Ultimate Guide To UK Ethical Coats & Jackets Brands
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Here is my ultimate guide to the best ethical coat and jacket brands in the UK, catering to men and women. With everything from vegan-friendly coats to plastic-free and PFC-free coats and even ones made from upcycled materials, you’re sure to find the right sustainable jacket for you.
Winter is coming. While we’re all layering up in cosy hoodies and jumpers, it’s a good time to think about investing in a good coat that will take you through not just this autumn and winter but beyond that.
Admittedly, shopping ethically for a coat or jacket can feel overwhelming. Especially in a world where fast fashion reigns supreme. Add in a spot of greenwashing from unscrupulous brands, and it gets even harder.
To help you out, I’ve rounded up the best ethical coats and jackets from sustainable UK brands. Once a tiny niche market, much like the ethical clothing market, options have been growing. Now there’s more choice than ever before.
While ethical coats can be a pricey purchase, there are a couple of brands doing great things at lower price points, so don’t despair too much.
Remember, With ethical fashion, the goal isn’t to replace clothing every year as fast fashion would dictate. Instead, invest in quality items that you would be happy to wear year after year. Think cost per wear!
What To Look For When Buying An Ethical Coat
Before we get started with the brands. Let me give you my top pointers for what to look for when shopping for ethical coats and jackets.
Firstly, I would always recommend looking out for brands that use recycled or reclaimed fabrics, and/or organic fibres to help minimise your impact on the environment.
Secondly, I would recommend avoiding coats insulated with down due to animal welfare concerns – unless it is recycled down. Down is often plucked from ducks and geese, in a cruel practice, so it is best avoided.
Thirdly, to avoid human rights abuses, I would recommend buying from brands that commit to fair working conditions across their whole supply chains.
And lastly, I would recommend looking out for brands that are PFC-free. PFC stands for per- and poly-fluorinated chemicals. These are waterproofing chemicals that are used to weatherproof outdoor clothing and shoes.
This sounds innocuous, however, for some PFCs, there is evidence that they cause harm to both the hormonal and reproductive systems in both humans and animals, as well as being carcinogenic.
What’s more, these chemicals accumulate in the environment. As such, they’re often referred to as forever chemicals because of how persistent they are in the environment. There are lots of green alternatives that offer waterproofing, without the toxic footprint, so this should be prioritised.
Want to know more about PFCs? Check out this great PFC explainer.
Guide To UK Ethical Coats & Jackets Brands
The price range key for this guide is:
£ = Under £50 | ££ = £50 – 100 | £££ = £100+
Seasalt
- Budget: ££ – £££
- Caters for: men (S – XXL) and women (UK sizes 8 – 28)
- Vegan-friendly: check each item description
- PFC-free: yes
- Available from: Seasalt
If you’re looking for solid wet-weather coats in size-inclusive styles, then Seasalt is well worth a look.
Seasalt was the first fashion retailer to achieve Soil Association Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certification back in 2005. It also became a certified B Corp in 2024 – meaning it balances profit with looking after people and the planet.
Although it’s a high street brand, its lower pricing and more inclusive sizing, combined with the use of innovative, sustainable waterproof fabrics on their coats, make them better than most other high street choices.
These fabrics include Tide Cycle® – a fabric woven from recycled polyester fibres made with plastic bottles. It’s waterproof, breathable, hardwearing, easy to care for, and extremely soft to the touch. Production requires less energy than virgin polyester, and it helps reduce the amount of plastic heading for landfill and the oceans.
Meanwhile, Seasalt’s unique Tin Cloth® fabric is inspired by traditional oilskins. Here, coats and jackets are crafted from natural fabrics like hard-wearing organic cotton canvas, linen, and ripstop cotton, for a more natural choice. These are finished with a PFC-free waterproofing treatment to keep you dry without a toxic footprint.
I have a Seasalt Tin Cloth coat, and it’s been going strong for five years now, so I can attest to how durable they are.
BAM
- Budget: £££
- Caters for: men (sizes S – XXL) and women (UK sizes 6 – 18)
- Vegan-friendly: yes
- PFC-Free: yes
- Available from: BAM
Ethical activewear specialist BAM has a great selection of ethical coats for both men and women that are well worth checking out.
In particular, its ’73 Zero’ insulated coats are made from recycled materials and are filled with recycled polyester insulation, making them vegan-friendly.
They’re quick-dry and will keep you cosy on even the coldest of days. Plus, they’re available in a variety of colours – from bright shades to more muted ones, depending on your preferences.
What’s more, BAM has collaborated with an organisation called Project Plan B. Here, ground-breaking technology recaptures the polyester from a garment so this jacket is 100% recyclable. In fact, it’s called the 73 Zero jacket because 73% of clothing ends up in landfill or incinerated, and BAM wants to get that to zero.
Finally, its PFC-free finish offers water repellency, without the chemical cocktail that’s damaging to the environment.
Komodo
- Budget: ££ – £££
- Caters for: Men (S – XL) and women (UK sizes 8 – 16)
- Vegan-friendly: yes
- PFC-free: no information available
- Available from: Komodo
One of the first ethical clothing brands – running since 1988 – Komodo sells ethically sourced, organic fashion that’s every bit as stylish as ethical.
Unlike some of the other brands featured in this post, Komodo’s ethical coat range is stylish, rather than outdoorsy.
Some coats and jackets are made from vegan-friendly natural fibres. Meanwhile, some of the more water-resistant coats are made using innovative vegan fabrics, such as green PU coatings and recycled plastic bottles.
The brand is also both GOTS-certified and a member of the Soil Association. These certifications mean Komodo’s cotton is certified organic. What’s more, Komodo no longer uses single-use plastic in its supply chain.
And as a member of 1% for the Planet, Komodo donates to the Sumatran Orangutan Society. This charity is restoring natural rainforests and ecosystems through the purchase and repurposing of palm oil plantations.
Get 10% off your first order when you sign up for the Komodo newsletter.
Finisterre
- Budget: £££
- Caters for: Men (sizes XS – XXL) and women (UK sizes 8 – 16)
- Vegan-friendly: Most are, but double-check individual item details
- PFC-free: Yes
- Available from: Finisterre
Cornwall-based Finisterre offers a wide range of sustainable jackets for men and women that are made from recycled materials.
This includes hard-wearing NetPlus® recycled fabric made from discarded fishing nets. These are then insulated with 100% Repreve recycled ocean waste for warmth and comfort. Finisterre does not use down to fill its insulated jackets. Instead of feathers, it uses recycled synthetic fills to ensure high insulating performance even when wet.
And there are no PFCs here – Finisterre eliminated the use of these way back in 2017. Now it only uses PFC-free finishes.
And should your jacket develop a rip or tear, or the zip breaks, then Finisterre runs a handy repair service. Plus, it runs a takeback scheme that ensures your worn-out clothes are either upcycled into new items of clothing or recycled.
Get 10% off your first order when you sign up for the Finisterre mailing list.
Rapanui
- Budget: ££ – £££
- Caters for: Men (S – XL) and women (UK sizes 8 – 18)
- Vegan-friendly: Yes
- PFC-free: Yes
- Available from: Rapanui
Rapanui is another great place to look for stylish, ethical coat options for men and women.
This circular sustainable brand uses waxed canvas made from organic cotton to create its range of PCF-free, plastic-free, vegan-friendly, and water-resistant coats and jackets. This jacket pictured (the nautical lined jacket) has an extra warm cotton fleece lining to keep you cosy.
All Rapanui products are designed from the outset to be recyclable. This means that when your jacket is past its best, you can send it back to Rapanui, free of charge. Here, it will make it into a new product or responsibly recycle it. You’ll even be rewarded with a £5 voucher to spend on a new item at Rapanui.
Get 10% off your first order at Rapanui when you sign up for its mailing list.
Patagonia
- Budget: £££
- Caters for: men (XS – XXL) and women (XS – XL)
- Vegan-friendly: Check individual item descriptions
- PFC-Free: Not always. Many products are, but some still are coated with PFCs. Patagonia aims to produce all of its water-repellent finishes without PFCs by 2025.
- Available from: Cotwold Outdoor
As one of the original ethical outdoor retailers, Patagonia is another top choice for more sustainable coats and jackets.
Firstly, Patagonia rejects fast fashion by creating high-quality, long-lasting products. To support this, it offers a free repair service, as well as advice on carrying out your own repairs to help make your Patagonia pieces last as long as possible.
Patagonia also prioritises sustainable fabrics. This means a high proportion of Patagonia’s materials are made from recycled fabrics – including polyester, nylon, and wool – whilst all of its cotton is certified organic by GOTS.
Cotopaxi
- Budget: £ – £££
- Caters for: men (sizes S – XL) and women (sizes XS – L)
- Vegan-friendly: Check individual item descriptions
- PFC-free: It’s complicated. Some products are PFC-free, but as Cotopaxi utilise remnant fabric sourced from other manufacturers, some lines do contain PFCs. The team is working to make all products PFC-free.
- Available from: Cotopaxi
Cotopaxi is all about ‘gear for good’. It has rigorous ethical manufacturing standards and is certified climate-neutral. It even offers a grant scheme that supports organisations fighting global poverty.
When it comes to its ethical coats, Cotopaxi prioritises the use of recycled, reclaimed, and repurposed fabrics.
In 2024, Cotopaxi was proud to announce that 100% of its products contain materials that are either repurposed (using excess industry fabric for a zero-waste approach), recycled, or responsibly certified (by a third party). The result is a vibrant patchwork-style design distinctive to Cotopaxi.
With a retro-inspired aesthetic – channelling the best bits of the 80s – coupled with modern design standards, these timeless jackets are ones that you will reach for year after year.
Picture Organic Clothing
- Budget: ££ – £££
- Caters for: men (S – XXL) and women (XS – L)
- Vegan-friendly: check each item description
- PFC-Free: yes
- Available from: Cotswold Outdoor
French ethical outdoor clothing brand Picture Organic Clothing – available in the UK at Cotswold Outdoor – is committed to sustainable, conscious design. As such, all of its high-quality clothing is made from recycled, organic, or responsibly sourced materials.
Rather than stopping there, Picture goes further. To minimise waste, any fabric waste is salvaged and used to line its range of performance jackets. We like this zero-waste approach to manufacturing.
This doesn’t make its clothing bland. You’ll find unique designs and bright colours that stand out from other retailers.
Designed for active outdoor lifestyles, by snowboarders themselves, these cosy jackets will keep you warm and dry despite the conditions.
And if you and your jacket get into a scrape, then it’s not game over. Rather than binning your jacket, you can take advantage of Picture’s lifetime repairability (available on its technical jackets). Here, Picture Organic Clothing will repair the seams, zippers, buttons, and possible loss of accessories (such as patches and cords) during the lifetime of the product – free of charge – to help beat waste.
Passenger
- Budget: ££ – £££
- Caters for: Men (sizes S – XXL) and Women (UK sizes 8 – 16)
- Vegan-friendly: Check individual item descriptions
- PFC-free: Yes
- Available from: Cotswold Outdoor
Finally, British outdoors brand Passenger makes eco-conscious outdoor clothing for all of life’s adventures.
Its wide range of ethical coats and jackets are all made from responsible materials, such as recycled polyester, and insulated with vegan-friendly recycled insulation. These are then all finished with PFC-free water-repellent coatings as standard.
What’s also to love is that Passenger plants a tree with every order placed. Passenger additionally donates each month to The Rainforest Trust to protect existing trees and soils all over the world. Each month, Passenger protects a minimum of 65 acres with each donation.
What If Your Budget Doesn’t Stretch This Far?
Coats are always an investment purchase, and some of these ethical coats are expensive – as they should be if everyone within the supply chain is getting paid a living wage.
If these coats don’t fit within your budget, then I would recommend opting out of the fast fashion model that dictates that you should buy a new coat every year. Instead, find the best quality coat you love at a price you can afford, and look after it so that it lasts as long as possible.
Look for a style that won’t date, in a dark shade (light-coloured coats are stain magnets, trust me!). And then commit to wearing it for as long as possible.
I have used outdoor retailers before to buy coats. The trouble with outdoor retailers is that ethical ones are few and far between. Whilst I can’t endorse any particular retailers, I have noticed that some coats and jackets from these retailers do come with a lifetime warranty. This gives you some reassurance that if your coat develops a fault, then the company will fix or replace the coat.
Alternatively, if you want to stay resolutely ethical on a small budget, then online secondhand clothing sites are great places to look and pick up a sustainable bargain.
My previous coat was one that I’d picked up secondhand onlint seven years ago. I then wore it for seven consecutive winters. I was quite sad when it came to an irreparable end. It felt like a part of me!
Alternatively, you can visit charity shops – try online charity shops if you are pressed for time. Or you can try these nine places to shop secondhand online.
More Ethical Wardrobe Resources
If you are looking for more sustainable wardrobe resources, I’ve got lots:
- Try my guide to ethical rucksacks if you’re looking for a sustainable way to carry your gear.
- My guide to ethical hats will keep you cosy on cold days.
- And my guide to ethical knitwear brands will also keep you warm.
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I wonder what the impact is of using all these recycled polysesters, nylons and other plastics are? Should these clothes really be classed as sustainable? Sustaining what? Each time a synthetic piece of clothing is put through a wash cycle its releasing a huge number of microplastics. Along with the forever persistamnt chemicals intrinsic to them. These will then end up in the food chain and ultimately in our bodies leading to an array of issues.
Are there any companies making jackets purely from natural fibres? As they shed fibres, they will naturally compost or degrade into ecosystems without the toxic cocktail released by synthetics. Can we have a clothing industry based on natural fibres grown in a way which is regenerating earth, ecosystems and peoples health as opposed to degrading it all?
The only company i know is rapanui who is making 100% cottton jackets. With exception to barbour with the waxed canvas. Patagonia now also have 1 jacket like that. Few and far between though! What are your thoughts wendy?
I completely agree Chris. I think the problem is that many of us those of us live in wet climates (like me, in Scotland) look for winter coats that are waterproof or at least water resistant, and it’s not easy to get those properties from natural fibres. In this instance I personally think using recycled polyester is a better choice than buying a jacket made from virgin polyester, but it’s up to each individual to decide what’s right for them.
I don’t need a new coat at the moment, but it’s great to have a list of ethical companies to look at the next time I do. Could I also mention Howie’s for coats and jackets… They are still quite pricey but they often have good sale offers – I’ve bought jeans and T=shirts from them in the past, which have been good quality.
Aah, I forgot about Howies! Good call!
That Nomads coat is incredible. What do you think of Seasalt? I’m looking for something durable and lasting and I’ve seen them listed as ethical in some places and their ethical policy seems pretty sound (although I’m no expert). However, they seem to be missing from a lot of ethical lists too – is there a reason for this?
Hi Phoebe, I find their pieces very durable. Some of their pieces are organic (although not certified I don’t think) and they used to have a locally made project. However in recent times I’ve become less certain of their ethics. They don’t really engage with the ethical community, and don’t mention anything about their ethics in any of their catalogues, social media, etc. You would think if they were ethical they would be shouting about it? Ethical Consumer aren’t so sure either – http://www.ethicalconsumer.org/scoredetails.aspx?ProductId=530536
Seasalt also make coats, mine is almost ten years old and looks like new & still keeps me dry & warm in the Cornish wind & rain. Also have a Finisterre coat I bought in the sale which is so toasty.
I just got one of the coats from Komodo, not the one you mention but I can happily say it is the cosiest coat ever! I can’t wait for the weather to turn cold. I also own a finisterre coat, the alto in green and it has seen me through winters here but also trips to Iceland and Sweden, it’s a nice warm one too. I think your advice here is brilliant. Oh and thanks to the other commenter on protected species, never heard of them before.
Lucky! They look so cosy!
I love the nomads one… I’m very tempted but maternity pay won’t stretch that far!! My current coat has done me 7 winters and we’re about to enter the eighth…it’s sad that I’m in the minority!
I think there’s something quite comforting about digging out your winter coat each winter – like rediscovering a forgotten favourite album or meeting up with an old friend after a prolonged absence! I’ve never really understood the new coat every year thing. And yes, that Nomads one. A thing of beauty indeed!
Ooh some lovely picks here. For the first time in a long time I don’t need a new coat, but great window shopping :-)
I picked up a Finisterre bargain in their summer sale & cant wait for some proper cold days!
I also wanted to flag up Protected Species, in case you hadn’t come across them. My parka was easily the most money I have ever spent on an item of clothing (& prices have gone up since) but it is so beautifully made & the contact I had with them so fantastic I would recommend to anybody who is willing and able to invest. So far from frumpy, and the first time I haven’t felt the need to have a separate waterproof coat for big rain & other “nice” coat for dryer days!
I hadn’t come across them, so I had a little look – very nice! What colour did you go for? They are all very lovely and not at all frumpy!
I agree with the other comment above. Love my protected species Mac in cityscape blue. It’s gorgeous on and I get lots of compliments, about the look, and disbelief at the fact it’s a technical jacket!