Are down coats worth it ?

[kerstina]

I am looking for a really warm coat for dog walking. Are down coats really any warmer than just padded poly ones? I like the look of uniqlo ones but they are expensive and can't find any other cheaper ones online apart from a vero mods one on amazon which i think has been labelled wrongly.

Actually I love the idea of a thick wool coat as always wear wool indoors but could really do with something waterproof with all the crap weather we are having lately . Dog walking is so freezing at night when the sun goes down my coats def are not cutting it . Do love looking at the stars though have really noticed them more since I got my puppy

I also chose the barbour arctic parka because of the synthetic down. It's amazing...

Ah, of course, I forgot about the rain!! :)

Just wanted to update you all if interested I emailed Uniqlo to find out their stance on where their feathers for down come from. They have informed me that they always strive to ethically source their materials. They confirmed that the feathers were not from live ducks but by products from meat.

My Uniqlo down coat cost around £79 and was worth every penny. Not the best fashion statement but lovely and warm.

I had no idea there were animal welfare issues wrt to down .
Relieved to hear that Uniqlo don't seem too bad, as that's where my down coat is from.

Although I have only recently discovered that duck meat (if not free range) is as likely to come from battery sheds as chicken so . I s'pose that really shouldn't have shocked me.

On the other hand, down can last for years if looked after - I have a down sleeping bag that I've had since the early 80's which gets used a few times a year at least, sometimes much more & is still beautifully warm. (It's been washed & tumble dried quite a few times & obv there are no waterproofing issues as there might be with a coat).

Have a Lands End knee length belted parka style down coat. I walk daughter 5 mins to school and then I walk 10 mins to the station for my commute. It's the only coat I never feel cold in.

I swear by my Merrell haven for dog walking I am warm as being wrapped in a duvet. It has nice big pockets for poop bags, keys , phone also water proof and covers your bum mine three years old and still as good as new.

I've been freezing cold this past week. My parka and fitted wool coat aren't cutting it anymore so I'm liking the sound of all these cosy coats.

I've been put off from padded coats because I thought they'd look a bit frumpy on me. I'm a size 10 but have big boobs and a defined waist so thought they'd drown me iykwim. Will have a google of all the ones mentioned.

Well I have ordered the Uniqlo down coat in brown (not the super light one) and it has a fur hood. It does look a bit frumpy but the ones that were really warm and stylish were very expensive such as the barbour ones. I have a nice coat but i just need a warm one when I need it.

I've got the Uniqlo one in brown- wished I'd got black or navy ( last year) but I only ever wear it when the weather is perishing and TBH no one cares really what they look like!
The fur on my hood comes off but the hood is fixed.
In time I may invest in another more fashionable/expensive one but on the other hand I only wear a down coat about 6 times a year! I have a nice wool coat which is fine unless it's snowing or absolutely freezing ( for town and city wear.)