Finisterre Men’s Jackets and Apparel Review: Quality for Life?

I would’ve never known that Finisterre started as a surf brand, because my Finisterre jackets, sweaters and raincoats are a part of my everyday apparel. To me, Finisterre is a made-for-life outdoors-friendly brand that incorporates sustainability into all their products.

In this review, find out more about Finisterre, from my perspective. You’ll see what I tried, what I think, and how it fit me. See if I recommend shopping with this UK lifestyle apparel brand.

Thank you to Finisterre for providing me with this season’s best-sellers and new arrivals so that I could write this review about my opinions and thoughts.

Main pros and cons of the brand

If you’re new to the Finisterre brand like we were very recently, here are a few key things to know.

Pros

• Styles: All meant to be timeless. I think the styles like the sweaters, raincoats and outerwear are great investments for life.
• Sustainability: Finisterre is a company built on environmental impact, which is important to me as a consumer. The company is a certified B Corp, focuses on “Leave No Trace” Packaging and supports the Finisterre Foundation.
• International shipping: Although Finisterre is a UK brand based in England, there’s shipping to the US and it’s FREE for orders $100+. It’s a great deal for having British styles, arriving right to our door.

Cons

• High prices: You get what you pay for, though. Finisterre stands for quality, and some serious environmental efforts, and those come at a price higher than the companies that are skimping.
• Few colors: Some people may find a jacket that “only” comes in three color choices to be limiting. (But I twist this into a “pro” because I don’t do well with “analysis paralysis.”)

Things that stand out to us about Finisterre

The first time a Finisterre package arrived at my door, it was the Firecrest Jacket and Rainbird Jacket. Like I mention in my Finisterre Firecrest Jacket review, the company is unique. There are some good things to know that I either found out on my own, or by looking more into the company.

A non-overwhelming shopping experience

Here’s what I like about Finisterre: there aren’t so many products. Yes, you read correctly. I like that there is not an overwhelming number of products to choose from when you decide you’re looking for a raincoat, or a sweater.

The website is aesthetic, and easy to use. The photos are moody and woodsy, and I got a lot of use out of the size guide, to help convert some UK sizing to US sizing.

The styles are chill, and timeless

I mean this. With muted colors, laid-back designs and simple styles, Finisterre clothes and outerwear are easy to add to my wardrobe. I find that Finisterre apparel pairs with anything I already own, like jeans and shorts.

Next, everything is incredibly timeless: no hot trends, nothing that won’t be acceptable to wear next year, or in the next decade. A lot of what I see from Finisterre is value for life.

Sustainability

Here’s where I think Finisterre is special, and why I’m happy to support the brand: Finisterre is a certified B Corporation. It supports environmental efforts through their Impact commitments in doing better for the Earth and society, through transparency.

I first noticed the unique shipping materials of our first Finisterre package, and then in my next ones, too. They’re marine-friendly and compostable.

And that’s just the beginning: the company continues to prioritize the environment, avoiding shipping products by plane in order to lower an overall carbon footprint. It’s things like this that makes Finisterre feel different.

What I tried

The Finisterre men’s line is built to last, and I think all the styles are pretty timeless. See what I tried and how it went.

• Men’s Rainbird Waterproof Jacket - M / Pine Shadow
• Men’s Nimbus Hooded Jacket - M / Whale
• Men’s Barents Sweater - M / Indigo
• Men’s Firecrest Jacket - M / Olive
• Men’s Walker Pant - 32W / Black

Men’s raincoats

I tried the Rainbird Waterproof Jacket and it is a winner for me. It was one of the first Finisterre jackets I owned. I find it runs a little bit, but not to where the point where I need to size down. It’s just a spacious fit.

What’s good about it? It’s a light rain layer. It’s mostly the type of rain coat that I need in my life. I have a North Face raincoat, but it never quite fit right. The Finisterre fit is a bit more slimming.

The other good thing about it is how packable it is. It folds up simply, and I can stash it in our hiking bag or my daypack for when we’re out around town, or on vacation.

The hood is also exceptionally well-made: it neatly zips up to my chin, and it’s adjustable.

The entire jacket doesn’t feel goofy, like so many raincoats do. It feels relaxed and chilled-out, so I look forward to an opportunity to wear my Rainbird jacket when it’s storming outside.

There are a few other raincoats that Finisterre makes, like the up-a-level Stormbird Jacket, which Becca has in the women’s version. You can see photos of it (it’s rather similar to the men’s one) at her Finisterre women’s line review.

Men’s insulated jackets

I’ve owned other puffer jackets that are called lightweight and packable, but the Nimbus is different. It’s made from a very soft nylon that’s incredibly created from discarded and recycled fishing nets.

Is it packable? Actually, yes. It packs into one of the interior pockets, and it can go right in my duffel or backpack for a trip. I can also take it in the small backpack that Becca and I usually go hiking with. Wow.

The fit: I got a M. It’s not a tight jacket in this size on me by any means. Finisterre recommends sizing down to a smaller size if you prefer a closer fit. I’m probably in between sizes, but I’m sticking with the M so that I can fit a crewneck sweatshirt under it.

Do I recommend it? This is probably the last recycled ultralight down puffer I’ll ever own. It checks all the boxes. I don’t really see a need to try any others, because this one has a flattering fit, scores 5/5 for sustainability and has a bunch of useful pockets.

Men’s sweaters

The Barents Sweater that I tried is a timeless sweater, which I’m glad to own. It’s the type of sweater I can wear at 35 years old, or 65 years old. It’s a wool blend that makes it feel vintage, yet also new. Come to think of it, it probably makes a great gift for minimalist guys because it’s one sweater for lots of purposes.

For a Finisterre product, it comes in a lot of colors right now: seven, to be exact. It also comes in inclusive sizing for men, from XS to XXL in every color choice. I got the M, and it fit true to size and perfectly on the first time. Becca approved.

I’m not a big wool sweater guy, but every now and then I need something to wear out to dinner or to a festive meal. I usually gravitate toward wool sweaters, rather than button-downs. The Barents sweater is versatile in that I could very much wear it hiking or adventuring, and then have it double as a decent sweater to wear with chinos and brown leather shoes.

Do I recommend it? This sweater is another full score for Finisterre’s sustainability practices. It has traceability in the wool supply chain, recycled polyester fabrics in the wool blend and maybe biggest of all: it’s transported by road and sea, never by plane, keeping Finisterre’s carbon footprint down.

Men’s Outerwear and Jackets

For all other jackets from Finisterre, there are great styles and lot of versatility. I find this most apparent in one of their best-sellers that I tried, the Firecrest Jacket.

It’s the type of jacket I wear outdoors like a coat, and inside, like a layer. It’s lightweight and casual, with nice zipper pockets and a trim design. Want to see more? Read on at my Finisterre Firecrest Jacket review.

Men’s pants and trousers

I’ll be quick and to the point: Finisterre makes pants for men, and the styles are mostly wider-leg, straight-leg or more hiking-style pants. The type of pants I generally wear are slim-leg in browns, blacks and grays, and I’m pretty set on what I like. That’s just me.

It probably wasn’t the most optimal thing for me to try the Men’s Walker Pant, as these are adventure “hiking trousers.” I gave them a shot, though. The verdict is that they’re not my personal style, although like everything else from Finisterre, the quality is top-notch and the features are nice, for the price you pay for them.

The Walker Pants are technical, with a water-repellent finish and a soft lightweight material that stretches. They’d be ideal if I did more hiking—the type of hiking that requires longer hours on the trails and maybe some scrambling. Right now I wear jeans for hikes, and I don’t really have a use for more performance-savvy hiker pants.

If you like what I’m talking about, I’d suggest checking out the rest of the available Finisterre pants for men to see all the current styles.

Should you buy Finisterre?

I’m happy with what I have tried (and what I currently wear) from Finisterre. I plan to replace my old raincoats with my raincoat from Finisterre (the Rainbird coat). (And to be sustainable, I usually give away old clothes on our Buy Nothing group.)

I enjoy my Finisterre lightweight down jacket, the Nimbus Jacket, and started wearing it in cooler weather as soon as they came out of the package. I also took the Firecrest Jacket on a cool-weather trip to SF. It was excellent.

For me, wearing Finisterre has provided great fits and good styles that go with my minimal and wear-it-for-life lifestyle. Further, the sustainability factor puts me in a good mood when it comes to thinking about the impact of what I wear.

If you’re interested in checking out what Finisterre does for environmental impact, I’d urge you to visit the Sustainability page.

Where to shop for Finisterre

I suggest shopping for Finisterre only through the Finisterre website—that’s because when you shop with the brand directly, your shipment gets the care of the sustainability factor like the “Leave No Trace garment bags” that are recyclable and marine-safe.

Of course, shopping at the Finisterre website guarantees that you see all in-stock color choices, and sizes.

I perused Finisterre products at other outdoors and surfing retailers, and sizes and colors are limited. So, it’s not really worth purchasing anything from Finisterre at websites like Marine Surfers Union or Montana Supply Co., just to name a few.