Wool Coat vs Down Coat: Which Is Actually Warmer? (And Which Lasts Longer)

I make wool coats. So you may expect that I am biased toward wool coats. And for the most part, I am. But if I'm being 100% honest, I live in Chicago, where both down coats and wool coats are a must, and I wear both on regularly, but under different circumstances.

The truth is that down and wool are both good at keeping you warm. They just work differently, hold up differently, and fit different lifestyles.

But if you are looking to only purchase one coat, here's how they stack up.

How they keep you warm

Down and wool keep you warm through completely different mechanisms.

Down insulates through trapped air. The loft (fluffiness) of down clusters creates thousands of tiny pockets of still air that your body heats and holds. The higher the fill power, the more loft per ounce, the better the warmth-to-weight ratio. The catch is that it only works when it's dry. Wet down collapses, loses its loft, and loses most of its insulating ability. Down shells also vary enormously, so like everything...quality matters.

Wool insulates through the fiber itself. Wool has a natural crimp that traps air. It also has a unique ability to absorb moisture, without feeling wet or losing its warmth. Wool regulates temperature across a wider range: it can keep you warm at 20°F and not overheat you at 45°F. This is a unique property to wool, so the amount of wool or wool blend matters.

Where down wins

As I mentioned, for those of us living in a colder climate, both coats are a must. However, if you need to choose one, this is where down wins.

•       Packability. A puffer compresses into its own pocket or a tiny bag. If you're traveling and need a coat that disappears into your carry-on, wool cannot compete with this. A wool coat is not going into a stuff sack.

•       Extreme cold below -10°F. At truly brutal temperatures, high-fill-power down outperforms wool on warmth-to-weight. If you're spending weekends in the Boundary Waters in January or waiting on an exposed platform in a polar vortex for hours at a time, a proper down parka has the edge. For Chicago winters at normal temperatures (brutal but rarely that extreme), wool holds its own.

Those are real advantages. If packability or extreme cold are your primary requirements, then a puffer coat is the clear winner. My husband is an avid outdoorsman and can recount situations where his down puffer literally saved his life, the same cannot be said about most tailored wool coats. 

Where wool wins 

For the way most people actually live in a city — commuting, going to work, running errands, going to dinner, standing outside waiting for an Uber, wool wins on almost every dimension that matters over time.

•       Wet and variable conditions. Chicago doesn't have dry cold. It has lake effect snow, rain and 45°F days in November that feel like they are 20°F because of the wind off the lake. Wool handles all of this while keeping you looking polished.

•       Longevity. A well-made 100% wool coat lasts 15–20 years. A good down jacket, taken care of, lasts 3–5 years before the fill starts to show signs of wear. This matters both from a cost per wear and sustainability stand point.

•       Style range. A wool coat goes from the office to a holiday party to a winter wedding without a second thought. It works over sweaters, dresses, jeans, or a suit. A puffer is casual at best, At its worst a puffer coat it actively undermines the effort you put into a special occasion look. 

•       Temperature regulation. Wool breathes in a way down doesn't. On a 35°F day when you're moving between a cold train platform and a warm office, wool adapts. A puffer will have you sweating indoors within minutes. For those of us experiencing bodily temperature fluctuations by the minute (thank you perimenopause) wool is the clear choice.

The honest verdict

Buy down if: you travel frequently and need a coat that packs small, you're regularly in extreme cold below -10°F for extended periods, you need the lightest possible weight, you are an avid outdoors person stepping into the great unknown.

Buy wool if: you live in a city with variable winter weather, you need one coat that works for everything from commuting to occasions, you want something that still looks good in 15 years, or you've done the cost-per-wear math and want to buy once.

If wool is right for you

All of our coats at The Checkroom are made from 100% RWS certified American-milled wool, grown on regenerative ranches, woven in New England, and sewn here in Chicago on demand. 

If you're not sure where to start, the style quiz takes two minutes and will point you toward the right coat for you.

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And if you have questions about which coat makes sense for your climate, your lifestyle, or what you already have in your closet, you can contact me here. I answer emails myself.

— Liz

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