A lot of people I follow have been talking about the Amazon jacket. I’ve seen a ton of fashion and lifestyle bloggers talking about this amazing jacket that is kind of unflattering, but the best jacket in the world. Naturally, when a new product goes viral, I get a little curious.
Who really made this product? Is the Amazon jacket really all it’s hyped up to be? Is it something that’s going to really be a game-changing investment? Or is it just going to be another fad until the next one comes out? With all these questions in mind, I did some research into the jacket that seems to be taking over the world. Or at least the Upper East Side of Manhattan.
About the Amazon Jacket
The jacket itself is made by a brand, Orolay, that is owned by the parent company Jiaxing Zichi Trading Company, based in China. The Amazon listing says the jacket is made in the US or imported. I’m going to assume it’s imported from China. The current retail price is between $149.99 and $179.99 which is pretty common with a high-quality coat.
When I was looking at the reviews, I noted the number one complaint about the Amazon jacket was that it wasn’t weatherproof. I know I’m from Texas, but even I know that a good winter coat should withstand all weather, not just the cold. No one wants to be cold and soaking wet.
Things got a little more interesting as I looked into the company itself and the labor. It’s not uncommon for a brand to send out a press release to multiple news stations with cookie-cutter copy. In fact, it’s done so often that you may not realize it. But what I found interesting was one specific sentence that I found in three different articles. Here’s one for reference.
“The company [Orolay] does its own design, manufacturing and distribution, which it says means it can pay workers fairly and sell garments profitably.”
Really? That’s awesome!
Except I couldn’t find anything to back up that statement. I checked their website and all over the internet talking about production, worker safety and employee wages. Nothing. Normally when brands are doing something awesome, they brag about it. Paying workers fairly is a huge bragging point these days, just like certifications. As I re-read the statement above, I think that just because a brand can pay their workers fairly doesn’t necessarily mean they are. And because the brand doesn’t comment on it, other than this pre-written statement, we don’t really know.
Is the Amazon Jacket worth it?
To me, no. Even if you wanted to lay aside the questionable production methods, it’s still a winter coat that isn’t waterproof. I have two winter coats, a duffle-style coat from J.Crew that I got years ago and a parka from Gap that I got when there was an incredible sale. Both are waterproof and were less expensive than the Amazon jacket.
The quality you see in the reviews on Amazon shows that it isn’t really a high-quality item, meaning it won’t last long. When investing in a parka like this, you really want it to last for years, not months. Even if you don’t go with something from Patagonia for budget reasons, you can still pick up a higher quality coat at either a comparable cost or maybe even a little cheaper given the season change. You’re better off either spending a little more money upfront or doing some research.
But lucky for you, I did some research so you wouldn’t have to! You can shop my choices for a great coat down in the widget below. Hopefully, you can snag a sale too!
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