The original Warden's parker that I owned was softer and more supple. This one is tougher and more versatile (because of the 3-way feature). I have used the down liner as a jacket, and the shell as a raincoat in warmer weather. The liner is easy to zip out, and has its own pockets. (by the way, I didn't pay extra for the liner, which someone in their review said you have to do) The pockets are great. I can put #10 envelopes full length in the front pockets when I go to the post office in the rain. The pocket inside the storm flap is a secure and an easily accessible place to put my wallet. (there are zipper free diagonal side pockets for your hands, you do not have to use the bottom horizontal zippered pockets for your hands that someone complained about in their review.) The cell phone pocket on the inside is too tight and hard to get to quickly. I put my cell phone in one of the top diagonal zippered pockets. Lets just say there are so many pockets you can lose yourself if you don't watch out. You can tighten up everything from top to bottom and keep out a blizzard. The hood is not insulted (my old one was) so I wear a LL Bean hat with ear flaps under the hood when it is extremely cold. The hood is expandable to accommodate it easily. The hood also adjusts to move back above your eyes to allow an unrestricted view, or down low to keep out blowing rain or snow. I have never been cold wearing this parker outside for long periods of time in snow and wind. It's like a tank against the weather. The zipper problem people have raised seems to be a long standing issue. I sent back an old warmup jacket which was perfect except that the zipper would not work. My wife's original warden's parker is perfect except for the zipper. I plan to send it back to have it fixed.(Of course LL Bean replaced my warmup jacket zipper and lived up to their guarantee) I have not had a problem with this parker's zipper after about two years of wear, but I did find it tricky to start it at first, and can see how not taking time to start it correctly could result in damage. This parker is excellent overall and I am glad to have it.
As advertised, this coat does a great job keeping me comfortable in very cold weather. An abundance of pockets and the removable down liner add to the functionality.
While the coat seems to be well made, the main zipper pull tab (the rubber/fabric piece, not the zipper itself) is inadequate and broke off the second time I used it. Fortunately the replacement piece LLBean sent is much sturdier than the original.
I found the sizing to be a bit challenging. Depending on the coat, I wear either a Large or Medium. In this case, the Large was way too long in the sleeves, but otherwise was comfortable while the Medium is a little snugger fit than I like in a winter coat (and I am a relatively slender guy). I ended up opting for the Medium.
Finally, be aware that while the shell is parka length and covers one's rear end, the down liner is only waist length. Not a huge issue, but I expected and would have preferred the down liner to have been roughly the same length as the rest of the jacket.
All in all though, this is an excellent coat if your main concern is to be warm, and it provides the added versatility of being able to wear either the liner or shell separately in differing weather conditions. I am glad I bought it.
Warm, very waterproof, lots of pockets. Only improvement for me would be a more substantial main zipper. The one provided works OK but seems a little light for a coat of this bulk. Very light weight for it's bulk.
