If you are planning your next vacation to a cold climate, having a warm winter coat is essential. Here in Ottawa, some days in the winter the temperature was as colder than the North Pole, the South Pole and even Mars, I decided it was time to replace it with North Aware’s Smart Parka 1.0.
I was initially drawn to North Aware as I had heard about them via Kickstarter. North Aware offers several different version of their Smart Parka for men and women, I picked the Vogue coat which has a stylish faux fur hood that I adored.
After a month of testing my North Aware Smart Parka 1.0 I couldn’t be more impressed. I’ve gone out in -40 C days and the coat kept me warm. Lined with a 650 fill power that is 90/10 duck down the coat that is windproof and water-resistant lived up North’s Aware statement that is designed for -5°C to -40°C (23°F to -40°F).
How the North Aware Smart Parka truly differentiates itself from other winter jackets though is all the smart built-in features. For example, the coat has tons of different pockets inside the coat to hold all sorts of things from your tablet, GPS tracker (to help you find your coat), wallet, keys, power bank, and phone. On the exterior of the coat, the hand pockets are even lined with fleece to keep your hands extra warm, and two convenient waterproof pockets on the jacket sleeves to store your gloves.
The Smart Parka also comes with a built-in scarf that is stored in the hood so you can simply pull it down as needed to protect your face from the cold. The scarf can also easily be removed so that you can wash it. Also within the hood, there is a small pocket to store a toque (or a wool winter hat for all you non-Canadians).
Honestly, I couldn’t be happier with my Smart Parka and I can’t imagine ever wanting to brace Ottawa’s frosty winters without one again. After testing the coat by wearing it at such a cold temperature I can promise you it will not only keep you warm, while the clever design features will make you love the coat even more. Overall North Aware exceeded my expectations on the quality of the design of the coat and I recommend getting your own.