Parkas are some of the most practical and stylish of all winter coats. They finely balance the need to look your best, but also stay functional. The best parkas for men are the beastly gear that you need to take on choppy wintery weather when the lightweight jacket’s minimal insulation won’t do.
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You can wear the best parkas in your car, out on the driveway, or in the wilderness in the middle of a blizzard. For this reason, the best parka is not just for form and function but an investment. You should have a winter coat that you can slip on, winter after winter, and stay toasty for days.
For this reason, go for top-notch construction and avoid brands that cut corners when making fastenings, linings, or shells. A keeper will have a color that you can stand for years and adequate length.
10 Best Parkas For Men
If you’re looking to upgrade your winter jacket and wondering where to begin, then you’re in the right place. We’ve eased your work and listed eight of the best parkas for men you’ll find in the market today. These quintessential frosty weather coats will keep you warm and dry. Every. Single. Day. So keep reading to find your ideal choice.
1. Rains Glacial Coat
The Scandinavian label Rains is known for creating functional and highly effective outerwear pieces designed to weather through all kinds of extreme situations. And its Glacial capsule collection surely has one to keep you ready and able during a storm. The collection signifies high-quality function and a minimalistic silhouette designed for every stylish guy and gal out there.
Heavily padded with featherless insulation, the Rains Glacial coat will keep you toasty during the worst of them. It features a new fabric Rains has developed; a signature waterproof PU matched with heavy-duty twill fabric, creating a hard shell to protect you from the extremes.
Meanwhile, the boxy silhouette that stops at mid-thigh featuring a drawstring hood with reflective detail and a matching matte-like finish keeps the high standard functional workwear cutting edge and chic.
The seams are ultrasonically welded and paired with a coated zip closure; you bet this durable coat has guaranteed waterproof protection during inclement weather.
2. Wahts Larson Tech Parka
Amsterdam-based label WAHTS specializes in creating a specific hybrid of luxury, and contemporary menswear meets comfortable sportswear that only follows two rules: style and comfort. Their high-end fashion collection is designed for men who like to be free to explore. It brings fashion that’s suitable for modern men and all the demands that comes with it, clothing that fits their lifestyle. Running a business meeting or a marathon, their garments are ultra-versatile and fashionable as they are functional.
Think of a parka you can wear at work, travel, or play. The Larson Tech parka will serve you just as well in any setting. Made in Portugal from a water-resistant soft shell fabric, you will be reaching for this jacket as the spring showers inevitably start. It comes with a hidden functionally with multiple zipped pockets waterproofed to protect you and your belongings.
The taped seams ensure a clean silhouette, while the subtle dropped back feature matched with a back slit provides an easy, aerodynamic movement. It has the versatility of a parka you can wear while commuting to work or during a wet and windy hike.
3. Eddie Bauer Men’s Superior Down Parka
The Eddie Bauer Superior down parka is the highest-rated men’s winter outerwear on Amazon. Its popularity partly stems from the fact that it is a trusted Eddie Bauer product. Here is a fun fact; the Superior down parka’s legendary maker is also the man that holds the down jacket’s patent.
The invention of the modern Eddie Bauer parka is a real life and death story. Bauer is a prolific merchandiser and gear developer who, by the way, owns a badminton shuttlecock patent. He is an outdoorsman, stocking quality fishing, and hunting gear alongside his sporting items. Eddie performs a rugged test for everything that he sells.
On a fine day in 1935, he went fishing with a friend in western Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. Hypothermia almost does him in. This misadventure led him to the first warm breathable jacket. His breakthrough was the US Air Force’s interest in his B-9 flight jacket for its pilots.
The Superior down parka is a culmination of world-class mountain sport testing, going through rigorous testing by athletes and guides. If you are prone to cold feet, buy this parka. It will be your huckleberry. Fill power can range from 300 to above 900 and lower quality parkas have a 400 to 500 rating.
Eddie Bauer’s parka has fill power of 650 premium down. In -40°c (-40°F) weather, this insulation outwear will keep you toasty. It has a classic fit and is 100% nylon with an average length of 33 inches.
Its faux-fur ruff is detachable while its main zipper has a full-length storm flap, to rein heat loss. You will not find much dirt on this item, because it is five stars. That said, it is quite bulky and stiff, so it is not your everyday get in the car and drive parka.
4. Fjallraven Men’s Yupik Parka
Like Eddie Bauer, Åke Nordin, the brain behind Fjallraven was a prolific outdoorsman and inventor. The Yupik parka like all Fjallraven products is at its best form in winters as harsh as the Scandinavian wilderness’.
It is a sizable, warm parka and its length will provide ample coverage for your thighs and back – one of the reasons it’s made it to this list of best parkas for men. The Yupik’s shell, your first line of defense against the bitter cold, is not a signature Fjällräven G-1000 product. It is 100% Polyamide. The polyamide makes the Arctic Fox parka incredibly durable, endowing it with mild weather protection.
While the synthetic fabric is only slightly hydrophobic and less insulating than polyester, it is stronger, stretchy, and soft. The Yupik also has Supreme Micro Loft padding. Micro Loft is an inferior insulator to natural down, which traps body heat in minute air pockets, giving your body wooly snugness.
With all its outstanding characteristics, a wet down padded winter parka can be dicey. Natural down will quickly lose all its warming efficiency should it get wet. Fjällräven’s take on Micro Loft padding might be slightly less warm than natural down, but it closely mimics the behavior of natural down feathers.
Supreme Micro Loft padding will not only trap air around your body for warmth but will keep things pleasant, should it get wet. This filler is also easier to clean and dries up faster than down. You will love the Fjallraven Yupik’s hybrid look of adventure readiness and street suaveness.
This parka is perfect for outdoor exploring, has a soft fleece-lined detachable hood and tons of practical pockets. It has a handy media player pocket on its sleeve and double bellows pockets at the hem, perfect for hand warming.
5. Tommy Hilfiger Men’s Quilted Snorkel Jacket
The cooler months are looming and you are looking for the perfect winter outerwear. An on-your-toes kind of buyer, you are studying weights, lengths, and fabrics, to help you dig out that elusive perfect parka. The choice and names of winter coats out there can baffle even the most eager of buyers.
Take the Tommy Hilfiger snorkel jacket. Snorkel? Sounds mighty cool, but what does it mean? A parka is a jacket that has a wind-proofing hood in the tradition of the Caribou Inuit, their inventors. Snorkel jackets, like this Hilfiger navy number, borrow their design from the US military N-3B parka.
An aircraft carrier deck crew item, it ensured that the sky men could seal their faces all the way, only leaving a tiny gap at the top, for breathing. This is the origin of the with-it snorkel moniker. The Tommy Hilfiger snorkel parka just like its military protective peer helps you to brave sub-zero temperatures and fierce winds on the blustery front lines.
This style of the parka is a perfect bridge between protection and sportswear. Unlike the pricier, Tommy Hilfiger 3 in 1 tailored parka that has cotton, polyamide, and polyester shell, this jacket’s hull is 100% polyester. Polyester makes this parka’s specs equal to the military version, leveraging the synthetic polymer’s hydrophobic nature to keep you warm.
Polyester is water-hating, and rarely absorbs any, a perfect feature for extreme weather. The parka has Ultra Loft padding, meaning that it might not be the perfect coat for your -30 hikes. High quality down is most definitely warmer. Still, this US army issue insulation does a fantastic job at mimicking the qualities of down.
Unlike Columbia or Canada goose jacket, this snorkel jacket will not retain water in wet weather. Its other protective features include rib-knit storm cuffs, removable faux fur hood, and a collar with a snap closure. It also has a dual zipper and button closure at the front.
6. Boulder Creek by Kingsize Men’s Fleece-Lined Parka
Tall coats are not always easy to find when the mercury drops. A tall man’s winter outwear should sufficiently stall the snap and keep the icy breeze at bay. The Boulder Creek kingsize men’s parka is a tall microfiber hooded coat with a detachable hood. Its shell and lining are polyesters.
It has a relaxed fit for people that love to wear their layers. You can combine it with a light sweater and a long shirt and throw on a scarf. It is a lightweight parka, selling at a bargain price for its quality. It has a plush fleece lining and useful handwarmer pockets. The parka’s front closure is a zipper with snap storm flap reinforcement.
Its sleeves are polyfill quilted, and it has six roomy pockets to hold all your knick-knacks. The Boulder Creek tall coat is not trying to be an Eddie Bauer Superior down parka. It will not do for the punishing sub-zero winter wilderness hike.
If you have wet, cold, and windy winters, you will need more insulation than this parka provides. It is a fantastic windbreaker, seals up excellently, leaving a lot of wriggle room for more layers. You can ease into the car comfortably in it and it is perfect for changing temperatures.
7. Alpha Industries Men’s N-3B Parka
War may not be worth much, but it has done the male wardrobe a lot of good. Most mainstream men staples including chinos, deck shoes, khakis, and the bomber jacket are all front line pieces. They have held the line for decades and are not showing any signs of retreating.
Chief amongst these items is the N-3B parka from Alpha industries. The popularity of the men’s N-3B stems from its rugged build and extreme protective qualities. It also has a tribal feel, making men feel like part of the military gang. The N-3B parka is a functional, timeless, and heroic item that is a mission-critical staple for any wardrobe.
Its design stems from the 1950 military N-3B Snorkel Parka, worn by the flight crew. It is the parka to go for if you need an item for harsh and extreme weather. Its shell is 100% flight nylon, an extremely tough and windproof textile. It has a bright satiny feel, and highly water repellant. This parka has a 100% polyester fill while its lining is nylon.
It will keep you toasty in −60 °F (−51 °C) weather or severe 30+ MPH winds. The N-3B Parka features a synthetic coyote fur trim drawstring hood that will make moot of your balaclava clothing and goggles. This is quality and value at a competitive price for a man in uniform look.
It is perfect for your skiing, fishing, camping, and hunting in extreme weather. It has a hardy brass zipper, pencil sleeve pocket, 4 snap-close pockets, and chunky elastic wrist cuffs knit inside the parka’s sleeves. Its main zipper has a storm flap in loop closure style and a button.
8. Canada Goose Macculloch Parka
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Canadian coats are a thing of envy. Everyone wants one, but they are a luxury. Lift one up and you can immediately tell that it is not your ordinary parka. It is the parka to buy when you want lifelong winter wear that does not need bundling every time you are out of the door.
Think of the Canadian goose coat as an investment and treat it as such. The Macculloch parka is a fine Canada goose coat specimen that you will cherish. It comes with a lifetime warranty for the urban explorer. The parka has white duck down, which is below the prime goose down but provides a 625 fill power and a TEI4 rating. It can take on the Arctic cold.
This parka is perfect for the perennially cold beneath the layers type of man. Its insulation rating is only a step behind the TEI5 rating that men wear on the coldest spots on earth. The Macculloch parka has a tasteful classic military look, in the signature Arctic Tech brand shell.
This feature makes the parka both water and wind-resistant. In it, you will have six outer pockets and four ample roomed ones to hold all your essentials. The parka has a storm flap that conceals its two-way zip closure.
The closure has military buttons reinforcement and you can zip its side seams when you need more ventilation but need to keep cozy. To ensure that the parka outlives all your winters, this parka has reinforced elbows for the most athletic of uses.
9. Patagonia Tres 3-in-1 Parka
The best parkas for men are not only protective and warm but are worth any rag tail winter outerwear collection. The best of them have removable layers, making them suitable for a wide variety of temperatures. The Patagonia Tres 3-in-1 jacket is one big layer. When the weather calls for it, zip its down and liner layers and gives it windbreaker weight.
If you are going away to an area with varied weather, take this parka along. Its shell is 50% recycled polyester, while its filling is 700 fill power strong, giving it a mountaineering level of inclement weather protection.
The thigh-length parka has a two-way zipper, and it is reinforced by a storm flap. Its removable and adjustable hood has a stand-up collar. The collar’s chin flap has a micro-fleece lining. The coat has two security chest pockets and drop-in hand warmer pockets.
10. Helly Hansen Active Winter Parka
The Helly Hansen Active Winter parka is the culmination of over 140 years in the design and development of quality winter apparel. In the year 1877 Nordic sailor Helly Juell Hansen and Margrethe, his wife, came up with the prototype of the waterproof oilskin jacket. Pairing cotton canvas and linseed oil, the couple made the first successful waterproof gear, the building blocks of the modern-day Helly Hansen brand.
The Active Winter parka’s heritage is that of severe cold and wind of the Nordic lands. The brand makes some most sought-after ski clothing, making them durable for years of use under brutal conditions. This parka is perfect for town and wilderness wear.
It has a Durable water repellency treated shell for enhanced water repellency. Its hood is adjustable, and it has convenient sizable stash pickets and cozy hand warming pockets. Its pocket’s zip closures are the trusty YKK brand, which will not break and ruin your $500 investment.
Some other notable aspects of the Active Winter parka include its wrist gaiters, inner chest pocket, and adjustable hem. It is fitting, not puffy but streamlined and sleek. The Helly Hansen Active winter parka comes in a variety of neutral shades to suit any taste preference.
Warm Men’s Winter Parkas: BUYING GUIDE
Buying a parka need not be confusing. Here are the top considerations you should have in mind when searching for your next perfect parka.
Coat Thickness
Are you looking for a warm winter coat or a light fall jacket? For warm coats, go for one with a thick natural fabric. Wool, fleece, and goose down are some ideal options. These hold in more heat and function even when wet. Natural materials are also breathable.
If you’re shopping for a light fall jacket, you may want one made with a blend of synthetic fibers. An 80% wool 20% nylon parka traps heat well while also allowing perspiration to escape. Synthetic materials also hold in less water when there’s rain or snow.
To get the best of both worlds, shop for a parka with detachable vests and hoods. That way, your parka is more versatile and you get a 2-in-1 style that you can wear in any season.
Stitching
How the insulating materials are sewn into the parka often determines how warm the jacket will be. A cold spot may form where the inner and outer fibers are stitched too close together. For a warmer parka, find one with a two-walled construction as the double-wall prevents cold spots.
You may also want a parka with faux-fur trim along the hood. The trim protects your face and neck against winds and sprays. Pick one with a drawcord so you can easily tighten the trim against your face when outside or loosen when indoors.
Check whether your chosen parka has pockets. Are the pockets cushioned with hand-warming insulation? Are the inside pockets deep enough to keep wallets and electronics?
Coat Length
Parkas come in many different length styles. You may find long options for winter outfits and more cropped styles for warmer seasons. Coat length depends on personal style preference, type of weather, and the event you may be attending.
Occasion
Knowing where you will be wearing your parka can help you decide on a coat that matches your needs. For instance, padded coats are more suitable when you’re planning for winter outdoor activities. Waterproof linings protect you when facing rain. Short and light parkas can work great for indoor parties while a looser fit can be ideal when you’re layering your workplace outfits.
Materials
Check the parka’s label to confirm that the outer shell is water-resistant. Additionally, check to see how many materials and the type of fiber used for each layer. Confirm that you have a two-way heavy-duty zipper with an overlying storm flap to protect against wind drafts. In place of a belt, most people prefer a waist drawstring to fit the parka to their body.
Conclusion
There you have it, a buying guide to the best winter wear. Use it to make an informed purchase decision for the best parkas for men your money can buy.