Fjallraven Nuuk Parka Review
When it comes to extending your outdoor lifestyle into the winter months traditional layering techniques will only get you so far. Sometimes you need a true heavy duty winter jacket to keep you warm and cozy through 20 degree nights around the campfire. That’s where the Nuuk Parka from Fjallraven really shines.
We first discovered the Fjallraven Nuuk Parka (link to Men’s version here) coming into the winter of 2020-2021. It had been a big camping year for us and we weren’t quite ready to call it quits with cold weather coming in. I asked Tessa if she would be willing to try out snow camping and to my surprise she said yes, but with one condition: she needed a proper winter coat. After trying on the top contenders from every major brand at REI she was emphatic that Fjallraven was the one. I’ll admit that my eyes got big at the sight of the $500 MSRP… but it felt like a small price to pay for the opportunity to go camping year round. A week later Tessa received the Nuuk Parka as a joint gift from her parents and I, and we scheduled our first snow camping trip.
What followed was an impromptu comparison between my tried and true layering method and Tessa’s Fjallraven Parka. It so happens that we picked a particularly brutal weekend for our first snow camping trip together. A beautiful sunny day gave way to temps in the teens and 40 mph winds with gusts up to 60 mph. Despite the conditions she stayed warm and happy as I struggled to put on enough layers to not freeze, quite the reversal from our usual camping routine. That trip ended my parka skepticism, and shortly after I bought the Men’s version on sale at REI.
Why buy a parka?
The biggest difference between this kind of paraka and your typical hiking/backpacking outerwear is that it can be bigger and heavier because it doesn’t need to be packable. Dropping the weight constraint allows a parka to cover below the seam between your pants and top, which cuts back on heat loss dramatically. The outer polyamide shell material can be tougher and more wind resistant. Perhaps most importantly with a parka insulation can be achieved through thick polyester padding instead of airy goose down, making the jacket extremely warm and further limiting wind incursion.
The downside to the added weight and warmth is that you probably don’t want to use a parka for higher energy activities like hiking or snowshoeing. For those use cases you would quickly overheat and strip the parka off… only to discover that you can’t really fit the thing anywhere in your pack. On the flip side, for more sedentary activities like snow camping, casual neighborhood walks in the winter, and bonfire gatherings the parka is perfect.
Thoughts on the Fjallraven Nuuk Parka
It’s hard to express just how safe and comfortable we feel when we put these things on. It’s like walking around with a big cozy blanket, that happens to be waterproof and have a lot of pockets. While we bought them specifically for camping they have proven to be indispensable in our everyday lives through the winter months. The culture here in Central Oregon where we live is very outdoorcentric, so hanging out around a bonfire at a brewery with friends is commonplace, even in 20 degree temps.
This dual use case is a particular strongpoint for the Fjallraven Nuuk vs its competitors. From a material and construction standpoint it is absolutely a legitimate piece of adventure gear. The fabrics are extremely durable and performance oriented, and it is obviously built very well. At the same time, the designers put a lot of style into it, so you wouldn’t think twice about wearing this into a trendy area while bar hopping or on a date night.
COns to the Fjallraven Nuuk Parka
The biggest issue we have with this jacket is that the polyamide outer shell material loves to attract pet hair. With two light colored long haired animals in the house this presents a challenge, especially since we both ended up with the black variants of the Nuuk Parka. If you have pets and buy this product plan on keeping lint rollers handy and storing the thing away from your animals. Fjallraven has also come out with several other lovely colors for both men and women that are less likely to show pet hair, so consider buying one of those.
The zipper is another element that is not perfect. Getting the Nuuk closed up can be challenging initially, or with big gloves on (kind of important when you’re venturing out in winter). I recognize that this is an issue with many two way zippers, I’d almost rather see this parka drop the two way function in favor of a more reliable one way closure. It’s also note worth that the men’s model uses a euro zipper, which is on the opposite side of most US jackets.
Lastly (and this isn’t really a con so much as something to be mindful of) the extreme quantity of pockets in the Fjallraven Nuuk means that it isn’t too difficult to temporarily lose items in the jacket. For several months this year we couldn’t find the spare keys to our Tundra… turns out they were buried deep within Tessa’s Parka. You’ll want to develop a system for where you place everything to avoid that mistake!
Product Features
Made from durable recycled polyamide with a waterproof/breathable membrane
Adjustable fleece-lined storm hood with metal wire, a protective brim and detachable faux fur edging
250 g/m2 polyester padding helps trap warmth when the mercury drops
2-way front zipper with protective buttoned storm flap
2 chest pockets with buttoned flaps; 2 zippered hand warmer pockets with fleece lining
2 large top-loading bellows pockets with flaps
Zippers and drawcords are designed for easy repair
Conclusion
While there are other great Parka options on the market we would not hesitate to buy the Fjallraven Nuuk again. For us the combination of style and real outdoor utility is hard to beat. Fjallraven has a reputation for building garments that last a lifetime and so far it looks like that will be the case for these jackets.