Save this story Save Story Save this story The best men's trench coat is more than a layer of protection against inclement weather. Over a decade ago, I bought my first version from the now-resurgent mall brand Banana Republic . I was tired of sporting cheaply made, garbage-bag-like nylon jackets, and hated getting soaked from the waist down. (Nothing says “I’ve given up” quite like walking around with soggy thighs).
The trench coat’s longer, more traditional double-breasted design—complete with the requisite wide lapels, epaulets, storm flaps, and belt—really tickled my outerwear fancy, and I haven’t looked back since. To help replicate that formative experience, GQ Recommends went deep on the absolute best men's trench coat for stylish fellas of every stripe, each one ready and raring to stylishly dodge rain, snow, and all manner of sludge for years to come.
The Best for Most People J.Crew Rivington Trench Coat Read more $498 J.Crew
The Best Budget Option Abercrombie Trench Coat Read more $190 Abercrombie
The Iconic Upgrade Burberry Cotton Gabardine Trench Coat Read more $3,490 Mr Porter
The Extra-Durable Pick Barbour Burghley Wax Jacket Read more $630 J. Press
The Smartest Pick Oliver Spencer Lothian Twill Trench Coat Read more $950 Mr Porter
The Warmest Pick Mackintosh Blanefield Lined Double-Breasted Trench Read more $2,700 Mackintosh
More Trench Coats We Love How We Test and Review Products How We Make These Picks How the Trench Coat Got Its Name Why Should You Buy a Trench Coat Best Trench Coat for Most People: J.Crew Rivington Trench Coat Save to wishlist Save to wishlist J.Crew
Pros Pared down, but not totally minimal design Classic fit with natural fiber drape Wide variety of sizes and lengths Cons Limited colorway (just one :\ ) It's not as long as some of you might like, but for the details, reliability, and price point, we're happy to call J.Crew's Rivington trench the best option for most people. The 100% cotton twill is a solid-feeling midweight that has a natural non-synthetic hand, and it’s finished with a fluorocarbon- and PFC-free water-repellent coating for protection against showers.
It also comes lined for comfort, with raglan sleeves for a soft shoulder and ease of motion, and a belt for a better fit and bonus style points. We like that the Rivington isn’t overwrought with vestigial buttons, flaps, or epaulets like the OG trench coats, but that it’s also not so replete of details to make it boring. It has drape, movement, and just the right amount of design to make it stand out without shouting. Plus, for just under $500, it really is nice value for an overcoat too.
Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Abercrombie
Pros On-trend oversized fit Great price Cons Lower quality fabric than other options here Honestly, if you didn't tell us the price of this one, I'd believe you that it cost a lot more. Made from mostly polyester, it might not have the soft texture of a twill-forward design, but that also makes it far stronger and more durable against raindrops, snowballs, you name it. And for that low price point, you get a high number of details: A belt, buttoned pockets, hidden interior check pockets, adjustable cuffs, even some epaulets. If you’re sure enough of the trench coat's place in your wardrobe to put the down payment on a Burberry, this $190 option should be your first choice.
Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Burberry
Pros Shower-proof, clout-ful High-end materials and construction Cons Burberry check > rent check We’ve mentioned the brand multiple times before even getting to it, which tells you something about the weight Burberry carries in the trench coat universe. The Holy Grail of trenches has been in production for over 100 years—Thomas Burberry literally patented the gabardine fabric for these coats—and today it comes with a two-year warranty, and lifetime repair service (for a fee after those two years pass).
This version, in a beautiful darker shade, has handsome epaulets and a generous storm vent, as well as the adjustable belt and cuffs, which you can tighten to protect that fancy watch you’ve earned. This is the trench coat that can hop from degenerate Pierpoint bankers to art dealers (and yes, even podcasters) without missing a beat.
Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Barbour
Pros Ages beautifully Rugged appeal, heritage quality Cons Rewaxing! Trench coats come in more flavors than you think. And while most of them have a sort of city-leaning taste to them, there are some that lean a little more into the countryside and eschew the cockamamy tech-y waterproof coatings and futuristic fabrics of today’s trenches. For something more down-to-earth and rugged, we love Barbour. (You’re likely familiar with Barbour’s English coat bonafides in the form of the blazer-length Bedale jacket.)
Behold, the gloriously long, gloriously waxy Burghley wax jacket. It features a grip of roomy patch snap pockets, a pair of handwarmer pockets, corduroy accents, and an attached hood to keep your precious little dome dry and warm. While the DNA seems to have splices of a barn coat, parka, and a trench coat, we’re fine with lumping it in the other trench coats—especially given how stylish it is.
Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Oliver Spencer
Pros No comma in the price tag Wonderful long length Smart look Cons Close to a comma in the price tag Honestly, we might have saved the best winner until last here. Not only does Oliver Spencer's Lothian Twill trench come in a generous longer length, but it also pairs the comfort of the classic trench (raglan sleeves, plenty of room) with the sharpness of a more modern design (concealed fastenings, not much visible hardware.) The fabric is also weighted, without any stretch, meaning this'll have the hefty presence of an heirloom item from the day you take it for its first drizzle-deflecting spin.
Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Mackintosh
Alongside Burberry, Mackintosh is the other name to know in trench terminology. And this gorgeous design of theirs is even lined, keeping you extra toasty once the breeze picks up.
Toteme's distinct minimalist style makes its new, first-ever men's trench coat one of the cleanest on the market.
Save to wishlist Save to wishlist C.P. Company
Masters of technical fabrics and highly complex construction, C.P. Company continues to push and innovate. This one is both lightweight and tough, and stuffed with insulating padding to keep you cozy through frigid winter weather.
Trench coats usually rely on a tightly-woven fabric and a DWR coating to keep water at bay, but Toast's opts for a more old-school approach with an all-cotton twill exterior—like Barbour and Burberry had a lovechild.
Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Graphpaper
Cult Japanese label Graphpaper has finally landed at Mr Porter. Which means you can get their more distinguished take on a trench coat to your door in no time, with free shipping and free returns.
Save to wishlist Save to wishlist The Row
The thing about The Row is that you might first scoff at the price. But then you realise the stores are always full, the customers are always happy, and realise it might have been smart to save up for one perfect piece from them rather than buying four mid alternatives.
Save to wishlist Save to wishlist J. Press
Who said they have to be beige? New boss Jack Carlson's more playful point of view is already on show at J. Press with this brighter trench to lift gloomy gray day spirits.
Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Todd Snyder
Made in Italy (Todd, you spoil us), the brand here recommends sizing down for a regular fit, or simply trusting them that the slightly oversized look they've gone for will suit you even better.
Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Drake's
Yes, this Drake's coat is just over $2,300. But given that it's reversible, it's sort of just over $1,150? Fashion boy math.
Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Private White V.C.
Mix Burberry's quality and elegance with some even more striking lapels, and you get the Despatch Rider from Private White V.C. One of the best on this entire list, it's your reward for sticking with us.
Like so many icons of everyday menswear, the trench coat's story starts with the military. Its exact origins remain a matter of insider-y dispute, but credit is certainly due to one Thomas Burberry, who invented a waterproof, breathable fabric known as gabardine and used it to design coats for British army officers fightings in the trenches of the early 1900s. (Hence the name!) That material, and Burberry’s sketches, became a template that still informs the coat's design to this day.
Over the decades, the trench coat has transcended its military origins to become a trusty staple of civilian dressing. Simply put, no other coat covers as much of the body without overheating it, or manages to be both water-repellent and presentable enough to meet the in-laws. And while the basic appeal of the trench coat hasn’t changed much in a century, more brands than ever are putting their own spin on the style. Legacy acts like Burberry and Mackintosh may still run the game, but hot on their heels are a series of upstart brands just desperate to cloak your fall wardrobe of jeans and hefty-ass crewneck sweatshirts with their gabardine garms.
Style is subjective, we know—that’s the fun of it. But we’re serious about helping our audience get dressed. Whether it’s the best white sneakers , the flyest affordable suits , or the need-to-know menswear drops of the week , GQ Recommends’ perspective is built on years of hands-on experience, an insider awareness of what’s in and what’s next, and a mission to find the best version of everything out there, at every price point.
Our staffers aren’t able to try on every single piece of clothing you read about on GQ.com (fashion moves fast these days), but we have an intimate knowledge of each brand’s strengths and know the hallmarks of quality clothing—from materials and sourcing, to craftsmanship, to sustainability efforts that aren’t just greenwashing. GQ Recommends heavily emphasizes our own editorial experience with those brands, how they make their clothes, and how those clothes have been reviewed by customers. Bottom line: GQ wouldn’t tell you to wear it if we wouldn’t.
We make every effort to cast as wide of a net as possible, with an eye on identifying the best options across three key categories: quality , fit , and price .
To kick off the process, we enlist the GQ Recommends braintrust to vote on our contenders. Some of the folks involved have worked in retail, slinging clothes to the masses; others have toiled for small-batch menswear labels; all spend way too much time thinking about what hangs in their closets.
We lean on that collective experience to guide our search, culling a mix of household names, indie favorites, and the artisanal imprints on the bleeding-edge of the genre. Then we narrow down the assortment to the picks that scored the highest across quality, fit, and price.
Across the majority of our buying guides, our team boasts firsthand experience with the bulk of our selects, but a handful are totally new to us. So after several months of intense debate, we tally the votes, collate the anecdotal evidence, and emerge with a list of what we believe to be the absolute best of the category right now, from the tried-and-true stalwarts to the modern disruptors, the affordable beaters to the wildly expensive (but wildly worth-it) designer riffs.
Whatever your preferences, whatever your style, there's bound to be a superlative version on this list for you. ( Read more about GQ's testing process here .)
Source: Celebrities
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