Clothing Review: Plus Size Winter Jackets
If you wear plus sizes, you know all too well how hard it is to find plus size clothing for nearly any outdoor activity. I will admit that things are slowly getting better, but there is still so much more progress to be made. The outdoor gear and clothing industry won’t truly be inclusive until there are a good variety of options for people beyond a 3x, all the way up to at least a 6x.
I currently live somewhere that gets to be extremely cold during the winter (-40c/40f or colder). When it gets this cold, you want to be able to find jackets that will keep you warm while you are outside snowmobiling, shoveling snow, taking photos of the northern lights or sunset or just outside for some fresh and cool air.
I have been lucky enough to try out a bunch of jackets this winter, as well as last winter, that I feel are great options for various outdoor activities and climates.
When recreating outside in these temperatures it is very important to make sure you have the right base layers, and that you aren’t wearing cotton. I find heavy merino wool base layers work the best for me up here in these temperatures, but depending on the winters where you live, mid-weight or lightweight base layers would work as well. You can find plus size base layers at Plus Snow, Alpine Curves, Smartwool, LL Bean, Columbia, Old Navy, Ottomatic Threads, Outdoor Research and Sportive Plus.
Without further ado, let’s get to talking about these jackets! Just a heads up, the following list of winter jackets are in no specific order because I like all of them for various reasons.
1. Women’s Montreal Coat - Marmot
This jacket is warm, stylish and not too bulky and currently goes up to a 3X, which is what I am wearing in the above photo. I wear this often to just go to and from work, and have worn it many times to go out and take photos of the northern lights.
Pros:
Covers the butt
Warm
Fuzzy fleece type lining
Great for most winter outdoor activities such as, snowshoeing, photography, going to and from work, running errands and more.
Reasonably priced
Cons
If you have long arms, the sleeves might feel a bit short
Only comes in black at the moment
Needs more internal pockets
Only goes up to a 3X
2. Women’s Autumn Park Down Hooded Jacket - Columbia
This is probably one of my favourite puffy “jackets” I have. I wore it nearly all the time on my road trip through the Canadian Rockies in October and was toasty warm the whole time. I have worn it here in Yellowknife hiking in temperatures around -30c and was still warm. As we all know, Columbia women’s plus line only goes to a 3X right now, and I hope that will be changing in the future!
Pros
Very warm
Even though its a puffy it doesn’t feel bulky
Sleeves aren’t short
Fuzzy fleece liner in the hood makes it feel cozy when zipped up
Comes in a few colour options
Reasonably priced
Falls below hip and covers part of the butt
Cons
The inside of the jacket is Columbia’s Omni Heat Thermal Reflective tech which is great, but if you’re wearing just a t-shirt under the jacket that lining can feel a bit uncomfortable, especially if you have sensory sensitivity
Only goes up to a 3X
3. Stoy Gretl Long Puffer Winter Coat - Plus Snow
This jacket is also very warm, and it fits well. It’s definitely a great jacket if you have to be out in the cold for longer periods of time, and I like that it goes to about my mid thigh. The sizing goes up to a 28 which is about a 4X/5X. I believe I am wearing the 26 in this coat.
Pros
Length
The sleeve length is not too short
Larger size selection
Its a neat colour
Covers the butt
Cons
Only comes in this colour
The zippers I’ve found can be harder to zip up in extreme cold because they are metal-ish type zippers
Needs more internal pockets
On the more expensive side, but it is still a very warm jacket
4. Boulder Gear Halo Ski Jacket - Plus Snow
I think this jacket would be great for winter mountain sports. It is stylish, but also functional. It’s sizing options go from 2X to 4X. For the more extreme cold months this jacket might not be warm enough, but I think it would be great for the shoulder seasons here.
Pros
Powder skirt
Colour options are good
Good selection of pockets
Sleeve length is good for longer arms
Reasonably priced
Cons
Length of jacket could be a bit longer and fall further below hips
Not super warm for extreme cold temperatures, but would be great for the weather in the Pacific Northwest
5. Yellowknife Winter Coat - Sportive Plus
This is my daily jacket, its comfortable, very warm, and well made. I have worn this to and from work, I wear this snowmobiling, and to chase the northern lights. I will note, the jacket doesn’t come with the real fur trim on the hood, that is an extra thing that needs to be purchased. The sizing goes from 1X to a 4X. I am wearing the 4X and still have room to layer a base layer and a fleece mid-layer while wearing the jacket.
Pros
Very warm
It comes in some good colour options, not just black
The length of the jacket goes past the bum
Comfortable
Decently roomy
Sleeve length is good for relatively long arms, like mine
Cons
Could have a larger interior pocket, and maybe more than just one
Jacket is semi expensive, but it is very well made and very warm. Sportive Plus does have seasonal sales, so keep an eye out for those
6. Joy II City Coat - Sportive Plus
This was my first proper winter jacket up here in Yellowknife. It’s quite comfy, and warm for these cold winter days and nights up here, especially for night photos. Sizes go from 1X to 4X and I am wearing the 4X.
Pros
Comes in nice colour options
Can be worn for out on the town and staying warm taking winter photos
Sleeves are long enough
Ample room in chest
Big hood
Covers the butt
Cons
Needs more pockets
Could use a bit more insulation
Not the best for hiking or strenuous activities
A bit more on the expensive side, but it is still a good jacket overall
7. MicroTherm Down 2.0 Hooded Jacket - Eddie Bauer
This jacket is quite warm for how thin it is. The down insulation in it does it’s job quite well. This jacket would be ideal for layering under another jacket or for shoulder season weather if you didn’t want to layer. EB’s plus sizes also from 1X to 3X and I am wearing a 3X in this photo. I find this jacket has a more form fitting fit, so it’s not meant to be loose on your body.
Pros
Very warm and light weight
Comes in some great non-boring colour options
Good pockets
Cute and warm hood
Would be great for backpacking/hiking
Cons
Sleeves could be a bit longer
Jacket could fall a bit lower in the hips
Only goes up to a 3X
A bit more on the expensive side, but EB has some really good regular sales throughout the year
8. Palouse Down Parka - Eddie Bauer
Absolutely love the colour of this jacket. It’s not super heavy or bulky, but it’s still warm. I have worn it to take photos of sunsets and sunrises up here in Yellowknife in some pretty cold temperatures and stayed quite warm in it. As we know, Eddie Bauer’s plus line only has sizes 1X to 3X and I am wearing the 3X.
Pros
The colour options
Very warm
Covers the butt
Warm external pockets
It is light and not bulky
Cons
Needs better inside pockets
The sleeves are shorter so if you have longer arms this may be an issue
Depending on how you carry your weight it could be tighter in the breasts or the belly
Only goes up to a 3X
A bit more on the expensive side, but EB has some really good regular sales throughout the year
9. Women Plus Midi Parka with PrimaLoft - Joe Fresh
This jacket is a bit heavier and bulkier than most of the ones above, but it is warm and has some good pockets. I also really like the green colour, its very earthy, and green happens to be one of my favourite colours too. Joe Fresh’s plus line goes from 1X to a 3X and in this photo I am wearing the 3X.
Pros
Jacket falls at mid thigh so butt is covered and warm
Warm, insulated jacket
Sleeves are long enough for my long arms
Comfortable, doesn’t feel tight anywhere
Reasonably priced
Cons
A bit bulkier/heavier than some winter jackets
Needs better internal pockets
10. Women Plus Puffer Jacket with PrimaLoft - Joe Fresh
A warm puffer jacket with a cozy hood. I think the colour is a great option, and it is well built. Joe Fresh’s plus line goes from 1X to a 3X and in this photo I am wearing the 3X.
Pros
Warm and cozy
Not heavy
Good pockets
Sleeve length isn’t too short
Reasonably priced
Cons
Fits on the smaller end of a 3X
Hard to zip the zipper up all the way to the neck because of how the jacket fits, unless the hood is up
11. Trust Plus Size Insulated Jacket - Alpine Curves
This jacket is my go-to snowmobiling jacket. It goes from sizes 1X to 6X. I ordered the 5X to make sure I had room for layering while snowmobiling on those super cold days up here in the sub arctic. It has kept me quite warm so far. Also, the colour design for this… how cool is it? It’s hard to find jackets you can layer under properly because they usually just go only up to a 3X so layering is near impossible if you wear a 3X. Luckily, this one has a lot of room to spare in the 5X. I would also highly recommend this jacket for alpine sports too.
Pros
Goes up to a 6X
The colour
Cozy and warm
Great size options if you want to layer to make the jacket even warmer
Has a powder skirt
Lots of good pockets
Cons
Only one I can think of would be, the pocket zippers zip the opposite way that normal jackets do
Well, that about sums up all the winter jackets I have been able to test out these past couple of winters. I think that everyone will like certain jackets for certain reasons, but I hope I gave some insight into the jackets listed above. I truly like all of these jackets for various reasons, and I use them all for various activities.
Please feel free to comment below for any questions you may have.