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The one issue I see with the ones featured is that most are quite short. The one in the main picture looks fine, but when it is cold out, I think most people prefer to have a longer option that covers at least to below the hips. I see that as more of an issue that having an included hat. As it is, jacks with hats often have problems anyway- they will often blow off or you can’t wear them when you are driving due to visibility issues with peripheral vision. Just a quick google search found jackets roughly in the CD/Montclair range that are shearling, so certainly if you have that money to spend you can get a long and gorgeous shearling coat.
This - I'm not a kid going to school who can get by with a cute coat that hits barely below the waist...especially not when paired with jeans (jeans in the winter are the worst!). I need a coat to hit at least mid-thigh or better yet just above the knee and that would make a shearling coat really heavy. So I usually go with down - a true parka (not the short, thin jackets they call parkas these days).
For that reason when I read reviews of how warm a coat is I look for where they live. A "warm" coat in W. Virginia is not gonna cut it...I need something to be warm for someone in Chicago or Minneapolis before I trust it for myself.
You do know that sheep are killed to make shearling coats, don't you? Look up the process. You can have a warm & stylish coat that does not involve animal torture & slaughter.
Heavy, no hoods. Not the first choice for actual cold weather. More of a fashion statement than a coat actually meant for outdoor wear when it's cold.
Those arctic people are all about the fashion statements and not at all about keeping warm. Shearling is quite warm and most arctic people traditionally wore animal skins and fur to keep warm. Another benefit is that they originally kept animals warm and dry, so they should do that for humans as well as historically people used the animals locally to make clothing.
You also have to gauge what you're going to be doing. If you've got a two mile walk from the station to a bus stop where you have to stand for up to a half hour, and it's 5 degrees out, you're not going to be exerting yourself enough to sweat. In that case you want the super-heavy coat with a hood (not the stylish shearling jacket).
If you're going to spend an hour shoveling snow, you'll be sweating profusely and you'll want to go with multiple thin layers, and definitely wool., because (as noted above) it keeps you warm even when wet . In that case the super-heavy coat probably doesn't apply unless it's 30 below in Minnesota.
If it's raining, it's not cold enough for the real heavy coat anyway, so you can wear your stylish shearling and get soaked, or you can put on a raincoat. For me, when it rains heavy, I do the least fashionable thing possible and I wear a proper raincoat, bright yellow (helps visibility crossing parking lots in a downpour), rubber, comes down to my knees and has a hood) - you know, like firemen, traffic cops, etc. wear when it's raining.
You know ”wool keeps you warm when it's wet” is only kind of true; it won't suck alll the heat out of you instantly like cotton, but you'll still be damn cold. The best way to prevent hypothermia from being wet is to stay dry. As in, raincoat.
Heavy, no hoods. Not the first choice for actual cold weather. More of a fashion statement than a coat actually meant for outdoor wear when it's cold.
I don't agree. They aren't heavy (down, not feathers) and are exceptionally warm. I own one, so I actually know.
I totally agree with Parnassia.
Down filled coats are not shearling coats.
Depends on your source, some say that:
Shearling coats are made from processed lambskin, sheepskin, or pelt.
Shearling coats are strong and rugged, more so than any other material or cloth. They're also warmer than duck or goose down. They're lighter than fur in terms of weight.
Others:
Goose down fill is the gold standard in thermal insulation, so down-filled jackets will definitely keep you warm. Some down-filled jackets are warmer than others, though, and this is determined by the fill power and the total amount of down used in the jacket – the higher the number, the warmer the jacket.
Loftier down gets the highest ratings, and it's the warmest, lightest, and most compressible
I don't agree. They aren't heavy (down, not feathers) and are exceptionally warm. I own one, so I actually know.
I totally agree with Parnassia.
Down filled coats are not shearling coats.
Depends on your source, some say that:
Shearling coats are made from processed lambskin, sheepskin, or pelt.
Shearling coats are strong and rugged, more so than any other material or cloth. They're also warmer than duck or goose down. They're lighter than fur in terms of weight.
Others:
Goose down fill is the gold standard in thermal insulation, so down-filled jackets will definitely keep you warm. Some down-filled jackets are warmer than others, though, and this is determined by the fill power and the total amount of down used in the jacket – the higher the number, the warmer the jacket.
Loftier down gets the highest ratings, and it's the warmest, lightest, and most compressible
So, let's agree that both are very, very warm.
The biggest drawback to down is keeping it dry/clean. It isn't very durable and won't keep the wearer warm when wet (even moist such as from perspiration) or soiled. A shearling garment will. Once the condition of the down itself is compromised, it does exactly nothing for you.
I machine-wash our down jackets, down duvets regularly.
Would love to own a Shearling jacket, but the cost of dry-cleaning it is putting me off permanently.
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