It was usually in the 20-35°F range but since it was towards the end of winter for them, it was a lot sunnier than I expected it to be. That said, it was also just as cold as we had feared because Reykjavik was right by the water and the closer you got to it, the windier and more freezing it became. Which made us doubly thankful for all the layers and warm clothing we packed! 99% of our purchases proved to be exactly what we needed and ever since our trip I'd been wanting to a share a "What to Pack for Iceland in March" post because we figured out what to get by looking at a ton of different website and I wanted to provide that information all in one place.
TNA Bancroft Parka | This parka is good for -22°F weather, under $350 and really cute. Considering how expensive other down parkas are (I'm looking at you Canada Goose), this was a steal! It kept me warm and cozy although I'd recommend sizing up if you tend to be on the curvier side and want room to layer. I'm 4'11, really small on top but tend to be a bigger size on the bottom so I had to. I think it's because for my height, the jacket went down to my knees and it's super straight and fitted.
Uniqlo Ultra Warm Heattech shirts | You're going to see Uniqlo mentioned a lot! Their ultra warm heattech collection was a godsend and perfect for layering. I brought 3 long sleeve shirts with me to wear under my sweaters every day.
JOTO Universal Waterproof Case | Not related to clothing but just as vital if you plan to stop at the Blue Lagoon while in Iceland (and you absolutely should). This case let me take my phone into the water worry-free and I've since used it on other trips.
Uniqlo Ultra Warm Heattech leggings | I wore these leggings every day under my jeans and it definitely helped to stave off the cold. There are various levels of warmth that you can get, for example regular vs extra warm vs ultra warm. I personally went for ultra warm on everything for Iceland.
Abercrombie & Fitch Asymmetrical Fleece | This is the cutest fleece and so warm! I've used it many times before, during and after my trip to Iceland! On the days where we went on day trips to see waterfalls, I wore this underneath my jacket and I stayed pretty cozy the entire time. It comes in different colors but the black/gray combo is my fave.
Arctic Extreme Thermal Neck Warmer | I actually got my neck warmer from Uniqlo but they aren't selling it anymore and this is a very close duplicate. You can easily just use a scarf (which Alexa did and I brought one too) but again, I was very concerned about the cold weather and this was great for keeping the cold air out.
Columbia Ice Maiden II Lace Boot | My coworker recommended these boots to me because his wife got them for their Alaska trip and loved them. They're waterproof, insulated, and decently priced so both Alexa and I bought them (in black) for the trip. We used them daily and were very happy with how they held up our day trips to visit various glaciers and waterfalls.
Anlamb Women Fleece Cargo Snow Ski Pants | If you don't plan to venture outside of Rekjavik, you can skip this one but if you do plan to see the sights like Gullfoss waterfall or Jokulsarlon, you need pants that are insulated, waterproof and windproof. I loved these pants because they surprisingly fit my petite frame and even with leggings underneath, I didn't feel overly bulky.
Angela & William Cable Knit Beanie | I got two different beanies for the trip but this is the one that I still use now on a regular basis during winter. I love the color and fit plus it has a sherpa fleece lining.
Uniqlo Heattech Knee High Cable Socks | Uniqlo has a bunch of different socks but as long as you go with the heattech ones, you can't go wrong. I got a mix of these knee high ones and crew length socks.
Non-slip Over Shoe Snow & Ice Cleats / Crampons | This is the one purchase that we ended up not using at all but it was only $6.99 so it wasn't a huge loss. We did two days of worth of day trips but if you're there longer and it seems like you'll be walking on a lot of ice, you may want to have these just in case. They come highly rated and again, the price is great.
[Note: I didn't include a pair of gloves because I didn't love the ones I bought. I'd recommend going on Amazon and looking for a pair that's insulated, windproof, waterproof and easy to take on/off (especially if you use your phone to mostly take photos).]
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So those are my top recommendations for what to buy on a trip to Iceland in March!
100% support all these recommendations! I think we did an excellent job packing for this trip, as we managed to stay warm even when it got super windy :D
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