13 Best Jackets for Traveling

Winter travel, chilly deserts, European summer towns, freezing rain, icy wind, pub crawls – there are a million scenarios when great travel jackets are awesome. If you’ve ever gotten off a flight and immediately regretted your packing choices, you need a good travel jacket. The best jackets for traveling, whether you’re headed to Europe or Asia, whether you’re looking for men’s or women’s ones, are packable and versatile. Not only are they ideal for multiple activities, but also they’re wrinkle-free, lightweight, and can be packed down small if need be. In fact, having a good jacket is as important as having the best backpack for traveling light. To that end, here are the 13 best traveling jackets, including men’s and women’s travel jackets for Europe.

Levi’s Plus-Size Original Trucker Jacket

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Best denim jacket. Now, who wouldn’t love a gorgeous denim jacket? That’s why the Levi’s Plus-Size Original Trucker Jacket is one of the best jackets for traveling. This timeless medium-wash denim jacket is a closet staple for good reason. For one, it fits just right. At the same time, it feels comfortable and soft from the get-go and doesn’t face wear and tear very quickly, either. It even comes in as many as 11 colorways, including the classic dark blue denim below. You also have the option of getting this style in rarer light blue and jet black. If that wasn’t enough, it even comes in 15 size options.

While this classic denim jacket doesn’t need an introduction, here’s a detailed review by The Jeans Blog.

Eddie Bauer Men’s CirrusLite Down Jacket

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Best budget jacket. The Eddie Bauer Men’s CirrusLite Down Jacket is one of the best men’s travel jackets. There are a lot of things amazing about this jacket, starting with the fact that it comes in 17 solid colors. With offbeat colors like teal, China blue, merlot, and Junebug, there’s an option for every wardrobe. Secondly, it’s super lightweight, which makes it highly packable. At the same time, you can depend on the down filling to give you warmth while the higher neckline keeps the heat in. Finally, the shell has a DWR water-resistant finish that ensures moisture beads fall away.

Check out a detailed YouTube review of this jacket by Masguapoako.

Escalier Women’s Faux Leather Jacket

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If you’re looking for a versatile all-around jacket for traveling, then the Escalier Women’s Faux Leather Jacket is your best bet. What makes it one of the best jackets for traveling is that it’s a casual summer jacket that you can also layer when the chill hits. The open front design makes it more like a lightweight blazer than a bulky or heavy item. Moreover, this lovely jacket is available in multiple sizes from S through 2XL. The best bit? It even comes in multiple colors, including khaki, dark green, brown, light blue, and black. Now that’s one versatile jacket, isn’t it? It’s what makes it one of the best travel jackets for Europe as well as one of the best travel women’s jackets.

Champion Men’s Jacket

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The Champion Men’s Jacket is one of the best men’s travel jackets. Despite the fact that this jacket is affordable and easy on the wallet, it’s lightweight and packed with performance features. Secondly, it’s made from 100% polyester, complete with a special waterproof coating. So, the wind-resistant and water-resistant materials come in handy whenever the weather takes a turn. But the best thing is that the entire jacket packs into a small hidden pocket. So, it can be carried evener easily in your bag for whenever the weather changes suddenly. Finally, you can even stash essentials in the kangaroo pocket, such as protein bars, phones, etc.

Eddie Bauer Wrap-Style Womens Summer Jacket

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Best wrap jacket. The Eddie Bauer Wrap-Style Womens Summer Jacket is not just one of the best jackets for traveling but is also one of the best travel jackets for Europe. Wrap-like thin summer jackets had their grand debut at music festivals such as Coachella, but now they’ve caught everyone’s fancy! They’re not only easy to bring along with you on the go, but they also look super cute and make for a light yet cozy layer. This Daisy blended cotton summer jacket is no exception and is multi-functional with a flowing design and large armholes. So, it can be worn and styled in many different ways.

Orvis Pack-and-go Jacket

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The Orvis Pack-and-go Jacket is one of the best men’s and women’s travel jackets you can find for heading to Europe. There’s a lot to love about this smart-looking packable jacket, which easily goes just about anywhere. That’s because it packs down really small into a stuff sack. Secondly, the stowaway hood rolls right into the zipped color when you’re not using it. Since the jacket is made from wind-resistant and water-resistant recycled polyester, it keeps moisture out. Additionally, the water-resistant coating on the inside acts as an extra barrier for keeping water out. Wrapping up the features is the inner sunglasses pocket that even comes with an attached cleaner.  

Patagonia Nano Puff

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The Patagonia Nano Puff is not just one of the best Patagonia jackets for winter but also one of the best jackets for traveling. It’s also considered one of the best men’s travel jackets and one of the best mid-layers for hiking and for good measure. For one, it works as an all-season coat and scores high on versatility and usability. Secondly, the medium-weight 60-g PrimaLoft Gold Insulation works perfectly for layering under a hardshell for snowy days. During shoulder season, it works beautifully as a standalone jacket. Since the shell is made from lightweight, DWR-treated, 100% recycled polyester ripstop, it’s both windproof and water-resistant. What more could you want?

Rab Microlite Alpine Down Jacket

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The Rab Microlite Alpine Down Jacket is one of the best men’s travel jackets. If you’re looking for a feature-rich travel jacket that costs less than 300 USD, then this one is it. Firstly, this slim-fitting packable jacket is made sustainably from 100% recycled polyamide. On the inside, the 700-Fill RDS hydrophobic, ethically sourced down is made from recycled materials. Moreover, its water-repellent treatment dries quickly and traps body heat, ensuring moisture beads up rather than permeating. A large zippered chest pocket and two zippered hand pockets allow convenient access for storage.

Cole Haan Rain Jacket

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Most color options. Rain jackets are some of the most versatile best jackets for traveling, and the Cole Haan Rain Jacket is no exception. Firstly, it comes in a whopping 15 colors, including offbeat colors like indigo, mist, and eggplant. Secondly, this single-breasted rain jacket promises to keep you chic, dry, and warm, all at the same time. Since it’s made from a mix of 86% polyester and 14% nylon, it’s stylish and also works well as a lightweight spring jacket. Moreover, the cinching mechanism at the back fashions itself as a bow tie, which allows you to wear these even in the evenings. So, if you’re looking for a rain jacket that doesn’t look dowdy and folds into a pouch, then this is it. 

Amazon Essentials Lightweight Water-Resistant Jacket

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The Amazon Essentials Lightweight Water-Resistant Jacket is one of the best men’s travel jackets. The brand does it again with this highly serviceable jacket at a solid price point of less than 50 USD. This jacket is made from 100% nylon, including the shell, the down, and the lining. Moreover, it comes with a zipper closure, ensuring that it offers complete frontal coverage. If that wasn’t enough, the entire jacket packs neatly into included carrying bag with a drawstring closure, allowing you to carry it everywhere easily. The features also include elasticized cuffs, zipper pockets, and a stand-up collar. Finally, the faux-shearling-lined hand warmer front pockets ensure coziness.

Eddie Bauer Women’s Departure Travel Blazer

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If you think that travel blazers are the best jackets for traveling, then look no further than the Eddie Bauer Women’s Departure Travel Blazer. No other travel blazer combines a stylish and classic look with comfort like this one, which is also one of the best travel jackets for Europe. This single-button blazer is made from a 100% polyester spandex blend, which means that it has just the right amount of stretch. At the same time, it wicks moisture and keeps you looking fresh and good. The jacket stays wrinkle-free even on long-haul flights if that wasn’t enough. Plus, you can even wear it to mimosa brunches and classy nights out on the town. That’s why it’s one of the top contenders for Europe travel jackets.

Arc’teryx Cerium LT Hoody

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If you’re a hiking enthusiast, then we’d highly recommend the Arc’teryx Cerium LT Hoody. After all, there’s no way to make a “best travel jacket” list without including Arc’teryx, is it? So, what makes this jacket so warm? The magic of the 850-fill-power down keeps you cozy in cold weather too. Despite that, the jacket weighs only 10.9 oz and, again, packs down to next to nothing. However, the most interesting addition is the Coreloft synthetic insulation in the areas that are likelier to become wet and damp. So, the down holds up much better against moisture and wet weather. In fact, it’s one of the best jackets for backpacking. If you don’t believe me, check out what The World Pursuit has to say in this ultimate review.

Patagonia Women’s Better Sweater Fleece Jacket

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The Patagonia Women’s Better Sweater Fleece Jacket is one of the best jackets for traveling. This is a go-to mild-weather travel jacket that’s packable enough and warm enough for cool evenings. In fact, you can even wear it as a mid-layer on outdoor adventures. This is because it’s made from warm, midweight, 100% recycled polyester fleece that’s been dyed with a low-impact process. Moreover, it even has 100% recycled polyester-brushed tricot trim on the hem, the cuffs, the pockets, and the wind flap for additional protection. If that wasn’t enough, the jacket even has a front zipper with a wind flap and kissing-welt closure for complete coverage. Finally, the inner drop-in pockets and zippered handwarmer pockets wrap up the features.

Our Verdict!

You can’t go wrong with any of the travel jackets on this list. However, you might find that some suit you better than others. Hence we’ve curated a more specialized list below.

• Best budget jacket: Eddie Bauer Men’s CirrusLite Down Jacket
• Best wrap jacket: Eddie Bauer Wrap-Style Womens Summer Jacket
• Most color options: Cole Haan Rain Jacket
• Best denim jacket: Levi’s Plus-Size Original Trucker Jacket

How To Choose The Best Jackets for Traveling?

Weight and dimensions

One of the most important factors when it comes to choosing travel jackets is the weight and dimensions. Since luggage loss and mishandling are rampant and you don’t want to check in additional bags, it’s important to pick a packable jacket that’s compact and lightweight. This is also true if you’re going to carry it on your person during flights too. Furthermore, it’s even more essential if you’re, say, hiking and camping. Luckily, most modern jacket options for traveling take up no space and can be folded down small neatly. Stick to layered clothing if you’re traveling to a place that’s cold.

Fabric

Another important factor when choosing a traveling jacket is the fabric. Since jackets are the most manhandled of all our clothes, choosing wrinkle-free fabrics is very important. After all, you don’t want to be ironing and steaming your jacket while traveling. Wrinkle-resistant fabrics include rayon, wool, polyester, and maybe even a mix of them all.

Secondly, having a stain-resistant material is important, especially if you’re clumsy. This is especially true if you’re using just one jacket for extended periods of time. At the same time, consider darker colors or materials that you can take stains off of easily.

Pockets

Now, this goes without saying, but a great jacket for traveling has many useful pockets. Some best travel jackets for Europe even have padded pockets for sensitive items such as camera lenses or jewelry. What’s more, smaller zip pockets can be very useful, especially for keeping phones and other small things ready at hand.

What is a packable jacket?

Packable jackets can be rolled up and stored entirely within one of their pockets, making them so packable.

Which type of jacket is most warm?

Parkas and anoraks are usually the warmest, as they’re designed for the most extreme cold weather.

What jacket to take to Europe?

Lightweight down jackets are best, but during winter, you need warm coats with a fleece layer.