Layering up with overshirts, fleeces and hoodies is all well and good, but when winter hits, nothing compares to a proper winter coat.
This type of heavy-duty outerwear is built to do one thing and one thing only: keep you nice and warm even when the weather is trying its absolute hardest to do the opposite.
With winter slowly creeping in, now is the time to start thinking about investing in a coat to keep you warm and comfortable. Leave it too late and you’ll be faced with limited options, but act fast and you can grab one of the new season’s styles before they fly off the shelves for good.
There are lots of styles to choose from, with parkas, puffers and wool overcoats being some of the most popular options. But they’re far from the only types of outerwear that come under the winter-coat umbrella...
Frankly, if you’re not clued up on what’s what in terms of different styles of coat, the whole thing can be a bit confusing. So, to help you reach an informed decision on which winter coat is the right one for you, we’ve been putting some key options to the test from some of the best names in the outerwear game.
How we tested
We like to get hands-on with a product in order to bring you real feedback that you can use to make an informed purchase. All of the coats featured here have been thoroughly examined up close, and worn out and about by our tester in the notoriously cold and wet depths of northeast England.
There are lots of different breeds of winter coat, and we wanted to include a good spread, covering everything from parkas to puffers. Proper winter coats can be expensive too, so as well as incorporating a range of styles, we also tested coats in a range of price brackets – from premium options to budget-friendly bargains – in order to cover all bases.
Regardless of price or style, all of the winter coats we tested had to meet our criteria in order to earn a place on the list. First and foremost, they had to be suitable for use in UK winter weather. They also had to look good, and be durable enough to stand up to many years of use. Only the coats that ranked the highest on our scale made the cut.
The best winter coats for men in 2023 are:
- Best overall – 66°North dyngja puffer: £375, 66north.com
- Best for versatility – Haglöfs älv 3-in-1 gtx jacket: £460, Haglofs.com
- Best for retro looks – The North Face himalayan down parka: £350, Thenorthface.co.uk
- Best parka – Norse Projects stavanger gore-tex infinium down parka: £462, Norseprojects.com
- Best smart winter coat – Asket wool coat: £325, Asket.com
- Best for timeless looks – Belstaff trialmaster jacket: £495, Belstaff.com
- Best premium option – Canada Goose crofton puffer: £875, Canadagoose.com
- Best for value – Uniqlo hybrid down parka: £109.90, Uniqlo.com
- Best budget winter coat – H&M water-repellent puffer jacket: £30, Hm.com
- Best packable down jacket – Shackleton rothera hooded down jacket: £495, Shackleton.com