Winter jackets brand? (Pittsburgh, Columbia: how much, buying, price)

[Lovely person]

Hi everyone
I would like to get winter jackets for my children and be prepared ahead of time but aim having a difficulty deciding on a brand with really warm jackets for the state harsh winter.. I heard some saying the north face down jackets are a good buy.. But I would like more opinions before I spend my money on them
I want to feel relieved with my kids outside making sure they are really warm and comfortable
Thanks a lot

[guy2073]

Columbia has an outlet store at tanger outlets by the meadows. I have been buying my sons coats there since they opened. Great price and great quality. He never zips the coat and still stays warm.

[Flamingo13]

Here is the forum: //www.city-data.com/forum/shopp...umer-products/

[North Beach Person]

Instead of down I would get something with Thinsulate/Prima Loft/other proprietary names. Coats with that are less bulky, easier to care for and just overall less hassle to deal with.

[ex-burgher]

Nothing is warmer than a puffy down coat, unless it gets wet.

[RyanR]

There's a lot of quality brands/materials.

A few thoughts.

You haven't mentioned the age or sex of your kids but unless you're buying for each every year (which you'll probably have to do because of growth), consider neutral colors/patterns so it can be passed down to the younger child.

How much outdoor activities do your kids do in the winter? If they're out playing a lot and rough on things, consider those things when selecting the outer shell of the jacket.

Kids clothing has huge price mark-ups. Unless you're compelled to buy new for your kids every year, check out places that you can buy used. There's a lot of places that sell lightly used gear for a small fraction of what you pay for new.

I don't really consider Pittsburgh's winters "harsh". Most of the winter, it's 20° or more. If you buy something made for really cold weather, it may be too hot to wear a lot of the winter. Hot = sweat, sweat = bad. I have one coat that I can't wear unless it's below 10° otherwise I melt. Consider layers under the coat instead.

[Lovely person]

Originally Posted by guy2073

Columbia has an outlet store at tanger outlets by the meadows. I have been buying my sons coats there since they opened. Great price and great quality. He never zips the coat and still stays warm.

Thanks for your suggestion. Yes I heard about Columbia and I will check it online a. I have no problem actually with the physical proximity of the store to buy from because I am doing it online anyway

[Lovely person]

Originally Posted by Flamingo13

Here is the forum: //www.city-data.com/forum/shopp...umer-products/

Thanks I don't know why I didn't find the forum when I posted the thread.

[Lovely person]

Originally Posted by North Beach Person

Instead of down I would get something with Thinsulate/Prima Loft/other proprietary names. Coats with that are less bulky, easier to care for and just overall less hassle to deal with.

I will check these thanks for the advice, but number 1 priority for me is warmth then comes other consideration but if these are no big difference from down jackets then this would be a plus

[Lovely person]

Originally Posted by ex-burgher

Nothing is warmer than a puffy down coat, unless it gets wet.

Yes I read this about down jackets being the warmest. I don't think being wet will be an issue for me since they won't be exposed to this