Slip into a massive coat and it’s hard not to feel a flyer version of yourself take over. The best topcoats for men have that effect—the voluminous shape, the elegant drape, the dramatic length: it’s a foolproof fashion formula.
Your grandparents wore them, old Hollywood celebrities wore them, and we wear them today for the very same reasons. Whether you're stepping out in a suit or your softest old hoodie and jeans, throwing on a topcoat over it all will keep you so much warmer, and help you walk a little taller.
What’s great about today’s menswear market is that there are more topcoat options than ever. From your classic black wool to vibrant, big-lapel fit-makers, there’s a version for every kind of guy. And to that end, we took on the tedious task of taking a few for a spin, feeling the fabrics, scrutinizing the construction, and dialing in the fit. Then we whittled down the field to a tight roster of favorites, compiled them here just for you.
The Best Men's Topcoats, According to GQ
Best Camel Topcoat: Polo Ralph Lauren The Camel-Hair Polo Coat
Brands that slap a “The” in front of their products are generally really annoying. But in this case, it’s warranted. If there’s one camel coat that deserves to be called The Camel Coat, it’s this one. Polo Ralph Lauren’s rendition hits every note the style demands. From the spot-on hue of camel to the double-breasted peak lapels to the dapper belted back, it’s the platonic ideal.
Unlike other so-called camel coats, Polo’s is actually made from camel hair, which is milled by the revered British mill Joshua Ellis. That gives it its rich, unmistakable color and gorgeous nubby texture with tons of depth. The wide peak lapels and double-breasted stance play beautifully with the rakish, oversized silhouette, and will make anyone feel like a million bucks (spritz on a little Polo green to seal the deal).
It’s the kind of topcoat you want to pair with a proper suit and tie, not because it’s required, but because it’s so good that you want to measure up to that level. If you’re at all considering a camel coat as your topcoat of choice, it should probably just be this one. A grail for Ralph heads and style enthusiasts alike.
| Fabric | 100% camel hair, from Joshua Ellis mills |
| Details | Double-breasted, peak lapels, belted back, flap pockets |
| Colors | Camel! |
| Sizes | 32-54; short, regular, and long lengths |
Best Topcoat for Fashion Guys: Our Legacy Whale Coat
Topcoats are a big statement that can easily go overboard when you start involving patterns and textures. That’s why so many come in more serious colorways and eschew bold patterns. But for those of us ready to dive into more turbulent waters, there is Our Legacy’s Whale coat.
The Swedish outfit has carved out its lane in the menswear space with unique layering, rich textures, and punk-tinged designs. While this topcoat doesn’t exactly scream anti-establishment, it does have a brow-raising edge that most coats can’t touch. The virgin wool outer has a tactile hairy texture not unlike mohair, which is emphasized by the rigid plaid pattern.
Pair it with a denim jacket and billowy tailored trousers, layer it over a chunky knit and corduroys, or style it with a well-worn hoodie and thrashed jeans. The jacket itself is not a wild, all-in style gamble, but it is a bolder step that most guys usually take, and that’s the beauty of it. For the fashion-fluent, it’s a subtle move; for everyone else, an easy way to expand their style palate.
| Fabric | 100% Virgin Wool |
| Details | Double-breasted, peak lapels |
| Colors | Check and black |
| Sizes | 34-44 |
Best Budget Topcoat: Abercrombie & Fitch Wool-Blend Double-Breasted Coat
Maximizing your swag per dollar (SPD) might be one of the hardest menswear problems to solve. Plugging in a topcoat is a good start. The next variable to solve for? That price. For that, dear students, we must go to Abercrombie & Fitch. Because once you solve for cost, everything else will fall into place. And if you want to show your work, here’s the breakdown.
Abercrombie’s topcoat features a slick double-breasted front and notch lapels that can frame a shirt and tie oh so elegantly. The fabric is rendered in a trio of classic colorways and even a herringbone twill pattern that’s compact and gives the material extra texture. The silhouette is gracefully wide and easy, and it reaches down to the knees for a properly dramatic effect that will earn you heartthrob status almost as fast as Jacob Elordi makes headlines. All that’s left is find yourself a sleek leather handbag.
| Fabric | 57% Recycled Wool, 39% Polyester, 4% Other Fibers |
| Details | Double breasted, notch lapel, knee length |
| Colors | Brown, grey, black |
| Sizes | XS-XXL |
Best Everyday Topcoat: Knickerbocker Hudson Wool Overcoat
Knickerbocker’s Hudson overcoat harps on all the details that make the classics classic. Namely, quality fabrics, a swaddly, but not swallowing cut, and a rakish drape that would pull any roving fashion photographer. It’s available in two tasty wool fabrics, a solid black colorway that’s woven in Italy and another charcoal herringbone fabric woven by the esteemed Moon textiles.
Features like a raglan sleeve and high rear center vent give it a sharpness and louche quality that’s normally elusive. And small touches like ethically-sourced horn buttons and a silky satin lining make the IRL experience even sweeter. Pop the collar, wear it open, layer it over a turtleneck and vintage jeans, and you’ve got a head-turning look. Or keep it chill by buttoning it up to the top with nothing peaking out but corduroy pants and beat-up sneakers.
| Fabric | 100% wool twill woven in England by Moon textiles |
| Details | Single breasted, hidden placket, raglan sleeves |
| Colors | Black, charcoal |
| Sizes | S-XL |
Best Topcoat for Bad Weather: Haven Bureau Coat
The charm of a topcoat is its classic nature, but what if you could have all the splendor of a traditional topcoat with the technological advancements of a military bomber jacket? Haven’s Bureau coat looks just like most topcoats. It’s got a balmacaan-style front that buttons all the way to the collar, it extends down to the knee, and has that tasty drape. But look a little closer and you’ll see that this is an evolved version of the topcoat genus.
It’s made from Loro Piana’s most technical fabric, a three-layer weather-resistant material they call Storm System. It has the all-wool look on its face, but the subsequent layers imbue the coat with windproofness while maximizing breathability, not to mention a good amount of water-resistance. From there, gorpy details like snap plackets, articulated sleeves and underarm gussets, upgrade it from walking coat to weather coat. It’s the ultimate answer for dudes who appreciate the impenetrable nature of a Gore-tex raincoat but prefer a more time-honored design.
| Fabric | 100% wool Loro Piana 3L Doeskin Storm System fabric |
| Details | Snap buttons, zip front, underarm gussets, convertible throat tab |
| Colors | Black |
| Sizes | S-XL |
More Topcoats We Love
Todd Snyder
Italian Wool-Alpaca Belted Overcoat
Todd Snyder has many strong suits, but outerwear might be his real forte. Crafted from a wool-alpaca blend, this thick, plush coat features a gorgeous shadow plaid pattern that's like looking to a hypnotic spiral. Add to that a classic single breasted design with a self-belt and you've got a menswear masterpiece.
What to Look for in a Great Topcoat
Topcoats can solve a ton of fashion problems, but some are better than others. Here are the key points that delineate the best from the rest.
Great topcoats start with great fabric which start from great raw materials. High-quality wools, cashmeres, mohairs, and alpaca wools are a great start but are often adulterated with cheaper synthetics to cut manufacturing costs. That’s not to say that a little polyester means your coat will disintegrate after two seasons, however. Just don’t be fooled when a brand calls a topcoat cashmere when polyester or nylon is higher on its list of ingredients than said cashmere.
Topcoats, as the name suggests, are meant to be worn on top of other layers. That means they should be roomy enough to drape over your other winter layers like sweaters and even other jackets. So expect a topcoat’s shoulder seam to extend past your natural shoulder. The sleeves, likewise, should be accommodating enough to slip over thick sweaters and jackets and should extend to just below the wrist. Another key component to a topcoat’s identity is its length. Generally, topcoats should extend to the knee or even as far as the ankle.
While the body of a good topcoat doesn’t need to be lined, it does provide more warmth and wind-resistance. Perhaps what is more important is lining the sleeves with a smooth material such as satin to make donning and doffing much easier. From there, buttons should be thick and well-sewn with anchors. Hand pockets lined with corduroy or flannel feel more premium and help keep your hands from freezing.
Aside from the overall silhouette and materials, there’s a variety of styles under the topcoat umbrella. Classic balmacaan-style topcoats are designed with a single-breasted front closure that buttons all the way up to the collar. Others feature a suit-style lapel with either single- or double-breasted fronts. Some topcoats feature a mixture of button and zip-fronts or even come with a belt or a hood. No style is wrong, so have fun and choose what speaks to you.
How We Test and Review Products
Style is subjective, we know—that’s the fun of it. But we’re serious about helping our audience get dressed. Whether it’s the best white sneakers, the flyest affordable suits, or the need-to-know menswear drops of the week, GQ Recommends’ perspective is built on years of hands-on experience, an insider awareness of what’s in and what’s next, and a mission to find the best version of everything out there, at every price point.
Our staffers aren’t able to try on every single piece of clothing you read about on GQ.com (fashion moves fast these days), but we have an intimate knowledge of each brand’s strengths and know the hallmarks of quality clothing—from materials and sourcing, to craftsmanship, to sustainability efforts that aren’t just greenwashing. GQ Recommends heavily emphasizes our own editorial experience with those brands, how they make their clothes, and how those clothes have been reviewed by customers. Bottom line: GQ wouldn’t tell you to wear it if we wouldn’t.
How We Make These Picks
We make every effort to cast as wide of a net as possible, with an eye on identifying the best options across three key categories: quality, fit, and price.
To kick off the process, we enlist the GQ Recommends braintrust to vote on our contenders. Some of the folks involved have worked in retail, slinging clothes to the masses; others have toiled for small-batch menswear labels; all spend way too much time thinking about what hangs in their closets.
We lean on that collective experience to guide our search, culling a mix of household names, indie favorites, and the artisanal imprints on the bleeding-edge of the genre. Then we narrow down the assortment to the picks that scored the highest across quality, fit, and price.
Across the majority of our buying guides, our team boasts firsthand experience with the bulk of our selects, but a handful are totally new to us. So after several months of intense debate, we tally the votes, collate the anecdotal evidence, and emerge with a list of what we believe to be the absolute best of the category right now, from the tried-and-true stalwarts to the modern disruptors, the affordable beaters to the wildly expensive (but wildly worth-it) designer riffs.
Whatever your preferences, whatever your style, there's bound to be a superlative version on this list for you. (Read more about GQ's testing process here.)
Production Credits
Lead Photographs by Bowen Fernie
Inline Photographs by Natalie Piserchio
Styled by Tyler Austin