Customer Reviews Patagonia Downtown Loft Parka

As one reviewer commented, this coat is a very slender fit. I am 5'5, 100 lbs, and always wear a size 0 or XS. I bought this coat in XS and was initially worried I could not wear heavy sweaters under this coat. In fact, I can wear a heavy sweater under the coat and still have full rotation of my arms (very necessary to grab overhead handrails on NY subways) plus bend. When I first zip up, I do feel like a stuffed sausage, but the coat seems to have give and so far I don't see stress on the seams. I think this coat is designed to be so fitted since there are no drawstrings to make the coat more snug. I tried on the Small size, but it was much too large and I know the extra space would cause a draft. This coat is very warm, the hood stays on my head, the tall neck keeps my neck protected, and very few feathers leach out. It is a very elegantly and efficiently designed coat. As someone else said, it would be nice if there was a fleece lining. And I wish the sleeves had cuffs to prevent a draft. The zippers are a little flimsy and do get caught on the fabric more often than I'd like. I have only had this coat for one week, but it is performing better (in terms of warmth and feather discharge) than many others I have had. Plus, I am so glad this coat is cruelty free-- no live plucking and no beautiful, defenseless creature draped across the hood of my coat.

I purchased this coat in December 2013 and I have some thoughts after owning it through one of the coldest MN winters on record! Pros: great shape, great details, nice construction. I love that the hood can be zipped in to make a tall collar or function as a regular hood. The sleeves are long and the angle cut keeps the cold out. Cons: the fabric has a satin texture that catches on dry skin on your fingers and face. The lining is the same as the outside of the coat, which is chilly to the touch. Wish it were fleece. Also the lining catches in the zipper very easily. The collar doesn't sit close to your neck when zipped up so you definitely need a scarf. The coat is a great option for someone who is pear-shaped, but people with straight hips might find that it doesn't fit tight enough around the hips and thighs. I'm 5'8" and 150 pounds with broad shoulders and straight hips, and I should have purchased a medium for a more snug fit. It would have kept me warmer I think. My runner-up coat was the Marmot Montreaux, and while this coat has a more flattering shape, I regret that I turned down the warmth and comfort of the Marmot for the style and cut of this coat. Next time, function over form.

Hood /collar is a nice idea, but it sits funny when wearing it. The top part of the jacket is tighter than other Patagonia down jackets, and fits oddly. Seems like it would be very warm though. I also tried the current iteration of the Down With It Parka (had one for 4 years and love its fitted look and warmth) -- it is no longer very fitted or last all flattering...kind of disappointed with Patagonia this year.

This coat is sharp looking but the zippers snag very easily and the down started coming out right away.

I love this coat. It keeps me very warm in 20 degree weather and even a few days it was in the teens I was very warm. I feel very protected from the cold in this coat. I am 5'3", 120 lbs and I was worried the medium would be too large yet I was afraid the small wouldn't allow for a heavy sweater underneath. I got a small and am very glad I did. It fits perfectly. I have worn a heavy sweathshirt underneath it and have had no problems. It does zip up more snug of course when I wear a sweatshirt and the first time I zipped up with a sweatshirt underneath I was afaid I would look like a stuffed sausage... I didn't! The coat is very flattering and while I feel incredibly snug it does seem to give as another reviewer mentioned. As other reviewers stated, the coat is not lined with fleece which I appreciate. I like that I can easily slip this coat on and off regardless of what I am wearing. On occasion I have only worn a t-shirt underneath (if I know I'm not going to be taking the coat off as I do get cold very easily) and the nylon lining against my skin was a comfort to me. I thought it would feel cold against my skin but it did not. It felt silky and smooth and somehow very warm. I have not had a problem with cold air up my arms... I love the angled cut at the end of the sleeves. The hood is very substantial and stays up when the coat is completely zipped up. I figured I would need a scarf though bc there is a gap on my neck when it's zipped up but I've found I don't. When I've run out the door without one I have been pleasantly suprised that I don't feel air on my neck. It comes up just over my mouth and keeps me feeling very warm and secure. Just remember to unzip the hood from its home when the coat arrives. I was a little confused at first, wondering where this hood is, because the zipper is nicely concealed when you're not aware that it is there. I love the length as well. It comes just below the back of my knees in the back (the back is slightly longer than the front) and to my knees in the front. This coat is by far my favorite coat I've ever owned. It is incredibly warm and comfortable yet is very flattering as well. I've had it for about a month and have worn it every day since I've had it. I have only seen one feather sticking out from it and I have had minimal problems with the zipper. But I have never owned a coat that didn't sometimes get caught in the fabric so I actually expected that. It really isn't an issue to me though bc I feel so protected and warm while it's on. I also appreciate the double zipper. When I'm bending over to put my boots on while wearing the coat, I can zip up the bottom zipper a bit so it allows for more room to move while pulling them on. I have never had a problem with the bottom zipper catching while doing this. I am very happy with this coat!

I needed a warm coat in Seattle. It was perfect in the rain. Except the hood is not a hood. I laughed so hard trying to put it on my head. Which in itself gave the coat five stars. I used a hat in the rain.

I love this coat. It's very warm, has a nice body conscious fit and a roomy hood that covers my face to my nose in the wind. It is slender, I'm 5'9, 135lbs and the size large is perfect. Great workmanship, beautiful style and the warmest coat I could find. I'm 100% satisfied with my purchase.

WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT WITH ZAPPOS! I purchased this coat 3 days ago for my niece in New York during their extremely cold weather. As a VIP customer for many years, I made this purchase knowing she would receive it within 3 days including the weekend. Unfortunately, the wrong coat was sent, and Zappos could not fulfill the order because the coat is no longer available in her size and desired color. When given the opportunity to order an item from Zappos or another company, I generally choose zappos - I will reconsider this in the future.

Great coat, love the hood that doubles as a windbreak for the back of my neck when it's stowed away. Thanks to this coat the backs of my legs will never be cold again when I sit down outside! And the interior cell phone pocket is nice. Super cozy and stylish enough to wear out for a cold night on the town.

I wasn't sure of this coat in pictures, but when I tried it on at the Patagonia outlet, I was in love! They were all sold out in my size though (also at the Patagonia store), so I had to order online. I wear S and am 5'6'', 125 lbs. The fit is really well tailored, close to the body and flattering, and the sleeves are a great length - not too short, which usually happens to me. You can still wear sweaters under it, but it is fitted. I love the length and it has kept me plenty warm this winter. I really wanted something long to cover my legs, but that wasn't ugly (so many long down coats are ugly!). Also, I absolutely love that you can zip the hood in to create a really cool collar, or have a hood that is large enough that it fits over your head even if you are wearing a beanie or something. I also love the double zipper. I think this coat is the perfect blend of functionality and great sleek style! My only complaints are: (1) that some feathers have been coming out here and there, which makes me a bit sad, (2) the hood is not adjustable, so you can't tighten it around your face, although, if you zip up the coat all the way, it does cover your neck, so you are still really warm, but the hood is a little roomy inside. At least it won't mess up your hair! :D

Very nice coat. It truly fits very close to the body with generous length to the sleeves which was good for my 6'+ girls. No real room for heavy sweater underneath and still be able to zip. Neither of my girls have large hips or this coat would not work.

Love this Patagonia Parka. It's super warm and fits amazingly! Super soft and I love that the hood zips up where you can't see it when not being used. Also, the double zipper is very useful when it's not super cold outside to allow the parka to be half zipped and slightly less hot.

I loved this jacket, but it just didn't fit me well. I'm 5'7", usually a M and an 8 in pants. I ordered this coat in a M, and it fit everywhere but my hips... I'm not exactly Beyonce when it comes to the hip/butt area, and this coat had to be pulled so tight over my hips that the down was totally flattened in that area. However, the waist and shoulders fit me very well. I suppose if you are very straight up and down this coat would fit you, but if you have any curve it's going to be too tight, which also makes the pockets almost useless since fitting anything in them (at least without having a huge bulge there) wasn't going to happen. I never tested out the warmth because I returned it for a coat that fit better, but I suspect it would have been pretty warm. It was much thinner than I'd expected it to be, but it felt very solidly made and well-designed (except for the lack of hips!). I loved the design of the coat, and the collar/hood were beautiful. It looked very sophisticated and dressy for a puffer jacket, and it was definitely flattering. I wish it had fit me!

Overall, I love this coat and it has been everything I expected. I got it just as the "polar vortex" hit the Midwest and it has performed beautifully, keeping me nice and warm even as wind chills hit -10 F. There are a few design improvements that I would suggest but the styling of the coat is wonderful. I am 5'7" and 132 lbs. and the coat covers my knee caps in the front and hits mid-calf in the back. It's very fitted and the SMALL would have been perfect if I'd only wanted to wear a light layer underneath. But I ended up getting the MEDIUM because I wanted to be able to wear a thick layer underneath the coat. It's wonderful. Pros - Beautiful shape, super warm and relatively light for the amount of insulation it provides. Cons - The "hood" is not really deep enough to be used as a hood. There are no snaps or velcro in the front to quickly close the coat at least in part. It's either zipped or open.

This is a beautiful and comfy coat, but it runs very tight in the chest area. I usually wear a 0-2, and this was great in the waist and a perfect length, but it was much too tight in the bust for a 32C.

This coat is incredibly warm ––almost too warm. I wore it to a winter festival in December when temps were around 20 degrees and I was sweating. Definitely would be great if you're not walking around/very active. Good for waiting for a train or being stationary outdoors. The biggest issue, though, is that the zipper CONSTANTLY sticks. I'd say it snags 40% of the time I wear this coat, but 100% of the time I'm not PERFECTLY straight while trying to zip it. I've had to ask for help to get out of this thing multiple times, which is ridiculous. I didn't purchase this coat from Zappos, but if I could do it again, I would get a different coat.

I ordered big a medium and a large in this coat, looking for something warm and not too boxy for these cold Chicago winters. The forge gray is a weird color; it has almost a greenish tinge that I didn't like at all. The coats are not cut for curvy women. I am about 5'5" and normally fit comfortably in a size 10. I tried both sizes and neither was quite right. The medium was very tight in the hips to the point that I couldn't zip it properly, though the bust, shoulders and sleeves all fit well. The large, while I could at least zip it properly, was clearly too large on top and was actually still tight in the hips. While I liked the styling of the coat and it does seem like it would be very warm, it's going back.

I've given it an over 3 stars because of size. How can I get a 16 XL and it be a slender fit which is more of a 10-12 size. No were did it say slender fit in the description or size. Much smaller than what it says. Beautiful coat but so disappointed

This coat is very warm and the cut is very stylish. It has two problems, nonetheless, that are hard to overcome. The zippers are, as many of the reviewers mention, very flimsy and catch on the fabric constantly. Second, the down immediately starts to come out from the seems upon wear. Wear it for more than 15 minutes and you will look like a bird loosing your feathers. This is especially disappointing and annoying given the price point on this coat.

I so wanted to love this gorgeously designed coat, but I'm sending it back. First, the size small on my 5'4", 117-pound frame is too tight, especially under the arms. The real deal-breaker for me is the zipper, which is hard to seat, and it catches on the fabric when you do get it running. I can imagine myself pulling the coat on after dinner, then fumbling and tugging, my friends stand around checking their phones until I finish zipping up. Sorry, Downtown Loft, I've gotta keep looking.