Womens Down Insulated Coat Recommendations

I'm on the hunt for a Womens down insulated coat that is *actually* warm.

Most coats that I see for women in REI and the like tend to be marketed as having 850 or 900 fill but lack a whole lot of actual insulation volume. I.e. not actually all that warm.

I'm looking for something that she can be basically standing still in 0F weather and be warm wearing - must have a hood, and ideally a double zipper.

Looking for $300 or under as well. 

Shepido wrote:

I'm on the hunt for a Womens down insulated coat that is *actually* warm.

Most coats that I see for women in REI and the like tend to be marketed as having 850 or 900 fill but lack a whole lot of actual insulation volume. I.e. not actually all that warm.

I'm looking for something that she can be basically standing still in 0F weather and be warm wearing - must have a hood, and ideally a double zipper.

Looking for $300 or under as well. 

Haha! 

I'm not your "she", but I am the other side of this query, so I'd be interested in what comes up.

Also, what has she got going for the layers so far? In my case, I'm working toward ice climbing (utter noob), perhaps in single digits. That really warm parka is the most expensive bit and I can't afford to take more than one shot at it.

Thanks! Helen

I find that my 800 fill puffy (EMS brand many years old) is great on its on for standing around only till mid 30 degrees. For super cold temps I like to layer the following under it- patagonia R1, smartwool long sleeve and a uniqlo heat tech tank. This way when i get hot from activity I can take off the R1. My hubby has an eddie bauer down jacket from their first ascent line that he loves, they make some stuff with a waterproof finish that I think really helps with wind and snow/rain and they are not as pricy as some of the other brands. But remember if you buy from REI and the jacket doesn't work for you they do have a 1 year return policy on worn gear, so you can always test stuff out and return if its not working out.

complete outdoor newbie really. She has done some resort snowboarding - but nothing all that serious. 

Sounds like you want more of a parka...I love my Patagonia Fitz Roy Hoody for camp. This Jacket is really warm ! I don't bring it along on alpine trips, skiing/ climbing because it's just too hot.

Definitely warmer than my other light weight 800 fill down that goes everywhere with me during the winter months. 

gspup wrote:

Sounds like you want more of a parka...I love my Patagonia Fitz Roy Hoody for camp. 

Yes I do want more of a parka, I suppose. Where is the line between parka and jacket?

I have a Feathered Friends Frontpoint that I use for belaying during ice season. I'm a small woman that runs cold and I don't think there's anything warmer or better suited for standing around in freezing temps. It's friendly for mittens with Velcro on all closures and I can cover much of my face with the hood and keep that warm too. 

I also happen to be selling mine so if you don't mind buying used, shoot me a PM!

Ladies: check out Rab and Mountain Equipment; both brands are UK brands and have very extensive women's technical down line; included box baffled women's specific parkas (you won't see those in Marmot, TNF etc.) and you can usually find them on sale online. 

I've worn the Rab Infinity Endurance as belay jacket for mountaineering/ice climbing/ski touring for the past two seasons.  Inevitably it pulls double duty as my go-to early-morning camping puffy as soon as the mornings get frosty. It's almost always in my pack when mountaineering as it's warm and packs down well. It's only drawback is that it doesn't have a reversible zipper, but has feels like it had more down and bigger baffles than the equivalent Mountain Equipment.  It also gave me a little more room in the shoulders (i.e. I can wear over all my layers, midlayer puffy + gore-text shell as a true belay jacket) I also like that the hood has a memory wire init so that you can pull over your helmet and keep it out of line of sight. 

If you're not as concerned about weight or pack-ability, think about a synthetic down jacket (e.g. Black Diamond Stance jacket).  It won't pack down as well, but it could be cheaper and do better in the wet. 

There's a MHW Kelvinator on the REI garage website. My friend had one and it seemed like a nice cold-weather puffy. I'm sure there are warmer ones out there, but the price looks good.

However, your best bet is to just hurry up and send your project before your SO loses patience.

Shepido wrote:

Yes I do want more of a parka, I suppose. Where is the line between parka and jacket?

What do you mean exactly ?

A parka will make you look like a warm marshmallow. A lightweight down will fit more like a shell...then there's gray area jackets in between the warmest and lightest.

The fitz roy has a double front zipper too.

gspup wrote:

What do you mean exactly ?

A parka will make you look like a warm marshmallow. A lightweight down will fit more like a shell...then there's gray area jackets in between the warmest and lightest.

I guess I was looking for a definition of what the difference between a parka and a jacket is... most online places just lump them all under the category of 'jackets'

Well, I don't think there is an industry standard, some are called parkas others are called belay jackets or whatever else the company decided to call the jacket . Generally speaking a parka/belay jacket is going to be the warmest jacket you can get. All other down or insulated jackets will be warm but not on the same level, reading the jacket descriptions on the websites will really help out.  

Thanks all for the recommendations

amarius wrote:

Actually I would say I am soliciting for them - thanks.

the 

Rab Microlight jacket is Waaaaaaaarm

I did a lot of searching when looking for a new down jacket last fall, and very happy with RAB Neutrino Endurance. It is longer in the back, and longer overall than MH SubZero that i had previously, and the little bit of extra length makes it feel much warmer.

There is only one thing that i wish it had, which is relatively minor: It doesn't have a snap at the bottom. SO when you open the two-way zipper from the bottom (to belay) you can't then snap the bottom snap close for extra warmth, which I was able to do on MH.

You might be able to find one on sale for below $300, esp if your "she" is not fussy about specific colors. 

Shepido wrote:

I guess I was looking for a definition of what the difference between a parka and a jacket is... most online places just lump them all under the category of 'jackets'

Parka is longer.

A jacket would generally fall somewhere at hip/upper thigh level, depending on your height. The parka would be mid-thigh to knee length.

Parkas are generally warmer. Also bulkier. 

And continuing with unsolicited advice for staying warm, you are only as warm as your coldest part, so while a big puffy would be a great start, make sure your outdoor newbie isn't wearing that down jacket over a fashionable pair of thin tights, and sporting an uncovered head, as it is bound to be shown in photos in fancy catalogs, and in Game of Thrones. Multiple layers almost always do better than a single heavy layer, and that applies to pants, as well as jackets. And those chemically-activated foot warmers are great. The zappo's handwarmers have been mentioned upthread, but you can't use them inside shoes... while the chemical footwarmers are flat enough to comfortably put in your shoes..

Lena chita wrote:

Parka is longer.

A jacket would generally fall somewhere at hip/upper thigh level, depending on your height. The parka would be mid-thigh to knee length.

Parkas are generally warmer. Also bulkier. 

Ya a parka will usually cover some of your butt at the very least, it will be bulky and warm though. 

Also, the Rab micro light is NOT what you want. That is a lightweight down jacket. 

My wife just picked up the RAB asylum... Think belay jacket. Probably not as warm as the neutrino but at least 150 cheaper...she loves it.