According to our writer, Gerald Ortiz, who’s had this same jacket since 2013, the fabric is an ideal midweight and the wax wears down beautifully. Additionally, the metal snaps and brass zippers patina just as well as the shell, too. In the decade since he’s had it, the fabric’s barely had any fraying. As for the silhouette, go with your usual size for a boxy silhouette or size down one size for a slightly more tailored fit.
The Best New-School Waxed Canvas Jacket
Icons like the Barbour Bedale are hard to beat, but Flint and Tinder’s flannel-lined trucker jacket is a modern classic in its own right. The slightly cropped silhouette is flattering on almost everybody, which is the natural outcome when you crib inspiration from vintage denim jackets. The spot-on fit alone would be enough to earn it a spot on this list, but of course, it’s got plenty of cold weather bona fides too. It derives its warmth from a substantial-yet-soft 7 oz. waxed sailcloth from Martexin, which makes it one of the few options on this list to use an American-made fabric. Plus, the body is fully-lined with a polyester blanket fabric that’s plenty warm and soft enough to wear with just a T-shirt (or, for that matter, without a T-shirt). On top of that, it’s cut, sewn, and finished in the USA, which keeps the carbon footprint low and the quality high.
The Best Budget Wax Jacket
People often compare waxed jackets to leather jackets due to their tough exterior and rugged good looks. But that doesn’t mean they have to share the same sticker shock. Banana Republic’s “Tristan” utility jacket is our favorite budget waxed jacket thanks to its motorcycle-influenced details like the adjustable belt and angled chest pockets, not to mention its corduroy trim and sturdy cotton-nylon fabric. And for almost half the price of many of the other options here, you couldn’t find a better waxed jacket.
The Best Hog-Wild Waxed Canvas Jacket
Favored by motorcyclists around the world, the Belstaff Trialmaster is the quintessential British racing jacket. Celebs like Daniel Day-Lewis and Ewan McGregor are big fans, but you don’t have to have an Emmy or an Oscar to look like a high-wattage star wearing one. (You don’t have to know anything about motorcycles, either.) That angled chest pocket sure makes it easy to whip out your road map, though.
The Best Movie-Star Waxed Canvas Jacket
Waxed canvas jackets tend to appeal to the scruffy-faced, shit-kicker-wearing types (y’know, close relatives of those brolic seafarers and their fish oil-soaked jackets). Valstar’s trench coat does not. Like all great trench coats, it’s got volume and a beautiful drape. It’s louche and elegant, like an Old Hollywood movie star. But just because it’s so handsome doesn’t mean it’s delicate. The cotton-blend fabric is lightweight but durable and the wool lining will keep you plenty warm when the rain isn’t the only thing you have to worry about. It’s dashing over a suit, rakish over a knit polo and jeans, or just plain cool with a thrashed hoodie and a pair of shorts.
The Best Winterproof Waxed Jacket
You know that one very swaggy photo of Snoopy in a big red puffer jacket? Turns out, they made it a real thing. And, if you can believe it, it’s even better than the cartoon. RRL’s expedition-ready parka features a waxy oilcloth fabric that’s milled in England by a factory that’s been in the business of waxed fabrics since the 1880s. On top of that, the whole shebang is stuffed in heat-retaining poly-fill, lined with deep-pile fleece and trimmed with faux fur at the hood. In other words, you’ve got the guts of the coziest duvet with the shell of a weatherproofed military tent.
The Best Get ‘Er Down Waxed Jacket
Filson is kind of like the Ford F-150 of clothing—ultra-durable and ready for the toughest jobs. Its Cruiser Jacket, features the workwear stalwart’s iconic Tin Cloth fabric which weighs in at a hefty 14-ounces (that’s just a touch heavier than your average pair of jeans). It’s stiff as a board and can actually stand on its own straight off the rack, but with some time and elbow grease, it’ll soften up and age like George Clooney. Like the F-150, the Cruiser also happens to come with plenty of cargo space with a couple of chest pockets and pencil slots.
Plus 11 More Waxed Canvas Jackets We Love
Your Waxed Jacket FAQs, Answered
What are the pros and cons of waxed jackets?
Waxed jackets make for a great rain jacket. Their waxy fabrics aren’t only water-resistant, but they’re also really durable, age well, and are a more natural, earth-friendly material compared to synthetic jackets which use polyester and DWR-coatings to achieve their waterproofness.
As for the downsides, waxed canvas needs to be reapplied over time as the wax will eventually rub off. Re-waxing your jacket requires time and patience, which can get annoying. You can send your jacket into be professionally re-waxed which is convenient, but more expensive. Additionally, waxed jackets tend to be heavier than modern rain jackets and less water-resistant.
What is the best brand for wax jackets?
For any clothing category, you can reliably look to the stalwarts and inventors of the genre. In this case, Barbour, Belstaff, and Filson, are some of the best to do it. But don’t mistake these brands as the best waxed canvas jacket for you. Each jacket has its own unique characteristics and what works for a lot of people doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the right option for everyone.
You can also lean on storied waxed fabric makers as a good indicator of quality. Though many of the high priests of waxed jackets don’t necessarily call out their fabric suppliers, a good deal of them use waxed fabrics from British Millerain and Halley Stevensons, both mills with generations of expertise with the unique material.
How to Re-Wax Your Jacket
Step 1: Clean your jacket by using a damp cloth to wipe away dust and debris.
Step 2: Prepare the wax. Waxes can come in different forms. Some come in a tin which you then place in warm water in order to melt the wax. Other waxes are sold as a bar which must be softened with heat, often with a heat gun or hair dryer.
Step 3: Apply the wax. For tinned wax, dip a sponge or a clean rag into the wax and wipe the jacket evenly. For bar wax, rub the bar all over the jacket, applying the wax evenly. Then use a heat gun to melt the wax into the fibers of the jacket.
Step 4: Allow the jacket to dry. Hang your jacket to dry for about 24-48 hours, keeping it away from other clothes or objects to avoid staining anything with the still-wet wax. And voilà! Good as new.
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