We tried this $495 parka by the world's first climate-positive outerwear brand — here's why we think it's worth every penny

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• Askov Finlayson is a climate-positive brand based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that donates 110% of its carbon footprint every year. It has a local cult following, but we expect to see it everywhere soon.
• The company makes a small number of cold-weather essentials, but the main draw is its expedition-grade Winter Parka ($495) that's $500 less than one from Canada Goose.
• We tried the parka and think it's well worth the price. It has a water-resistant zipper, a recycled outer shell, an insulated collar, and a WiFi-blocking pocket that helps you stay present.
• On top of being a great value, the company will give you an entire winter to try the parka and return it with no questions asked. Beyond that, it also has a limited lifetime warranty.

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Askov Finlayson, a young Minneapolis apparel startup, may be your first opportunity to buy climate-positive outerwear.

Each year, the company commits to donating 110% of its carbon footprint to climate change solutions to "Keep The North Cold." Already a cult-favorite in the Twin Cities, the brand has more ambitious long-term goals.

Once an aggregator of other brands' products, it now produces its own label of cold-weather essentials. The tight curation spans hats ($36-$48) — including the cult-favorite "North" style — T-shirts ($34), crewneck sweaters ($75), and The Winter Parka ($495). It's the latter — an expedition-grade parka that goes for about $500 less than a Canada Goose — that Askov stakes it best claim upon.

Askov Finlayson's Winter Parka ($495) is water-resistant and rated as comfortable all the way to 20-degrees below. It's made from Minnesota-based 3M's proprietary Thinsulate material (a 100% recycled featherless insulation), a 100% recycled polyester shell, and a soft 100% Bluesign certified micro ripstop taffeta lining. It's got a scuba-fit hood, an insulated interior collar, and snapping lapels that act like bank vault doors closing over its water-resistant zipper. It's also got five external pockets and two internal stow-away pockets. Most unusual, though, is the Afield pocket with Present Mode technology, which blocks all cell and WiFi signals to help wearers stay present. And the whole thing is machine-washable.

To make it, Eric Dayton, co-founder of Askov Finlayson, went upstate to Ely, Minnesota to study the personal outerwear archive of Will Steger, the famed Arctic explorer, and also Dayton's mentor and close family friend. Dayton joined him in a 2004 Arctic Transect expedition after graduating college, spending about seven months traveling in the Canadian Arctic to Nunavut to increase awareness of climate change.

Looking at the weathered and beaten keepsakes of Steger's career, there were common denominators amongst his favorites. For instance, he learned that synthetic insulation was better than down because it holds its warmth when wet. So, partly to spare consumers unnecessary costs, and perhaps partly due to a Midwestern sensibility, Dayton and his team kept The Winter Parka virtually free of ornaments, like detachable fur-trimmed hoods. 

Askov Finlayson's Parka is worth the hype and $495 price tag — but there may be a few improvements to make in the future.

A few months ago, Askov Finlayson got in touch with Insider Reviews and sent me The Winter Parka ($495) in navy in a size small to test. I've since worn it in below-freezing temperatures in both Minnesota (where I grew up) and New York City, and I've found it to be an excellent winter parka. 

It's warm and substantial without looking bulky — and I appreciate the lack of unnecessary "prettifying" elements that affect how timeless a (hopefully) one-time purchase actually is. The organizational pockets are plentiful, well situated, and deep enough to be useful, and the hand pockets are lined with a soft, cozy material that helps warm up cold fingers. They're also stacked behind the main buttoned front pockets, so you see minimal bulk. The internal lining is soft, cushiony, and compact, and the zippers feel especially solid for weathering the elements and trapping heat. They're reportedly two-way water-resistant, but the main perk to me is the snapping lapel closure that stops an icy wind from breaching your coat. The same thing goes for the smart scuba-fit hood that works like a seal against the wind. It's close-fitting, but this coat is meant to be functional rather than primarily flattering. Most importantly, though, this thing is very warm — it kept me comfortable even on windy, frigid days in Minnesota in January.

As far as cons, I noticed that, while the size small Parka fit me perfectly everywhere else, the coat's neck is a bit tighter than I'd like it to be. And, as I noted for the hood, the chin comes up pretty high — which may surprise or annoy you. For me, it's a bonus — it keeps more of my body covered against the elements, and I don't notice it when I keep it unzipped on mild evenings. The Afield pocket is also a nice touch, but not really necessary since you can just turn your phone on airplane mode. 

But that's where the negatives end. For $500, I think this is a particularly great option for shoppers who want a warm, reliable parka — it'll get the job done, costs less than competitors, and comes with a great return policy and limited lifetime guarantee. 

Another Insider team member (and Minnesota native), Bryan Pietsch, had been to the store before but decided to make a visit after seeing Instagram ads. He found its shelves mostly empty, and the third-party goods replaced mostly with this coat. After trying one on, he walked out wearing it. "The employees said that it has an all winter return policy and was only $500, which was appealing because I think it's worth a lot more than that."

Bryan told me he likes that it has the warmth and appearance of a parka, but uses sustainable materials instead. "A big thing for me was that it doesn't use fur as Canada Goose does." While not really a con where parkas are concerned, he also noted that it's almost too warm for wearing on the subway.

Askov Finlayson's sustainability and B-Corp status mean you get a great coat, at a great price, without feeling bad about it.

Askov Finlayson makes a great product, but we're equally intrigued by its claim to be the world's first climate-positive outerwear brand. Completely carbon-neutral companies are a rare thing — even in B-Corps, and especially in retail. Even as sustainability gains traction within the industry, Askov is a meaningful exception.

Each year, Askov pledges to donate 110% of its carbon footprint to climate change solutions.

The company tallies its carbon footprint — from manufacturing processes to the way its employees commute to work — and multiplies it by the social cost of carbon (an estimate of the monetized damages caused by an increase in greenhouse gas emissions in a given year). Then, Askov gives 110% of its social carbon cost to leading organizations fighting climate change in the form of grants, and buys carbon offsets equal to its total emissions for the year.

In terms of materials, Askov also makes eco-conscious choices. Its Winter Parka ($495) and its crewneck sweaters ($68-$75) are made from 100% recycled materials — and its hats are made in a local factory in Minnesota. 

The company recently achieved B-Corp status, but it doesn't have much in the way of a second verification. It will issue a 2019 impact report, but until then we're unable to independently verify its impact and processes.

Askov Finlayson may be an emerging brand with a local cult following, but it has ambitious plans. 

Askov Finlayson is named after the two upstate exits near Dayton's childhood cabin, and they're also the same exits he passes when checking on the factory that makes his company's "North" hats. It's the same stretch of highway that he and his team have adopted — which they clean annually as a team outing. 

When I returned to Minnesota for the holidays in January, I found all three of my siblings and one of their partners in different colors of the Winter Parka ($495). After one of them purchased it, each had subsequently been swayed to part with $495 to have their own. And when it came time to give our father a gift, it was the Winter Parka that we bought him. 

Askov Finlayson has more ambitious goals than local success. In the future, its team would like to have less in common with a beloved local shop in Minnesota's hip North Loop and more with Patagonia, once Ventura, California's beloved local climbing shop. 

But, for now, Askov is still relatively under-the-radar — just like its coat's aesthetic. The only way you can distinguish a dark Askov Finlayson parka from another is its small red cardinal logo on the hood — a bird that doesn't fly south for the winter. 

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