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- If you don't have a parka and you live anywhere other than the tropics, it's probably about time you added one to your closet.
- We tested the top parkas on the market to find the best ones you can buy, including parkas from Triple Fat Goose, Fjällräven, Moose Knuckles, Everlane, and L.L.Bean.
A parka is a wintertime essential for much of humankind. Without one, layering enough to stay warm can be a nuisance.
But oh, what a sea of decisions: How thick does it need to be? Do you need the hood to be lined with fur? How do you feel about faux fur? We're still left to ponder pockets, length, and lining. And what on earth does "fill power" mean? While all of the above may or may not be critical decisions, they're all things we have to consider.
A parka is something we hope to invest in for the long haul, and a parka that doesn't last more than a few seasons is, in my humble opinion, not a parka at all.
What to look for in a parka
Let's start with the filling, and what fill power means, exactly. That's how many cubic inches of loft one ounce of a given variety of feather produces. Fill power does not necessarily tell you how warm a parka might be because it doesn't denote how heavily packed the down is inside your coat.
What the fill power of a down does tell you is how well a certain type of down traps air and, in effect, warmth. Precious as it may be, an 800-fill-power down packed lightly and loosely into a jacket might not do nearly as much as a 400-fill-power down stuffed to the edges of each compartment.
So while fill power does dictate something about the quality of a down, what really matters is how densely packed a down is. Another thing to keep in mind, especially for travelers, is that the higher the fill power of a down, the lighter the weight of it by volume, which can result in a lighter jacket overall.
The outer lining of a parka can require a little explanation, too. Why is it that most parkas seem to be made using a waxed combination of cotton and nylon or polyester? This is not a waterproofing solution. For one thing, we don't generally associate parkas with rain. We also tend to be active outside when wearing them. A parka generally needs to be breathable.
Work up even the slightest sweat and a jacket that thick and warm will quickly do the rest of the sweating for you until you're unbearably drenched. That said, we've worn all of the parkas below in a bit of rain and come out dry, but it'd be best to look for something that's fully waterproof if you're headed out into a cold, relentless rain for any prolonged period of time. Also, fur doesn't fare too well in rain, either.
While we're at it, we also have to discuss fur. Yes, it feels wonderful, and there's no denying its beauty. But it comes at a high cost in many, often questionable, regards. It's up to you, and we'll leave it at that. We include both real and faux fur options in our guide.
Length is another big concern both for style and function. While it's stylish to have jackets cropped at the waist or even above the waist, it doesn't necessarily make a whole lot of sense on the functional side of the debate. Still, people on the shorter side often don't want a jacket that comes down to their calves, while taller folks might look like they're walking on stilts with a short hem. We'll leave that to you, but it's certainly something to consider.
Below, we've got picks for most budgets and everyone from real and faux fur to no fur at all.
Here are the best men's parkas you can buy:
Read on in the slides below to check out our top picks.
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Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the Insider Picks team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at insiderpicks@businessinsider.com.