Customer Reviews L.L.Bean Baxter State Parka

This is my favorite and only winter coat. My only complaint is that the zipper goes wonky after a few years, while the rest of the coat is still in good shape. I have not tried to get it repaired, but rather I just buy a new one.

Love the jacket though I did notice the zipper failed the first day when i bent over it seem to have split. But this jacket runs BIG returning my medium for a small.

I can only give four out of five stars right now because winter hasn't arrived and it has not been could enough to wear. But the parka seems well made with quality materials and, important for me, a number of pockets. I wanted a reliable, warm winter coat that was longer than waist length and I believe the Baxter State Parka will fit the bill when winter weather is at its worst.

Very warm heavy duty parka with many useful/large pockets. I'm still working on improving the adjustments on the hood.

Extremely warm yet relatively lightweight. Ample pockets. Snug inner cuffs on sleeves keep out drafts. Hood however would benefit from better design of drawstring.

Warm, waterproof, and functions well (zippers, buttons, etc.). As others have noted, the lined side pockets are awkwardly placed, having to contort your wrists to fit directly in, and the hand warmer pockets on the breasts feel a little uncomfortable putting your hands in. Overall, still, excellent material and craftsmanship. Will keep you dry and warm (I only wear a t-shirt under it, even in temperatures in the low teens). Of particular value is how the front zipper and buttons create a windproof seam, which is very important to me as someone who bike commutes in colder weather. Other, comparable jackets for a few hundred bucks more sometimes have a front zipper seam that lets cold air right in, making the utility of the jacket greatly diminished.

I bought this parka a few weeks ago to replace a Bean Ridge Runner parka I'd worn for nearly ten years. I walk about 5 miles outside every day. Every. Day. No matter the weather. It's great. It's warm, roomy, and comfortable. The reason I give it 4 stars instead of 5 is/are the pockets. They are not as efficiently or practically placed or "useable" as the pockets on the ridge runner. The location of the zippers and openings make it hard to access the outside chest pockets. But overall, I found what I was looking for - a parka that will keep me warm for hours at a time in cold and very cold weather. Final note - my Ridge Runner was a Large and slightly big for me (5' 8"). I bought this parka in medium and it fits perfectly.

After going into remission i have found the winter bites just a little harder than it used to and decided it was time to get a propper Maine winter coat. So far this jacket hasnt disappointed yet. Thick puffy and very warm. Im a bigger guy so i opted for the tall 3xl to get the best shoulder and gut fit. The regular fit okay but was restricting in the shoulders. The tall goes to mid thigh and i feel as though a base layer and my coat will be sufficient for my needs. It can have a bulky feel at first but i have been getting used to it. After all its a parka jacket. Ment to be warm and protective. The zipper does have a tendancy to be difficult when taking it off and sticks or slides up a tad. I find unzipping till i cant and slide off and fix is best to avoid a broken zipper. Not that thats a real worry so far. The hood and faux fur are both removable incase you dont want one or the other or both. I feel this would be a great expedition parka or blizzard snow blower jacket.

I've worn this for a few years now. I go for winter walks in some very cold Wisconsin weather. I would give it 5 stars but for the reason I wish was that the hood was a little more generous out front to help keep the wind out of my face. Other than that I love this parka.

overall good coat, but not good for tall, thin men. I got the tall, but I have too much space in the torso.

We are men, not fashion models. I have one of these from before the girly model was invented. I love it, But I wouldn't be caught dead in this ridiculous looking thing.

A little bit of down leaks out of the lining. It's not a very significant amount. Since the coat is black, it is pretty visible. Other than that, I'm very pleased.

bought for grandson fits him well only cmplaint from him is it is too long for him so when he kneels down it opens from the bottom

Nice warm jacket. It hangs down low so putting your hands in your pocket is awkward. Otherwise, it seem like a durable coat.

This is a wonderfully warm parka, anything below 15F I zip it up, but above 15F I just snap it closed and let the air circulate it's so warm. I love the deep hood keeping that cold wind off my face.

A fine coat but with these flaws: (a) snaps on main zipper flap and front pockets are irritating and difficult to use. I suggest velcro closures. (b) hand pockets are only half lined and thus give little warmth (c) zipper from bottom up tends to jam

I love the warmth of this coat and the multiple pockets. My one issue is that the pockets can actually be hard to find as they blend in with the other seams on the coat. The pull tabs on them are also rather small and an indistinct color, so hard to find and not big enough. Lastly, it is sort of hard to get the zipper started, so you need to concentrate on that when starting to zip up. Sleeves have a tapered inner portion that makes them fit nicely into gloves and the velcro cinches around the area near the hands work well and overlap appropriately, so it is easy to get a good seal. I'm 6' ~160 lb and a medium fit well. I was bummed that they were out of the matching gloves for the season. Perhaps next season but I'm hoping those will be toasty as well. We've had some single digit weather and my other gloves aren't getting the job done.

Llbean is one of the last entities to offer truth in purchase vs quality! Their products offer and deliver as what is advertised! The Baxter coat is phenomenal in the fact of warmth and, yes, it is a heavy garment/coat, and yes, it will keep most warm under some of the most adverse winds , cold windchills-period. Very impressed! Lincoln,Nebraska has had it's share of polar winds! This Baxter delivers ! Thank you L.L.Bean

The Parka is very comfortable, warm and looks great.

Good looking, comfortable fit, and plenty of warmth. Like all the pockets, and the adjustable hood is great. Fir me, putting the zipper for the upper ones closer to the center opening would make them more useful and accessible. Having them on the side closer to the sleeves make for an awkward reach.

This jacket is large and in charge. I guess as the inner material breaths, it takes up mass because I received it thin but it has sense grown in size and weight. This jacket keeps me very warm and it's very comfortable. Ive experienced some cold days with it (low 30s) and this jacket kept me very warm with easy. In my opinion, it's got a cool factor when it's unzipped. However, zipper is plastic. For the price, I feel it should be a higher quality metal zipper. Can't give a full 5 stars for that reason. Plenty of good pockets inside and out. Overall, satisfied.

I am a 6', 180# male, the size chart said "XL", so I got both the XL & a Large. The large is big through the body and needs a draw string at the waist in place of the reinforcement that is there. I'm not "portly", and don't fill out the "traditional" fit of the coat. I turned around and ordered a Medium just to see and it fit nicely through my body, but was tight under the armpits and around the neck. I kept the large and sent the others back. The red was the brightest color I could find among Bean's and their competitors, and the coat is much warmer than the other brands I tried. I otherwise like the coat, just wish it kept the air out around the waist better.

Great. Very warm coat. Only thing I would change is the hand warming pockets are a little too low and are a little uncomfortable for my hands.

I've enjoyed wearing this jacket in the colder weather here in Alaska, but after a couple of years of light use the zipper has gotten stuck twice this week. I'm returning mine for an exchange, and hope that the zipper works better on the replacement.

My Baxter State parka has served me well for several winters of hard use. The many generous pockets come in very handy and it is as warm as advertised. It came through a washing in my washing machine well too. My only complaint is that the plastic zipper broke. It costs about $60 to have a new zipper sewn in. This would be a five star rating if LL Bean made this coast with a durable metal zipper.