Barbour’s Waxed Jacket Comparison: Bedale vs Beaufort vs Ashby | Stodgy or Sartorial?

One name comes to mind when you think of the traditional English waxed canvas jackets: Barbour.

Their practical, Swiss-Army-knife-like charm buoys their popularity: from their water-repellent waxed cotton to their heavy zipper to their bevy of pockets internal and external. Mud, manure, mimosas — whatever you’re spilling is no match for a well-waxed cotton shell. A quick rinse with a hose and a hand pressing while lying flat, and your jacket is ready for more adventure.

But, with all the different Barbour jackets, how does a self-respecting Anglophile choose the best one?

Here we’re comparing the most popular and iconic Barbour waxed jackets: the Bedale, (pronounced bee-dale), the Beaufort (bow-fort), and the newcomer, the Ashby. 

Our Barbour Expert: Years of Experience, A Dozen Jackets

Team Stridewise journeyed to Massachusetts to meet with heritage menswear writer Tim Steiner, who has been wearing Barbour’s outerwear for over a decade.

Steiner even wrote a dedicated review of Barbour’s Bedale, but only after he’d worn it for ten years. Just to make sure he had his thoughts straight.

“There are important distinctions between these jackets that go far beyond their tail lengths, and there are little secrets to each that you learn through experience,” Steiner says, “I own over a dozen different Barbour jackets, including a trusty Bedale and more than one version of the Beaufort, so I am the perfect guide.”

A man wholesomely obsessed with quality vintage gear, Steiner also has a second life as Hemingway Jones, the pen name (get it?) for his TikTok about fountain pens that has attracted well over 100,000 subscribers. If your curiosity is piqued, he’s written us a fair few articles about pens as well.

Why Barbour Waxed Jackets?

To start broad, waxed canvas is a dynamite material for jackets because it’s very durable, it repels water and stains, and it ages beautifully. It also evokes history and heritage: before the rise of Gore-Tex and other waterproof synthetics, waxed canvas was the material of choice for jackets, tents, and bags that frontiersmen needed to endure whatever the wild could throw at them.

There are many waxed canvas jackets that are considered characteristic of American adventure: Filson’s Cruiser and Flint and Tinder’s Waxed Trucker lead the industry. Barbour, meanwhile, is the brand for British waxed jackets, and the styles are very different. American models lean toward short workwear cuts, while Britain’s waxed jackets were popularized as hunting and equestrian jackets.

“Barbour jackets are that rare item of clothing you really could base your entire personality around,” says Steiner. “They are wearable SUVs, and provide excellent protection against the elements with their rich, earthy, aromatic waxed cotton finishes.”

A Barbour wax jacket represents a certain pragmatism, a steadfastness in its classic styling, yet serves as an excellent platform for creativity. Their versatility runs through nearly every sub-group and aesthetic, yet their deep British Heritage shines through it all.

First Glance: Which Barbour Wax Jacket is Right For You?

The classic choice in the Barbour Sartorial Universe is which jacket is better: the Bedale, the Beaufort, or the Ashby?

The answer depends on how you intend to wear them and your build. 

The major differences are that the Bedale is just over 3 inches shorter, has cuffs at the sleeves, and lacks the Beaufort’s game pocket on the lower back. The Ashby is slimmest because it’s not designed to fit over a jacket like the other two.

The Similarities

All three jackets appear very similar: they’ve got roomy bellows pockets on the front, tartan lining, waxed cotton shells, and corduroy collars. (Common in such jackets because waxed cotton feels a little clammy against the skin.)

None are insulated; their purpose is to shield you from rain and thorns, not warm you up. Barbour sells a zip-in liner if you want to add some warmth. It’s the same as the North Face and Columbia ski coats, which have an extra zipper that allows you to zip in a layer of insulation.

“Insulated zip in layers are sold separately, of course,” says Steiner. “But I am a big fan of layering and recommend wearing an Aran sweater underneath for warmth.”

If you want extra weather protection, meanwhile, each jacket can be attached to a snap-on hood that’s sold separately.

The Differences

Ostensibly, the Beaufort is a hunting jacket, the Bedale is an equestrian jacket, and the Ashby is, well, a city jacket. This is the reason for the biggest difference: the game pocket. This pocket on the Beaufort’s lower back is meant for storing birds you’ve shot.

The other major differences are that the Bedale is a little over 3 inches shorter and has cuffs at the sleeves. Choosing the best length for your frame is the most important choice you’ll make with these.

The Ashby, meanwhile has the slimmest cut. It still has the corduroy collar and tartan lining like the others, but the Beaufort and Bedale are designed to be able to fit over a suit jacket if you need to, while the Ashby is designed to fit slim and right over your shirt.

More On the Length

• The Bedale is about 8 cm shorter, depending on the size
• The shorter jacket is better for driving
• The longer Beaumont’s handwarmer pockets are more naturally placed

“Although seemingly slight, this makes quite a bit of difference,” says Steiner. “The Bedale is shorter since it comes from an equestrian heritage and being on horseback necessitated easier movement and less extended coverage from the jacket.” Dame Margaret Barbour, who has run the company since 1972, designed this coat for horse riding.

Even if you’re not regularly hunting foxes on horseback, the length has practical implications.

“I am 6’2” with a 32” inseam,” Steiner says. “My proportion of torso to leg makes my Bedale look slightly short, slightly shrunken on me, as if I am wearing someone else’s jacket. I always feel slightly awkward in it.”

(We think he looks just fine, but he’s entitled to his opinion.)

The Bedale’s shorter length is sportier, less stodgy, slightly younger looking, and a little more discrete and less outdoorsy. With that in mind, Steiner feels “that it is slightly better suited for urban environments, making you sleeker as you negotiate crowds at Grand Central, disappearing in your discreet green camouflage.“

The longer Beaufort looks a bit more mature and carries more Country House associations, especially with a back pocket designed to stuff a dead pheasant into.

Since the Bedale is a jacket made for riding, it is also perfect for driving, where that shorter length makes it easier to get into the flap pockets, even with a seat belt drawn across you.

“A shorter jacket also provides less coverage from the elements and it can expose the bottom of the jacket you might wear underneath,” Steiner adds.“But you might find the Bedale’s shorter length looks smarter and is easier to move in without catching on brambles.”

Since it was originally designed for horsemanship, the Bedale’s sleeves tend to be a bit longer, which is nice considering that the default sleeve lengths for Barbour jackets can be a little short for taller guys.

How the Sleeves Differ

• Bedale: Hidden cuff protects against wind, but it can get wet and it’s vulnerable to fraying
• Beaufort: Simple and easily repairable sleeve

“A difference in the sleeves is that the Bedale has a hidden cuff beneath to seal out the wind,” notes Steiner. “This is an advantage if you are on horseback, but really for very few other instances.”

If it’s raining and that ruffle of elastic cotton absorbs some water, it sits around your wrists like a wet sponge.

Likewise, if some snow gets trapped under your sleeve, it hangs up in the crevice and then slowly melts. “This has happened to me several times and I can report from the field that it takes hours for that cuff to dry.”

The Beaufort has an inner sleeve of some Velcro and nylon: much less engineering and also less material to retain dampness and cold.

“I prefer this for its simplicity, the ease of fixing it if something tears, and also because cotton cuffs fray and wear out eventually, especially for those of us with stainless steel sport watches,” Steiner says.

How the Pockets Differ

• The Bedale’s shorter length makes the placement of the handwarmer pockets more awkward
• The Bedale’s bellows pockets are smaller than the Beaumont
• The Beaumont’s wallet pocket is on the left side; the Bedale’s is on the right
• Beaumont has a large rear pocket for storing game (or, like, gloves)

The jacket also has moleskin lined handwarmer pockets that are rather handy and plush. However, since this jacket is rather short, the pockets feel higher and less comfortable, forcing your arms into a certain T-Rex posture.

Likewise, Barbour scales down the Bedale’s bellows pockets, which are cavernous on the Beaufort, making them slightly less useful.

Meanwhile, the Beaufort was inspired by French shooting jackets and doesn’t suffer from this paucity of pockets.

A hidden zippered pocket is just under the storm flap on the Beaumont’s left side. It is deep and secure and perfect for storing valuables. This contrasts with the inner pocket on the right side of the Bedale. Whether you’re right or left handed might be a factor in which jacket you like.

One of Steiner’s favorite features of the Beaufort Jacket is the pass-through pocket across the lower back, secured by a heavy zipper at either end.

“This pocket is known as a game pocket or ‘poachers’ pocket’ and is perfect for any small game you may happen to pop on the way to a bodega,” he says cheerfully. “Personally, I find them more useful for gloves or a watch cap. Sometimes I forget I have something in there until I sit back on something. These are very handy for small items when shopping or thrifting.” 

The Materials: Sylkoil vs Thornproof Fabric

• Sylkoil: Soft, less wax transfer
• Thornproof: Heavier feeling, waxier, tackier

All jackets are equally effective at keeping water out, but the Ashby is only sold with Sylkoil material, while the other two give you the option of Sylkoil or Thornproof waxed cotton.

“The Barbour waxed cotton finishes, in my opinion, are better than Gore-Tex,” says Steiner. “The provide water resistance with easy breathability and comfort, and in a much more romantic fashion than any high-tech material.”

In Barbour marketing speak, “Classic” =  Sylkoil. The Classic Bedale uses Barbour’s 6oz Sylkoil, while the Bedale (no “classic”) has the Thornproof proof fabric. The same is true for the Beaufort, “the Classic Beaufort” has Sylkoil, and “the Beaufort” has Thornproof.

While they function as well as each other, Thornproof feels more outdoorsy.

Sylkoil Fabric

Given the name is an obvious portmanteau of “silk” and “oil,” the name suggests a softness that Steiner confirms.

“It is lighter, feels certainly more pliant, and less sticky,” he says. “It is thought to be just as tough and long lasting, and its manufacturing process dates back to the earliest days of wax cotton production.”

Sylkoil is made by applying wax straight from the loom when the strands have more surface area to hold the wax. It has a more matte finish and much more softness. It does, however, feel a bit thinner.

“Having owned both Sylkoil and Thornproof,” Steiner says, “I always feel a little bit like a pretender wearing the much softer and much less prone-to-rub-off-on-anything Sylkoil.”

Thornproof Fabric

If the Sylkoil fabric is soft, you can probably guess the Thornproof fabric’s strengths.

“As convenient, comfortable, and practical [Sylkoil] is, for me, it loses some of its toughness,” Steiner admits. “There’s a bombproof feeling to Thornproof, that you could survive a rose bush or an over-affectionate Labrador without damage.”

It’s made differently: Barbour presses cotton through heated rollers coated with wax, which seals it in, integrating the wax right through to the fibers. With Sylkoil, the wax is applied when the cotton is being woven on the loom.

More practically, Thornproof is stiffer, heftier, stickier, and a little smellier. In short, while they function as well as each other, Thornproof feels more outdoorsy.

It is important to note that the tackier Thornproof fabric is more likely to transfer wax onto your chair or backpack, so beware. This also means the finish wears off over time, but some people like that look and enjoy a pleasantly warm afternoon to rewax their jacket in the offseason.

The Lining

• Signature dark green and red Tartan cotton

Barbour lines both jackets with Classic Tartan cotton, a pleasant dark green with a red line recognizable as the brand’s default pattern.

“It is easy to find caps, scarves, shirts, ties, cufflinks, and flasks with this Tartan, making matching and complimenting your jacket fun and easy,” says Steiner.

Tim has an old Barbour jacket with “Dress Gordon” tartan, which is mostly green on white. Nowadays, your jacket will come with the standard green and red. 

The Cost & Value

• Bedale: $398
• Beaufort: $425
• Additional liner: $140
• Detachable hood: $50

The Bedale costs $395, and the Beaufort is $425. This difference makes sense given the Beaufort is longer and has bigger pockets, so there’s more material used.

They are both pricey jackets, so the $25 difference between them probably isn’t the deciding factor in your choice.

“I wouldn’t choose a Bedale to save money, since the jackets really are remarkably different. I would select the one that meets your needs,”  Steiner says.

Barbours are also much less expensive in the UK, around £190.00 or $260.00 USD.  So, if you’re traveling, they are the perfect item to pick up to remember your trip. 

The Conclusion: Barbour Bedale vs Beaufort

The Bedale has a more youthful cut, and its shortness makes this waxed cotton jacket particularly suited for shorter people or guys who want to look a little less like they’re going hunting.

This may be the jacket for you if you are looking for a more sophisticated alternative to more American waxed jackets a Filson Cruiser or Flint & Tinder Trucker.  

The Beaufort is longer and provides more coverage and shelter from the rain. Its game pocket is handy for stowing items and the styling is more Landed Gentry, even when dressed down. Taller people will prefer it, and it feels slightly more mature. 

Tim concludes: “I suppose it all comes down to how tall you are and whether you are looking for a sportier look.”