When temperatures drop, a dependable winter coat is the ultimate bit of outdoor kit. There’s nothing like hunkering down in the enveloping warmth of a down parka in the freezing cold. Or battening down the hatches in a fully-stormproof technical hardshell jacket when foul weather blows in. Those kind of conditions are when you really need one of the best winter coats around.
Luckily, whether you’re after a cosy belay jacket for winter climbing adventures or a warm yet stylish overcoat for the morning commute, we’ve got you covered. These outer layers will protect you from biting wind and lashing rain or snow, as well as any other kind of brutal winter weather. In fact, if you’re wearing one of these jackets, there’s really no excuse not to get out there.
The Best Winter Coats in Our Team’s Tests
Outdoor brands generally know one or two things about protecting you from the elements. After all, would you rather trust a company who have spent years fitting out mountaineers and outdoors types, or leave it to some high-end Italian fashion house? Yeah, thought so. That’s why we’ve rounded up the best winter coats from the leading outdoor brands for your consideration. This is kit that has been used and abused in some of the wildest, coldest and wettest places on earth.
- Páramo Torres Smock – Best Overall Winter Coat
- Rohan EOS Insulated – Best Value Winter Coat
- Salomon Elixir Ultra Down – Best for Performance Use
- The North Face Summit Pumori – Best Expedition Jacket
- Mountain Equipment Triton – Best Waterproof and Warm Coat
The Expert
I’ve been reviewing outdoor gear for various outdoor magazines for over 10 years now and in that time I’ve served on juries for the ISPO Awards, the OIA Awards and the Scandinavian Outdoor Awards. When I’m not writing reviews, I’m out testing the gear. Long distance hiking is my passion and I’m always looking for new multi-day or even multi-weeks trails to take on.
How They Were Tested
I personally tested the majority of the gear that’s featured here and I curated the list out of the many jackets I’ve tried over the last couple of seasons. It’s only the women’s jackets that I didn’t try out and I left those to the members of our test team who you can see in the pictures on this page.
Related: Best Gifts for Hikers
For me, a winter coat isn’t really something that I’d carry on one of my long distance walks as they tend to be heavy. Instead they tend to be worn from A to B, or for wearing all day in cold conditions. As such, that’s the context in which I’ve tested and assessed these jackets. Most of them were tested out during cold photoshoots in Bannau Brycheiniog, the Scottish Highlands and in North Wales, but they also saw plenty of use during autumn and winter dog walks and were worn on the walk to the pub and back.
Things I considered when I was making my choices for this list included the level of warmth, the material and build quality, the features and details and also things like value and sustainability.
Editor’s Note: This article was updated in September 2025 to ensure that all of the products are still available for purchase.
1. Páramo Torres Smock
Best Winter Coat Overall: This gets our top pick from our tests
Price: £250
Weight: 1.6kg
Best for: Winter hiking or activities with long static spells
What we liked: Wet weather performance, built to last, protective hood
What we didn’t like: Heavy, bulky, not very packable
This swoops right in to claim the top spot in our round up of the best winter coats, knocking Rab off the top spot. It’s a jacket that provides a lot of cosy warmth while also serving as a reliable barrier against the elements too.
We’ve used this on lowland and upland hikes and it blocked out the wind reliably and also resisted pretty merciless rain too. It does have a threshold in very heavy rain but, still, it takes a long time to reach it. It’s also very fast drying too. We found we could hike all day in the rain in it, hang it up on a hook in our porch and find it bone dry the next morning.
It has a hood, which can be rolled away to form a collar. It’s also mouldable and adjustable, providing excellent coverage. There are plenty of pockets and you can cinch in warmth at the cuffs and at the hem. We also found that we could wear it over other thick layers of insulation too – though that does mean that it’s a little on the boxy side in terms of its fit and cut.
Unisex / Waterproof?: highly water resistant / Insulation type: synthetic
Read our full Paramo Torres Smock review.
Buy The Páramo Torres Smock: £250 at Paramo-clothing.com
2. Salomon Elixir Ultra Down
Best Winter Coat For Active Use: This is our choice for the best winter coat for things like hillwalking and ski touring
Price: £252 (sale)
Weight: 402g
Best for: hiking, winter sports
What we liked: good warmth-to-weight, sustainable efforts in design
What we didn’t like: could be a little more durable, longer cut might not be to everyone’s taste, quite expensive
Our team tested this down-filled jacket out during a wintry trip to the Cairngorms National Park. During our tests, it proved to be very warm and cosy but also lightweight too. One thing that stood out on the women’s model was its length; it has a slightly longer cut than you tend to see on most down jackets and this, we found, brought that extra bit of warmth and protection.
Related: Best Waterproof Jackets for Women
Related: Best Walkings Boots for Women
Another thing that brought a bit of extra warmth is the internal lining. This is designed to reflect heat back to your body and is concealed within the baffles so you can’t see it, but you can certainly feel its effects.
Credit should also go to Salomon for using recycled materials throughout this and down that’s been ethically sourced too. We also liked some of the smaller details, including the gaskets on the cuffs that keep draughts out and warm air in, and the adjustment on the hood.
Available in men’s and women’s versions / Warmth rating: 7/10 / Waterproof?: no / Insulation type: down
Read our full Salomon Elixir Ultra Down Jacket review.
Buy The Salomon Elixir Ultra Down: £252 (sale) at Salomon.com
3. The North Face Summit Pumori
Best Expedition Jacket: Our pick if you’re looking for a serious, top of the mountain-style winter coat
Price: £430
Weight: 538g
Best for: belaying and mountaineering
What we liked: very warm but also light, loft fill
What we didn’t like: price, zip baffle is very small, expensive
This belay down feather jacket by The North Face is incredibly loft and incredibly warm – in fact it’s the warmest jacket in this round-up. It’s also light, weighing just 538g, and it will pack down into a very small bundle that’s about as small as a Nalgene bottle or a large grapefruit.
One thing we really liked about this during our tests was the women’s specific shaping (a men’s version is also available though). The lining also has a nice stretchiness to it, so you can wear the jacket over a bunch of layers or no layers at all and the jacket will still keep close to your body to trap heat in efficiently.
We had some initial concerns over the durability of the outer fabric during our tests but actually it ended up passing our tests well. Details include two large handwarmer pockets, an adjustable and helmet-friendly hood and there’s an internal hem cinch cord. Credit to TNF for using 100% recycled materials for the shell and a PFC-free water resistant coating.
Available in men’s and women’s versions / Warmth rating: 9/10 / Waterproof?: no / Insulation type: down
Selected for our Outdoor 100 list. Read our full The North Face Summit Pumori jacket review.
Buy The North Face Summit Pumori: £430 at Alpinetrek.co.uk
4. Mountain Equipment Triton
Best Waterproof and Warm Jacket: This came out tops in terms of all-round protection.
Price: £300
Weight: 774g
Best for: Hiking
What we liked: Waterproof, technical details, athletic cut
What we didn’t like: Nothing
This jacket will keep you warm and dry, no matter what conditions you’re out in – and it has excellent eco credentials too. Virtually every part of the jacket is made from recycled materials. The 50-denier Drilite outer is recycled and PFC-free, as well as durable and completely waterproof, while warmth is provided by 700+ fill power down which is 100% recycled. The baffle construction helps optimise warmth distribution and everything else you need is present: close-fitting hood with stiffened brim, central zip stormflap, four pockets and adjustable cuffs and hem.
Available in men’s and women’s versions / Warmth rating: 7/10 Waterproof?: yes / Insulation type: 700 fill power down, 100% of which has been recycled
Buy The Mountain Equipment Triton: £300 at Alpinetrek.co.uk
5. 66° North Dyngja
Price: £445
Weight: 625g
Best for: winter hiking, casual wear
What we liked: recycled materials, very lofty and warm, removable hood
What we didn’t like: heavy and bulky, not good in wet conditions.
Having been designing gear for the inhabitants of Iceland since 1926, 66°North knows a thing or two about making kit that can withstand extremely harsh conditions. We’ve tested a lot of their gear here at Outdoors Magic and it consistently proves to be very reliable.
With this particular jacket, the focus is squarely on warmth. It’s a very lofty down jacket with large baffles, a high fill weight and surprisingly durable shell materials. Impressively, both the shell fabrics and the down fill are recycled – the down actually comes from old bedding and duvets that were destined for landfill. Don’t worry, it’s not smelly – everything is thoroughly cleaned and sterilised.
“I’ve been wearing this through some wet and cold winter weather – most recently in stormy conditions on the Pembrokeshire Coast,” said OM tester Will Renwick. “The down doesn’t have especially high fill power, but it’s still a very warm jacket because there’s plenty of it. That does mean the warmth-to-weight ratio isn’t great, and it’s quite heavy for a down jacket. It’s also not particularly packable. I’d say it’s more of a wear-all-day jacket. Don’t expect too much in the way of rain protection – it can handle a bit of light rain, but it’s better suited to cold, dry days.”
And the fit? “It’s a boxy fit – in that modern, fashionable way,” said Will. “I’m 5ft 10 and somewhere between a medium and a large these days, so I went for the smaller size as the 66°North website advises. The fit is still fairly big on me, but I think it’s meant to be a bit oversized.”
Unisex / Waterproof?: no / Insulation type: recycled down.
Buy The 66 North Dyngja: £445 at 66north.com
6. Arc’teryx Thorium SV
Price: 550g
Weight: 695g
Best for: cold hikes, casual use
What we liked: durable and protective fabrics
What we didn’t like: heavy, quite boxy
Most down jackets on the market can tend to be very light, to the point where they feel very vulnerable around pointy stuff like branches or trekking poles. This jacket, on the other hand, is beefed up and made like a suit of armour with reinforced panels not only designed to see off abrasion but also moisture as well. Across the upper torso, there’s a Gore ePE Infinium fabric which, while not waterproof, is highly water resistant. We’ve found we could confidently wear this in persistent drizzle without the down fill becoming saturated and losing its loft.
As expected from an Arc’teryx garment, the quality here is very high and there are smart touches, including microfleece lined pockets and a dump pockets for stashing your gloves. We also liked the fact that the baffles have a box wall construction, a design technique that reduces the risk of cold spots and maximises the down fill’s loft potential.
The downsides? We found this was a touch on the boxy side and quite short on the hem. There’s the price tag too – this thing doesn’t come cheap!
Available in men’s and women’s versions / Warmth rating: 9/10 / Waterproof?: highly water resistant / Insulation: down and zoned synthetic sheets
Read our full Arc’teryx Thorium review.
Buy The Arc’teryx Thorium SV: £550 at Ellis-brigham.co.uk
7. Klättermusen Ra Hood Jacket
Price: £450
Weight: 896g
Best for: mountaineering, winter hillwalking, casual wear
What we liked: recycled materials, very warm and durable, functional hood
What we didn’t like: quite bulky and heavy, doesn’t appear to have any water resistant down treatment.
This jacket has a truly premium feel, from the design through to its performance. It’s clear to us here at Outdoors Magic that long-standing Swedish brand Klättermusen puts a great deal of effort into its kit, using high-quality materials and adding neat, thoughtful touches, including magnetic closure on the outer storm flap.
It’s a thick down jacket, with 130g of recycled down providing plenty of warmth, backed up by 25g of PrimaLoft synthetic insulation in areas where greater durability and weather resistance are required. The whole jacket also packs away neatly into its chest pocket.
“I’m always impressed by Klättermusen’s products,” said OM editor Will. “This one has a very high-quality feel, and the functionality is there too. I’ve found it easily warm enough for most UK winter days. The hood has excellent adjustment and a useful mouldable peak, and the whole jacket is surprisingly durable.”
Will also notes that it fits true to size. “I’m 5 foot 10 and have found that the medium fits me nicely, with room for a fleece underneath. I wouldn’t want to size up or down.”
Buy The Klattermusen Ra : £450 at klattermusen.com
8. Passenger Kinsey 2.0
Price: £180
Best for: Casual wear
What we liked: Recycled materials, cosy fleece lining, two-way zip
What we didn’t like: The warmth-to-weight ratio isn’t great
Passenger, you could say, are the UK equivalent of Patagonia: they make kit for the outdoors and they have sustainability at their core. This jacket for example, the Kinsey 2.0, uses 100% recycled materials for the shell and liner fabrics and it has a water repellent treatment that’s free from hazardous chemicals. We found the fit to be generous enough to accommodate a fleece-midlayer underneath but without coming across as loose or baggy. We were happy with this in our usual size, though Passenger do recommend sizing down if you want a close, slimline cut.
It has a padded synthetic fill and a fleece liner that covers the torso and shoulders adds that extra bit of warmth and cosiness. We found it offered good resistance to light rain. In one heavy and prolonged downpour, it did begin to saturate a bit, but it still kept us warm and the synthetic materials dry out very fast.
Men’s equivalent is the Baltic Parker / Warmth rating: 7/10 Waterproof?: no / Insulation type: Synthetic padding with fleece lining (100% recycled).
Buy The Passenger Kinsey 2.0 : £180 at Passenger-clothing.com
9. Helly Hansen Verglas Glacier Down
Price: £180
Weight: 550g
Best for: Mountaineering, trekking, ski touring
What we liked: Very soft, RDS-approved, packable, great chin guard
What we didn’t like: More recycled content would be good
The Verglas Glacier down jacket features a mix of goose down and PrimaLoft synthetic insulation at a fairly light weight of 550g. Approved by the royal down standard, Helly Hansen’s fabrics here are also bluesign quality. In other words, it’s the good (and more sustainable) stuff.
We’ve been taking it for a spin this winter and found it to be a very lofty and warm down jacket. While a slightly longer cut than many down jackets, this made for some warm protection for your rear end on those colder hiking days. That being said, it wouldn’t be our go-to if wearing a climbing harness.
OM tester and editorial assistant Jazz said: “I really liked how genuinely soft-to-the-touch the jacket felt, which isn’t always the case with down jackets. The fleeced pockets and chin guard were another nice touch, and really added to the overall comfort factor.
“The multi-pocket options were also very handy when out and about. The internal mesh pocket in particular was a nice surprise and was great for slotting a map into. I wore it during some very light rain recently and the DWR seemed to hold up well, though I’m yet to face a more sustained downpour so stay tuned for updates on that front.”
Other technical features include: a two-way main zip, some soft fleece at the chin guard, an adjustable hood and hem, two front hand pockets, and an inner chest pocket. The jacket also comes with a separate bag that it can be stuffed into. We were impressed with how small we managed to get it down to actually, especially given its size at peak loftiness.
Available in men’s and women’s versions / Warmth rating: 8/10 Waterproof?: no / Insulation type: Goose down and PrimaLoft
Buy The Helly Hansen Verglas Glacier Down Jacket: £180 at Hellyhansen.com
10. Páramo Halkon 360°
Price: £650
Weight: 894g
Best for: weather conditions where you’ll need a protective layer all day long
What we liked: breathable, fast drying, lots of useful pockets, stormproof hood, excellent sustainability credentials
What we didn’t like: heavy and bulky, longer cut might not be to everyone’s taste
This jacket, the Páramo Halkon 360°, showcases the British brand’s new 360-degree project, which involves various processes focused around circularity in order to keep products out of landfill. We’ve already seen this in the Páramo Aspira 360°, a jacket that we’ve been mightily impressed by in the past.
The “360” in the Halkon’s name refers to the circularity process that Páramo have started to develop with some of the products in its line. As part of this, Páramo uses a cutting-edge chemical recycling process that can turn old fabric into new, high-quality materials without any loss in performance. Unlike mechanical recycling, which tends to downcycle materials into lower-grade outputs, this process regenerates fibres, allowing Páramo to turn worn-out jackets into premium new ones, thus helping to close the loop. This is just one of many processes focused around circularity that are involved in the building of the Halkon.
Who will like it? It’s on the heavy and thick side, so it’s perfect as a dependable option for harsh winter days. “More generally”, gear tester Will said, “I think it suits slower paced activities, with a lot of traits that birdwatchers, gardeners, dog walkers and outdoor photographers will appreciate.”
Available in men’s and women’s versions / Warmth rating: 8/10 Waterproof?: yes / Insulation type: Nikwax Analogy Waterproof fabric that uses Pump Liner made from recycled Páramo garments and waste from the textile industry
Read our full Páramo Halkon 360 jacket review.
Buy The Páramo Halkon 360 : £650 at Paramo-clothing.com
