Carhartt 104458 Yukon Extremes Jacket: My Review w/ Photos


Carhartt has replaced their popular J133 jacket with this new version, the Carhartt 104458 jacket. I wore the J133 jacket for many years, and after comparing the two, my conclusion is this: this new Carhartt Yukon Extremes Jacket is still, in my opinion, the toughest and warmest jacket that Carhartt offers, and is great for those of you working in more extreme winter conditions.

There are, however, several design tweaks when comparing this new Carhartt 104458 winter jacket to the old Carhartt J133 jacket. The two new design tweaks that I like the most are:

  • Zip-to-Chin Design – The Carhartt 104458 jacket zips all the way to the chin and the Carhartt J133 jacket did not. This helps provide additional weather protection and wind protection to the neck area.
  • Lined Handwarmer Pockets – I’ve been saying for YEARS that I wished more work jackets had insulated pockets, and this new Carhartt 104458 provides that. The handwarmer pockets are lined with what appears to be a fleece lining that helps provide warmth to the hands.

There are some details that have not changed about this new Carhartt Yukon Extremes Jacket compared to the old Carhartt J133 jacket. For example, it still uses the ultra-durable Cordura nylon duck canvas outer shell (although the denier of the fabric has changed), and this new jacket has a very similar design with a cuffed waist, full-front zip, and an attached hood.

In this article I will occasionally use photos of my old J133 jacket for comparison, but if you want to read more about that jacket visit my article about the Carhartt J133. Let’s take a closer look at the Carhartt 104458 jacket and discuss some of the pros and cons, and compare it to other options (full a full breakdown of options, visit my article about the best Carhartt jackets).

Details of the Carhartt 104458 Yukon Extremes Jacket

Weight (size M)2.80 pounds
Thickness3.374 mm
Internal Pockets2
External Pockets3
Insulation 150g 3M Thinsulate
Shell Fabric6.5-oz 500D Cordura Nylon
Zip to Chin?Yes
Water-Repellent?Yes
Abrasion-Resistant?Yes
Wind-Resistant?Yes
Best For?Coldest Conditions

The Carhartt Yukon Extremes 104458 Jacket is built for the coldest conditions. This is not a jacket for mild climates. It uses 150g of 3M Thinsulate for insulation and has a durable Cordura nylon duck canvas shell fabric that is abrasion resistant, water-repellent, and wind-resistant.

This jacket has a zip-front design with an attached, drawcord-adjustable hood. The zipper extends all the way to the chin to give you extra weather protection around your neck. The sleeves have storm cuffs to keep moisture off of the wrists.

Despite being built for extreme conditions, this Carhartt 104458 Jacket is reasonably lightweight and non-bulky. My size medium weighs only 2.80 pounds and measures with a body thickness of 3.374 mm. Carhartt is able to achieve this by using 3M Thinsulate as the insulation, which is very good at trapping heat, but is non-bulky and lightweight.

Warmth & Durability of the Carhartt 104458 Jacket

Sometimes, understanding the warmth and durability of Carhartt jackets can be a challenge. Let me start by saying this: Carhartt refers to their Yukon Extremes series (which this Carhartt 104458 winter jacket is part of) as the “the warmest, most durable jackets and coats we make.”

That alone should give you a pretty good idea where this jacket stands regarding warmth and durability. This is not a lightweight jacket built for mild climates. It is built for extreme conditions, and has a durable, abrasion-resistant nylon outer shell fabric that can take on the toughest working conditions.

104458-carhartt-jacket-zipped

I have tried over 15 different Carhartt jackets and coats myself, and the Carhartt Yukon Extremes series, including this jacket, is the warmest that I have worn. But how has the warmth changed in this new Carhartt Yukon Extremes jacket compared to the original Carhartt J133 jacket? This is where it gets difficult to judge.

Carhartt 104458 Jacket Warmth

Carhartt does not publish a temperature rating for their jackets, and I certainly cannot give one either. But having worn both this Carhartt 104458 jacket and the old Carhartt J133 jacket, I feel like the warmth of both jackets is basically the same.

If you made me choose, I’d probably say the old J133 offered just a slight bit more weather protection because it had a heavier shell than this new version (although I like this new shell better, more on that later).

The old Carhartt J133 used the quilted-nylon lining with what was described as a “heavy, high-loft polyester insulation”. I always had a very difficult time nailing down the actual weight of the insulation used for that old J133 jacket, and I’m not even sure Carhartt published that information. Regardless, that jacket was very warm. Here’s a closeup look at the lining on my old Carhartt J133:

This new Carhartt 104458 winter jacket now uses 3M Thinsulate as the insulation. 3M Thinsulate is a synthetic insulation used in many types of work jackets and boots because it is very good at trapping heat, but it is also lightweight and non-bulky. This means you get the warmth without the bulk.

This new Carhartt Yukon Extremes Jacket uses 150g of 3M Thinsulate as insulation underneath the nylon lining. Here’s how the lining on my new Carhartt 104458 jacket looks like:

The warmth of this new Carhartt 104458 jacket is, in my opinion, basically the same as the warmth of the old J133 jacket that it replaces. The old J133 jacket was the warmest Carhartt jacket that I had ever worn, and I feel the same way about this new version.

For comparison on weight of insulation, another popular Carhartt jacket is the Carhartt 104050 which is an update to the old J130. I own this Carhartt 104050 jacket also, here’s mine:

This Carhartt 104050 is what I consider warm enough to handle most all winter conditions that I experience here in Kansas. But it only has 80g of 3M Thinsulate as insulation, compared to the 150g of 3M Thinsulate used in this new Carhartt 104458 Yukon Extreme Jacket.

Hopefully that helps put into perspective that this new Carhartt Yukon Extremes Jacket is built for extreme winter conditions. No, Carhartt doesn’t offer a temperature rating, and I can’t either, but I think this is the warmest Carhartt work jacket on the market today.

Summary – This new Carhartt Yukon Extremes Jacket uses the same nylon lining as the old J133, but this new Carhartt 104458 winter jacket uses 150g 3M Thinsulate as the insulation. 3M Thinsulate is great at trapping heat, but it is also lightweight and non-bulky. In my opinion, this is Carhartt’s warmest jacket. For perspective, Carhartt’s popular 104050 jacket uses 80g of 3M Thinsulate, and this Carhartt 104458 jacket uses nearly double the weight of insulation (150g). This jacket is built for the coldest conditions.

Carhartt 104458 Jacket Durability

The new Carhartt 104458 Yukon Extremes jacket has a 6.5-ounce, 500-denier Cordura nylon shell. A 500D Cordura nylon shell makes this the most durable outer shell fabric that Carhartt offers, and is abrasion-resistant, water-repellent, and wind-resistant (best Carhartt canvas jackets).

104458-carhartt-jacket-pocket-reflective

But it’s important to note that the old Carhartt J133 jacket actually used a thicker 1000-denier outer shell Cordura nylon fabric. What does this mean? What is the difference?

I won’t pretend to be a fabric expert, but first you need to understand that denier is a measurement that is used to determine the fiber thickness of individual threads. The higher the number, the more durable the fabric is. So was the old Carhartt J133 shell more durable?

My answer is that likely yes, it was. I say likely because I haven’t put this through scientific testing, but because this new Carhartt Yukon Extremes Jacket uses a lower denier fabric, it won’t be quite as durable as the old Carhartt J133. But it is important to re-emphasize that the 500D Cordura fabric used in this new jacket is still extremely durable.

I actually like the new fabric better. One complaint I had with the old Carhartt J133, and the 1000D Cordura nylon duck, was it was very stiff and very noisy. I really like this change to the 500D Cordura fabric because the shell itself is still very durable and wind-resistant, but to me it feels more flexible and easier to wear.

Here’s a look at the Carhartt 104458 jacket’s 500D fabric (left) compared to the 1000D fabric from my old J133 jacket (right):

Summary – This new Carhartt Yukon Extremes Jacket uses a fabric that is not quite as stiff and sturdy as the old Carhartt J133, but for me, this new fabric is a positive because it is still very durable, and makes the jacket more flexible and easier to wear. This is still Carhartt’s most durable jacket and the shell provides abrasion-resistance, wind-resistance, and is water-repellent.

Weight of the Carhartt 104458 Jacket

Another benefit of using 3M Thinsulate as insulation is not only is it very good at trapping heat, it is also lightweight and non-bulky. This means you can have a jacket built for extreme conditions that isn’t extremely heavy and awkward to wear.

My size medium Carhartt 104458 work jacket weighs 2.80 pounds:

104458-carhartt-jacket-weight

The old J133 jacket that it replaces weighed a little bit more. My size M Carhartt J133 jacket weighed 2.94 pounds:

carhartt-extreme-arctic-jacket-review-weight

And compare this to another popular Carhartt winter jacket, the Carhartt J140 jacket, which weighs even more. My J140 size medium weighs 3.16 pounds:

carhartt-duck-active-jacket-review-weight

The main takeaway regarding weight is this Carhartt 104458 work jacket is very lightweight and non-bulky despite being built for the coldest conditions. This is not a jacket that will weigh you down.

Other Changes to the Carhartt 104458 Jacket

So we have discussed the warmth and durability of the Carhartt 104458 Jacket compared to the old J133 jacket that it replaces, but there are other differences. I actually think Carhartt did a great job of upgrading this jacket and making it more useful. Here are some new details you need to know.

Lined Hand-Warmer Pockets

Finally, I’m starting to get my wish. As I mentioned earlier, not enough work jacket have lined, insulated hand-warmer pockets. If there’s one spot on a jacket I want insulation, it’s the hand-warmer pockets.

One upgrade from the old J133 is this new 104458 Carhartt Yukon Extremes Jacket has a lining in the hand-warmer pockets, and the J133 did not. I can’t find the details on what specific type of fabric Carhartt is using to line these pockets, but to me it appears to be fleece. Here is the lining on my pocket:

104458-carhartt-jacket-lined-pockets

Zip-to-Chin Design

I like the design change here to make this a jacket that zips all the way to the bottom of the chin. This helps keep wind and rain off your neckline and help improve the overall warmth of the jacket. The old J133 did not zip to the chin and instead stopped at the base of the neck.

Here is my new Carhartt 104458 winter jacket (left) compared to my old J133 Jacket (right):

External Chest Pocket

The old J133 just hand the two handwarmer pockets, and two internal pockets. This new Carhartt 104458 jacket has those same two handwarmer pockets, and two internal pockets, but this new jacket also has an external zip-close chest map pocket. Here’s a look at this new pocket:

104458-carhartt-jacket-chest-pocket

Storm Cuff Sleeves

The old J133 just had the traditional cuffed sleeves, but this new Carhartt Yukon Extremes Jacket has the storm cuff sleeves. These new sleeves still have the rib-knit cuffs, but they also have the storm flap that extends down over the cuff to keep the weather off the cuffs and off your wrists.

104458-carhartt-jacket-storm-cuff

Adjustable Hood

Not only does this new hood have an easy-to-adjust drawcord, but it also has an adjustable strap on the back of the hood that allows you to adjust the sizing to meet your specific needs. Here is a look at the adjustable strap on the back of the hood:

104458-carhartt-jacket-adjustable-hood

Reflective Detailing

This new Carhartt Yukon Extremes Jacket 104458 has reflective detailing on the handwarmer pockets and on the center back yoke of the jacket. The Carhartt emblem itself is also reflective. The old Carhartt J133 jacket did not have this reflective detailing.

Sizing

I think this new Carhartt 104458 jacket fits true to size (Carhartt jacket sizing). It’s important to note that this new version does not fit as bulky as the old J133 that it replaces. For comparison, on the left is my new Carhartt 104458 work jacket, and on the right is my old Carhartt J133 jacket:

You can see above almost how the old jacket looks stiff and bulky compared to the new version. Carhartt changing the shell fabric from 1000-denier to 500-denier Cordura nylon and incorporating non-bulky 3M Thinsulate as the insulation has made this jacket less bulky.

I ordered my normal sizing for this new version, and it fit perfectly. There is still room for me to layer underneath if needed. Here is my size medium Carhartt 104458 work jacket compared to a size medium Hanes undershirt:

104458-carhartt-jacket-sizing

Alternatives to the Carhartt 104458 Jacket

If you don’t like this new Carhartt Yukon Extremes jacket, and want alternatives to Carhartt, I’d recommend considering Refrigiwear. They make great outerwear for extreme winter conditions. You can check out their outerwear by clicking here. To read about even more options, visit our article about the best winter work jackets.

If you’d prefer to stick with Carhartt, I’d suggest considering the Carhartt J140 jacket, which is actually my favorite jacket. Here’s what you need to know:

Carhartt J140 Jacket

The J140 flannel lined canvas jacket is my favorite Carhartt jacket. This jacket uses a firm cotton duck shell which is extremely durable (but not quite as durable as the nylon shell used in this Carhartt Yukon Extremes Jacket). What I love the most about this jacket is the quilted-flannel lining. It is very warm and very comfortable to wear.

This J140 jacket has a very similar design to the Carhartt Yukon Extremes Jacket, in that it has a full-front zip and a cuffed waist with an attached hood. But if you are working in the coldest conditions, especially if you’re dealing with precipitation also, the Carhartt 104458 jacket is, in my opinion, the better option. It has a more durable and weather-resistant shell, is slightly warmer, and zips all the way to the chin for extra weather protection.

But if you aren’t dealing with extreme conditions, this J140 jacket may be the better option. To read more, visit my article about the Carhartt J140 jacket.

Other Carhartt Options

If you want to do a deep dive into Carhartt outerwear, linked below are more of our resources for Carhartt jackets and coats:

Carhartt Yukon Extremes Jacket 104458 Conclusion

My Opinion: After wearing over 15 different types of Carhartt jackets and coats, and comparing this new Carhartt 104458 jacket to other brands and to the old Carhartt J133 jacket my conclusion is this: this Carhartt 104458 work jacket is the warmest and toughest Carhartt jacket available today.

It has a durable nylon outer shell that is wind-resistant, abrasion-resistant, and water-repellent. It is insulated with 150g of 3M Thinsulate which makes it warm, but non-bulky.

Overall, I like the upgrades that this new Carhartt Yukon Extremes Jacket offers in comparison to the old Carhartt J133 jacket that it replaces. This is perfect for those of you who need something warm and durable for extreme conditions.

Paul Johnson

Paul is a lead content creator for Workwear Command. He has had several blue-collar jobs which have provided him a wide range of experience with tools and gear. He also has a business degree and has spent time in business casual office settings.

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