I’ve got my eye on this jacket.
Really it depends on how much exposure you think you might be getting…I live where it gets very cold but don’t actually spend a ton of time outside in winter, so a good basic windbreaker plus wool and cotton layers and covering for extremities might be all you need. I do however spend an hour or more most days walking dogs in all but the most vile weather. To be honest, I can layer up just fine with cheap clothing for that. Having adequate covering for my head (face, ears), hands and feet is more critical than a good jacket. Not to discount the value of great outerwear, but extremity protection is really going to be your most important challenge when the going gets really fucking cold.
I also have a leather jacket with a good lining, and it handles anything New England has thrown at it so far. Put a sweater and t-shirt under it, and I’m good to go.
I also have a full-length wool coat for the office/dressier outings.
And a variety of jackets (rain and otherwise) for rain.
It’s good to have a bunch of options. Weather happens in all kinds of weird combos.
I also second wearing layers and the importance of accessories. Better than my coat are my fur-lined gloves, winter boots, and fur earmuffs. A knit cap is important for everyone to have around, too.
I survived last year’s Chiberia in my parka from Lands’ End. It was around $200. Them, and LL Bean, are my go-to clothiers for surviving winter weather. I think they are both better and cheaper than the trendier brands like North Face and Columbia.
I’ve been happy in the past with Columbia zip-outs, but my current winter coat is from GoLite. It’s a Boulder company, so I got it at their factory store for about $150. Light weight and warm, good pockets, and a very big hood that keeps even driving rain and snow off my face. I think I’ve worn it for 3 winters with no appreciable signs of deterioration.
When I’m working outside I like Carhartts.
I have a columbia zip-out for running around, just the shell when it’s not too cold and the liner works very well.
Best hat I ever had, before my kids lost it, was a musk ox beanie hat. It was a gift and I haven’t got another due to cost, but if you want top of the line stuff check them out.
