more»User Review: Canada Goose Men's Snow Mantra Parka
North1
144 reviewer rep
Rating: 
Fabric: Polycotton
Fill: 675 fill down.
Source: It was regular issue for my job.
Price Paid: $800
Summary
This parka has a great reputation, but I find the styling and materials are antiquated. There is so much better out there.
Pros
- Lots of pockets if you need them.
- Moderately warm but not great.
Cons
- Incredibly expensive (over 1000 dollars in 2012)
- Not baffled construction; cold spots
- Low grade 675 fill down.
- Heavy, around 10 pounds
- Too tight around the neck
- Hand warmer pockets not insulated
- Too stiff and boardy, straight jacket effect
- Too many D-rings, haul loops, name tag holders, etc. None of which contribute to warmth
- Cheap poly-cotton shell which is not water proof nor very durable.
Sure, this parka may have been made for people working in the Arctic (like me) but rest assured they usually have a warm place to go to close by. And it's a good thing too because every winter I have to wear this thing and every winter I find fault with it.
First of all, this thing weighs almost 10lbs (I weighed it myself) and is mostly pockets and excessive layers of reduntant materials. Sadly the weight does not reflect the warmth which is sub-par to say the least. There are large areas across the shoulders and in the hood with no insulation in it at all. The "Arctic-Tec" shell is nothing more than cheap polycotton, which is neither waterproof, windproof nor as durable as nylon.
All things being equal, nylon is 5 times stronger than polycotton. And the down, (which is only 675 fill down as advertised) is not held in place with baffles (you would think at this price it would be) but only sewn through quilting.
The arms are not articulated; a standard feature on expedition grade clothing for the last 20 years, meaning that the insulation compresses at the elbows. I have yet to zip up the hood all the way because the zipper keeps getting stuck while the zippers on the sides won't stay closed and the reinforcing on the elbows seems to be made out of lighter material than the shell!
The hood is also a snorkel type that was popular in the 1950's but which I find silly and restricts my vision too much. Also, while on a snow machine, it tends to funnel in the wind. The Coyote fur around the hood is also useless in my opinion and does not add much to the insulative value of the parka. I also do not need all the pockets, haul straps, ID tags and D-rings; they seem superfluous and the seams are a potential leak for wind and water. They also do not add to the insulation, but make a conveniant place to snag and rip the outer material.
The pictures below are of my Snow Mantra Parka and Feathered Friends Rock and Ice. The Rock and Ice weighs about half as much and packs down much smaller. It is also warmer.
A previous writer had commented on the hand warmer pockets and I concur; they are useless with only a layer of some kind of polyester "fun fur" for insulation.
I could go on but I should say that this is an authentic, Canadian made product, purchased at a registered dealer, but for the cost there is so much better out there. This parka may be fine if you need to crawl under your car in the winter to change the oil, but for full on expedition use, my old NF parka — twenty years old and well lived in — is still far superior than this and still twice as thick.
At this price your money is better spent elsewhere.
Sounds like somebody bought you one of the Chinese knockoffs. The polycotton shell you mention is teflon-coated in the real ones, and cold spots are unheard of.
7 months ago
Thanks for your comment. As I stated, this is a genuine Canada Goose Snow Mantra Parka purchased at a registered dealer. My employer has a contract with them to provide us with winter gear. Many people here have the same style parka and they don't look that warm. Warmth is derived from the thickness of the insulation, just like the R-value in a house. As Canada Goose Parkas have sewn-through seems, cold spots are inherent in the construction, as the down is sandwiched between two layers of fabric and then quilted. The industry standard for expedition-grade parkas is baffled construction which eliminates these cold spots. Companies such as The North Face, Feathered Friends and Marmot all use baffled construction on their parkas for this reason. As for the polycotton shell, yes it does have a Teflon coating. This would be the DWR (Durable Water Repellency) a standard addition on fabrics to help with stains and such, but the key words are "water repellency" not water proof, which it is not. Nor does this Teflon coating render the fabric wind proof; perhaps a more necessary requirement in winter clothing. In order to make a fabric truly water proof and wind proof (again according to industry standards) a fabric such as polycotton needs to have a Polyurethane coating, or better yet, a water proof membrane (such as Gore Tex) laminated to the inside. But, neither coatings nor laminates adure that well to cotton-based fabrics and cotton, once wet, will stay wet (and potentially frozen) until you are able to dry it. Neither the quality of the Snow Mantra nor its level of insulation can justify such a hefty price tag. Thanks again for reading my review. Happy trails.
7 months ago
I can't believe you can say this jacket has cold spots? I work in Antarctica as a diesel mechanic and have put my jacket through the ringer in more ways than possible in temperatures down to -60c and in winds of more than 60knots up on the plateau when machines have failed. If I was wearing anything but my Canada Goose Id be one very clod man! I have also had north face jackets and other brands and they are just not up to the task and easily ripped because of there light weight materials. Buy what you are saying im sure you have got a inferior made product? .
13 days ago
Where to Buy
$1,194.95
