Which coat for dd?

[BakersDozen]

Dd's coat for AZ winters just isn't going to cut it. She walks to class each day and is looking for something long and very, very, very warm. I'm seeing mixed reviews for LLBean coats (my go-to brand). Suggestions, please??

[Katy]

Can you let us know where she is?  My recommendation will change based on region.

[BakersDozen]

Boston

[Selkie]

Look at North Face, Columbia, and Carhartt. Those are the favorite brands of warm coats at my dd’s college, where it gets very cold and students have to walk a lot in all kinds of weather because the campus is large and spread out.

[footballmom]

LL bean, Lands End and The North Face all have great options.

[gardenmom5]

Does she wear a backpack? 

1dd was in college in upstate/central NY.  I'd bought her a *really good* Eddie Bauer Jacket (it was normally about $300 twenty years ago - I got it on the clearance rack for a fraction of that.)   She hated it.  It was too bulky for the backpack, and too short.

I ended up buying her a wool/angora blend long (lower-calf) coat with raglan sleeves and a hood with a fox fur ruff.  (Yeah - those faux fur ones, purely decorative no R-value at all.).  real fur really does keep your face warm.  It was thin and easy to move.  It. was. super. warm!  It also cut the wind.  She wore it nearly every day in the winter for four years.  She still has it, and it is still beautiful.

I'd also look at *breathable* long underwear in a light weight.  (stay away from polypropylene.  ick. and cotton - you want it to wick moisture away from the skin.)  silk is good - very thin, but surprisingly warm.

good gloves, and ear warmers.  Wool socks. (NOT COTTON!)  you lose a lot of heat through feet, hands, and ears.

[BakersDozen]

44 minutes ago, gardenmom5 said:

Does she wear a backpack? 

1dd was in college in upstate/central NY.  I'd bought her a *really good* Eddie Bauer Jacket (it was normally about $300 twenty years ago - I got it on the clearance rack for a fraction of that.)   She hated it.  It was too bulky for the backpack, and too short.

I ended up buying her a wool/angora blend long (lower-calf) coat with raglan sleeves and a hood with a fox fur ruff.  (Yeah - those faux fur ones, purely decorative no R-value at all.).  real fur really does keep your face warm.  It was thin and easy to move.  It. was. super. warm!  It also cut the wind.  She wore it nearly every day in the winter for four years.  She still has it, and it is still beautiful.

I'd also look at *breathable* long underwear in a light weight.  (stay away from polypropylene.  ick. and cotton - you want it to wick moisture away from the skin.)  silk is good - very thin, but surprisingly warm.

good gloves, and ear warmers.  Wool socks. (NOT COTTON!)  you lose a lot of heat through feet, hands, and ears.

She does have a backpack so I'll pass this on to her.

She has excellent gloves, mittens, ear warmers and lots of wool socks.

Do you remember the coat brand you bought your dd?

Edited November 26, 2021 by BakersDozen

[BakersDozen]

I've spent hours on Land's End, LL Bean, Columbia, Patagonia, North Face, etc. today! It's nice that she wants a long coat as that eliminates many possibilities but the reviews on some of the coats (LE especially) are pretty rough. Thank you all for the suggestions - hopefully I'll find something before she turns into a popsicle (she does have a very nice shorter coat but knows it isn't going to be sufficient).

[gardenmom5]

6 minutes ago, BakersDozen said:

She does have a backpack so I'll pass this on to her.

She has excellent gloves, mittens, ear warmers and lots of wool socks.

Do you remember the coat brand you bought your dd?

No - I bought it at Nordstrom. (during Christmas/New Years sales.  She'd be home for a month.)  Karen something?  Maybe?  

[Arcadia]

1 hour ago, BakersDozen said:

I'm seeing mixed reviews for LLBean coats (my go-to brand).

I find that regardless of brands, the coat that keeps me warm is the one that fits snug at the waist and calfs. My favorites are North Face and Pajar for down coats. I do have to loosen my backpack straps when wearing down coats. I wear knee high boots.

mine is an older version of this which has a rating of -22degF

https://us.pajar.com/collections/women-all-products/products/kipling-1

[catz]

I will say on college campuses super high end coats can be targeted for theft.  My kid attends school in a very cold winter place with lots of walking and this is a an issue with low temps every year.    My kids and I all have low temp range lands ends parkas right now we got a discount on in the upper Midwest , my kids have had several and a row and they have fit the bill for us without breaking the bank.  Another place to dig around might be Sierra Trading.  

Edited November 26, 2021 by FuzzyCatz

[Lanny]

@BakersDozenL.L. Bean was my "Go To" for many years. We live in a Tropical Valley, so my DD had no Winter clothes or boots or knowledge of cold weather, when she went to UNC 2 years ago. I sent her with my old Red L.L. Bean Down Parka, to get her started. That was August 2019. Probably it was purchased in the early 90's. I wore it a lot and then for many years it hung in the closet here.

Several months later, she bought a new Woman's Down Jacket from L.L. Bean. I think it was discounted to about $270 USD. She wore it 2 or 3 times and then Insulation started coming out of the Jacket. I suggested she return it for a Refund because it was defective and buy another model, when they had a better selection.

She's done with L.L. Bean and my old Red Parka is in Germany at "Semester Abroad" now...

I am sad that L.L. Bean did not maintain their Quality Control.

Also she didn't like the long Jacket she bought. I think she said it was not comfortable.

She also has a Wool Jacket now.

I have an Eddie Bauer Down Jacket that I had worn very little (Dark Grey) but when she went to Germany in August 2021 she didn't have room for that one in her suitcase and she only wanted to take one big suitcase.  It's in like new condition.

 

 

 

[HomeAgain]

I have a Columbia jacket that is just right, but I'm more acclimated here. 

Can I make a pitch, though, for Eddie Bauer lined pants and thick LL Bean wool socks?  If she's going out and about walking around Boston, these are amazing.

[Katy]

In a college situation I’d probably look at 3 in 1 parkas first because of space issues. Bean, Northface, and Patagonia all have them.  Some of them are knee length or close.  The outside shell is waterproof but breathable and will work as a rain jacket.  The inside is often a down or synthetic fill that works on days when it’s cold but not wet or particularly windy.  Together they’re almost the weight and warmth of a heavy parka. Of the 3, Bean is the least likely to get stolen.

I’m not sure I’d recommend a super long parka alone because Boston is fairly humid and the temperature fluctuates enough that it’s often slushy.  If she gets an 600 - 800 fill down coat that’s ankle length it won’t be very warm the first time snow starts to melt and she steps into a pothole or gets splashed by a car and the bottom is soaked.  In that case she’s probably better served by insulated waterproof knee high boots and a knee length coat.  And adding a couple sets of long underwear (polyester fleece for days in the 20’s, smartwool for days below 5.

If she wants long, you might look at wool dress coats.  Wool is warm even when wet, but it isn’t as warm as a heavy parka. 

Alternatively she could look for a mid weight coat (I have one from Columbia that’s warm enough down to about 20), and a parka (heavy, down fill, knee length or longer, warm to -50, but not appropriate in wet weather).  I think mine is from Marmot, but I’ve had it 15 years so idk about current quality. I also just ordered a long down parka from Land’s End.  It’s huge and backordered.  Appropriate for cold days walking the dog, but again I don’t think it would work well on slushy days. 

She probably also needs an assortment of hats, socks, and gloves/mittens in different weights for different levels of cold & humidity. And you might look at summer sales on merino & cashmere sweaters.  In July or August Land’s End had cashmere for sale for $11, I think they do something similar every year. Cashmere is great because it’s warm and breathable without being bulky, and thin enough to layer beneath it without looking like a marshmallow. 

[bibiche]

Skhoop sells warm long coats. They might be overkill for Boston though.

[Kanin]

1 hour ago, Katy said:

n a college situation I’d probably look at 3 in 1 parkas first because of space issues. Bean, Northface, and Patagonia all have them.  Some of them are knee length or close.  The outside shell is waterproof but breathable and will work as a rain jacket.  The inside is often a down or synthetic fill that works on days when it’s cold but not wet or particularly windy.  Together they’re almost the weight and warmth of a heavy parka.

I agree with this! I went to college in Boston and at least where I was, there was a lot of walking from building to building. It also rains/mists/sleets a lot in Boston, so I would recommend a coat that has a rain-jacket outer layer. I love those 3-in-1 coats because you are really getting three different coats, all for different situations. I don't know that I've seen 3-in-1 thigh-length coats, though. 

[Kanin]

Never mind, they do exist, although I think the hip-length 3-in-1 is more common.

How about this one? https://www.backcountry.com/helly-hansen-bluebird-3-in-1-jacket-womens?skid=HYHZ7M9-BLA-S&ti=UExQIENhdDpXb21lbidzIEphY2tldHM6MTozMjpiYy13b21lbnMtamFja2V0cw==

[Kanin]

If you just want a single coat, I think this one is pretty cute: https://www.backcountry.com/the-north-face-arctic-parka-womens?skid=TNFZA6E-MARPUR-S&ti=UExQIENhdDpXb21lbidzIEphY2tldHM6MToxOmJjLXdvbWVucy1qYWNrZXRz

[Kanin]

I'm not sure if you can see these search results, but here are a lot of good options: 

https://www.backcountry.com/womens-jackets?p=Style%3AFull-Zip|Gender%3Afemale|Hood%3AYes|Length%3AMid-Length&nf=1

[BeachGal]

I’ve owned a long H&M puffer coat for years and have found it keeps me warm on the coldest days in Chicago. Here’s one similar to mine for less than $50.

https://www2.hm.com/en_us/women/products/jackets-coats.html

I also have one of those Orolay coats that Amazon sells. Those only cover thighs and are bulkier but I wear that coat, too, when I don’t want something so long.

[Katy]

We have one of these, but we haven't spent enough time outside this year for me to know if kiddo is happy with it.

https://www.patagonia.com/product/womens-tres-3-in-1-parka/28409.html

[BakersDozen]

Thank you for all of the suggestions!! I'll be chatting w/my dd today about all of these.

Lanny - I've read too many reviews about quality issues from zippers to snaps to the fill coming out, unfortunately.

[AmandaVT]

We love the Lands End coats. I've had mine for 5 years now and it's still going strong in VT winters. We like the Squall Parka . Super warm and cozy and not too bulky.

 

Edited to add, they're 60% off right now. $199-> $77.98

Edited November 26, 2021 by AmandaVT

[Lanny]

1 hour ago, BakersDozen said:

Thank you for all of the suggestions!! I'll be chatting w/my dd today about all of these.

Lanny - I've read too many reviews about quality issues from zippers to snaps to the fill coming out, unfortunately.

After DD bought that Down Insulated Coat from L.L. Bean, late in 2019. I believe that she only wore it a few times and  each time she wore it a short time. From the dorm to a class or a meal hall, etc.  And then the issue with Insulation coming out of tiny holes (?) and not because she had done anything wrong.  I was sad when I learned that she considers my VERY OLD L.L. Bean Red Parka to be of much better quality than the one she bought late in 2019, which wasn't inexpensive.  From what you wrote above, that's common.  Sad.

Many years ago, I did have an L.L. Bean jacket or parka that needed a zipper replaced, but I think it was old. They offered to send me a new zipper, but I was afraid to have it replaced locally (in Texas) because I was afraid someone might ruin my jacket.  I sent it to L.L. Bean for them to replace the Zipper. I don't consider that a Factory Defect because the jacket had been used a lot.  

 

[Arcadia]

For wet weather, this North Face waterproof parka has been great for heavy rain for me. There is a customer review from Boston on the link

https://www.thenorthface.com/shop/womens-tremaya-parka

This one for me is warm enough not to have to layer. It traps body heat very well. The reviews say it works for NY winters Spiewak Aviation N3-B Parka with Fur Trim

For zippers, they do seems to have better quality control last time. I have a spoilt zipper on a one year old Columbia vest but my 30 year old Columbia jacket’s zipper is still working fine.
So far, not having any issues with fill coming out for my North Face and Pajar parkas regardless of age. 
 

ETA: my wool coats unfortunately do not do well in heavy rain. They get wet and stinky.
 

Edited November 26, 2021 by Arcadia

[Alicia64]

I just bought this jacket from Amazon and it's keeping me warm at the dog park in 48-degrees with a light wind. I diverged from boring black, and bought my first bright green. Really pretty. I might live dangerously and get a red. 🙂