Winter jackets compared: Canada Goose, Moncler, The North Face and Patagonia
Canada Goose is the warmest of the four, Moncler is cut slimmer, The North Face covers the widest range and Patagonia gives the most warmth for its weight. A comparison on warmth and cut, with what to check before buying.
In this guide
The warmest of the four is Canada Goose, built for long periods in serious cold. Moncler is close in warmth with a slimmer cut, The North Face covers the widest range of conditions and Patagonia gives the most warmth for the least bulk.
The four brands at a glance
| Brand | Warmth | Cut | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada Goose | Highest | Roomy, made for layering | Long periods outdoors in serious cold |
| Moncler | High | Slim and tailored | A warm down jacket for the city |
| The North Face | Depends on the model | Practical, often boxy | One jacket for the city and the outdoors |
| Patagonia | Good for the weight | Close, athletic | Layering instead of one heavy coat |
Canada Goose
Canada Goose was founded in Toronto in 1957 and built its name on parkas for polar and expedition use. Canada Goose describes the Expedition parka as designed in the 1980s for researchers at McMurdo Station in Antarctica. The parkas combine down fill, a heavy shell fabric and a hood shaped to keep wind away from the face. Canada Goose rates its parkas on its own Thermal Experience Index, from TEI 1 to TEI 5, with the Expedition at TEI 5. The models are compared in Canada Goose models compared.
Moncler
Moncler was founded in 1952 by René Ramillon and André Vincent in Monestier-de-Clermont, a mountain village near Grenoble that gave the brand its name. It began with quilted sleeping bags and tents and moved on to down jackets for mountaineering. Its jackets today are cut slimmer and closer to the body than a Canada Goose parka, so they are warm without the volume of an expedition coat.
The North Face
The North Face covers the widest range of the four, from light fleeces to shells and heavy down. For winter, the Nuptse is the best-known model: a boxy down jacket with wide baffles, introduced in 1992. The Himalayan is the heavier expedition jacket. Because the range is so broad, warmth depends entirely on the model, which is explained in the The North Face guide.
Patagonia
Patagonia focuses on warmth for its weight. The Down Sweater is filled with down and the Nano Puff with synthetic insulation, which keeps more of its warmth when it gets wet. Both are light enough to be worn under a shell, so Patagonia suits a layered set-up better than a single heavy coat. The lines are explained in the Patagonia guide.
Canada Goose or Moncler
Canada Goose is the warmer choice for long periods outdoors in serious cold, and its parkas are cut roomy so that layers fit underneath. Moncler suits the city better, with a slimmer cut and less volume. The difference is as much in the shape as in the warmth.
What to check on an insulated jacket
Insulation ages in ways that are hard to judge from a photo. Three checks cover most of it.
- Loft. Held to the light, the fill is evenly distributed across every baffle. Cold spots and clumps at the bottom of the baffles mean that insulation has been lost.
- Seam tape on anything waterproof. On the inside, at the shoulders and the hood, the tape is flat and bonded. Lifting or cracked tape means the jacket no longer keeps water out at that seam.
- The shell. A few feathers coming through the fabric is normal. A steady loss through one seam is a fault.
How down and synthetic insulation age differently is explained in Gore-Tex, DWR and down.
Each item is inspected, authenticated, cleaned and measured before it is added to the store. Each step is described in How leverene works.
Questions
Which is warmer, Canada Goose or Moncler?
Canada Goose is generally warmer, because its parkas are built for long periods in serious cold. Moncler combines warmth with a slimmer cut.
Is a The North Face Nuptse warm enough for winter?
The Nuptse is a down jacket built for cold weather. For long periods outdoors in serious cold, a parka such as the Canada Goose Expedition is warmer.
Why is Patagonia less bulky?
Patagonia designs for warmth relative to weight, so its jackets are thinner and work as a layer under a shell.
Where to go next
The available items are collected in the outdoor collection, with separate pages for men and women, and by brand under Canada Goose, The North Face and Patagonia. The brands are covered in more depth in the Canada Goose guide and the outdoor clothing guide. Items can be returned within 30 days.