As my long suffering wife can tell you, I've been looking for the ideal winter coat for the last two years.
For the past decade I've had a Bridgecoat made by Fidelity (aka Sterlingwear) in Boston, which is warm enough when layered, but heavy.
I've been wanting a new coat; something lighter and easier to regulate temperature in (since, absent a pandemic, I take public transit to work which means I stand still in the cold waiting, then enter a vehicle which is kept a approximately 100 degrees Fahrenheit[0]).
I have a couple of narrowing criteria; I want something US made and it needs to fit a 6'5" man who is a bit over-weight. So, actually there aren't all that many choices. Just enough for me to prevericate, waffle, and hem over.
I'll quickly review what I already have, since you can still find them about (on ebay and Army Navy stores). The Navy no longer issues Peacoats and I'm not sure the company is still in business making new ones (facebook page still exists but hasn't been updated in years). As mentioned above it's heavy. It's also bulky and can be awkward to move in (shoulder mobility is limited, especially if you're sitting on the tail). It's not terrible, but it's not ideal in a crowded bus, or even getting in and out of a car. Snow also sticks to the felted wool, so you try to ski or such the snow tends to stick then melt and the coat gets even heavier when wet (although it stays warm when wet, so not the end of the world).
It has some other drawbacks with I mitigated over the years:
Overall I can't complain though; I got the coat for something like 130$ and it's held up pretty well for seven years and change.
Weatherwool is interesting to me; I like natural fiber, and they are a wool-only operation. The style (of the All Around jacket at least) was acceptable to my wife. Finally, I'm in the bounds of their sizing chart.
The drawbacks are:
Some, but not all, Filson products are US made, including the Mackinaw and Double Mackinaw. I like the style, but, as far as I can tell most of the same caveats apply as Weatherwool. Also, I've been in a Filson store, and it's play acting at Manly Camping in the Good Old Days in a way I find strange and a bit off-putting (and relatedely, a high ratio of solicitous staff to customers really highlights to me that I'm going to be paying a premium).
Filson products are also carried at Hilton's Tent City though, which is a local shop I like buying from. I may someday pick a Mackinaw up from them – it seems like a good warm layer, just not really a coat.
I guess I should mention Carhartt, if only to say they're dead to me. I worked in construction for about seven years, starting around 2003. I used to wear a lot of Carhartt; I had a parka I wore everywhere and their pants would last two or three times longer than anything else I found. After a few years though something changed. They offshored their sewing, then their fabric, and I haven't even seen unwashed duck cloth from them in stores for years.
I'm sure some executive did very well for themselves by shifting to mass market apparel, but they are not a particularly high quality product any more.
They just don't last like they used to and I find it very frustrating[1].
These seem interesting. At ~300-400$ the insulated parka would be cheaper than most of the wool or shell+layer options, but I wanted something I could also use spring and fall over a light layer.
The owner seems like a crank, but the testimonials seem convincing to me (although I wonder if there is an editorial hand at work).
This is the coat I wound up buying. It's hard to say it's the best of the lot (I couldn't spring for all the options), but I am happy with it.
There are a few things that sold me on this thing. I bought some mittens from them two years ago and quality and customer support were great. They've been making similar coats for ~30 years and details matter. Thirty years is a lot of time to learn and refine compared to any of these options but Filson (and I'm not entirely sure Filson has been using their time to refine). Reading through the reviews, customers frequently note that everything just works (compare with Wiggies, which seems to come up with design variations pretty often – there are many testimonials that are both positive and point to a lack of refinement (e.g. draft baffle that often jams in the zipper)). The site is reassuringly polished, and the FAQ talks about making things that works for low and high activity levels in cold weather (which describes, for instance, sledding this morning with my daughter). Finally, they actually supply real matter-of-record Arctic expeditions.
So I've wound up with a Wintergreen Expedition Shell anorak. I was also interested in Wintergreen's waxed cotton jackets, but they are not yet available in XXL and it's not clear when they will be available[2]. I think this worked out for the best though – the waxed jacket looks nice for spring/fall, but it's more fitted and I'm not sure how well I could layer under it for the winter. I'm also pleased with how the nylon hood follows my movement – I expect the waxed cotton would be stiffer.
Anyway; I'm so pleased I'm planning to get a fleece and will probably pick up some shell pants in the future (for the sledding).
[0]: I truly and honestly miss my commute; it was 40 minutes twice a day to work on my own projects and acclimate/de-acclimate to the working day. [1]: I've switched to Stan Ray pants (aka Earl's Apparel, aka Gung Ho). I thought the front patch pockets were goofy looking when I first bought them, but I like the fabric and how the pants fit, and the pockets actually work very well – they're roomy and stuff doesn't fall out. I am afraid they're going to pivot to fashion or mass market brand though and become more expensive than I'm willing to pay or drop in quality. I guess we'll see what happens. [2]: I emailed in the winter of 2019 and was told spring 2020 – but I think the pandemic blew a lot of things up.