The Legendary Whitetails Anchorage Parka is a popular jacket for a reasonable price. The Anchorage Parka is stylish and kept us relatively warm, but it lacks lofty insulation for days when temperatures drop below freezing. Compared to the Marmot Montreaux or the North Face Gotham II Hooded Down Jacket, this contender did not compare. Despite not being the warmest in our fleet, we were impressed with how stylish it was. It reached just above the knee and is loaded with elegant details, like a faux fur ruff around the hood, a smooth exterior, placket snaps on the back, and pockets. The qualities of these features weren't as good as our Editors' Choice, the Canada Goose Kensington Parka, but the Legendary Whitetails Anchorage Parka was dramatically cheaper — $765 cheaper.
Legendary Whitetails Anchorage Parka Review
Cons: Tight cuffs, thin insulation, not waterproof
Manufacturer: Legendary Whitetails
Our Verdict
The Legendary Whitetails Anchorage Parka is a popular jacket for a reasonable price. The Anchorage Parka is stylish and kept us relatively warm, but it lacks lofty insulation for days when temperatures drop below freezing. Compared to the Marmot Montreaux or the North Face Gotham II Hooded Down Jacket, this contender did not compare. Despite not being the warmest in our fleet, we were impressed with how stylish it was. It reached just above the knee and is loaded with elegant details, like a faux fur ruff around the hood, a smooth exterior, placket snaps on the back, and pockets. The qualities of these features weren't as good as our Editors' Choice, the Canada Goose Kensington Parka, but the Legendary Whitetails Anchorage Parka was dramatically cheaper — $765 cheaper.
Our Analysis and Test Results
Unlike any other jacket we tested, the Legendary Whitetails is insulated with a woven polyester blend. It's not the warmest jacket in our fleet by any means, but it's highly stylish with a faux fur ruff around the hood, and faux leather straps on the back. There is only one color to choose from, Army Green, but from the reviews, people seem to like it!
Performance Comparison

Warmth
The Whitetails is insulated with a woven polyester blend and did a moderately decent job of keeping us warm when temperatures hit almost freezing. Despite not being overloaded with down or synthetic insulation, we were relatively impressed with how warm we stayed. It wasn't as warm as The North Face Arctic Down Parka II or The North Face Metropolis Down Parka II, but the durable, windproof exterior helped nip cold winds and snowy weather in the butt.
The interior of the jacket has a cozy and soft quilted lining. In cold weather, it was nice to put something on with a plush and warm interior instead of the cold nylon lining most of the jackets. The hood fits well and is moderately insulated; the faux fur around the hood isn't super full like the Canada Goose Shelburne Down Parka or the Fjallraven Nuuk Insulated Parka. Ultimately, we could feel the difference in cold windy, weather when wearing the faux fur ruff hood on the Whitetails Anchorage.
Unfortunately, soft, warm liners in the pockets and insulation do not exist in this model. Our hands weren't warm at all when in the pockets. We recommend gloves if you plan on staying outside for an extended period.
Weather Resistance
The polyester fabric has a water-resistant coating but is not waterproof, affecting the Whitetail's score in weather resistance, earning it the lowest score in the fleet. Fortunately, the polyester material on the exterior of the jacket is more windproof than the Patagonia Fiona Down Parka and the Columbia Heavenly, but didn't hold up as well as the North Face Arrowood Triclimate Jacket. For the best of the best when it comes to wet weather, we like the Patagonia Tres.
Style
Visually, the Whitetails Anchorage is stylish and appealing. It's more form-fitting than The North Face Arctic Down Parka II, but not as much as the Canada Goose Kensington Parka. It has a completely different look than a traditional "puffy" style winter jacket like the Rab Deep Cover Parka or Marmot Montreaux. The style is almost comparable to the Kuhl Arktik Down Parka but at half the price and craftsmanship.
The exterior polyester material has a smooth and clean look. Complete with exposed zipper pockets on the sleeve, a faux fur ruff around the hood, and faux leather straps secured with placket snaps on the back this model has an industrial winter parka look and feel.
Comfort
When we were putting on the jacket, the outer part of the cuffs were extremely tight, almost to the point of making the jacket uncomfortable. If this concerns you, considering buying this jacket in the store. The Whitetails insulated with down like The North Face Metropolis Down Parka II, or as long as that jacket, so we found it easier to move around in. The inside is lined with a warm, cozy, soft lining, and we enjoyed putting this jacket on with its cozy liner instead of a jacket with a cold nylon or polyester liner.

Features
The main feature of this jacket, though not necessarily a feature, is its low price; and, for the price, this jacket delivers a good amount of features. It has an okay water-resistant outer shell, but it's better at blocking cold winds than the Columbia Heavenly. The faux fur ruff did a better job of keeping our face warm, compared to a model that didn't have a faux fur around the hood, like the Patagonia Fiona Down Parka, but it was as lofty or soft as the real fur ruff on the Canada Goose Shelburne.
There are five exterior pockets: one on the sleeve with a zipper, two on the chest with zippers, and two on the front of the coat by the waist. There's also one that folds over with a button snap to secure it, and one on the side that has no zipper or button snap. The pockets at our waist were positioned at a weird angle that made them seem somewhat shallow despite being so big. The pockets also aren't lined with any warm, cozy nylon material.
Durability
The polyester material on the outside of the jacket held up well over the months of testing, but keep in mind that it's water-resistant, not waterproof, and it won't keep you warm or dry after an extended period in wet weather. We like The North Face Arctic Parka Down II, Patagonia Tres, the Arc'teryx Patera or the Fjallraven Nuuk Insulated Parka as something more waterproof and durable.
Best Application
The Whitetails Legendary is a solid winter jacket for someone living in cold and dry winter climates versus wet and mild ones. When paired with a warm layer underneath, it performs well in colder temperatures and bested the Columbia Heavenly and Patagonia Fiona Down Parka. If you are in the market for a seriously warm winter jacket, opt for the Marmot Montreaux.
Value
With a price tag of $129, this jacket won't break the bank. You won't see the quality and craftsmanship like the Canada Goose Kensington Down or the Shelburne Down Parka has, but for a price of $129, we don't think you will be complaining. If you are looking to save money and are interested in a jacket that's more durable and water-resistant, check out the Eddie Bauer Sun Valley Down Jacket.
Conclusion
It was far from the warmest or water-resistant jacket we tested, but the price tag is $129. With the exception of not being that water-resistant, it scored well across the board. The North Face Arctic Down Parka II is similar, and it has a durable outer waterproof shell and comfy down on the inside.
— Liz Williamson