This is a Carhartt C55 review for the Carhartt Yukon Extremes Arctic Coat. The Carhartt Yukon Arctic Coat combines the toughest outer shell that Carhartt offers (the CORDURA nylon Duck) with the warmest insulation that Carhartt offers (the arctic insulation).
UPDATE – As of 2021, Carhartt no longer makes the C55 Yukon Extremes Coat. They now have a newer version, style 104460, that is very similar to the C55 in that it has the durable nylon duck shell and is made for extreme conditions. It features 150g of 3M Thinsulate for insulation, and is water-repellent and wind-resistant. Click here to view this new Carhartt 104460 coat (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com).
Carhartt offers both a Yukon Arctic Jacket and a Yukon Arctic Coat. Both have the tough CORDURA nylon duck shell and the ultra-warm arctic quilt-lined insulation, but they do have differences that make one better than the other depending on job.
And please understand this: the Yukon Arctic Coat has the nylon fabric outer shell. The Nylon shell is very tough and durable (plus wind resistant), but some people prefer a cotton fabric shell instead. The good news is the arctic insulation (which is the warmest) is also offered in other types of cotton shells if you don’t like nylon.
If you are shopping for a Carhartt winter work coat, and not entirely sure what you need, please visit our buyer’s guide where we go over the best Carhartt jackets and literally make recommendations of specific coats and jackets depending on job and location.
Again, this Yukon Arctic Coat is for extreme cold conditions prevalent in the Northern US (like New England, Ohio Valley, Michigan, Minnesota, the Dakotas, and Rockies) and up through Canada and Alaska. If that is you, this coat is a great solution. Here is a look at the Yukon Arctic Coat I own (STYLE #C55):
What You Need To Know
The Carhartt Yukon Arctic Coat is an ultra-warm coat that has the arctic insulation, which is the warmest insulation that Carhartt offers. If you will be working in the extreme and dangerous winter conditions, this coat will provide you the toughness and warmth that you need.
It combines this warmth with the toughest version of Carhartt’s famous Duck fabric: the Cordura Duck. Cordura Duck is made from 1000-denier nylon and not only is it water and wind resistant to help give you added weather protection, it also is abrasion, tear, and scuff resistant.
Basically, this is the toughest, warmest coat you can buy from Carhartt. But is it right for you? There are a few things to consider.
First, the Carhartt Yukon Arctic Coat is different than the Carhartt Yukon Arctic Jacket. Both are built for the extreme cold, but they serve different purposes.
The Yukon Arctic Coat is a drop-tail coat that hits below your waistline. Yes, this gives the coat added weather protection, but it does make it more difficult to use with a tool belt (if you will be using a tool belt, I recommend the Yukon Arctic Jacket which has a cuffed waist).
You will also need to consider the Yukon Arctic Coat’s fabric and feel. Yes, it is the toughest fabric, but because it has that nylon toughness, it can be a bit stiff and noisy until you break it in. All things considered, it’s a minor annoyance and well worth it to get the added protection.
**This article is a Carhartt C55 Review. It is property of workwearcommand.com
The inside is extremely comfortable against the skin, and despite being ultra-warm and ultra-tough, the coat is still reasonably light in total weight. Credit to Carhartt for finding a way to make the arctic insulation both incredibly warm and very lightweight. My medium Yukon Arctic Coat weighed only 3.21 pounds.
The Yukon Coat has 6 pockets, including a zip-pocket on the inside of the coat so that you have a dry, secure spot to store your essentials. The 6 pockets for storage is one of the ways that the Yukon Coat distinguishes itself from the Yukon Jacket. The Yukon jacket only has 4 pockets.
This Carhartt Extremes Yukon Arctic Coat is built for those dangerously cold days and months. It is best for the following tasks/jobs in those dangerous cold environments:
- Winter Farm Chores
- Camping and Hiking
- Chopping firewood
- Shoveling Snow
- Supervising Winter Work Sites
- Winter Road Crews
- Tow Truck Drivers
- Lineman
- Fisherman
- Dock Workers
- Northern US Construction Jobs
Carhartt C55 Review: Fit
One of the biggest issues with work coats is finding the right size. Just up front know this: Carhartt coats and jackets will run big. This is for obvious reasons: you need room to function and you need room to layer.
Let’s begin this Carhartt C55 review by taking a more specific look at how the Carhartt Yukon Arctic Coat fits using pictures of the coat that I own. How does the Carhartt Yukon Arctic Coat fit?
How does the Carhartt Yukon Arctic Coat fit?
The Carhartt Yukon Arctic coat has a loose, relaxed fit that does run a little bit big in size. That said, I personally do not recommend sizing down.
I usually wear a size medium in cloths. For reference, here I am wearing a medium t-shirt (6’3″ 200 pounds):
I ordered a size medium Carhartt Yukon Arctic Coat and here is how it fits on me:
As you can see, the coat has a loose, relaxed fit, which is needed so that you have appropriate freedom of movement while using this coat. I do not recommend sizing up or sizing down.
The coat has enough room to layer underneath if needed. Here I am wearing mine with a hoodie layered underneath:
The Yukon Arctic Coat does have a drawstring in the lower part of the back so that you can tighten the coat around your waistline:
Here is a look at my size medium Carhartt Yukon Arctic Coat compared to a size medium Hanes undershirt straight out of the package:
**This article is a Carhartt C55 Review. It is property of workwearcommand.com
Carhartt C55 Review: In-Depth Breakdown
Warmth, Toughness, and Storage
The strength of this coat is in its warmth, toughness, and storage. If you need an ultra-tough work coat for extreme winter conditions, this is the coat for you.
The Carhartt Yukon Arctic Coat is an ultra-warm coat that has the arctic insulation with a quilt-lining, which is the warmest insulation that Carhartt offers.
This coat is part of Carhartt’s Yukon Extremes collection, which is work wear that is created to serve those working in extreme cold environments. If you are shopping for a work coat for the northern US or Canada/Alaska, this is a great option.
This coat is made with the Cordura Duck fabric, which is Carhartt’s toughest fabric. It is nylon-based, and is abrasion proof, and is also wind and water resistant.
Understand that brand new, this fabric is stiff and noisy to move in until you break it in (more on that later). That said, to have the toughest and warmest gear out there, sometimes sacrifices have to be made. And if you need warmth, this coat delivers.
This coat is full front-zip and also has the weather flap to help keep the coat warm near the zipper, and keep the elements out. It’s a heavy-duty zipper that will last over the long haul.
The Yukon Arctic Coat has corduroy lining on the collar to help keep your neck warm:
This coat also features the Carhartt storm cuffs, which have the rib-knit cuffs that are shielded on the outside by nylon fabric which gives your wrists added weather protection:
The other main strength of this coat are it’s pockets. This coat has 6 pockets, which is 2 more than the Yukon Arctic jacket has. If you are needing a lot of storage space maybe for camping, hiking, or working around the farm, this coat gives you plenty of options.
It has two large hand-warming pockets near the waist line:
My only small complaint about these hand-warmer traditional pockets is they are not quilt-lined or insulated. I think it would be worth putting the insulation on the pockets also. That said, they are big enough to fit your hands in there even with work gloves on.
The outside chest pockets both open from the top and give you a place to store a utility tool, small clip flashlight, or other tools you need within an easy reach.
There are two inside pockets. One is a zip-close pocket that gives you an insulated, dry place to store essentials like your phone, keys, and wallet.
**This article is a Carhartt C55 Review. It is property of workwearcommand.com
Comfort and Flexibility
To discuss comfort, let’s break it down into inside and outside. The inside of the Yukon Arctic Coat is EXTREMELY comfortable and easy to wear. If feels incredibly lightweight on your shoulders.
And that is really something to emphasize with this coat. Carhartt has found a way to make the arctic insulation both incredibly warm and very lightweight. My medium Yukon Arctic Coat weighed only 3.21 pounds:
The quilted-lining is very soft to the touch and it feels very comfortable against the skin. The inside of this coat is as comfortable as any work coat I have had.
The outside of this coat is very different than the inside. While the inside is ultra-comfortable, the outside has the hard shell nylon fabric that is essential to ensure that the coat is tough enough to hold up against weather and abrasions. But it is important to understand that this material does make the jacket fit a bit stiff until you get it broken in over time.
I personally did not mind the stiff nylon duck shell, but I could see some people would potentially prefer a softer feel to the outside of their coat. My view on this is hey, if you want the warmest and toughest, you might have to concede a few things, like the outer shell material. To me, it is well-worth it to have the firm outer shell to help keep out the weather and make sure it stands up to abrasions.
But if you do not like stiff coats, perhaps a different Carhartt or other type of work coat makes more sense for you. The Carhartt Sandstone jackets have a soft, broken-in feeling.
This coat does have pleated stretch panels on the upper back to help give you freedom of movement through your shoulders while working. Here is a look at the pleated back panels on my coat:
It also has pleated elbows so that your arms have more room for movement.
The pleated back and elbows combined with the loose fit of this coat allows you to easily move your arms while wearing this coat, so that you don’t feel restricted while working. This coat is built to handle movements even as extreme as shoveling snow or chopping firewood.
Versatility and Weather Resistance
This coat is wind and water resistant on top of being abrasion resistant. This is where that tough nylon duck outer shell comes in useful.
The nylon CORDURA duck fabric is water-repellent, which means it can fight off snow and light precipication, but this coat is not a water-proof rain coat that can stand up to a driving rain storm.
But if you are using this for the extreme cold, the chance of you encountering a driving rain storm are very low. This coat is built to withstand snow and light freezing drizzle.
One final important note (which we briefly discussed earlier) is this coat does have a drop tail that hits below your waistline. Again, I am 6’3″ tall and here I am wearing a size medium:
The Carhartt Yukon Arctic Coat does have some versatility in that it has the built-in pleated movement panels to allow you to take on jobs that require you to move your shoulders and arms freely. But this coat does not pair well with a tool belt due to its length.
If you are working construction, or some other type of trade that require a tool belt, but need this Carhartt Arctic warmth, then I recommend you buy the Carhartt Yukon Arctic Jacket instead of the Carhartt Yukon Arctic Coat. The jacket has the cuffed waist that can be paired with a tool belt.
***Don’t forget, we cover a wide range of Carhartt gear. If you want to browse through our entire collection of Carhartt gear articles, visit our Carhartt Gear Guide.
Where to Buy the Carhartt Yukon Arctic Coat?
The Carhartt Yukon Arctic Coat combines the toughest outer shell that Carhartt offers (the CORDURA nylon Duck) with the warmest insulation that Carhartt offers (the arctic insulation). If you are going to be working in an extreme and dangerously cold environment, this is the coat that can offer you protection.
This coat has a bi-swing pleated back for ease of movement, has 6 pockets for plenty of storage, and has a drop tail that gives you added weather protection even down past your waist line. But it is important to remember that the droptail makes this coat hard to pair with a tool belt.
This coat is best for the following tasks/jobs during dangerously cold conditions:
- Winter Farm Chores
- Camping and Hiking
- Chopping firewood
- Shoveling Snow
- Supervising Winter Work Sites
- Winter Road Crews
- Tow Truck Drivers
- Lineman
- Fisherman
- Dock Workers
- Northern US Construction Jobs
The jacket form of this coat is the J133. To read more, visit my article about the Carhartt J133 Jacket.