Men’s winter jacket or winter coat is the most expensive item in our closet, and we just won’t replace the choice, as we would when buying a T-shirt. In this article, we will discuss in detail the factors that need to be taken into account in this situation. Let’s imagine how to choose the right winter jacket.
Spending some time choosing the right winter jacket pays off in several ways. Unlike other clothing items, winter jackets like these Shop Men’s Pyrenex Jackets are often selected with the intention of wearing them for several years.
Important features of the winter jacket
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Impermeability
Especially if you plan to enjoy outdoor activities during the winter, waterproofing is the alpha and omega of your comfort. Waterproofing is also closely related to the water column.
Water column
The water column tells us how high is the ability of materials to resist humidity. Its capacity is in millimeters. But note that a column of high water doesn’t always mean damp either; this will also greatly affect the quality of the seams, ventilation, or fastening systems. The ideal water column values for outdoor jackets are around 5000 mm. That’s enough for you during the classic Central European winter. Values of about 10,000 mm and higher can already be used, especially in alpine areas.
Breathability
It may seem like a paradox. In winter, we do not want to lose heat. But the jacket must breathe and thus get rid of the steam, which can cut off its positive properties through perspiration, after which it’s easy to catch a cold even in the thinnest jacket.
Wind resistance
Breathable, but at the same time wind resistant. As complicated as it may seem, the outer layer of the winter jacket should protect you from the outside wind. You will appreciate it the most, for example, on the slopes, where you will walk or on skis and boards.
What purpose should a winter jacket serve?
First of all, you must think about the purpose that your new partner must fulfill on cold days. To begin with, imagine what your classic winter looks like. How much time do you spend in the mountains, in the city, or maybe walking the dog?
Choose your most common outdoor winter activity and keep choosing. If you are not 100% sure, we have selected the following points:
Types of winter jackets
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Winter jackets for the city
Winter in the city is often not as harsh and unpredictable as on the tops of the mountains. Of course, Tromsø in Norway beyond the Arctic Circle, for example, has its own conditions, but we will focus more on winter in a typical North American or Central European city. The slimmer variants will suffice here. There’s no need to focus too much on the functional elements, because the trip from a bus stop, parking, work, or home is not the longest, so often not even
We spend enough time outside to cool off.
For this reason, in addition to a jacket, we often choose a men’s coat for the city that just does what it’s supposed to do. The breathability, the temperature or the water column, and other factors have a high priority in the city and we can focus more on style.
Winter jackets for outdoors and tourism
The more movement, the more emphasis is placed on the aforementioned breathability. During physical activities, the person sweats, so it is necessary to remove heat from the body. The outer layer must be waterproof. In simple terms, if you decide to choose a winter sheep jacket for long trips, choose one that is thinner but richer in functional layers.
Winter jackets for skiing/snowboarding
On the slopes, the specific properties of the reflective jacket are probably the best known. You can handle snow with a waterproof shell with a high water column, and a windproof coat will help you cope with frequent gusts of wind and mountains. Mostly skiing is a frequent alternation of physical activity and a long stay in the cable car. Therefore, when choosing the jacket, one of the factors is the word breathable.
From a practical point of view, skiing or snowboarding requires more pockets, replacing the clogged backpack on the slope.
How to choose clothes under the jacket?
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Here’s the real nut. Even if your reflective jacket meets all possible parameters for optimum performance and comfort in a situation determined, misplacement of the layers can affect its functionality. Therefore, the idea is to avoid a flannel, a cotton T-shirt, or a sweatshirt of the same material. It is important to choose clothing that absorbs as little moisture as possible.
Thick or fine?
It will mainly depend on where you intend to wear the jacket. Thicker does not mean automatically warmer as there may be more layers in reflective jackets for thin bikes, which can mean more heat, especially during high-intensity activities.
What material do you choose?
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The main textiles when making a jacket are sanity and leather. To decide we will have to take into account the degree of protection that we seek, always greater in the case of leather since it is more resistant to abrasion. Over the years and with the improvement of technology, Cordura jackets have substantially improved this point, but even so, it continues to be more fragile when slipping on the asphalt.
Another advantageous characteristic of leather is if you live in a place where there are many and long rains since it does not soak up as much water as in the case of fabric. However, not all advantages of leather, mainly its high weight, its great economic cost, and high care make it a material not designed for everyone.
Synthetic
Softshell, fleece, Gore-Tex, Primaloft, and a host of other insulating and breathable materials are part of winter jackets, which we call functional. Therefore, a women’s reflective jacket with active layers guarantees a higher level of intensity of effort in the winter months.
Down jackets
Although down jackets do not have as many special functions as some synthetic materials are undoubtedly the best insulating materials. The feathers will be more useful in the city, where they are making a full comeback as part of the best streetwear ensembles.
