Down and Insulated Jackets

Fjällräven Canada Wool Padded Jacket | Review

A cosy campfire layer that blends feel-good comfort with feel-even-better sustainability

Why We Chose The Fjallraven Canada Wool Padded Jacket: Sustainable, comfortable, warm

Price: £230
Weight: 867g
More info: fjallraven.co.uk

Let’s be clear – this isn’t a highly technical jacket for all-out mountain pursuits. Instead, this is Swedish brand Fjällräven’s typically considered yet understated take on the classic wool lumberjack jacket. All grizzled outdoorsmen (and women) seem to own one – and if you don’t, you probably should.

The Fjällräven Canada Wool Padded Jacket is a bit more than just a thick, heavy shirt jacket (or ‘shacket’) though. For starters, it’s much less scratchy than most, due to its soft brushed wool flannel construction. The wool flannel is a blend of recycled wool and polyester, giving the fabric excellent eco-friendly attributes. Strengthening the product’s sustainable credentials, the jacket itself is also padded for extra warmth, using a combination of traceable Swedish wool and ‘Lavalan’, a natural fill derived from corn starch, for insulation.

The shoulders, elbows and pocket flaps are also reinforced for added durability, with panels made of Fjällräven’s tried and tested polycotton G-1000 Eco fabric. This fabric is made of recycled polyester and organic cotton. Like all G-1000 fabrics, these panels can be treated with Fjällräven’s Greenland Wax, a PFC-free weatherproofing wax made of beeswax and paraffin, for added water resistance.

The jacket has a loose cut and a straight hem, with a comfort fit. Features are simple – it has popper closures at the front, a single chest pocket with a flap and two hand pockets, all buttoned. Cuffs also have simple press button closures. A stand-up collar keeps the chill off the back of your neck.

This season the jacket comes in two colours; a classic red buffalo check or a muted grey. We’d go for the red check if you want to get maximum ‘burly lumberjack’ points, though you really need the big beard to go with it.

The Canada Wool Jacket works well as an autumn outer layer for cool, dry conditions. It’s not for you if you’re moving fast and light up a mountain, but if you’ve spent the day fishing and canoeing on a lake, or wandering in the forest, then this is tailor-made for you. It’s also the ideal layer to take camping, and the perfect jacket to throw on as the evening draws in, enabling you to linger a little longer by the campfire and finish that last beer.

Admittedly, it’s not cheap. But it is supremely well-made from high-quality green fabrics and ought to last for years – in fact, we’d bet it’ll become your new favourite outdoors jacket. So if you’re trying to justify it as a purchase, perhaps consider it an investment…

Tester’s Verdict

Will Renwick, Outdoors Magic Editor

“This has been keeping me warm on the colder evenings of autumn and when things get really cold this winter, it’ll be what I reach for. It really is super warm, much warmer than my lightweight 800 fill power down jacket I’d say. Granted, it’s not going to be what I’ll take with me on any backpacking trips – it’s too heavy for that – but for days where I know I’m going to need constant warmth this will be spot on.

“As well as its comfort and warmth, I’ve also found it extremely durable and well capable of shrugging off any branches when I’ve been wandering through woodland. The G1000 on the shoulders means you can carry a heavy backpack without having to worry about the straps doing any damage.

“It’s cut to give you a fair bit of room underneath if you want to wear it over another thick-ish layer. I’ve been using the men’s medium (my usual size) and I’d say this extra volume does make it look fairly large on me. I’d say it’s probably made with thickset people in mind!

“It’s good to see the efforts towards sustainable production that Fjällräven have taken here, but actually the best eco-friendly aspect of this jacket for me is its longevity. This really is built to last. I Imagine it will end up staying with me for decades to come.”

Trade Secrets

Christiane Dolva, Head of Sustainability, Fjӓllrӓven

“We try to use recycled materials whenever we can. This is simply because by using materials that are already out there we save energy and resources, rather than using more energy to extract new raw materials. Wool is such an amazing material, it’s far too good to go to waste. We believe our Re-Wool is a good alternative to virgin wool, because it uses a material that would otherwise be wasted.”