Customer Reviews L.L.Bean Baxter State Parka

I bought it for snow blowing and it worked just fine. It keeps me warm and is comfortable through the shoulders which makes it easy to work in. The wet snow / rain doesn't penetrate and keeps me very dry. The detachable hood is also a great feature. Very pleased with this coat.

I live in Michigan. Average temp in winter at 10AM is 25-35 degrees. A T-shirt and this parka is all I need. During the vortex, I put leggings under my jeans, wool socks, t-shirt, sweater and Parka. I went for a 3/4 mile walk. The temp was -33 degrees. I was warm as toast. This is the only piece of clothing I ever bragged about. You will not be sorry.

Watched the promotional video and heard the dude in it say "it's a perfect coat for just having by the door and putting on to head out" (paraphrasing). I keep thinking of that when I wear it to take the dog out for his walk. I love this coat; the hidden cell phone pocket will spoil me for coats to come. No pocket like it? I won't want it. Love this coat.

When I go somewhere the COAT goes too ! Fits Great, warm and Lightweight. I should have Bought one a long time Ago! duane in Alaska ,

This famous parka lives up to its reputation. It is very warm and comfortable. It is a bit large, but that will allow for layering underneath when needed. I definitely would recommend it to anyone looking for a very warm hooded parka.

We recently had sub-zero temps for a week. I was never the least bit cold wearing my Baxter State Parka. I love it. Absolutely the warmest, driest coat I have ever owned.

This coat was very comfortable, fit well and kept me warm on a very cold day. Just what I wanted

Great coat. I'm always worried that a coat like this is to warm. But it's true they say that it's breathable and it is! I love that you can tighten the coat in the middle so it looks nicer and fits better. It's so warm and waterproof. The zipper is a major factor for a big coat like this and it's perfect. Unzips from the bottom also. I took the faux fur off. I like it better. Also the good comes off also! The only thing is that it took me a bit to get use to the pocket configuration. But so many !

I had been wanting a warm winter coat for quite a while. Never had the time to go and get one. I looked around on the Internet and found a few options at a couple different stores. When I saw this coat at L.L.Bean, the way it felt and fit was right for me. The price wasn't too bad. Keep in mind you get what you pay for in regards to Warm Coats and Tools. Yes I would recommend this coat to anyone seeking a Very Warm Winter Coat.

A beautiful coat, well made, my husband loves it and its a perfect fit

The best winter jacket you could buy. It's wind resistant. Water resistant. And extremely warm. I'll never need to find another winter coat. It's also very dressy. I bought the black color. And feel I could wear it to any function.

Have been looking for this type of coat for several years and found the Bean Baxter State Parka in red. The coat is super warm, even in the recent midwest Polar Vortex, -23 where I live not counting windchill, the coat kept me warm and protected. It is totally adjustable with a removable fur collar on the hood, a removable hood, an adjustment strap on the hood itself and draw cord hood closure and adjustable velcro closure cuffs at the wrists. The coat also has an adjustable locking cord to snug up the coat around the midsection to trap body heat. I looked at a lot of brands and this coat, to me, is the best value for the cost. One last thing, love the RED color!

My husband loves this coat. It's warm, fits well, if a bit baggy around the stomach ( my husband is very thin). The only complaint is that it's somewhat stiff and makes a lot of noise when in motion.

This coat is the swiss army knife of winter jackets! Only improvement would be a better fur ruff. Perhaps Bean could offer an upgrade. Would gladly pay extra as this is what keeps you really warm. SUPER COAT

I took this jacket out during the polar vortex in Chicago yesterday, for a walk at -19 Fahrenheit for half an hour. I had the LL Bean cable crew sweater on under it and a t shirt. And I felt cozy, toasty and secure. I genuinely felt warmth as a was moving around throughout my walk. I put the hood up after about fifteen minutes, which helped my double balaclavas, that I had pulled down, keep me warm. Like it made a noticeable difference. So when they say it's their most cold proof jacket, I'd say that's definitely the case. And I want to give credit where it's due. And people also two friends have said "nice jacket" when I've been putting it on. I had an older version for five years, before getting this one last September, and I bike with it and am always warm. Here I am on my walk:

This is by far, the best winter coat I've ever owned. I live in Wisconsin and bought it for snow-blowing and other winter chores. The coat actually works a little too well. If the weather is above 25 degrees, I don't need anything more than a long sleeve t-shirt underneath when I'm out shoveling. It fits nicely... close to the body but not restrictive. The hood is easy to remove for general wear, but it's nice to have if you're out on snowy, windy days. The construction is top-notch, and I can tell this coat is going to last. I liked it so much, I got the red one for my partner. He's a big fan, too. :-)

I treated myself to this coat during an extended severe cold spell in Maine in Dec. 2017. I look forward to wearing it when it is really cold and nasty, i.e. teens to below zero with blizzard conditions. What has been surprising is a number of unsolicited comments I've had from strangers up here: "That looks like a great coat." It looks like and is a serious Maine winter coat.

Got my first Baxter in 1993; on my third one now, so I get about 8 years of productive use out of each one. To be clear, I could easily have worn any of these longer, as far as function and warmth, but in each case they were starting to show their wear--fraying cuffs, shine elbows, etc. Excellent quality given that I've lived in places with substantial winters over this time. This past fall, I decided to try another coat, the Maine Warden's Parka, which LLB designs with and for Maine's state game wardens. Fully expecting to love it more, I don't. It's great, has some amazing features, but after wearing it for several months, I realize that the Baxter suits me better. Here's why. The ruff. Beyond the obvious style points, the ruff plays a critical role in keeping out bitter wind. I never take it off [except to wash the parka]; when there's not wind, I simply fold the ruff back to improve peripheral vision. Pockets. There are actually 12 pockets on this parka. The shoulder one I never use. [I'm not quite sure what it's there for.] But the other 11 are so well designed & placed. Every vertical zipper zips up, not down, a small but important point b/c you can leave a pocket partially zipped knowing it's contents will not spill out. The openings are large enough that I can access any of them with bulky gloves, and their locations are perfectly suited for me. The outside chest pockets are great for keys & other incidentals you want handy w/o having to unzip, or get caught up with gloves, hats, etc. The inside stretchy pockets are ideal for those. I can carry my mittens on one side & gloves on the other [I actually do this sometimes] w/o it feeling cumbersome. A fleece or knit cap can go in one of the front lower outside pockets, again w/o feeling bulky. There are 2 inside zip pockets for phone, papers, etc., and also one outside/inside pocket: it works like an inside pocket, w/a vertical zipper, but it's accessed from the outside so you don't have to open the coat to get to it. So smart. I keep my glasses here. The velcro cuffs are useful on the windiest & coldest days. I'll put my gloves on first, then the parka, & snug the cuffs. Keeps the wind out no matter what. There's also an elastic drawcord on the hem with lace locks on 2 sides, in case you're still getting a draft, and yet another one like it around the rib cage if you want to snug the overall fit. Which brings me to the overall fit. This parka is designed for the coldest conditions, so it's cut roomy to layer underneath. So if you're planning to be out in SERIOUS cold, bust out that big ole wool sweater & put it on first. You won't know it's winter. And on the other hand, I can even wear this parka on moderate days, say 30-40 degrees, over just a t-shirt, & feel super comfy w/o having to deal with multiple layers. The Baxter is so loaded with features, the same coat elsewhere is easily $200 more. That makes it an outstanding parka at an outstanding value. Hear me now, believe me later: it is extremely unlikely, IMHO, to find a better cold weather anywhere.

I am working in Norway above the arctic circle. I am on the coast next to the water, so it does not get bitter cold. But it is approaching about 0 F. This coat is great. I am delighted with it. I got it in red in case I needed to be spotted in the snow. Waste of time...polar nights when I got here. Might as well have been black. But the red looks pretty good. I read the reviews and learned that this coat is made large. I normally would buy a Large, but got a Medium instead. It fits just fine, even with a sweater underneath. And I have all the movement I need. But I cannot snap the top two snaps. So is it too small? I have a feeling the Large would have been too sloppy. The Bean reviews also complained about the fit of the hood. I don't know why. The hood also fits great and keeps me warm. The coat is so bulky I could not really put it in a suitcase, so I wore it on the plane. I got some funny looks. Probably just jealous. I've attached a photo. I'm not smiling because my face is frozen. But not my body in this coat.

Excellent choice. Good winter investment. Warm even at 6 degrees with 10 degree wind chill factor. Very pleased with this coat.

a nice warm coat on the lake ice fishing

At about 8deg with a wind chill of -10deg and wearing a few layers I barely knew I was outside. The only question is about the design location of the vertical zippers on the upper pockets. The zippers are closer to the rib sides rather than the heart sides. This makes reaching and grabbing the zippers very awkward with gloves on, and very difficult access into these pockets. Non ergonomic and clumsy. You do not need that hassle in a survival situation. I would suggest the owner stuff those upper pockets with warmers or additional insulation and forget about them. The other pockets are great. Anybody else find this problematic? Thanks.

I've been on a quest to find a jacket to keep me warm during Northwestern Pennsylvania's winter worst. My last two jackets came from top-tier outdoor clothing manufacturers, with impressive feature lists and price tags to match. Neither was warm enough, and the most recent had to be returned when most of the down ended up at the bottom of the coat after the welded seals in the baffles failed. I decided to try L.L. Bean because (a) I've been happy with the products for many years and (b) nobody else provides a warmth range rating for their insulated jackets. I went straight to the warmest of the warm, the Baxter State Parka, and I am not at all disappointed. During the past week, I've been out walking in mid-single-digit temperatures, once wearing a t-shirt and fleece shirt underneath and the other time with a t-shirt and heavy corduroy shirt. I was as warm as if I were inside a snug little cabin. Nits? I have a couple. It's a big, bulky, kind of stiff coat, and it's a little long for my taste. I normally open the zipper up from the bottom several inches while walking. The snaps on the storm flap are a little hard to snap (maybe velcro would work better?). I don't like the fur hood fringe - but it zips off and is easily stowed in the back of the closet. Generally, though, the features are well-thought-out. A very nice touch is the pocket halfway up the chest alongside the zipper, which is perfect for my phone. Count me satisfied!

It has only been in the 20's -30's here in NY/CT area. And as I layer myself I don't get cold. The coat is very warm and keeps out the wind, which is very important to me. I can not say anything about the hood, cause I remove that it never fits correctly on me. But it's good to have if we ever go to Canada in the winter. The only thing I don't like is the upper pockets there is no lining to keep warm, that they should have spent time on putting extra clothe in there.

I bought this for my husband for Christmas and be absolutely loves it. I steal it from time to time and it is the warmest coat I've ever worn, including my fur and heavyweight wool parka! This is like being wrapped in insulation and the hood is just a bubble from wind and cold and rain/snow. This is an amazing buy for the money.