REASONS TO BUY
Rugged
Warm
Blue collar styling
REASONS TO AVOID
Polarized style
Super expensive
Canada Goose Chilliwack Bomber Review
A rugged, warm jacket with limited but impassioned appeal
Credit: Canada Goose
RELATED: Best Winter Jackets for Men of 2024
Our Verdict
The Canada Goose Chilliwack is a high-end interpretation of a blue-collar staple. The ridiculously warm and durable bomber style coat fills a niche that might just appeal to you. At this price, the Chilliwack does not have a deep customer base, but there is nothing else like it on the market. The Chilliwack is a natural choice if you have the means and dig this form and style. However, you will likely not find it functional in every situation and will have to supplement with a range of other jackets. See how it fared next to competitors in our review of the top-rated men's winter jackets.
Our Analysis and Test Results
In our overall scoring, the Chilliwack is nothing special. Remember, though, that every product that makes it into an OutdoorGearLab review is excellent. We buy the products we test and dedicate many resources to our comparative testing regimen. We are quite selective; we keep tabs on the entire market and select only the best available. If we were to compile a scoring chart of the whole spectrum of available winter jackets, the Chilliwack Bomber's relative score would look very different. It would be near the top, with the only products beating it being the same products that surpass it in this select list.
Performance Comparison
Canada Goose clothing is marked by excellent hoods. The hood of the Chilliwack is no exception.
Credit: Jediah Porter
Warmth
Canada Goose is known for making incredibly warm jackets. The associations are right there in the brand name. The Chilliwack isn't the warmest jacket they make, but it is still warmer than the most insulating products from some other companies. The Chilliwack is what we'd call a warm “all-around” winter jacket. For even the coldest climates, the Chilliwack Bomber is as insulating as you'll need for walking between transit modes and while taking the dog out to pee, even if you have only a thin layer on underneath.
The high collar and long cuffs lock out the weather.
Credit: Jediah Porter
Weather Resistance
Canada Goose has made the Chilliwack protective enough. Incidentally, “Chilliwack” is a Canadian suburb of Vancouver, British Columbia, and this jacket is made to withstand temperatures found in that area. The external fabric is waterproof and thick. However, the plethora of seams and pockets, along with the fur-rimmed hood, make it inappropriate for the wettest of conditions. Water will get through the seams and mat the fur. A jacket this warm is better suited to the coldest conditions in which you encounter fluffy snow rather than liquid water.
The short cut is unique in our test. Some dig the comfort and style, while others don't. All notice that the shorter length offers less protection. Thankfully this jacket is plenty warm otherwise.
Credit: Jediah Porter
Comfort
Our review team delivered a mixed bag of feedback on the comfort of the Chilliwack Bomber jacket. The short-torsoed design was the polarizing feature. Long torso testers found the jacket to ride up and leave room for drafts. Others just didn't like the shortcut. A select few, though, liked the unencumbered design of the “bomber” cut. Especially for sitting down, the short cut is less confining than a more extended design.
For manual labor, the shorter cut allows for a greater range of motion.
Credit: Jediah Porter
Features
The possible features of a winter jacket include the pocket selection, hood, associated adjustments, wrist closures, and other protective measures. With these, the Chilliwack is pretty well equipped. First, there are abundant pockets. The cuffs of the Chilliwack are simple, stretchy knit cuffs. They keep the warm in and are comfortable.
Style
The Chilliwack Bomber is the most uniquely styled jacket we tested. The pilot “bomber” style is bold and stands out. Universally, the feedback we got was strong. Some liked it, while others certainly did not. No one was ambivalent about this Canada Goose product.
The utilitarian style of this jacket is complemented by bombproof construction.
Credit: Jediah Porter
Durability
The Chilliwack is a durable jacket. The rugged construction and down insulation could withstand even the harshest conditions. Unless you are crawling into the engine cowling of a bomber for cold weather repairs, you are unlikely to exert enough force on the Chilliwack Bomber to generate more than superficial wear.
Should You Buy the Canada Goose Chilliwack Bomber?
Canada Goose jackets are expensive. There is no way around this fact. Though you get impeccable construction, super-durability, top-notch materials, and high-end performance for the price, we cannot in good conscience call the Canada Goose Chilliwack a “value” choice. It is a luxury item, and we only recommend it to those who already have well-equipped winter wardrobes and are looking for some punch style to turn heads on the street.
What Other Winter Jackets Should You Consider?
We dig the Canada Goose Chilliwack Bomber. Although it did not rank very high compared to other winter jackets we tested, we are happy with its performance overall. If a piece like this doesn't fit in your budget, but you still want something warm and relatively stylish, take a look at The North Face McMurdo Down Parka. We also like the Rab Neutrino Pro as a warm and lightweight puffer-style jacket.
—
Jediah Porter
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