Please help me find a nice coat for the extreme cold!

[lordofthethighs]

I am going somewhere very, very cold and in spite of a fuckton of endless googling and scrolling I cannot find a nice coat that actually works for extreme weather conditions but that also won't make me look like Ms Trunchbull 😖 I would really like a long nude puffa parka but such things only seem to exist in flimsy decorative material. Please help!

When you say cold are you talking Antarctica type cold? Everest type cold, or Iceland type cold? If it's the former two you need proper technical clothing, and I'd recommend going to a specialist trekking shop for the lowdown on good fabrics (Marmot and Northface were always considered good makes but it's a while since I worked in this area and fabrics are changing all the time, so my knowledge is now dated) if it's the latter then you probably want a long down coat (or vegan alternative) for down coats maybe look at American companies like LL Bean or Landsend. The higher the 'power down fill' the warmer the coat.
Also if you go for down coat, check it's waterproofing quality, as down can quickly lose its thermal qualities if it gets wet. You want high waterproofing so minimum of 10,000 and good breathability.

How cold? And dry or wet? I'm in Canada and we regularly hit -20 and below in winter. I have the below 4 jackets amongst other lighter ones and wear them/layer them depending on what I'm doing, how cold it is and if it's dry or snowing/damp. They're all expensive (although cheaper than the likes of Canada Goose, which I won't wear) but give an idea of the kind of thing that works in these conditions. My lifestyle is very much outdoors rather than fashion, but when it's as cold as it gets here for months on end and you want to be outside at all fashion takes a back seat!

For that kind of cold you need good layers as well, not just a coat. I use Icebreaker and Smartwool merino stuff, it's expensive but it's amazing gear. A thermal top and long johns make all the difference. Also good quality, warm footwear, a warm hat and good quality gloves, or even better, mittens, if you're spending a lot of time outside.

www.fjallraven.com/uk/en-gb/women/jackets/winter-jackets/singi-down-jacket-w

eu.patagonia.com/gb/en/product/grade-vii-down-parka/84846.html?dwvar_84846_color=ANDB&cgid=womens-jackets-vests-insulated-down

arcteryx.com/gb/en/shop/womens/beta-sv-jacket

arcteryx.com/gb/en/shop/womens/andessa-jacket

As well as 'what type of cold'.. what's your budget and what will you be doing while wearing this coat?

Moncler Black

Moncler white

Can't find nude but have you tried land end?

https://www.landsend.co.uk/WomensThermoPlumeeQuiltedLonggCoat/pp/P_42312.html

As someone with dogs my best wind water and weather proof coat is from lands end.. if it’s going to be that cold fuck fashion and go function, probably not what you want to hear.. but if it’s that cold you won’t care about whether you look good

Not sure how cold you mean, but as a general rule I find esprit really good for stylish warm coats. They're aimed at the European market which tend to have colder winters than us. No good if you're going to the arctic though!

My lovely didriksons coat did very well in finnish lapland in February but is also waterproof so copes with soggy English snow and rain.

Like this one maybe: www.esprit.co.uk/p/recycled--quilted-coat-with-3m--thinsulate--091EO1G317_055.html#cgid=1659

Sorry, I should have been more specific! I'll be in Canada so I know that Zara sadly won't cut it, but I also can't afford/am not willing to pay Canada Goose prices for a coat that I'll only need for a couple of weeks

www.landsend.co.uk/Womens_Expedition_Down_Parka/pp/P_38060.html?dwvar_P__38060_color=M36

I have this in red from a few years ago and it is the warmest coat ever. I bought it to spend a week in February in Levi Finnish Lapland. It was fantastic, there is a newer version hence why this one is now reduced so much, and still a choice of colour depending on your size.
I was looking at Canada Goose at the time but couldn’t justify the price, researched and tried loads of others but this one was the best for me. Had bought anything before ( or since actually) from Lands end - just came across them via google.

Another Canuck here. I agree with @VetOnCall about the layering!

I'd buy what they use in Canada. This one's good for -20 !!

canadaweathergear.com/collections/womens-coats-jackets/products/372-1365-14

I got this one and it’s so light and thin you can layer under and over it. If you have any existing warm coats they can go over this one and you will be toasty. It’s also super warm on its own, and packs into its pocket so it very transportable too

www.landsend.co.uk/Womens_Ultralight_Hooded_Maxi_Down_Coat_/pp/P_41716.html?cgid=11299&dwvar_P__41716_color=DJD

Patagonia 3 in 1 parka would be my first choice, but if you don’t want to go OTT on cost (fair enough for 2 weeks), I’d sign up for Land’s End emails because they send out codes for different departments all the time, with a view to getting one of these, currently £126 with code SE29.

Or

Whereabouts in Canada will you be? Vancouver/Vancouver Island/West Coast or far East Coast will be considerably less cold but more likely to be wet than Eastern BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec, Ontario etc. Also, what will you be doing? If it's a city based holiday you'll get away with something less heavy duty than if you're heading to the mountains and/or planning a lot of outdoorsy stuff, hiking, any winter sports etc.

Canada is so vast that between various cities it could be like the difference between going to Edinburgh in January (e.g. Victoria) and going to Moscow in January (e.g. Winnipeg).

I'm also in Canada @VetOnCall's advice is spot on. Recommend a down/synthetic puffy jacket and a windproof/waterproof one to go over or one of the 3 in 1 jackets. I've not tried the adult's landsend stuff but my kids live in it in winter (and lots of outside time in snow/ice). I have a Patagonia down jacket and a mec (canadian brand) 2 in 1 coat. Plus lots of merino layers and lined trousers. Hard to advise on specifics though as you don't say what you are doing.

Can you buy when you get there? You are going to get the best cold weatherwear in the shops in that climate. British makes just won’t cut it.
I second wearing layers; wool thermals if you can tolerate them.

Sorry again! I'm going to Alberta, and hoping to do some outdoorsy stuff although will have my 9 year old with me too (I've got him a 700 down North Face coat and hoping that will be ok with a thermal layer and fleece under).

I'm in Alberta, if you're going to be here and doing outdoorsy stuff I really think you need to prioritise function over fashion. Merino base layers, good mid layers (fleece, wool), lined outdoor trousers, and either a heavy parka style coat like the Fjallraven I linked above, or a really good quality down jacket, minimum 700 fill, and a Gore Tex shell to go over the top if it's windy/snowing/sleeting. A lot of the UK brands, especially more fashiony ones, just aren't going to cut it in Canadian cold. If you're in Calgary or Edmonton to begin with I'd second the recommendation to go straight to MEC and/or Atmosphere on arrival and get kitted out there. There are tons of outdoor shops in Canmore, Banff and Jasper but you'll pay top tourist $$$ there. You will absolutely 100% need warm hats, gloves and warm, waterproof footwear, something like Sorel boots works well.

Get some Uniqlo heat tech base layers, you will be hotter than the sun! Fab under a proper coat in the proper cold. Comes in child and adult and they really are fab.

My kids got by with the GAP warmest coats when we lived in Canada. If they do an adult version, add some layers, it’ll be fine. No one really worries about what they look like btw, as long as they’re warm so don’t worry about that

And I’d recommend Buffs for your neck. They do a great job of stopping heat escaping out of the collar of your jacket and can be pulled up over your mouth and nose if it’s really cold.
In this bit of Alberta it’s not unusual to hit -30 and below.
On the positive side, because the air is so dry you will warm up as soon as you go inside. It’s not like the damp, cold U.K. winter that chills you to the bone.
Oh. And don’t forget some good body moisturiser as your skin will dry out.

Would anyone with more knowledge about Alberta/Calgary weather in December please tell me if this coat would be suitable? I have noticed that lots of descriptions on different websites say 'down filled' but don't specify a number like the north face.

www.esprit.co.uk/p/recycled--quilted-coat-with-down-091EE1G318_355.html

East Coast USA. I have the Patagonia 3 in 1 and the Fjallraven Singi.