Product Reviews: My Review of the Smart Parka by North Aware

Smart Parka Review 

"The World's First Complete Winter Coat"

Background Story: 

I'm a huge believer in supporting entrepreneurs and new businesses so I tend to be a backer for many Kickstarter campaigns. So January 2016 while I was browsing through new campaigns, I saw the Smart Parka campaign by North Aware and I immediately fell in love with it! It was so innovative and had many features that I never realized were important to my lifestyle. It's fair to say that I am kind of a careless person and a bit unorganized so I am always forgetting to bring a pair of gloves or a scarf. I was beginning to get fed up with waiting for the bus in the cold and then regretting not being prepared (my own fault, but still sucked (for a lack of a better word)). So now you can see why this coat seemed to be the answer to all of my problems.

There are so many features 😍

 

"Smart Parka is the first winter coat ever with built in gloves, a built in scarf, a removable lining for extra cold days and an extension to turn your hip-length parka into a mid-length coat."   

Impulse Buy: January 14th I placed my Kickstarter pledge for $325 and that began the waiting process...I waited and waited and waited...(sometimes getting a bit impatient)... 

Updates:

As a backer of ANY crowdfunding campaign, you know it's always a gamble. Sometimes you get the product you backed, sometimes it's half of what you expected, and sometimes there's no product delivered at all. It's always a BIG relief when you start seeing the updates about surveys and production and shipping. I have to say that North Aware impressed me by how great they were at providing us with updates throughout the entire campaign. 

Dec 2016: 

MY COAT ARRIVED!

Review:

Gloves - 

 

I was disappointed initially because the first thing I tried on was my gloves which were way too small. I kind of already expected they'd be a bit small because I had read other backer's reviews about the original batch of gloves having a sizing issue.

  

Coat -  

The tag could have been attached better, but it was very informative about the company history, coat features and dry cleaning instructions.

The double zipper definitely took a bit of getting used to. The thing about double zippers is that you have to make sure both pieces are lined up at the bottom before zipping it up or it just won't work. The double zipper provides better wind protection and it can be unzipped from the bottom if sitting down to provide extra hip room and comfort.

 The faux fur on the coat is high quality and doesn't seem to shed like the fur did on my previous coats. Another great feature about the trim on this coat is that it can be easily removed by being zipped off.

 

The hood on the Smart Parka is great because it's oversized (2 or 3 head sizes) and blocks out the wind. Like the fur trim, it can be completely removed by zipping it off. 

The hood is also adjustable by using the drawstrings on the sides or the strap on the back to make it smaller or tighter (make it only one head size).

The scarf is an awesome feature because it's built-in so that you never forget it. 

The gloves pocket is another one things I love about this coat. It is so convenient and there is no bulk where the gloves fit in. It is also nice to have that little bungee clip to attach the glove to in each glove pocket. It reminds me of when I was a kid and my mom would put yarn through my coat to attach my gloves. It's a great feature though because if you are out and want to take your gloves off, you can simply just let them hang off the clip.

Another thing I like about the coat is the removable inner liner for temperature control. The coat is super warm so when I can remove the liner when I'm walking around the city on milder winter days but I can wear the inner liner so that I stay warm when I'm out skiing.

The inner pockets were a feature that made me want to buy the coat from the start. It's so convenient to have a storage space without bulk for my tablet, glasses and keys when I'm going out. As I said above, I hate carrying purses. 

In my opinion, the stitching and final details on the coat are what makes this coat a high quality parka. The logo is very chic and having the logo on the buttons is a really nice touch. 

Exchange -

I read reviews of a few backers complaining about their exchanges with the company so I was starting to get a bit wary of returning the gloves. I contacted North Aware in December and was asked to wait for a KS update to be released about when the exchanges and refunds would start. So I was fairly patient and waited for the update. Once the update was released, I sent out an email and requested for my gloves to be exchanged. I was impressed by the team's quick replies and how smooth the process went (it was the complete opposite of what a few others were commenting about). The prepaid label was sent to me fairly quickly. I returned the gloves and within a week I had my new gloves -which fit me very well. The contacts for the touch screen don't always work the best when really cold, but I am really happy overall.

Final Comments -

Company Review:

There were  a few hiccups along the way but it's expected with any crowdfunding project. Despite a few minor delays, North Aware was a great company to do business with and I'm happy that they were funded. It amazed me how quickly they were able to fulfill such large production demands and be able to deliver a high quality product. I'm excited to see how their company will grow and I'd definitely buy more of their products in the future. I wish them the best of luck. 

Coat Review: 

There were a few things like the zipper and hood that took a bit of getting used to, but at the end of the day I've got a really warm coat that I love. There's been so many people asking me where I got my coat and talking about how much they love the color. I have a feeling that this coat will last me for a long time. This is the first coat that I've owned in the past 5 years that I have no complaints about.