Looking for the warmest, comfiest men’s winter coats to beat the forthcoming chill? You’ve come to the right place.
Keeping warm during winter can sometimes be easier said than done. There is the obvious method of layering up your clothing, but if you start to boil from the inside, you need to remove them and carry them around with you for the rest of the day.
What you really need is a top-performing winter coat that will serve as a single layer either over a sweatshirt or fleece jacket when temperatures really do plummet.
We’ve, therefore, picked out some our favourite brands that offer winter coats for men that deserve your attention in preparation for winter. With a range of styles catered to, including puffer jackets, overcoats and parkas, you’re sure to find the winter coat for you.
And, while the majority of our favourite winter coats will help repel water, if you’re looking for a waterproof rain jacket specifically, then be sure to check out our favourite rain jackets available right now.
Of course, no two winter coats are made the same, and different brands will utilise different fabric technologies in the fight against harsh winter conditions. To help you with some of the more technical jargon, here’s what you should be looking out for when looking for your next winter coat.
Features to look out for in men’s winter coats
Gore-Tex
Gore-Tex is perhaps the biggest name in waterproof, breathable fabrics, having been around since 1969. Gore-Tex fabrics can both repel water – such as rain – while still allowing water vapour (such as sweat) to pass through its membrane, resulting in a breathable finish.
Coreloft
Coreloft is a brand of synthetic non-woven insulation material, which sees polyester fibres being crimped together to trap air, resulting in a material that is highly effective at retaining warmth. It’s naturally hydrophobic too, meaning it repels water, so will be equally effective in both wet and dry conditions. Coreloft is primarily found in Arc’teryx winter coats.
Down vs Synthetic Insulation
Two of the main terms you’re likely to come across when searching for a winter coat refer to the insulation: down or synthetic. Which insulation type you choose will depend on what you intend to use your coat for.
What is down insulation?
Unless the manufacturer clearly specifies the insulation in its jacket is made from feathers, down is in fact made from the plumage found underneath the feathers on a goose or duck. Down is an excellent insulation material, making it ideal for a coat intended for extremely cold weather climates. It’s also naturally breathable, meaning it will happily draw sweat away from your body.
The lightweight nature of down also lends it to be packable, so if you ever get so warm you need to take your winter coat off, you should be able to easily stuff it into a bag. The main downside to down insulation is that it doesn’t function so well if it gets wet. Some coats will cater to this, covering them in a highly effective waterproof outer layer, but if the down layer is on the outside, you’ll want to hope you don’t get caught in the rain.
However, with down also comes the addition of fill power, which we’ll cover later.
What is synthetic insulation?
Synthetic insulation is manmade. However, it is designed to mimic the qualities of down insulation but can still function as well even when wet. It’s made by taking various sizes of polyester fibres and intertwining them, which in turn holds heat within several air pockets.
While this is great news for a winter coat, more of it is needed to replicate the same effect as down, so synthetically insulated winter coats will be heavier than their down counterparts. However, if caught in the rain, synthetic insulation will dry much much faster than down.
DWR
Durable water repellent refers to a coating that is applied to various fabrics before they roll off the production line to make them water-resistant. It’s not uncommon to find DWR treatments on materials such as Gore-Tex to help minimise the amount of water it’s required to repel. DWR treatments can become less effective over time but can be re-treated as necessary.
Down Fill Power
Down fill power is indicated by a number, usually between 300 and 900, that indicates the loft of the down insulation in a winter coat. This basically refers to how warm the coat will be, with the higher the number meaning the warmer it will be, due to the larger weight of air the down can trap.
Some winter coat manufacturers, such as Canada Goose, provide information indicating the temperatures you’ll be able to comfortably withstand, depending on the down fill power of the winter coat you choose.
So, now that you’re up to speed when it comes to features to look for in a new winter coat, let us run you through some of the best options available right now. All of the winter coats we’ve picked out promise warmth, comfort and above all, style.
Hugo Boss
1/15
Think Hugo Boss and you may immediately conjure up images of tailored suits and polo shirts. But the German menswear brand – founded in 1924 – also has a decidedly on-brand range of coats that are perfect for winter.
The majority do fall into more of a formal category, understandably, so expect to find plenty of wool overcoats. But, Hugo Boss also caters to more of a casual aesthetic with padded coats and parkas that use synthetic insulation.
Everlane
2/15
For well-made, well-priced and well-styled winter essentials, you can always rely on Everlane. The American direct-to-consumer retailer uses as many recycled materials as possible in the production of its clothing and passes on its transparent pricing structure to you, so you can see where your money is going and how much (or little, as the case may be) of a profit the company is making.
Everlane just has the one winter coat on offer, in the form of a parka, but when it’s made from 100% recycled materials, has fleece-lined pockets and a water-resistant outer layer, we don’t think they need to offer anything else.
River Island
3/15
At River Island, great design is at the heart of everything they create. Founded in 1948, the UK brand is one of the best known on the high street and prides itself on producing stylish yet affordable fashion. Catering to men, women, and kids, River Island also sells exquisite footwear and accessories.
River Island has just the one style of ‘proper’ winter coat for men, in the form of an overcoat. The lack of hood and water-repellent layer obviously means it won’t hold up in a freak rain shower, but for cold, sunny days, it will have you looking your best, all the while keeping you warm, as you strut down the street.
Mission Workshop
4/15
Mission Workshop is a San Francisco-based company that screams city adventurer. You’ll notice an extremely consistent design language as you surf the company’s website, with blacks and greys very much being the order of the day.
However, every single piece of clothing and all of its accessories are designed to be incredibly technical. Whether it be a waterproof jacket, something fleece-lined for warmth or a combination of the two, Mission Workshop offers some of the best men’s winter coats around.
Aether
5/15
Aether is a brand for the guy who works 9-5 in the city during the week but loves to stretch his legs and explore the great outdoors at the weekend.
And that’s exactly what you can do whilst wearing Aether’s range of men’s winter coats. With parkas and “Nordic jackets” offering high levels of insulation thanks to 800-fill-power goose down, you can be guaranteed of a toasty, comfortable winter.
Mackage
6/15
Price: From $690
Sizes: XS-XXL
Another brand to hail from Canada, Mackage has earned itself a reputation of being one of the most prestigious names in all things winter protection (and is said to be a favourite of Meghan Markle). The luxury label was founded in 1999 with the aim of forging a design ethos that encapsulated both fashion and function.
We’d say its definitely succeeded on that front, using all manner of materials such as leather, down and wool, all of which are crafted into tailored fits that will have you looking good, while offering the utmost in protection.
Canada Goose
7/15
Canada Goose is, unsurprisingly, another Canadian brand committed to keeping you warm when outside turns cold. It has relied heavily on product placement and sponsorship to cement itself as a must-have brand, but fortunately the men’s winter coats and jackets combine both style and substance.
If you’re going to invest in Canada Goose you may automatically veer towards its fully-fledged parkas, but they’re designed to withstand conditions you’d only really find in the Arctic Circle. For everyday winter use, Canada Goose also offers a range of coats that still benefit from down insulation, but aren’t as heavy or thick, meaning you can still go about your daily tasks with ease.
UNIQLO
8/15
For an affordable yet incredibly functional winter jacket, Japanese retailer UNIQLO is not one to be passed up. The clothier regularly releases good-looking pieces that offer style and substance in spades.
With a range of down-filled jackets on offer in a range of colours, and all of which can be packed into their own bag for when not in use, these affordable water-repellent winter coats are hard to beat.
Woolrich
9/15
Woolrich is another fashion brand that has been around for nearly 200 years, in fact, it’s the oldest manufacturer of outdoor wear in the United States. It was founded with the purpose to produce fabric for the wives of hunters, loggers, and trappers, and was enlisted to outfit soldiers in the American Civil War.
Woolrich has a huge range of winter coats for men, including parks, heavyweight rain coats and even more luxurious coats that benefit from a combination of wool and silk.
Mackintosh
10/15
Mackintosh has been an expert in all things winter coats since its founding in 1824 and is the inventor of what we now call the Mac, which refers to a rubberised, water-repellent raincoat.
Today, Mackintosh continues to produce its world-famous Mac, but also has a wide range of other overcoats and parka-style coats, all of which provide warmth, style and protection against rain.
Burberry
11/15
Burberry should need little introduction. The world-famous British fashion brand is known for its trench coats (which it invented) which the company still offers today. Timeless, stylish and dependable, a Burberry trench coat will serve you well during winter.
The North Face
12/15
The North Face certainly understands the cold and so makes a wide variety of coats and jackets built to withstand subzero temperatures. The brand has also become somewhat of a fashion statement in recent years, seeing it transition from a technical brand only for those who needed the best cold weather protection, into one you now see regularly on the high street.
The North Face uses a variety of insulation in its range of winter coats, including down filling, synthetic and its own proprietary ThermBall insulation, which is a 100% recycled, synthetic equivalent to down, offering next-level warmth.
Lululemon
13/15
Perhaps rather surprisingly, Canadian activewear brand Lululemon has also gotten in on the winter coat action. While it’s certainly true that the bulk of Lululemon’s outerwear collection falls more into the jacket category, there are a few certified winter coats available for you to peruse.
With parkas and down-filled jackets both up for grabs, and all made with the high-level quality you’d expect, there is certainly a case to be made for the fact men’s winter coats needn’t be boring.
G-Star Raw
14/15
Don’t think Dutch brand G-Star Raw is solely in the denim game, as it actually has a complete range of men’s clothing with a decidedly urban, almost industrial aesthetic.
This design language carries over to the range of winter coats and, while G-Star refers to their padded coats as jackets, with plenty of recycled polyester filling, they’ll happily serve you all the way through winter.
Charles Tyrwhitt
15/15
For the corporate man looking for a professional-looking overcoat for the winter months, look no further than Charles Tyrwhitt. The British label is synonymous with business and formalwear, so it should come as no surprise to learn you have a comprehensive choice of wool and cashmere overcoats in a variety of colours.