10 Best Safari Jackets For Men and Women

In search of the best safari jacket? We’ve been on countless safaris and visited lodges all over Africa, from South Africa to Kenya. On our first trip, we showed up with various clothes unsuited for the bush and had all the wrong colors.

If you’ll be doing bush walks while on your safari, a lightweight safari jacket will be much more practical than a heavy-duty one. However, consider a decently warm safari jacket if traveling at high elevations or during Africa’s winter when nights get cool.

Whatever you pack in your safari bag, you should consider the location, time of year, and activity level. Remember that you only need one good safari jacket in your luggage, and hopefully, this list will help you narrow down your choices.

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Best Safari Jackets for Women

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Barbour Beadnell Jacket

The Classic Beadnell jacket by Barbour is the one you’ll reach for every season of the year. Its waxed cotton exterior looks gorgeous and highly functional as it supplies wind and water resistance.

A cozy tartan lining is soft against the skin and supplies warmth in cool climates. It provides a lot of versatility as the jacket works for a wide range of destinations and daily life. We could wear this jacket in Scotland or the Masai Mara. The jacket is also highly functional with two snap button bellow pockets, handwarmer pockets, and one interior breast pocket.

We appreciate the women’s fit that keeps an excellent shape that is done with front and back panels. The one downside is it’s too warm for hot destinations, but it is ready to tackle any cool weather. It’s an expensive jacket, but we feel it’s a worthy investment that will last a lifetime.

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Banana Republic Norfolk Jacket

The Norfolk Linen-Cotton Jacket is a statement piece that complements any safari look perfectly. Its picturesque riding jacket style is right out of our favorite safari movie. However, we don’t love it purely for its style as it’s reasonably practical.

We love the linen cotton blend as it hits a nice balance of durability and weight for warm climates. The lightweight lining aids with comfort and helps you stay comfortable too. It features two drop pockets and one interior chest pocket.

The downside is that it’s a jacket for style and not the most durable or practical. It’s not going to protect from weather or supply much warmth. However, we love that it’s machine washable, so you won’t have to run it to the dry cleaner when it gets dusty on safari. Another excellent suggestion for a safari jacket from Banana Republic is the Heritage Suede Shirt Jacket.

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prAna Sancho Jacket

We love the prAna Sancho Jacket as it’s lovely and super comfortable. It has a great organic cotton material and fits the body well. It achieves its nice shape with a slightly boxy cut and an internal waist draw cord.

The roomy cut also means it’s easy to add a layer under the jacket to stay warm. It’s a lightweight jacket with little insulation, which is great for a safari jacket. Cool-weather feels perfect with this jacket, which can still add a touch of style in warmer weather.

It feels like an essential jacket as the rugged style is perfect in the bush or city. However, it’s not all rugged, as the touch of elastane gives the jacket excellent stretch and performance. Like any safari jacket, we love the two interior and four exterior pockets.

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Columbia Chatfield Jacket

The Columbia Lillian Ridge Jacket is a cute mid-thigh safari jacket. It provides wind and water resistance with its nylon and polyester blend fabric. It’s a stylish rain jacket that works for many destinations and would feel right at home on safari or the Pacific Northwest. Several color options suit any taste, but we love the “Ancient Fossil” color.

The fit is very complimenting as it has an adjustable drawcord at the waist for a feminine shape. Two other nice features are the spacious hand pockets with button closures and a spacious hood for protection from the rain. The nylon blend provides reliable waterproofing, making the jacket a little clammy. It’s also worth noting that nylon does not look as classic or stylish as a natural fabric like cotton.

However, the synthetic material makes the jacket wonderfully lightweight and easy to stash in a safari bag. It’s a stylish rain jacket for an affordable price, but there are better packable rain jackets on the market for travel — just not safari style. We recommend the jacket for wet weather safaris like gorilla trekking, Amazon cruises, or Borneo.

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Everlane Herringbone Jacket

The Organic Cotton Herringbone Jacket boasts a relaxed fit that prioritizes comfort while making a bold safari fashion statement. Crafted from 100% organic cotton twill, this jacket is lightweight yet durable.

It features a double-breasted button closure, utility twin needle topstitching, and welt and flap front pockets for convenience. The boxy fit is excellent for style, but it’s not great for moving with your body. We prefer the comfort and fit of many of the jackets above. The jacket’s spacious cut is easy to layer and ideal for staying warm in cooler temperatures.

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Best Safari Jackets for Men

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Orvis Heritage Field Jacket

The Orvis Heritage Field jacket is one of the company’s best-selling products and makes for a tremendous safari jacket. There is a lot to love about the jacket, but it starts with the dry-waxed cotton canvas. It provides excellent protection from the elements.

The rugged protection makes it highly versatile, as it’s tough enough to resist thick brushes and stylish enough to wear around town. The jacket is also highly functional with two snap button bellow pockets, handwarmer pockets, and one interior breast pocket.

Gusseted underarm panels provide ventilation, and a bi-swing jacket allows the jacket to move with the body. While the jacket looks great the roomy fit and subtle design choices ensure it’s ready to tackle challenging work. Quality is superb; compared to competitors, it’s an excellent value.

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Wantdo Cotton Safari Jacket

The Wantdo Cotton cotton shell safari jacket is a stylish and affordable option for men. It’s a sharp-looking jacket with a military-style collar and cut. It’s a varsity windbreaker jacket for men that’s well suited for safari as it’s lightweight and practical. With many pockets, it has everything a man needs for essentials on safari.

Its cotton exterior material and craftmanship are lacking, but it’s so affordable we can’t help but recommend the jacket. It even features more pockets than most jackets so that it can carry a wide variety of essentials like sunblock or lip balm.

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Filson Tin Cloth Ranch Jacket

If you want a no-frills shell jacket designed to be used and abused, this is the jacket. Filson’s workwear has faithfully served men for decades due to its exceptional quality. A staple of their line is the Filson Tin Cloth Work Jacket which has been in circulation since the 1930s. The rugged jacket displays a classic style that feels appropriate on city streets or a ranch.

Oil-finished canvas provides reliable protection and ages gracefully as a jacket that remains in your wardrobe for years. Most importantly, the coat can easily fight a chill and break the wind thanks to the heavy material.

Its roots are tied with loggers, ranchers, and outdoorsmen, so it features a casual cut for work and layers. The cut can be negative or positive, depending on your needs. It’s a great jacket for any wild adventure you may find.

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Levi’s Sherpa Trucker Jacket

If comfort and classic style are what you’re after, you can beat Levi’s Sherpa Trucker Jacket. The denim jacket has been a style icon for decades and is always among the best men’s lightweight jackets. A cozy interior that is fleece and quilted flannel provides plenty of warmth.

While the exterior features various fabric choices, the classic is denim. Levi’s knows how to construct high-quality denim that does not stretch but will mold to the body. Finding a jacket that will only fit better with time is tough. Fit is slim, and it doesn’t feel overly boxy or loose despite the fleece and wide collar style.

Value is one of the greatest strengths of the jacket. Its quality, warmth, and comfort are near impossible to beat. This jacket will forever remain a staple in my wardrobe.

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Everlane The Bomber Jacket

Everlane’s The Bomber Jacket is a modern version of a classic flight jacket. It’s a stylish jacket that is perfect for mild weather. We love the clean lines and timeless design that make it ideal for any setting or destination. While it’s not the classic safari style, its timeless design still works well.

The jacket uses an excellent lightweight fabric that works well in mild weather. We find the material provides a nice balance of comfort and durability. The jacket fits across the body wonderfully. It features a classic bomber design with ribbed cuffs, a collar, a hem, a full-zip front, and two front pockets.

We love that you can wear the jacket up or down to suit any occasion. It just feels like a tremendously versatile jacket. The khaki color is a great complement to any modern safari outfit.

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Elements of a Good Safari Jacket

There are several critical elements to look at with each piece of safari clothing. While you may picture yourself as an adventure seeker, remember that you are a guest, and your safari guide will handle the nitty-gritty.

Unless you’re driving across Africa like us, you’ll be safe. The clothes you pack should be for comfort, not some rugged adventure. If it doesn’t feel comfortable, you may leave it at home.

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Color Choice & Camouflage

A safari outfit should blend in with the environment. You should wear beige, green, and brown colored clothes. They are the staple colors of safari wear because they blend into the environment and can provide a better game-viewing experience.

While wearing, bright colors such as red are said to scare off animals and make you stand out. This may or may not be true. Only the animals know for sure. Of course, the Maasai Warriors in Kenya and Tanzania have been wearing red for centuries!

That being said, neutral colors do a great job of hiding dirt and dust, which will be plenty of on a drive or walk through the bush. White clothes aren’t going to stay white very long, and dark colors are believed to attract tsetse flies. Trust us; you do not want to become familiar with tsetse flies!

For example, wearing long pants and greens is advised when gorilla trekking. When on foot, wearing colors that blend well into the environment and a good pair of safari boots is always recommended.

We love greens, beige, and khaki just as much as the next wannabe Merryl Streep in Out of Africa. However, you will spend a lot of time in a car on game drives in Africa. Wearing these colors help you blend in and don’t bake your body under the hot African sun, but in the end, colors don’t matter.

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Book A Safari in Africa

Traditionally if you wanted to book a safari, you’d have to go to a travel agent and have them book it for you. They suggest camps and lodges, then present you with a hefty bill. Most of the industry still operates in this fashion.

However, Timbuktu is a new platform allowing you to select the lodges you’d like and see the pricing per day. You can choose the best itinerary for yourself. They will then contact the lodges and help you by booking your safari. Experts on staff can also provide suggestions and arrange the little details much like a travel agent.

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