Customer Reviews L.L.Bean Baxter State Parka

Terrific in every way. Sleeves long enough for my long arms, lots of room for a sweater. Looks great and is nice and warm. Some people were unhappy with the fit, but it works perfectly for me (5'8", 195).

I'll start by saying this is the best winter coat I've owned. Yes, you could nitpick about details you would want changed. But in blustery northeast winter days the coat kept me as warm as I could expect. I ordered online and received the coat within 3 days. The first thing I noticed was the superior build quality. Stitching and materials were exceptional. I would expect a similar coat from other famous makers to cost twice as much. I've seen review comments about the color not being true to the photographs on the website. My charcoal heather coat looked exactly like the high-res pictures on this site. I'm 5'9" tall and 165 lbs, the medium was the correct size for me. The shoulders came out to the right spot and the sleeve-length was perfect for my frame. As others mentioned, there is extra room in the gut. You would want to use the waist drawstrings. I assume this is to allow for base layers; The extra room was not a problem though. This coat gets a lot of details right. The inside of the cuffs are lined with micro-fleece that help create a warm seal through the sleeves. The sleeves also have a velcro adjustment. Micro-fleece lines the interior of the entire collar and the upper and lower exterior side pockets. The collar closes very tightly around the neck and jawbone, which prevents heat from escaping. The hood has a velcro adjustment and closes snugly around the head without being uncomfortable. Luckily the unsightly fur attachment zippers off (as does the entire hood). Pocket placement on the outside is a little awkward. The lower side pockets should have an angled entry so things don't fall out. They should also zipper shut, but don't. The upper pockets are angled, but I'd rather they zipper from the inside of the chest, not the outside. I'ts easier to reach across the chest to gain access than to awkwardly pull my elbows outward to get into these upper pockets. I also wish the lower top pockets (which have flaps that snap) were fleece-lined, because these are the most comfortable to place my hands in when cold. Luckily, the hidden pockets are fantastic. There is a vertical zippered pocket on the left side accessible at the chest between the main zipper and zipper flap without having to open the coat. GREAT for wallet or phone. There's a similar pocket on the other side, inside under the zipper. A third horizontal-zip pocket is inside on the left. There are 2 huge nylon-netted pockets on the interior of both sides. The exterior fabric is coated with a waterproof material. I haven't tested it, but assuming it works as advertised it is a great feature. Overall, the PRO's far outweigh the CON's and any detriments one could point out are overshadowed by how well this garment works.

Having owned the Penobscot and Rugged Ridge parkas I finally graduated to the Baxter State Parka and love the warmth, water repelling and super-comfortable fit. Many pockets and snaps, but would have preferred velcro flaps, but the snaps remind me of the Penobscot (Rugged Ridge has great velcro flaps though), but the Baxter has the warmth I needed and Renard at the Flagship Store fitted me over the phone for a perfect fit after going over my exact base layers and chest size. Kudos LLBean finding the color and size I needed at your Flagship Store when my color sold out online and what a staff! LLBean is built to please and to last!

OK I sang the praises of this coat. It's awsome, however, I did NOT expect this to happen. I am a smoker,so I have to go outside every break in sub zero weather and have me a smoke. my fellow smokers at work actually ask if they can borrow my coat just to stave off the cold. (they are currently saving up money to buy one themselves!) It's a heck of a warm coat! BUY ONE! You will not regret it!

I have had the coat for a couple of weeks now and have had a good chance to test the Baxter State around Chicago. I am very pleased with its performance and look forward to it keeping me warm outside this winter. I have had other L L Bean winter coats and have generally found them good for the cold weather. I chose this particular coat because it is rated for cold temperatures and being an older guy, I really appreciate the warmth when I am out in the cold. The seals around the sleeves are good and I carefully measured myself to make sure the size was right and I found it to be a good idea. The fit for me is excellent. One feature I didn't factor into the decision was the small zippered pocket in the left side up near the neck. This is perfect for me to place my transit card in for easy access in the winter so that I don't have to open the coat for my wallet. I found that when I stand waiting for a bus on the corner, the wind can be blowing and it doesn't penetrate the coat in my case. I do wear a heavy winter flannel shirt underneath, but it feels like I have a warm blanket wrapped around me. I tested it in temperatures of 18F with wind of about 15 MPH. I am also pleased with the look. I have received some compliments on how it looks and remarks about how warm I must feel. Yes, it does the job. I am a very satisfied customer and see this coat lasting a while. Highly recommended.

Black Heather looks great. Warm enough for New England winters. Fits well ( For Reference : Size 'Regular Medium' ; Height '1.8m' , Weight '78kg')

Like many users reviewing, I did my shopping around looking for a really warm reliable jacket at a great price. To be perfectly honest, this thing is so warm that I often need to use it unzipped or I will overheat! Admittedly I run a little hot and love the cold. I was concerned after reading some reviews and seeing that the zipper is plastic. For me, it has been a non-issue. Snaps are great, love the fleece cuffs with adjustable cuff bands and the adjustable hood strap, and I'm also a huge fan of the abundance of pockets. This jacket is a perfect 10 in my book.

2 yrs. ago I literally gave the coat off my back to a homeless person. Since then I've been looking for a replacement. Mostly I wanted the chest high hand pockets which are hard to come by for some reason. I love this coat! Chest high hand pockets, lower cargo and hand pockets, two inside chest pockets and lower inside cargo pockets, plus a side arm pocket. I'm a fat 44R and the roomy large size fits me perfectly. I would compare this coat to a $300 - $400 North Face option minus the pockets! The heather gray is a weird plaid, I chose the black. The only room for improvement I have is to line the chest high pockets with fleece. Also, I don't care for the internal waist cords inside the chest pockets. Don't need them and they intrude upon my hand comfort. Overall, my final pick after a long search! I hope the homeless fellow is enjoying my last LL Bean coat because he's not getting this one!

Very warm. I have been using it for a couple of weeks in northern Michigan and it is just getting cold enough to allow me to do more than use the snaps! Just what I was looking for.

This replaced my 29 year old Bean parka. It has not been very cold here yet but it will obviously be more than adequate for Richmond weather. I don't much like hoods and have taken this one off, it was a little tricky but glad it could be removed. The faux fur adds nothing in my estimation. Adjustment for internal drawstring sort of strange but I don't use that normally either. It appears very well made, looks nice and will keep me warm. I like that it doesn't have a logo, I hate wearing advertising. It is very roomy, don't order up. Looked at many, many coats online and this seems a solid value that should last a long time.

Exactly what I was searching for! Living in Minnesota I wanted a warm parka with a hood with fur to block the wind. This coat was the perfect solution,

Warm and waterproof

I got this parka a few weeks ago and couldn't be happier. It's incredibly comfortable and warm, and will be perfect for a Chicago winter. The front pockets help to keep the hands warm at your side, in front, or chest level. I highly recommend this. Sizing does run a little small as I'd normally wear a medium shirt or jacket, but felt the small was best for me.

OK 5' 11" middle age fat...that is me. Dad just got this for me on my wish list (good plan, "Santa" knows what you want, and if you have been good...) "Santa" sent me the large. I have a 44 reg build. Um perfect! Sleeves...Perfect 32-34 shirt. protects my...um,backside, the hood, no matter what any other reviewer has said, is awsome, the velcro straps on the cuffs...once again, adjustable as all get out. Feild tested in 19 degree weather with high wind and freezing rain. So warm, dry, and toasty, I had to stop, and take the hoodie I had on off due to over heat. Is it worth every penny? Heck NO!!!! They have UNDER charged here to make a good impression! Buy NOW before they figure out they screwed up and did something right!

I needed a Winter Coat So i remember that LL Bean had Great Clothing and Look through there Online catalog.i saw a coat that i really wanted,So i ordered it.A good price and it came real fast,i was surprise on how fast it came.after wearing it,i was happy that i got it.i got it just in time for the cold weather.i'm Real Happy with My Purchase. Thanks LL Bean.

Great winter coat; however, it was ruined by a very poor zipper.

Nice warm jacket, albeit some what stiff. I find the fur in the hood is itchy on my face and I had to take the fur off. Other than there two things the jacket met my expectations.

I live up the road from LLB. I bought one of these about 25 years ago. The reason I have not worn it out is that believe it or not, most days it's too warm. If I'm in a store I walk around with it unzipped and flapping it to keep air moving, which I'm sure looks kind of silly. Maybe it's me or it's proof of climate change, but I haven't worn it at all the past couple of years..(I also have, in decreasing order of warmth, a Warden's Parka, Barn Coat with Polartec lining, and Stowaway jacket, all of which I'd recommend.) I don't know if that justifies knocking off a star, but there it is. Seriously, if I were going to one of the poles, this would be the one. More practically, if you plan on being outside standing around in the mid-teens or lower - say, ice fishing - it would be a good choice. Otherwise, you've been warned.

A great coat that delivers on its promise of warmth. The overall fit, the waterproof material, its length, great pockets - all represent truly excellent features! However, the neck portion of the coat, which, forms an extremely important part of a coat's warmth and comfort, (cold air hitting the neck is terrible), well, this neck portion is much too tightly constructed! If properly zipped to the top, then buttoned, a near impossible feat to achieve as it is ridiculously tight and very uncomfortable reaching a point of near strangulation for the victim. The material around the neck should have been constructed much more generously creating an easier and more comfortable fit. This very weird neck portion of the coat was its most disappointing feature. Neither the size of my neck nor my weight caused this problem: I'm fairly slim, so weight did not constitute the problem. Rather, the neck design represents the most serious shortcoming or flaw afflicting this otherwise wonderful coat.

After 3 weeks of Wisconsin winter wear, I can say that this parka is comfortably warm down to 0 degrees. It meets its primary objective. It's also a good fit thanks to me sizing it a bit big, and it sheds water extremely well in a cold rain. But ... it falls short in a few areas. The insulated hood is very awkward to wear. It's stiff and doesn't seem to be shaped for a head very well. It either sits too far back, or when pulled forward gives you tunnel vision with a tiny field of view. No amount of futzing with the drawstrings seems to help adjust it. Forget about snowblowing with the hood up. This parka is also quite loud due to its outer waterproof layer. Hopefully it quiets down after much more use. And finally the main zipper is frequently hard to engage, often taking several tries. Despite those nitpicks, I still really like it and look forward to many years of warmth in the worst condiitions.

Nice jacket, seems well made. My only complaint is the small zipper. Since the jacket is long, it can be difficult to get the zipper to catch. Compare this the zipper on a Barbour, large and brass, easy to catch.

As others said, buy a size smaller. Coat is quite warm, roomy except a tight fit around face when zipped to top. The zipper is the slide both ways type, which makes it much more fussy to zip on and unzip off. One star (at least) off for that.

It is very warm but bulky and unable to keep a backpack on my shoulder. It's not very stylish.

Bought this parka (in red) to replace a Columbia parka I got 30 years ago in Bar Harbor when October proved colder than expected, and I couldn't find another Columbia like it. This is close, but the fabric is a bit stiff. I got Men's because I'm right-handed and the archaic design of women's coats opening from the left is annoying (no woman buying off the rack is "dressed" by a maid, the left opening practice should cease). I bought a medium, because I wanted to be able to fit heavy sweaters or fleece under it. Unfortunately for me, this parka is so warm, I don't really need a heavy layer beneath and it's a bit big for me, particularly the hood, which obscures vision above a bit unless I've got a ball cap on (though a cap wouldn't be needed if the hood weren't too big). I'm not exchanging for a small though, I'm good with a roomy coat. That stiff fabric does a good job of blocking the wind.

I recently moved from Southern California to Boston and I knew I needed a decent winter coat. This one caught my eye and I took a swing. Been wearing it for a little over a month now and I'm pretty happy. I think it's a good looking coat, it has an adequate number of pockets, and it feels well made. I've never been cold in it, and have gotten quite warm in it depending on the weather, but I do feel a little more cold in the arms than the chest and I'm curious if there is less down in that area. I also wish the hand warming pockets had soft material on both sides, here it's only one side. I also don't understand the pockets on the upper chest. Very difficult to access while you're wearing the jacket, if the zipper was switched to the opposite side it would be easier to open. Lastly, the fur lining is rather ratty, easily the worst quality faux fur of any jacket I've owned. But it is removable. Oh, and the zipper can be a little tricky to zip up, but its never taken me more than like 30 seconds, its just not as fast as I might prefer. Otherwise, good jacket. Warm, stylish, and lots of pockets. Seriously, I found zip up pockets beside the zipper that are perfect for sunglasses or a phone, great idea. And I can stick my scarf or earmuffs in the inside pocket and you'd never know. Overall I'm quite happy, just wouldn't call it the perfect jacket, though not far off from it.