Is Free Country a Good Brand for Jackets?

You saw that low price tag, and now you’re searching for a Free Country jacket review, right?  Had I not experienced Free Country outerwear for myself, I may have been a bit skeptical.  Their website descriptions of down jackets sound fantastic.  So how can a jacket like that be so affordable?  It begs the question, is Free Country a good brand?  This is a Free Country jacket review of not only just the Power Down jacket I was sent to test, but also my kids and husband’s experience in purchasing and wearing Free Country jackets.

Being the end of the winter season, this is actually an excellent time to purchase a winter jacket.  They are currently offering 20% off with code FREEZE20.  But even their regular prices are great.  So after selecting a jacket to review for myself, I did something I’ve never done with a product review… I immediately also made a purchase as a customer, selecting a winter coat for my daughter, too.  But let’s start with my family’s experience in wearing Free County Jackets in the past 5 years, and whether I think Free Country is a good brand.

Is Free Country a Good Brand?

A little January 2019 update.  I still have this coat (reviewed below) from 5 winters ago.  And my family has continued to purchase Free Country jackets, especially the lighter weight soft shells we often find for sale at Sam’s Club.

Free Country jackets fit well, wash well, and wear well.  I know in the outdoor clothing scheme of things… oftentimes you get what you pay for.  Which implies that affordable jackets are junk.

And Free Country is cheap.

But in spite of that (or partially because of it), I’m going to go on record as saying Free Country is a good brand, especially in light of their affordable prices.  Kids outgrow gear so quickly, it’s nice to have a decent option that won’t break the bank.  We’ve never had a single tear, zipper malfunction, or any other fabric or quality issues with Free Country items.

Free Country Women’s Arches Power Down Jacket

 

Here’s what I thought of the Free Country women’s Arches Power Down Jacket I reviewed.  I knew I wanted something in down, because let’s face it:  once you’ve tried the cozy warmth of a down coat, you really just aren’t interested in wearing anything else when it’s cold outside.  Free Country has several down jacket options.

But I just couldn’t get past this one, the Arches Power Down Jacket.  Because it looks so awesome!

Looks

I’ve worn it twice.  Both times, the person I was with, looked at me and said, “That’s a really cool coat.  Where’d you get it?”.  HA!  Yes, it’s very cool indeed.

It appears to have an almost metallic colored look to it.  This is actually just due to the pattern in the fabric, which from a slight distance gives it a sheen.  Note this is true of the Dark Grey Print, and Chocolate Print (shown below).  They also have solid colors available.

Free Country Power Down ~ Is it warm?

It is not a bulky coat at all, it is pretty sleek.  And I realized once I received the coat that “power down” is actually a mix, consisting of 50% actual down feathers.    Which left me questioning a little bit just how warm the jacket would be?

I was able to test it in damp, mid-30’s temperatures (about as cold as it’s going to get for the remainder of this season).  It was plenty warm in that temperature range.

The hood is very generous, which is awesome.  I hate when hoods are apparently just there for ornamental purposes, because when you try to actually wear it, it only covers the back half of your head.  Not so with the Arches Power Down hood.  I love the increased warmth option this adds, from the ample hood coverage.

Free Country Power Down ~ Sizing

I ordered a large, which is what I typically wear.  The jacket is just a little tight through the shoulders (doesn’t look bad, just feels snug inside), and I won’t be able to wear anything too bulky underneath.

The body and girth of the hips was plenty sufficient though, so I’m not sure whether it would have been wise to go up a size, or not?  Maybe decide this based on your individual body type.

And the sleeves were just a bit short on me, although I am quite tall (5’10”) so that would likely not be a issue for most women.

Free Country Power Down ~ “Arches” Jacket Features

One of the things that impressed me about the Arches Power Down was the technical features it offers.  An interior front bib and cuffs give the appearance of an underlying “butter pile” fleece coat, which also adds the benefit of fuzzy soft material next to your neck and wrists for extra comfort.  It’s both attractive and very comfortable, and one of my favorite features of this jacket.

There are an ample number of well design pockets.   An interior pocket holds your cell phone.  There’s a basket pocket for easy, safe placement and retrieval of items even with awkward, gloved hands.  There’s even an MP3 pocket, with a cord outlet and loop to keep the cord in place when wearing headphones.

My only disappointment was that the main hand pockets were just lined in a nylon type fabric.  My recommendation to Free Country:  line those puppies with more of the butter pile fleece, please!

There are also hand gaiters built into the butter pile extended sleeves, which is usually a really great feature (labeled as “thumb hole cuffs” in the photo above).  Unfortunately because of the sleeves being too short on me, there isn’t enough excess length for me to actually use them.  And the thumb opening doesn’t seem to fall in the correct place – it falls on top of my wrist, right in the center?  It’s hard to say if this is a flaw others would also experience, or if it’s simply due to the way the jacket fits me.  It’s likely that if there were more room in my shoulder area, the sleeves would be falling differently.  So again, it may just be that way for me.

Overall, however, I think the construction and materials are all very nice quality.  After this experience, I definitely recommend Free Country jackets and coats.

Free Country Jackets for the Family

So apart from the fact that I really like this jacket,  and that it looks great… I haven’t yet told you the awesome price.  Currently, the Arches Power Down Jacket is $85!  That is a steal of a deal for this coat.

As I mentioned, I also purchased this Free Country Girls’ Hazy Plaid Puffer Jacket for my daughter, for $34.  It’s very nice, and she loves everything about it (except she, too, wishes the inside of the hand pockets were fuzzy fleece).  The inside of the collar and the hood are lined with soft fleece, making it very cozy indeed.  And you just can’t beat that price for a kids winter coat.

Free Country Jackets ~ Where to Find Them

We are very happy with our Free Country jackets, and any time my family needs new outerwear – we will now be checking out the Free Country site.  I recommend them to your family, as well.

You can order Free Country products online, and they feature numerous different weights and styles of outerwear-  in men, women, boys, and girls sizing.  They also some outdoor clothing, and swimsuits.

Plus there’s FREE SHIPPING on all orders –  no minimum purchase!  Love that.

Find Free Country on Facebook.

Follow Free Country on Pinterest.

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I received the women’s Arches Power Down Jacket featured in this post at no cost, for the purposes of review.  I purchased the girls Puffer Plaid Jacket entirely on my own, because I was impressed with this company’s product line and pricing.  All opinions are my own.