20 Best Men's Winter Coats 2025, According to GQ Editors
ShoppingFrom polar vortex-ready parkas to ultra-luxe topcoats, these impenetrable layers will keep you thawed and thriving through the worst of it.By Gerald OrtizJanuary 29, 2025Photo: Getty Images; Collage by Sarah CassutoSave this storySaveSave this storySaveAll products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.Even on the iciest, most biting days, the best men's winter coats will remind you that there’s no such thing as bad weather—only bad clothes. You might be faced with sheets of sleet coming at you horizontally, or knee deep in powdery snow, or trudging your way through numbingly-cold rain. With the right gear, it won’t matter. And even if everyone else is preoccupied with keeping their umbrellas from being turned inside out or making sure they don’t twist an ankle on the icy pavement, the right winter jacket will still have heads turning.But navigating the tundra of men’s winter jackets can be just as frustrating as braving an unfriendly commute. So to save you energy that could be going towards keeping your body warm, we rounded up the best men’s winter coats and broke them down into easily digestible categories to make the shopping experience, oh, we don’t know, fun. From heavyweight wool topcoats to bombproof puffer jackets to fleece-lined parkas, these are the best winter coats for men right now.The Best Winter Coats for Men, According to GQThe Default Puffer: The North Face 1996 Retro Nuptse Jacket, $330The Larger-Than-Life Topcoat:Todd Snyder Italian Donegal Balmacaan, $998The Fashion-Guy Duffel Coat: Our Legacy Cropped Duffel Coat, $885The Pleasantly Affordable Parka: Uniqlo 3D Seamless Down Parka, $160The Seefaring Peacoat: Schott Wool Peacoat, $615The Trés-Chic Car Coat: Gap Wool Car Coat, $248 $149In This Shopping GuideAccordionItemContainerButtonLargeChevronWinterproof PuffersTop-Tier TopcoatsDapper-Guy Duffel CoatsImpenetrable ParkasBeefy, Brolic PeacoatsThe PufferA great puffer means functionality, sure—it’s the jacket you’ll reach for on the crappiest, bone-chilling-est days of winter. They can be stuffed with real deal goose down filling or synthetic insulation like Primaloft, which puts your bare skin at a good distance away from the biting cold and retains your body heat. Some down jackets are even packable, meaning you can squish them down into a tiny pouch and toss them into your bag when the winter weather feels a bit closer to fall. Technical stuff aside, it doesn’t mean you need to sacrifice your style to wear one. Beyond the sleeping-bag-like coats of your youth, there’s a whole universe of sleek and shapely puffers out there for the coldest of times. Whether you take your cues from A$AP Rocky’s streetwear vibe or George Costanza’s normcore aesthetic is entirely up to you.Read more: The Best Puffer Jackets for Your Cold, Trembling TorsoArc'teryxThorium Hoody Jacket$500 AmazonUniqloUltra Light Down Parka$70 UniqloBig Rock Candy MountaineeringArctic Parka$598 Big Rock Candy MountaineeringAnd WanderDiamond Stitch Down Jacket$1,275 $638 SSENSEThe TopcoatYou know that tired chestnut about the Inuit supposedly having 50 words for snow? (Apparently, it’s true.) That’s sort of the deal with topcoats. Call ‘em an overcoat or a car coat, a balmacaan or a chesterfield. The list goes on forever. Each of those distinct styles varies slightly, but they’re bound by a common denominator: they’re long and tailored from a warm, dense fabric—generally wool or cashmere—and will keep you looking and feeling all-business in the face of chilly temps. They’re roomy enough to toss over a hoodie or even a suit, or when the weather is somewhat mild, over a T-shirt and jeans like you're dashing from gate to gate at LAX.Read more: The Best Topcoats Are Long, Louche, and LayerableMadewellRaglan-Sleeve Topcoat$398 MadewellTodd SnyderOversized Herringbone Polo Coat$1,498 Todd SnyderAmerican TrenchThe Highlander Balmacaan$1,150 American TrenchNN07Franco Coat$1,045 NordstromThe Duffel CoatBeloved by generations of great Brits—from Winston Churchill to Paddington Bear—the duffel coat, with its heavy melton wool body and charming toggle closures, feels more relevant right now than it has in ages. It feels rugged and rustic, but can swing to more refined territory with the right details. Lean into its preppy energy by layering one over a chunky turtleneck and some horsebit loafers, or go full Raf Simons FW11 by wearing one with your biggest, leather-iest pants.Beams PlusHerringbone Wool-Blend Hooded Duffle Coat$1,415 Mr PorterBurberryWool Duffle Coat$2,990 NordstromLemaireShort Duffle Coat$1,995 SSENSEPolo Ralph LaurenWool Toggle Coat$1,598 Ralph LaurenThe ParkaYou probably owned a great surplus store parka in high school, and the appeal remains the same: they’re big, they’re tough, they look killer with everything from thrashed jeans and boots to flannel trousers and brogues to cargoes and trail runners. Parkas inherently are designed with hoods. The re
All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Even on the iciest, most biting days, the best men's winter coats will remind you that there’s no such thing as bad weather—only bad clothes. You might be faced with sheets of sleet coming at you horizontally, or knee deep in powdery snow, or trudging your way through numbingly-cold rain. With the right gear, it won’t matter. And even if everyone else is preoccupied with keeping their umbrellas from being turned inside out or making sure they don’t twist an ankle on the icy pavement, the right winter jacket will still have heads turning.
But navigating the tundra of men’s winter jackets can be just as frustrating as braving an unfriendly commute. So to save you energy that could be going towards keeping your body warm, we rounded up the best men’s winter coats and broke them down into easily digestible categories to make the shopping experience, oh, we don’t know, fun. From heavyweight wool topcoats to bombproof puffer jackets to fleece-lined parkas, these are the best winter coats for men right now.
The Best Winter Coats for Men, According to GQ
- The Default Puffer: The North Face 1996 Retro Nuptse Jacket, $330
- The Larger-Than-Life Topcoat:Todd Snyder Italian Donegal Balmacaan, $998
- The Fashion-Guy Duffel Coat: Our Legacy Cropped Duffel Coat, $885
- The Pleasantly Affordable Parka: Uniqlo 3D Seamless Down Parka, $160
- The Seefaring Peacoat: Schott Wool Peacoat, $615
- The Trés-Chic Car Coat: Gap Wool Car Coat,
$248$149
The Puffer
A great puffer means functionality, sure—it’s the jacket you’ll reach for on the crappiest, bone-chilling-est days of winter. They can be stuffed with real deal goose down filling or synthetic insulation like Primaloft, which puts your bare skin at a good distance away from the biting cold and retains your body heat. Some down jackets are even packable, meaning you can squish them down into a tiny pouch and toss them into your bag when the winter weather feels a bit closer to fall. Technical stuff aside, it doesn’t mean you need to sacrifice your style to wear one. Beyond the sleeping-bag-like coats of your youth, there’s a whole universe of sleek and shapely puffers out there for the coldest of times. Whether you take your cues from A$AP Rocky’s streetwear vibe or George Costanza’s normcore aesthetic is entirely up to you.
Read more: The Best Puffer Jackets for Your Cold, Trembling Torso
The Topcoat
You know that tired chestnut about the Inuit supposedly having 50 words for snow? (Apparently, it’s true.) That’s sort of the deal with topcoats. Call ‘em an overcoat or a car coat, a balmacaan or a chesterfield. The list goes on forever. Each of those distinct styles varies slightly, but they’re bound by a common denominator: they’re long and tailored from a warm, dense fabric—generally wool or cashmere—and will keep you looking and feeling all-business in the face of chilly temps. They’re roomy enough to toss over a hoodie or even a suit, or when the weather is somewhat mild, over a T-shirt and jeans like you're dashing from gate to gate at LAX.
Read more: The Best Topcoats Are Long, Louche, and Layerable
The Duffel Coat
Beloved by generations of great Brits—from Winston Churchill to Paddington Bear—the duffel coat, with its heavy melton wool body and charming toggle closures, feels more relevant right now than it has in ages. It feels rugged and rustic, but can swing to more refined territory with the right details. Lean into its preppy energy by layering one over a chunky turtleneck and some horsebit loafers, or go full Raf Simons FW11 by wearing one with your biggest, leather-iest pants.
The Parka
You probably owned a great surplus store parka in high school, and the appeal remains the same: they’re big, they’re tough, they look killer with everything from thrashed jeans and boots to flannel trousers and brogues to cargoes and trail runners. Parkas inherently are designed with hoods. The rest is kind of left up the air. They can be filled with down insulation or they can be left unlined and lightweight enough to pack into a tote bag. They can be zipped up, buttoned up, or pulled over. They can come with a furry hood or a detachable hood. There are many ways to slice it and you couldn't easily mess it up.
Read more: The Best Parkas Give ‘Ol Jack Frost the Willies
The Peacoat
The peacoat has all the necessary hallmarks of a menswear staple: initially designed for the military (the US Navy, to precise) and once worn (devilishly well) by Steve McQueen. They're usually made with a dense, super thick Melton wool fabric which is great at keeping the wind out. They're also usually double breasted and sit just below the butt. Try one with some slim jeans (a little flare is optional, but highly recommended!), beat-up boots, and the collar popped to maximize the '70s Robert Redford energy.
Read more: The Best Peacoats Anchor Your Cold-Weather Dressing
What to look for in a great winter coat
Take into account useful features: maybe a jacket includes a removable hood or lining that can extend how long you use it into slightly warmer weather. And make sure you're happy with everything from the hardware—do you want a two-way zipper?—to where the pockets sit to the cleaning instructions. Do you need handwarmer pockets with a cozy lining or a faux fur-lined collar? Fancy fabrics are lovely until you spill that Frappuccino and end up with a dry-cleaning bill.
What to consider before buying a winter coat
Once you’ve got your base layers, beanies, and scarves down pat, the next step is the Big Coat. Each of the coats we’ve included above pass our standards for high-quality garments, but when it comes to determining the right coat for your particular winter, here’s what to consider.
Warmth: Winter is, famously, cold. But a super-toasty, 1000-fill-power down jacket may not be the right jacket for you. Winter jackets are often lined with a heat-trapping fabric like brushed flannel, wool, fleece, or corduroy.
The warmest winter jackets use some form of insulation, usually either natural duck down or a synthetic fill, often in some time of quilted construction. Duck down is lighter and warmer by weight; synthetic fills tend to be less expensive and will still preserve heat if they get soaked through.
Waterproofness: Winter is, often, wet. Whether that’s from an onslaught of rain or melting snow, some sort of water-resistance will likely come in handy. Water-resistant jackets usually use an outer shell that comes with some kind of hydrophobic coating—either a synthetic DWR (durable water repellent) coating or sometimes a wax—to prevent water from seeping into your clothes.
Both will wear away over time, but can be replenished with off-the-shelf products. More technical jackets will use sealed seams and waterproof-breathable textiles like Gore-Tex, which are great but price-y.
Windproofness: Wind steals the heat your jacket's trying to trap and preserve. Look for windproof shells of nylon or extremely tightly knit twills.
Breathability: Breathable jackets may sound counterintuitive in a winter context, but trapped sweat turns into heat-sapping moisture if it can't escape. If you're going to be active in your winter jacket—whether from hiking or skiing, or just walking a lot—you'll want to consider prioritizing an outer fabric that lets the hot air escape, like Gore-Tex or Pertex.
How long should your winter coat be?
A jacket’s length determines how exposed you are to winter’s elements. Most raincoats, trenches, and topcoats are longer to protect your torso and legs from the elements, but many other winter jackets are cut shorter for ease of movement which come in handy when you’re doing outdoor activities like hiking.
How heavy should your winter coat be?
The average wool peacoat will weigh considerably more than a short down puffer. You probably won't get tired from walking around in any winter jacket, but make sure you're okay hauling around that thick shearling all day before you splash out on it. Similarly, poofy puffers are nice and toasty—but can also be a pain in the ass to stash in a cramped closet or in a small restaurant.
