How to Check if a Canada Goose Jacket is Real or Fake: Telltale Signs

Canada Goose is a luxury performance wear brand with a reputation for producing well-constructed, high-quality jackets. Unfortunately, as with any successful, sought-after brand (that also charges upwards of $1000 for its outerwear), you're going to find a lot of illegal counterfeits (fake versions) of their products out there. The good news is we're here to help! Let us show you how to spot real vs fake Canada Goose jackets, as well as how to check your tops, pants, and other apparel for authenticity.

How to Check for Real vs Fake Canada Goose

To check if your Canada Goose jacket is real or fake, look for the hologram tag. If it's missing, upside-down, isn't sewn underneath the content label, or doesn't feature a polar bear, then the jacket isn't real. You can also ask Canada Goose to authenticate your product within 30 days of purchase.

Section 1 of 9:

Comparing Real vs Fake Canada Goose Jackets

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Hologram tag Every Canada Goose jacket produced since 2011 has a hologram tag sewn underneath the content label. The hologram shows an image of a polar bear. This tag is supposed to be proof of authenticity that your Canada Goose jacket is genuine. So if it's missing, then it's definitely not real!^{[1]
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Research source} If you do see a hologram, though, it could still be counterfeit. The fastest way to tell if it's real is to check if you have to lift the product label to see it. If the product label is not sewn above the hologram tag, then the jacket is fake.^{[2]
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- Another way to tell if the hologram tag is fake is if it's sewn upside down relative to all the other tags.
- Keep in mind that Canada Goose has 2 different hologram designs: one produced before fall 2017 and one after that period. Find out the differences below.
  - Pre-Fall 2017 hologram design: An adult polar bear standing on an iceberg.
  - Post-Fall 2017 hologram design: An adult polar bear followed by 2 cubs.
- Authentic: Hologram tag with an image of a polar bear sewn right side up under the content label.
- Fake: No hologram tag; alternatively, a hologram tag sewn on upside down with no content label above it.
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Arctic Disc logo Every authentic Canada Goose jacket features an embroidered badge called the Arctic Disc, usually on the upper left arm. This badge shows the Canada Goose name and logo. A fake Arctic Circle might have thicker letters spelling out "Canada Goose" on the top and "Arctic Program" on the bottom; thicker and less detailed maple leaves on either side; a light blue instead of dark blue background; and clumsy blobs on the continent instead of the carefully stitched shapes that the real brand designed to resemble polar ice caps.^{[3]
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- Authentic: Thin, legible letters with detailed maple leaves and distinctive polar ice caps
- Fake: Thick, hard-to-read letters, thicker maple leaves, and blobs for polar ice caps
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Fur ruff The fur ruffs on the edge of some Canada Goose jacket hoods are supposed to be made of real, thick coyote fur. The stitching that attaches the ruff to the hood is also perfect, with no loose seams. A counterfeit Canada Goose jacket often has a ruff made of raccoon fur or a synthetic material. It's also not as soft and full. Finally, it's usually poorly stitched, leading the ruff to detach from the hood after a couple of wears (or just straight out of the packaging).^{[4]
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- Authentic: Very fluffy, high-density, genuine coyote fur.
- Fake: Thinner, less dense, less soft fur made from a different animal (or synthetic)
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Neck tag When looking at the tag sewn at the back of the jacket collar, check for letters that are thick and hard to read or connected by threads. Those are indications that the tag was made quickly and sloppily by a counterfeit manufacturer. Another thing you can check is the size tag attached to the bottom of the neck tag. An authentic Canada Goose size tag is closer to the size of an adult's thumbnail. If the jacket is a Large, it should read "L/G." If it's counterfeit, the size might be printed as "L" on a small tag almost half the surface area of the legitimate one.^{[5]
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- Another easy way to tell if the neck tag is authentic is if it features a yellow outline of a goose instead of the Arctic Disc. This is called the Expedition tag and comes in jackets made prior to 2001.^{[6]
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  Research source} Since it's older, you probably won't see many (if any) counterfeit versions of it.
- Authentic: Thin, separated letters and a large size tag.
- Fake: Thick letters connected by 1 or more threads and a smaller size tag.
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Content label The content label is a plain white tag with information about the Canada Goose jacket's style, size, and color at the top and manufacturer codes at the bottom. Counterfeiters sometimes leave the Style, Size, and Colour descriptions blank, whereas a real Canada Goose jacket always includes those details. If the descriptions are present, check that they match the product. For example, a fake Canada Goose jacket might describe the color as graphite, which is dark gray, when the actual color is solid black.^{[7]
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- Authentic: Descriptions filled out and matched to the product.
- Fake: Descriptions missing or mismatched to the actual product.
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QR code On the underside of the hologram tag is a serial code that looks strikingly similar to a QR code. But it's not the same thing. A serial code is something the manufacturer uses to track the products they're making. If you can scan the code with your phone and go directly to the Canada Goose website, you've got a fake Canada Goose jacket on your hands!
- Authentic: Serial code that doesn't take you to a website when you scan it.
- Fake: QR code that takes you to the Canada Goose website when scanned.
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Quality assurance tag The next tag underneath the hologram is a quality assurance tag. It's normally dark blue, but counterfeit Canada Goose jackets might use tags that are light blue or greenish in hue.^{[8]
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- Authentic: Dark blue color.
- Fake: Light blue or greenish color.
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Pull tab Real Canada Goose jackets have at least one zipper with a fabric pull tab on it. The pull tab is black with the words "Canada Goose" printed in white across it. You may be able to tell if the jacket is authentic by ensuring the "®" symbol is present at the end of "Goose" and has white ink inside to suggest the presence of an "R." If there is no "®" or the circle is empty, the jacket is counterfeit.
- Authentic: Completed "®" symbol at the end of "Canada Goose."
- Fake: Missing or incomplete "®" symbol with no "R" inside the circle.
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Expedition tag Apparel in Canada Goose's Expedition collection comes with an extra black tag with the word "Expedition" stitched across it. Pay attention to this tag for small errors like tiny threads connecting the letters. It may seem insignificant, but this error indicates that the stitching was done poorly and not up to Canada Goose's quality standards.
- Authentic: High-quality letter stitching with letters completely separated.
- Fake: Poor stitching with threads connecting some of the letters.
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Zippers & buttons Genuine Goose jacket zippers have the words "Vislon VKK USA" stamped on the back side. Similarly, the snap buttons read "Universal 61" on the closure.^{[9]
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Research source} If any of these designations are missing, then the jacket is most likely fake.
- Checking the zippers and buttons isn't always the most reliable way to spot a fake Canada Goose jacket, since some counterfeiters can now replicate Canada Goose's hardware.
- Authentic: The zippers have "Vislon VKK USA" stamped on the backs, and the snap buttons have "Universal 61" stamped on their backs.
- Fake: The zippers and snap buttons are missing the specific words above or aren't stamped at all.
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Price tag The price tag is on the outside of the jacket and shows the Canada Goose logo and the bar code. In general, fake Canada Goose jackets tend to use product labels that feel thin and papery to the touch. The print quality may also be poor; the Arctic Disc on the front of the tag, for example, may have a thin white line around it. The barcode on the back may also be thick and slightly blurry instead of clear and crisp.^{[10]
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- Authentic: Made of thick material with a clearly visible Arctic Disc, barcode, and other details.
- Fake: Made of thin, papery material with a white outline around the Arctic Disc, a blurry barcode, and other printing errors.
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Packaging When you receive a real Canada Goose jacket in the mail, you might receive it in a white box with a red interior, a black box (for Black Edition products only), or a long hanging clothes bag with a top handle. If it comes in a smaller bag made of plastic material that looks and feels cheap and thin, it's most likely coming from a counterfeiter.^{[11]
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- To be sure the packaging is fake Canada Goose, check the "®" symbol at the end of the brand name. The circle is most likely empty.
- Authentic: A white box with a red interior, a black box, or a long hanging clothes bag with a top handle.
- Fake: A small bag made of cheap, thin material.

Section 2 of 9:

How to Check Canada Goose Clothes for Authenticity

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Look for a hologram tag and check the neck tag for errors. The best way to spot a counterfeit Canada Goose parka or other piece of clothing is to look for the hologram tag. Since 2007, Canada Goose has been including a hologram on every single product they sell. If you thrifted your piece of clothing and you suspect it was made before 2007, check the neck tag (as well as any other tags present on the item) for errors such as:
- Thick, hard-to-read letters
- A missing or empty "®" symbol after the brand name
- Inaccuracies in the Arctic Disc, like misspelled words or thick maple leaves
- Missing or inaccurate content label information, such as Size and Colour
Canada Goose will examine and authenticate any of its products you buy from one of its authorized retailers within 30 days of purchase. Keep your receipt so you can prove when and where you bought the item.^{[12]
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Section 3 of 9:

Other Signs of Counterfeit Canada Goose

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Prices that are too good to be true Canada Goose jackets with fur ruffs are extremely pricey and rarely cost less than $1000. So, if you see a Canada Goose jacket for sale online (not on the brand's official website) that only costs a couple of hundred dollars, it's probably too good of a deal to be true.
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Unsecure websites Many counterfeit shopping websites are unsecured, which makes them vulnerable to hacking and data theft. If you share your credit card information and other personal details with them, there's a good chance your data will be stolen. Always verify that the URL of the site begins with "https" to show that it's encrypted and that you see a lock symbol on the left side of the web address bar.^{[13]
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Official website for the State of Michigan

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Questionable return policies Another way to verify that the website trying to sell you Canada Goose products is legit is to read their return policies. Counterfeiters may not allow returns, period; or if they do, they may require you to jump through hoops such as paying for shipping. They may also refuse to issue refunds under any circumstances.^{[14]
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Poor ratings or a lack of reviews Pay attention to the ratings and reviews that past customers leave on the alleged Canada Goose seller's site. If the average rating for the product you're interested in is 1-3 stars, that's a red flag. Another issue is a high average rating of 4-5 stars, but no or very few reviews. Finally, beware of reviews that all sound the same (i.e., use the same language when describing the product). Some counterfeiters populate their websites with fake reviews to make it seem like they have a high customer satisfaction rate.^{[15]
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- You can also check the website's ratings on Trustpilot and see if they're accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Avoid shopping there if the company isn't accredited by the BBB and the customer reviews on Trustpilot are poor.

Section 4 of 9:

What to Do If You Buy a Fake Canada Goose Jacket

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It's possible (although unlikely) that the seller doesn't know that the Canada Goose jacket they sold you is a counterfeit. This scenario can happen if you bought the item secondhand from someone on social media. Regardless of who the seller is, though, if they won't accept a return, the next step is to report them. If it's an individual, report them to the platform they're using (such as Facebook Marketplace). If it's a business, go to StopFakes.gov and follow their guidelines for reporting to the proper government authorities.

Section 5 of 9:

Is counterfeit Canada Goose bad?

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Yes, because counterfeiting is illegal, unethical, and poses health risks. A counterfeit is an item that imitates another brand's product and uses their trademarked name (without permission) to market it to consumers. This scheme is designed to trick people who like the original brand into buying a fake product instead, so the counterfeiters reap the profits. Counterfeiting is a serious crime in the United States, and the people who do it and get caught can go to prison and be forced to pay up to $30,000,000 in fines.^{[16]
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- According to Canada Goose, many counterfeiters use feather mulch or other inferior fillers in their imitation jackets. These materials can have bacteria, fungus, or mold growing on them and potentially make the person wearing the jacket get sick.^{[17]
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- There's also a serious possibility that the counterfeiters are using unethical business practices, such as making their products in factories that employ children as laborers.

Section 6 of 9:

Why should you buy authentic Canada Goose?

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Canada Goose makes high-quality jackets and apparel with premium materials. The main reason so many people are worried about buying authentic Canada Goose jackets is that the real products are so well-made. Not only is the stitching strong and precise, but the materials are of premium quality. The jackets, for example, are filled with real goose or duck down, and the hoods are edged with genuine coyote fur. Many people prefer them over fake or imitation Canada Goose jackets that use cheaper materials, like faux fur or a higher percentage of feathers than down.
- Down is the soft fiber that insulates a goose's underside. Feathers are broader and denser, with a hard quill shaft in the center. They're located on top of the goose's body and their wings.^{[18]
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- Canada Goose jackets typically have a 90/10 ratio of down to feathers.

Section 7 of 9:

Why is Canada Goose so expensive?

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Canada Goose is expensive because of its brand history and high quality. Canada Goose was founded as Metrowear in Toronto in 1957. Since then, it's grown out of a single warehouse and expanded into a global brand. Canada Goose jackets have appeared in some incredible places, from the top of Mt. Everest to the sets of popular movies like The Day After Tomorrow and National Treasure.^{[19]
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Research source} The brand's long history in the world of performance wear, combined with its quality and attention to detail, are the reasons you have to buy them at such a hefty price.
- A Canada Goose parka with a fur ruff costs between $1500 and $1835 (when purchased directly from the brand's website).

Section 8 of 9:

Where can I buy real Canada Goose products?

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Buy directly from Canada Goose or an authorized retailer. The best way to purchase a Canada Goose product and feel confident you're getting the real thing is through canadagoose.com. The next best method is going through one of the brand's authorized retailers. Search for stores where you can find genuine Canada Goose jackets and apparel by entering your zip code into their Store Locator tool.
- You can also look for used Canada Goose clothes in thrift stores and secondhand websites like eBay or Depop. Just remember to check for a hologram tag and other signs that the product you're buying is authentic!

Section 9 of 9:

Final Thoughts

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Sometimes the only way to check for sure if your Canada Goose jacket is authentic is to look at small details, like the tags, zippers, pull tabs, and buttons. To avoid having to verify that your piece of Canada Goose clothing is legit, consider purchasing directly from Canada Goose or one of its authorized retailers.