Customer Reviews L.L.Bean Baxter State Parka

I like this coat. Alot. I do. I don't like that so many clothing manufacturers assume the entire population is right-handed. I'm talking about pockets. All the -extra- pockets (one on exterior sleeve, several others inside) on this parka are on the -left-. This makes it very difficult for left-handed people to access them, especially in frigid weather, which is when one is most likely wearing this parka. I also don't like that the material is so stiff. And it stiffens even more in frigid temperatures which also makes it more difficult to zip/unzip, access pockets, etc.

See above.

I purchased this coat for my husband and son. My husband is 6" tall and weighs 165 lbs. My son is 5'8" and weighs 155 lbs. The coats fit them both comfortably with room to spare for a sweater. They have both worn the coats on days with a 20 degree wind chill and have not felt cold. They especially like the storm cuffs, double entry lower front pockets and two-way zipper. I gave it only 4 stars because it would be better if the bottom of the zipper was a few inches from the bottom of the coat. We would also have been happier if the coat also came in dark blue.

Kept warm on a day when the high was 37 F.

Love the coat. All the women in my family already had a Baxter State Parka so thought my husband should have one too. All were ordered different years, all have differences. None of that is a problem. My husband's looks great on him which is good because we have been looking for a coat for him for two years and have had trouble finding one he likes or that fits correctly. The only problem is there is no fur on the hood. The zipper is there for the fur, but the fur is nowhere to be found. It is not a major problem because he would have taken it off anyway. I just think you should get what you pay for. I would give it five stars if the hood were there. But only four because it's not.

I liked this parka so much I bought two. Great fit and very warm. Really like the two draw strings that keep it snug. One in the middle and one at the bottom hem. The only thing I don't like is the faux fur ruff. It always looks matted and cheap. I'll be looking all over for some alternative to this as I really want a ruff, but not like this one

I just received this and immediately noticed the superior quality. However, it was too big. I have a 40" chest and according to the sizing guidelines a medium should fit. Try a size down on this coat.

I was debating on whether I should do a 5 star or 4 star. But went with the 4 star. This is really a nice warm parka. I live in North Dakota so we do get cold. Last winter it got to -37 below Fahrenheit. One thing I dislike in the design of the parka is the folds in front of the two lower pockets and a few other places, they have a tendency to catch on things. That I understand is a part of the design. But with that being said, it is also a tough material because I have never ripped it yet. The second thing I can't figure out is how to bring the hood around and attach it? There is a couple of snaps on the hood side but really nothing to snap to on the other receiving side. The snap distance on the hood side doesn't match the receiving snap side. There is also a Velcro piece on hood side, but nothing on the receiving side that makes any sense. LL Bean can maybe do a better job of explaining the features of the parka. All in all it is a very well made parka that I would buy again!

I bought this coat to wear outside in the winter. I walk for almost 2 hours almost everyday...even as cold as single digit...so far, it has only been down to 25 degrees and even without much layering, I am warm...even hot. I expect that I will be comfortable with just a thick fleece or flannel shirt and one undergarment (2 layers). Coat also seems to be waterproof....good for rain or snow. I bought it as a large though I normally wear a medium, but this gives me ample room to wear a few layers under it. My only small issue is that the hood is a little larger than I think it should be and fits too loosely around my head and face....not a huge negative, but sometimes the hood will get in the way of my vision. The hood is adjustable, but not adjustable enough. I should add, this coat is far too warm to wear unless the temperature is below freezing and best at single digit cold.

I first purchased this coat when my children were small (5 and7). I was a stay at home dad and needed to to be warm when they(we ) played in the snow... I was the real kid. I knew if the kids feet stayed dry and warm and they were warm they would stay out for hours and we did. We would sled down the hill in front of our home, make forts, have snow ball fights and we made snow people. This coat was amazing! We would stay out for hours. More times than not we usually had the whole neighborhood. This coat stayed dry in snow and sleet, and more times than not I always had it unzipped because I was too warm. Then it had snaps and Velcro closure and on windy days I could close the top and it would cover my mouth. This coat lasted ten years. I recently purchased a new one, only now I walk two Portuguese Water Dogs. The coat still keeps me dry as we walk in all weather snow sleet, blizzards, and warm as we walk in wind of chills of -30 degrees. The two changes I miss from the old coat are the Velcro closure at the neck and hood and the metal zipper on the front of the coat. I am now looking to have the zipper replaced as it is missing four teeth and will not zip up. I would still buy it again as it always keeps me warm.

Nice, well-made coat. It's very warm. My first test with it was watching the planet Mercury transit across the Sun in blustery -10 C weather on 11-11-19. I had a few pairs of insulated pants on but only a t-shirt under the parka. For 4 hours and change I was sitting at a telescope taking photos and not moving around much - despite the lack of layering and low activity my upper body was as warm as if I was all geared up. Only drawback is that it seems a tad small for an XXL. It's a little tight on my chin zipped all the way up. The sleeve length is about adequate for a Tall length. It's a little short on me but I am quite a bit taller than average - i bet the length would be great if I were just 5-10 cm shorter. Overall I don't regret the purchase one bit. My old 'winter' coat was actually a cold weather rain parka (rated for moderate activity in 0-5C) - I never knew an actual winter coat till I got this bad boy.

So as Summer is ending and Fall/ Winter slowly approaches I have yet to fully test out the Parka but I have no doubt that it will do the job of keeping me toasty when we take our trips to Canada, Vermont and Colorado! The overall quality of the build is great and super comfy! But stay tuned as I will have another review as I wear it!

This review is for the X-Large, Tall parka. Great attention to finish construction and quality. I expect to get many years of cold weather service from the parka. It fits nicely and is warm, BUT I feel either a draft or the effects of not enough insulation right between and below my shoulder blades - nowhere else. Perhaps by adjusting the high-up-the-chest elastic cord I can squeeze the contours and stop the draftiness. The lower slit pockets are low, low, low: and the upper ones high, high, high compared to what I am used to in other LL Bean winter jackets/coats. The hood is perfect! It is the most useful, and best fitting hood I've worn, and does not obscure my peripheral vision. Check back with me this time next year (or earlier) and I'll give you a more complete review.

I bought this coat for my husband for his birthday. He loves it, says it's very warm. The only drawback is the zippers. As with jackets we've purchased in the past from LL Bean, the zippers get stuck on fabric and are hard to deal with. If not for this flaw i would have rated this coat 5 stars.

Good Parka, well worth the cost. Sleeves with cuffs under outer shell are great finishing touch. Hood needs work, tight/constricting fit when zipped, and no lower chin/face protection. Should be a no-brainer on a parka like this. Oh well, as this replaced a $800.00 plus parka, I will use a scarf or facemask. The outer shell is great for my line of work, outdoors with dogs. I would recommend.

I was pleasantly surprised by the weight of the shell - seems like a very tough nylon fabric. The coverage is just what I wanted - not to short, not too long. Fit is great in the arms and shoulders. Hood is removable, fur ruff is removable. Wore it in -20 degree weather and no cold spots.This parka is perfect in every way except the zipper - It works, but it is just not as nice as the rest of the parka, getting it started and getting it undone are just not as easy as it could be. Having said all that I am very pleased with it and happy to own it.

I got the large-tall and it fit like a sack on me, unfortunately. Great, high quality, but once again I find myself wishing Bean made medium tall sizes.

It's hard to review this product because I bought it as a gift for my husband but unfortunately it arrived shortly after he passed away unexpectedly.He and I have purchased outerwear from LL Bean in the past and have always been happy with the products. I sent the coat back for obvious reasons but I hope that someone will be able to enjoy it.

This is my first heavier type parka so I wasn't sure what to expect for fit. I typically wear a Large but found the L Baxter State Parka really pushed the limits on being _too_ large. I'm happy I decided to swap it out for a medium, and find it suits my frame much better. I don't need to wear multiple thick layers underneath, though if you do you may be more interested in going with your usual size. The parka is extremely comfortable, with soft cuffs and collar. The zippers are easily managed with gloved hands. The chest pockets feel somewhat high up, but maybe that's the trade off of going with a smaller size. Similarly, the waist cinch feels a touch too high, and I find adjusting the spring toggles is cumbersome. It's nice to have another cord at the bottom of the parka to limit cold wind creeping from underneath. But for those minor complaints I'm very satisfied, especially given the sale price at the time. It's great looking parka. I look great in it. I really do.

The fit is good for a winter parka. I have plenty of room for sweater and a fleece. The other reviews talking about the tightness of the collar are correct. I can barely zip it all the way up and then cannot with a scarf inside the coat--clearly a design problem. I do like the hood, it rolls out well, is nice and warm, and I'm not bothered by the fake fur stuff. The coat is warm but to be honest I expected it to be warmer. On cold, single digit days I can feel the cold coming through the chest area. The ties are good on the bottom and above the waist cutting down on cold coming up from below. The length is good (I got a tall) falling below my crotch. Overall I am pleased with it.

The Baxter State Parka is as warm as advertised, and the fabric, although not gore-tex, is still waterproof. Like all Bean jackets, this one is designed with the wearer in mind. 2-way zipper, lots of pockets well placed, adjustable and removable hood. I particularly like that the knit cuffs are recessed slightly in the sleeves so that they stay dry and block the wind while allowing the velcro to snug the sleeve against the wrist. If I had a cavil, it would be that the shell fabric is a bit stiff and doesn't bend easily with movement. Otherwise, this jacket is a 5, but the stiff shell makes it a 4 1/2..

It's a great coat for a cold, Vermont winter. My only criticism is the two-way zipper. One has to be carful to make sure that the bottom zipper pull is all the way down before trying to unzip the upper pull...sometimes the bottom zipper pull will not cooperate. It takes some patience.

I ordered for our Norway winter trip and sized up to fit layers, but coat was very heavy. Sleeves were a little long. Pockets too low down. I had to unzip from the bottom for mobility. Cumbersome to carry once entering to inside where often too hot to wear (inside bus, inside ship, inside stores). Very warm with layers. Noticed wind slightly with limited base and mid layers. Would prefer a coat that is much lighter weight, but very warm and water and wind resistant. is there such a thing in non-down?

I've had this coat for over a year and it's a good fit, absolutely wind and water proof and looks great. I subtracted a star because the fabric, while attractive is still stiff. The other issue concerns some of the exterior pockets. The chest pair open from the outside, which makes them difficult to get in to. There's also a small pocket on the right sleeve that's too small for a phone and so tight that it's impossible to get to unless the coat is off. But... it does the prime job of a coat- it keeps me warm.

I bought this to replace my old Bean parka after the zipper broke. The coat kept me warm at -23 F the other day and keeps the wind out. Others have complained about the hood, I don't use it so I took it off. I always wear a watch cap or bomber hat. I never used the hood on my old parka either, so I can't speak to those complaints. The material doesn't bother me. It is different from my old parka as others have stated, but it seems durable. I don't like the two way zipper. If it weren't for the broken zipper I'd still be wearing my old parka. I never use the two way function and see the zipper as a weakness in the new parka. I didn't get my color choice because they were back ordered. With the zipper broken on my old parka I needed a new parka right away and couldn't wait for my preferred color to come in. Despite the zipper and color this is a good parka for the cold and windy Wyoming winter. Maybe I'll put the hood back on and try it out. Rated down a star because I don't like the zipper.