Whether you prefer stylish outerwear or weatherproof puffers, check out our favorite winter jackets for men.
Anna Popp is a Commerce Writer at Travel + Leisure where she tests, researches, and writes about travel products. Since living overseas in 2018, Anna has been a travel writer and began reviewing products in 2021. Knitted Real Rabbit Fur Jacket Women
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From peacoats and wool jackets to puffers and parkas, there are many different winter styles made for braving the elements. While staying warm is the priority, the best winter jackets will also protect you from wind, snow, rain, and other harsh weather conditions.
Our expert outdoor enthusiasts tested a range of winter jackets to find the best ones on the market. We evaluated each piece of outerwear based on design, comfort, and warmth after wearing the jackets while hiking, attending sporting events, and going on brisk morning dog walks.
Our favorite men’s winter jacket is the Rab Neutrino Pro puffer jacket. It’s exceptionally warm and lightweight, and it can compress down into a small stuff sack, making it portable for travel. If a puffer jacket isn’t your style, other coats like a luxurious Ralph Lauren peacoat and a versatile L.L.Bean parka made our list, too.
The jacket's fit can be adjusted in the hood, wrists, and waist.
It has a loose and baggy fit without adjustments.
You can never go wrong with a puffer jacket like the cozy Rab Neutrino Pro when the weather turns. At first glance, the jacket may appear to be too large, but once we put on the coat and adjusted the velcro wrists and bungee cord at the waist, it was a perfect fit. The 800-down fill insulation is incredibly warm and marshmallow-like, but the best part is how lightweight the jacket feels despite the ample puffiness. Plus, the coat can fold into a compact carrying bag so you can easily store it in the summer or travel with it seamlessly.
We also love the design of the jacket thanks to the multitude of thoughtful features for staying warm in the winter. The wrists have velcro straps, the waist has an adjustable bungee, and even the hood has drawstrings — all of which helped lock in the warmth, keeping cold air from seeping in. And the helmet-compatible hood has a little visor built into the brim so your eyes won’t get rain or snow in them quickly. To sweeten the deal further, the brand has a generous lifetime warranty on the jacket. No matter what kind of cold-weather activity you need a jacket for, the Rab Neutrino Pro is the best option for versatility and warmth.
Price at time of publish: $400
The Details: Size S to XL | Recycled Pertex Quantum Pro
It’s a very warm and cozy hoodie-like jacket for those who don’t like puffers or parkas.
The hood is a bit bulky.
If down jackets aren’t your thing, this Carhartt quilted jacket is a great alternative and it’s budget-friendly, too. The coat resembles the design of a zip-up hoodie, but it’s definitely warmer and heavier than a traditional sweater thanks to its thick cotton outer layer lined with cozy quilted fabric on the inside. We love how comfortable and warm it is without making us feel overheated. The design of this piece of outerwear is simple and no-frills and, while the hood is a little bit bigger than we would have liked, it wasn’t a big inconvenience. Since Carhartt is known for having durable clothing, we paid close attention to the design and materials of the jacket, and we feel confident that it will last for plenty of winters to come.
Price at time of publish: $110
The Details: Size S to 5XL | Cotton
The jacket fits very well around the shoulders, arm, and chest without feeling constrictive.
It’s not suited for rain, snow, or extremely cold temperatures.
A peacoat will never go out of style, especially this timeless Polo Ralph Lauren Wool-blend Melton Peacoat. As soon as we put on this jacket, we reveled in its luxuriously soft and thick wool outer material. And, it’s outfitted with sleek buttons that depict the initials “R” and “L” on either side of an anchor for an extra touch of elegance and style.
One of the best parts of this jacket is the design that doesn’t feel bulky or restrictive, as it fits just right in the shoulders, chest, and arms. We found the jacket to be warm enough for 40 degrees Fahrenheit, but because it’s not meant to be worn as a jacket in extreme weather, you may want to opt for a true puffer or parka in snow or rain. However, for those in the market for a wool peacoat, this jacket is a classic design you can wear forever, thanks to the high-quality materials and classy structure.
Price at time of publish: $698
The Details: Size 32 to 54 (short, regular, long) | Wool, nylon, cotton
The jacket has a minimalist design and is made with 100 percent recycled polyester.
It feels heavy to wear and the zipper snagged easily.
We love that Everlane’s ReNew Long Parka is made with 100 percent recycled polyester and PrimeLoft insulation sourced from 64 renewed plastic bottles. The minimalist design of the jacket makes it a versatile option for a variety of winter activities and we found that it’s exceptionally warm and weatherproof on windy or rainy days due to its water- and wind-resistant materials. After using the coat for two months, we never felt as though we could rip or snag anything.
Although the jacket might feel a bit heavy to wear, the ample warmth and protection it provides is well worth the slight bulkiness, and if you wanted a more form-fitting look, we suggested sizing down to eliminate the extra weight. The zipper did snag a bit, but because it’s a self-lubricating YKK zipper, we’re hopeful that it only gets smoother with more use.
Price at time of publish: $278
The Details: Size S to XL | Recycled polyester
Travel + Leisure / Danielle St. Pierre
Travel + Leisure / Danielle St. Pierre
It’s easy to layer underneath the jacket while still being able to move around.
This parka runs slightly big.
The Mountain Hardwear Stretchdown Parka is the perfect puffer jacket for every type of winter activity, from snowshoeing to running errands. The jacket provides the same warmth as a traditional parka, but it has better mobility thanks to the lightweight design, making it easy to move around in. We found it to be very roomy, and even though we sized down, there was still lots of room for several layers underneath the jacket, which is ideal for activities in the snow or exceptionally cold weather. This jacket is very warm and comfortable, and the fact that it runs a little bit large makes it great for layering additional jackets underneath if needed. The material does stretch, but it is not necessarily elastic — this makes moving around when layered up very easy.
The only time we felt a bit too hot while wearing the coat was during a hike when they ended up shedding a layer, but they were still impressed with the jacket's breathability while remaining at a comfortable temperature. Plus, we love that the hood is structured so it shields your face from inclement weather without impairing your vision.
Price at time of publish: $340
The Details: Size S to XXL | Nylon, elastane
The materials are thick and warm without feeling cumbersome to wear.
Parkas are the perfect combination of style and function in the winter, and the Eddie Bauer Seabeck Down Parka is no exception. Filled with ultra-soft 650-down insulation, we loved the feel of the jacket for being exceptionally cozy with down panels that are incredibly soft — wearing the jacket feels like putting on a blanket.
This jacket is also designed to keep you warm in temperatures as low as -30 degrees Fahrenheit and we noticed right away how warm it was. Based on our reviewer’s experience with the coat, we’re confident it lives up to its promise of keeping you warm in sub-zero temperatures. This jacket runs large, so it’s ideal for layering for added warmth, and the fabric cuff at the end of the sleeves keeps cold air out, even if the arms are a bit too long.
Price at time of publish: $279
The Details: Size S to XL | Cotton, nylon
The jacket has a removable puffer liner that can be worn as a separate coat on warmer days.
It could be too warm for above-freezing temperatures.
The L.L.Bean Men's Maine Warden's 3-in-1 Parka was designed with the help of Maine Wardens who enforce fish and wildlife laws in the state of Maine. With 15 pockets, a removable puffer liner, and a waterproof shell, this jacket is an all-in-one purchase. The shell of the jacket has a handy storm flap and is made with a waterproof, breathable Gore-tex fabric to keep you shielded from harsh winter weather.
Arguably the best part of this jacket is that it has a removable puffer liner that can be worn on warmer days since both the shell and liner can be a little too warm for above-freezing temperatures. While this is one of the pricier jackets we tested, the option to wear the shell, the puffer, or both at once makes the value well worth the cost.
Price at time of publish: $429
The Details: Size S to XXL (regular and tall) | Nylon, polyester
It’s made with 700-down fill without feeling too puffy or bulky.
The material feels thin but it doesn’t affect the performance of the jacket.
We loved how warm the 700-down fill Outdoor Research Stormcraft Down Parka is for below-freezing temperatures. It has a variety of thoughtful features for those living in harsh environments like wrist gaiters for preventing snow or cold air from seeping in, an adjustable hood, a chin guard, and so many pockets so you can fit everything you need for a day out.
Although the jacket feels a bit thin, we found that it does an excellent job of retaining warmth thanks to the water- and windproof Gore-tex 2L shell, and it doesn’t feel bulky or cumbersome to wear for long periods of time. We also love the breathability of this lightweight parka. For extra chilly winters, it's a must-have for staying warm without overheating.
Price at time of publish: $549
The Details: Size S to XXL | Gore-tex, polyester, nylon
It has all the right features to keep you warm, but not overheat you.
It runs unusually large so you'll want to size down.
The REI Co-op Stormhenge Down Hybrid Parka is a no-frills parka that is ideal for wearing any day during the winter. It’s made with a cozy 850-down goose fill that is the perfect balance of warm and soft without feeling bulky or too puffy to wear on a typical day. Plus, we found that the mid-thigh length isn’t too long or too short for staying warm and still having plenty of mobility.
We also loved that the jacket has a variety of fleece-lined pockets for keeping your hands toasty, and the sleeves have a wrist gaiter for extra protection in cold weather. While we normally recommend sizing up for winter jackets so you can layer, we found that this coat runs unusually large so we sized down and still had plenty of room for additional layers — though we think this jacket is plenty warm without extra clothing underneath.
Price at time of publish: $299
The Details: Size S to XXL | Recycled nylon
There were a few jackets that almost made our list for the best men’s winter jackets, but they fell short during testing due to some minor inconveniences.
The North Face McMurdo Down Parka: While the jacket was comfortable and warm to wear, it didn’t have any standout features to completely justify the $400 price tag.
Patagonia Tres 3-in-1 Parka: The jacket is very versatile thanks to its removable liner, but we liked the other 3-in-1 jacket from L.L.Bean better, and it’s nearly half the price of this one.
Marmot Fordham Jacket: This jacket was extremely warm for subfreezing temperatures, but it’s very bulky, which made it constrictive to wear.
We tested 18 different types of winter jackets, ranging from puffers to peacoats. We wore the jackets for a variety of activities in a real-world environment over a two-month period. From hiking in the woods to commuting to the office, we rated the jackets on a scale of one to five in categories for comfort, warmth, and design.
The best jackets for comfort were easy to move around in, even with multiple layers on, and the materials on the inside and outside felt comfortable to wear for long periods of time. To test for warmth, we wore the jackets for a variety of activities like hiking, sporting events, and early morning dog walks in temperatures ranging from below freezing to 50-degree weather. The best coats for warmth were toasty enough that we weren’t cold, but there was still some breathability to prevent overheating and excessive sweating.
Then, we evaluated the design of each jacket by noting how functional the pockets, hood, zippers, and other features were while wearing it. Some jackets we tried had removable liners and detachable hoods, so we paid close attention to how useful those special designs were. Lastly, we were unaware of the price of each jacket prior to testing and only found out the cost after testing was complete when they decided if the performance of the jacket justified the price.
Depending on the climate of where you live, you’ll want to get a jacket that will keep you warm or cool enough for a variety of winter activities. If you like to snowshoe or hike in the winter, consider getting a thick puffer jacket that has enough room for layers to be taken off or added. And if you’re looking for a jacket that is ideal for running errands, sightseeing, or commuting, consider purchasing a cozy parka with a longer length for additional warmth. Or, you can get a 3-in-1 jacket that has the option to wear the liner or shell separately or together on extra chilly days.
While the general rule of thumb is to size up for winter jackets so you can layer underneath, we found it’s important to check the reviews for sizing recommendations, as some jackets run very large. If you prefer a more form-fitting style, you can purchase your usual size and wear a light layer underneath.
The label on the jacket should come with cleaning instructions for safely washing your outerwear. Usually, all types of jackets can be washed (yes, even puffer jackets), it just depends on if the jacket needs to be machine-washed, dry-cleaned, or spot cleaned in the event it can’t be submerged in water.
There are several styles of winter jackets and it ultimately depends on your personal preferences for style, warmth, and fit. Puffer jackets are popular amongst outdoor enthusiasts because they’re lightweight and breathable, but those heading into an office might prefer something less sporty, like a parka or a peacoat.
Anna Popp is a Commerce Writer at Travel + Leisure, where she writes about and reviews travel products. She has been travel writing since 2018 and product testing since 2021. Anna worked with travel editors to determine the results for the best men’s winter jackets based on a series of tests completed by our expert product testers.
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