I Cracked and Bought the Canada Goose Mystique. Sadly—It’s Good

Canada Goose has quite the reputation. It’s most famous for its “luxury performance apparel,” chief among them the Canada Goose Mystique Parka. The brand is known for its partnership with musher Lance Mackey, the 4x-winner (each!) of the legendary Iditarod and Yukon Quest dog sled races. Spokesperson Ray Zahab trekked to the South Pole in 2009. It’s also not uncommon to see a Canada Goose on a film set. (I’ve spotted Zendaya in one on the set of Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey.) Basically, if you’re going to be freezing your butt off, you want a Canada Goose.

The Mystique Parka in particular is rated for temperatures -22 degrees and below. The down is rated 625 fill power (with a score of 900 being the best) at an 80 percent down/20 percent feather ratio. If you're eyeing the coat, move quickly as it's often sold out. The original Mystique is currently out of stock—below, I've linked a similar Canada Goose style.

Fast Facts

• Colors: 2
• Size Range: 2XS to 2XL
• Rating: -22 degrees, 625 fill power
• Cleaning: dry clean only
• Warranty: lifetime of the product

The first time I tried on a Mystique parka, I balked. It was so compact. Completely the opposite of what I was expecting something with a temp rating of -22 degrees to be. On top of that, it’s fairly lightweight, as far as bulky winter coats go. My past coats have felt heavier yet less warm.

I soon learned this phenomenon is attributed to “fill power.” This is an indication of quality. Per REI, “The number comes from a lab test that measures how many cubic inches of loft one ounce of that down fill produces. Higher fill power numbers indicate greater loft and insulating efficiency.”

The Mystique’s fill power is rated at 625, meaning that it can be more compact while still providing high-quality insulation. Picture this: It’s 37 degrees outside, 33mph winds are making it feel like 19 degrees and I feel…nothing. I mean, I feel the wind trying to push me over, but I don’t feel cold, even though all I’m wearing underneath is a slim sweater shirt and a wool skirt with leggings. Even without any other layers, I was, as I happily reported to my father, feeling like a toasty little slug. Conveniently, the coat also folds up into nothing. I was worried it wouldn’t fit into my cubby at my exercise class, but it folded right in with room to spare for my backpack, ginormous water bottle and book.

The Length Provides Insane Coverage Without Impeding Walking

When I went to look for a winter coat, I was adamant that I wanted it to cover as much of me as possible. I’m 5’6’’ and the parka hits me at the top of my ankles. There’s about 12 inches between the hem of the coat and the bottom of the zipper, giving your legs a good amount of room to hop over puddles—though it’s not the biggest circumference. Overall, it’s a good compromise between being warm and being practical. It’s basically a sleeping bag.

For the last three years, I’ve suffered through the cold for fashion. When I bought this jacket, I thought that’d be the end of my fashionable-ness, if I had any to begin with. I resigned myself to being said toasty little slug/marshmallow/sleeping bag. Thus, it was a delight to find that the coat had an ever so slightly nipped waist, which is accentuated when you shove your hands into the front kangaroo pockets. The pockets eliminated the need for me to wear gloves, so they killed two birds with one stone. (Sorry, geese…)

Speaking of pockets, you aren’t in want. Aside from the two front pockets, there are two rather large interior pockets. One is a size zip, the other a top-close Velcro. Easy to access and good for storing the essentials; I found the front pockets a bit shallow and best for just my hands, maybe my phone and metro card.

Sizing Is Accurate, But I’d Go Up One

Before buying my parka, I tried on the small and medium sizes. I think the sizing is accurate, but wearing the small, I felt a bit restricted, even though I only had a light sweater underneath. You can’t layer much under it, if anything at all. Given how insulating the coat is, that’s not a problem, but I hate feeling any sort of restriction and wanted the option to layer up more in case I ever found myself in extremely dire weather. The medium gave me the wiggle room I wanted without being oversized. Since the down is so compact, there really wasn’t much difference in the overall look.

Due to the length, this style is much better suited to tall folks—I’d say 5’5’’ and up. Trying on the coat, the length didn’t change much between sizes, and if you’re 5’, it’s definitely in danger of puddling, if it’s not already on the ground. If you’re petite, I’d opt for one of the brand’s cropped styles, which will inevitably fall lower on your frame for more coverage.

Full disclosure, I bought my parka second hand. This is part of a personal quest to thrift more, buy less new and buy less clothing overall. I found it for about 50 percent off on Poshmark in fairly good condition, but I’ve been making minor repairs. That leads me to the cons.

A new Mystique parka retails for $1,550, which is not small potatoes. For that price, I was expecting ironclad durability unless the jacket had been to the South Pole and back. So, I was surprised at the repairs I had to make on the coat. The brand states that the fabric (a polyester/cotton combo) will develop a “patina” over time. Politely, my experience is that the “patina” is just the politically correct term for “fraying,” as all the repairs I’ve made have been in spots where the fabric has developed said patina. The cuffs, and one seam, specifically, I’ve taken to the tailor to be reinforced. None of this has affected the performance of the coat, but again, for $1,550, I think it should have been impeccable unless the woman I bought it from had competed in the Iditarod, which I’m pretty sure she did not.

For those who buy a new coat, the product is covered by the brand’s lifetime warranty, which cares for your jacket over its expected lifespan.

The Bottom Line

As a certified, Grade-A weather wimp, the Canada Goose Mystique Parka is easily the best winter coat I’ve ever worn. Every year I get extremely grouchy during the cold season because I hate layering and the restricted feeling of not being able to move my arms. This parka has changed everything, and I’m not being dramatic. I can wear so little underneath it’s mind-boggling. I fear I’m going to ditch all my fashionable wool coats, as much as I love them, just to have this feeling of freedom.