Insight · Cold Weather

Are Leather Jackets Warm?

The question we get more than any other in October is some version of this one: is a leather jacket warm enough for winter? The honest answer is that it depends on the jacket, not the leather. A thin, unlined leather jacket and a sheepskin shearling coat are both leather jackets. One is for a spring evening and the other was built for bomber crews at altitude. This guide explains what makes a leather jacket warm, gives you a temperature guide, and ranks our own jackets from lightest to warmest so you can pick the one that fits your winter.

Why leather feels warm, and where it falls short

Leather does one thing very well in the cold: it stops wind. A full-grain hide is dense, and wind that cuts straight through a wool sweater or a fleece hits a leather jacket and stops. On a raw, windy day, that alone makes a leather jacket feel far warmer than the thermometer says. It is why motorcyclists and early aviators wore leather in the first place.

What leather does not do well is trap air, and trapped air is what keeps you warm. The leather in most jackets is thin, often under a millimeter for lambskin, and has no loft. On its own, it holds about as much heat as a heavy shirt. So the warmth of any leather jacket comes down to three things:

• The lining and fill. A cotton or polyester lining adds a little. A quilted lining adds more. Down fill, sherpa, or real shearling is where the serious warmth lives.
• The cut. A jacket with a snug collar, closed cuffs, and a hem that cinches seals in heat. An open waist and loose cuffs let it out.
• What you wear under it. A leather jacket over a T-shirt and the same jacket over a flannel or wool sweater are two different jackets.

Is a leather jacket warm enough for winter? A temperature guide

This is the rule of thumb we use for our own jackets, with light wind and a normal amount of time outside. Run warm or cold, and adjust a row either way. Add wind and drop a row.

So yes, a leather jacket can be warm enough for winter, but only the right one. If your winter is Charlotte or Nashville, a lined jacket and a good sweater will cover most days. If your winter is Denver, Chicago, or Bozeman, you want down or shearling.

Our leather jackets, lightest to warmest

Every jacket below is real leather. What changes from row to row is what is inside.

Down-filled leather: the Bridger

The Bridger Leather Down Jacket is what we built for men who wanted a leather jacket they could wear all winter. It is full-grain lambskin on the outside and 80/20 down at 530 fill power on the inside, with cinch toggles at the hem to seal out drafts. The leather stops the wind and the down traps the heat, so each covers the other's weakness. We have heard from Bridger owners in Montana who wore theirs well below zero. For most men, it covers everything from the 40s down into the teens with a sweater underneath. If you want the down without the sleeves, the Bridger Leather Down Vest layers under any jacket above.

For more on how down is measured, see what down fill power means.

Shearling: the original winter leather jacket

Genuine shearling is sheepskin with the wool left on. The wool side faces in and does the insulating, and the hide side faces out and blocks the wind. It is the warmest leather jacket you can buy, and it is the oldest. Bomber crews in World War II wore sheepskin B-3 jackets in unheated aircraft at altitude, where the air was far below zero. Our Shearling Leather Bomber is the modern descendant, in real merino sheepskin with a 12 to 14 mm wool pile. Do not confuse it with sherpa, which is a polyester fleece made to look like shearling. Sherpa is warm. Shearling is warmer, breathes better, and lasts longer. See shearling vs. sherpa for the full comparison.

The lineup

Shop Men’s Leather Jackets

From lightweight goatskin to down-filled lambskin and merino shearling. Every one real leather, nothing bonded or faux.

From $429.95

Shop Leather Jackets

How to layer a leather jacket for winter

Layering is how you stretch a lined leather jacket another 10 or 15 degrees.

1. Start with a base layer. A long-sleeve tee or henley in cotton or merino.
2. Add a warm mid layer. A flannel, a crewneck wool sweater, or a wool shirt jac. Wool is the best choice here because it stays warm even if you sweat.
3. Put a vest in the middle when it is truly cold. A down or leather vest adds warmth at the core without bulking up the arms. See how to wear a vest.
4. Close the gaps. Zip the jacket, turn up the collar, and add a scarf, a hat, and gloves. A lot of heat leaves through the neck and wrists.

One warning: layering only works if the jacket has room. Leather does not stretch much sideways. If you plan to wear a sweater under it, check the fit advice for that jacket before you order. Some of ours, like the Legacy, run small and should be sized up. Others, like the Glenwood and Maverick, run large, so size down if you are between sizes. Our leather jacket fit guide explains how to tell.

Leather vs. wool vs. down

That is why the warmest leather jackets pair leather with something else. Leather does the wind. Down or wool does the warmth. For more, read wool vs. down.

Can you wear a leather jacket in rain or snow?

Light rain and snow will not hurt a good leather jacket. Brush off snow, blot off water, and let it dry on a wide hanger at room temperature. Never dry leather with a heater or hair dryer, since fast heat is what cracks it. A heavy soaking is different, so on a truly wet day, wear a shell. Condition the jacket once or twice a season to keep the leather supple. See what to do when leather gets wet.

What owners say

The Bridger Leather Down Jacket holds a 4.8 out of 5 rating from 169 reviews, the Legacy a 4.8 from 174, and the Shearling Leather Bomber a 4.9 from 48.

The most common note in jacket reviews is about fit, not warmth. Several Legacy owners said it runs a little tight out of the box and loosens with wear, which is why we recommend sizing up in that one. If you plan to layer, size for the layer.

A short history of the warm leather jacket

Leather jackets were cold-weather gear before they were style. In World War I, pilots flew in open cockpits wrapped in heavy leather coats. By World War II, bomber crews flying at high altitude in unheated planes wore sheepskin shearling jackets like the B-3, and fighter pilots wore the lighter A-2. After the war, those jackets came home, and motorcyclists took up leather for the same reason pilots had: it stops the wind. Every warm leather jacket made today, including ours, traces back to those two ideas. Leather on the outside for the wind. Something warm on the inside for the cold. For the full story, see the history of leather jackets.

Frequently asked questions

Xan Hood founded Buffalo Jackson Trading Co. in 2009. He designs our leather jackets and outerwear in Matthews, North Carolina.