Men Fashion Ski Snowboard Jacket Waterproof Windproof Outdoor

If skiing is your therapy, a waterproof ski jacket can make your time on the slopes the best mental health days of the year. Bank check out our picks for the best men'due south ski jackets for 2022.

Striking the slopes has never been more in favor than in 2022. If you got your laissez passer for 2021-2022, good on you. Or maybe the rush to the slopes encouraged you to explore the backcountry. Either way, for many, hitting the slopes feeds the soul.

Just as important as the boards and helmet, the ski jacket is a key role of your winter kit. Warm, weatherproof, and breathable, the right ski jacket is a trusted tool that you lot will use for many years.

These aren't merely any wintertime jackets. The ski jacket is a technical piece of gear that meets the demanding needs of protection and mobility. The all-time of the all-time take a combination of weather protection, breathability, insulation, helmet compatibility, and other slope-specific features.

Whether riding groomers or beyond the ropes, these jackets rose to the top of our list this winter. Coil through to see all of our recommended buys, or leap to a category below:

• Best Overall Resort
• All-time Overall Backcountry
• Best Budget
• Best Budget Backcountry
• Best iii-in-1
• Best of the Balance

The Best Men'southward Ski Jackets of 2022

Best Overall Resort: Helly Hansen Alpha LifaLoft

For resort skiing, nosotros by and large lean toward an insulated jacket with form-fitting pockets to hold our pass, wallet, and gloves. The hood should fit over the helmet and be lightly insulated.

A pulverization skirt is swell when you need it, only should tuck away cleanly when y'all don't. And considering there'southward no denying style has some swagger inside the ropes, we like a lilliputian cut and color. The Helly Hansen Blastoff LifaLoft ($550) hits all these marks and does then with great bang for the buck.

This is 1 of the best-fitting jackets we've ever tested. Shoulder the jacket, and yous immediately experience that the cut follows form. The jacket is protected with Helly'southward proprietary HellyTech. Waterproof and breathable, information technology has a touch of stretch, moving with your reach.

The arms are cuffed with a buttery-soft wrist gaiter that keeps the snowfall and cold out. Information technology'due south soft, tranquillity, and less bounden than most jackets nosotros've tried.

The jacket has six pockets, all cleanly integrated into the jacket'south minimal silhouette. Inside the left Napoleon pocket, Helly tethered a lens cloth and lined the pocket with a nifty gelled insulation. The Aerogel pad prevents the cold from sapping your telephone's battery.

It's non the warmest jacket in the bunch — that honor goes to Spyder's Impulse. But, its middle-of-the-line warmth is what makes this jacket a true winner. While the 80g insulation pulls duty for most days on the gradient, there'south enough room to layer a belong or fleece on truly cold days.

And it's extremely adaptable for warmer days. The helmet-friendly hood is removable, leaving a tall, comfortable collar. Pit zips aid spill core heat and are lined with mesh, preventing blocks of snow from funneling in. The pulverization brim buttons into the storage garage.

Ski jackets are expensive. At $550, you're forking over a good amount of cash. Simply the design thinking that went into the Alpha pays out in a wide range of employ. Paired with its timeless, unassumingly handsome looks and overall durability, this is a jacket nosotros can confidently ski in for many seasons to come.

The jacket is offered in a women's version (Alphelia LifaLoft, $475), which doesn't include a fold-away, hi-vis brim.

• Fit: Euro cutting/Slim
• Insulation: 80g PrimaLoft

Pros:

• Warm
• Weather-resistant
• Stylish
• Enough of pockets
• Buttery soft wrist collar

Cons:

• Zipper pulls are harder to manipulate with gloves

Cheque Price at Amazon

Best Overall Backcountry: Rab Khroma Kinetic

Backcountry lines reward simplicity and breathability over heavier insulated jackets. Adaptability and packability is the proper noun of the game. The blueprint should exist clean and durable, and it should roll up tight in the pack.

The Khroma line ($349) is Rab's entry into ski mountaineering, with the Kinetic beingness its most breathable model. At the core of the Kinetic is Rab's "soft" hardshell Proflex, striking a balance of protection and breathability.

It's not going to exist as durable or waterproof as a GORE-TEX three-ply shell (if you need that, look at the Khroma GTX). Only, nosotros found the 20K hydrostatic head is plenty enough protection to shed wet powder, light rain, or mist.

The Kinetic's fit doesn't awkwardly bunch or drape like a lot of ski shells on the market. The hood adjustment tabs pull direct and stay within the jacket. We prefer this to hoods with elastic pull loops and found it easy to utilise even with gloves. There is great coverage of the face, and information technology integrates very well with the hood and goggles.

The hip-length jacket follows the form of the trunk in motion. The barrel drops in the back for added coverage.

Adding to the wearability, the chest pockets sit high and out of the mode of the hip belt and shoulder straps. The pockets can be accessed both from the outside or within. This does compromise the contents' security. Take a tumble, and small-scale items could unintentionally fall out. But the zippers are stout, and the front double zipper provides easy admission to your harness.

To enhance the airflow, the jacket's deep front pockets work every bit vents. Unzip the backside-the-arm zips, and you go a steady catamenia of absurd air moving through the jacket. It's unlike anything we've e'er seen, and it spills heat like a champ.

The Kinetic is a jacket you'll want to put on and leave on. And because information technology's then breathable, you lot can comfortably exercise then as y'all skin upward, ski down, repeat.

• Fit: Able-bodied
• Waterproof-breathable rating: 20K/25K
• Weight: 18 oz.

Pros:

• Inexpensive
• Breathable
• Fantastic fit
• Great ventilation
• Durable zips
• Massive chest pockets can concord skins and are accessible from inside

Cons:

• Proflex sacrifices some waterproofness
• Narrow cuffs may not pair with all gloves
• Security pocket is pocket-size (may not fit all phones)
• Left-sided zipper may confuse some U.S. customers

Bank check Price at evoCheck Cost at Amazon

Best Budget Ski Jacket: REI Powderbound Jacket

Skis, boots, bindings, elevator tickets — afterward all that, it tin can be difficult to swallow the cost of today'south ski jackets. If you find yourself heading to the slopes monthly over weekly (or the lucky few, daily), there'southward less opportunity to wearable out a jacket. You tin can skimp on overbuilt and save some money.

REI's Powderbound ($199) doesn't have some of the blueprint elements that cause price creep. Instead of stormproof zippers, a storm flap closes over the attachment.

The powder brim is sewn into the jacket. The hood is, too. The insulation and shell aren't licensed tertiary-party brands. Instead, REI uses proprietary waterproof materials.

What makes this jacket a bargain is that details weren't cut and left on the pattern room floor — only the cost. It sports an adjustable hood that fits over a helmet, a powder skirt, pit zips, and a large internal mesh pocket and hidden breast pocket for valuables.

The torso is lined with 80g poly insulation — the arms utilize threescore g — accordingly balanced for warmth and mobility. The longest cut ski jacket in the review, the extra coverage warms the butt on the lift and wears well around the town.

• Fit: Relaxed
• Beat out: Proprietary two-layer waterproof-breathable laminate
• Insulation : 80g synthetic in torso, 60g constructed in arms

Pros:

• Warm
• All the details y'all desire in a ski jacket at half the price

Cons:

• Beefy
• Hem is long and sits tight around the butt

Check Price at REI

All-time Budget Backcountry: Outdoor Research Carbide

The 2022 ski season is different to be certain. With resorts limiting the number of daily tickets, more skiers ventured off-piste seeking solace. If you have the kit to signal the boards out of premises only are looking to lighten your kit with a breathable beat out, Outdoor Research's Carbide ($179 and up) crush doesn't bleed the wallet.

Outdoor Research's latest backcountry jacket is fully capable at the resort. But, attending to detail and simplicity get in about suited beyond the groomers.

If you want a jacket that can handle resort and backcountry, this one gives you the best of both worlds. Because information technology'south an uninsulated vanquish, the user tin can selection and choose how to layer information technology best for the weather that mean solar day.

Despite the athletic fit, the Carbide has a chip more room than the Khroma Kinetic. A note almost fit — information technology's got a directly hem, and the tail doesn't drop over the barrel for extra coverage.

Very few jackets on the listing take double zippers. The Carbide has this and deep pit zips to assistance spill the oestrus. We named the women'southward version the all-time overall ski jacket this year.

We establish the Carbide a touch more durable (and heavier) than the Rab Khroma Kinetic. But it'due south also less breathable. We'd choice the Carbide for hiking lines in wetter atmospheric condition.

• Fit: Athletic
• Weight: 21 oz.
• Shell: Pertex iii-layer construction

Pros:

• Inexpensive
• Weatherproof
• Deep pit zips
• Packability
• Repose material
• Pulverisation skirt

Cons:

• Less durable and weatherproof than GORE-TEX counterparts
• Powder skirt interferes with conveying skins

Check Cost at REICheck Price at Backcountry

All-time iii-in-1 Jacket: Patagonia 3-in-1 Snowshot

The unsung hero of winter flexibility is the three-in-1 jacket ($399). The inner insulated jacket unzips from the crush. And then you tin wear the crush lonely, the insulated jacket alone, or cypher both together for colder days.

This holy trinity is oft tried, merely rarely true. Patagonia's Snowshot pulls off the chapeau trick with two jackets that fully function alone and work together in symphony.

The 60g liner is similar to what yous'd find in Patagonia'due south Nano Puff. Merely information technology uses Thermogreen insulation equally opposed to the PrimaLoft Gold plant in the Nano (PrimaLoft is its gold-standard insulation).

The liner cleanly zips into the trounce without catching. The neckband tucks cleanly abroad into small microfleece-lined garages in the beat out. It's aesthetic, functional, and comfortable against the chin.

Patagonia keeps the price low by using its own proprietary H2No 2-layer protection. Although it's not as durable as GORE-TEX, it provides enough protection for ski atmospheric condition.

And while the shell has a pair of pit zips, the insulated layer does non. When paired, the system has a limited ability to release heat.

No surprise, Patagonia didn't overlook the ski-oriented details. The hood is removable. The shell is durable. The vertical chest pocket works well, and inside sports mesh pockets concord gear. The snowfall brim sits below the insulation, remaining functional when pairing the two jackets.

Both the shell and insulated liner accept hand pockets and a single chest pocket. And when removed, the insulated liner is fully reversible, flashing the Patagonia logo on both sides. Details.

For those who ski regularly, the other jackets on the list are more performance-oriented and will serve you ameliorate on the slopes. Also, they're more than comfortable. With the liner integrated into the shell, they feel more unified.

Only for those on a upkeep, there'due south no denying the value the 3-in-i design brings. There'southward a lot to exist said for the ability to use this jacket across seasons. And of course, you lot're buying a tried-and-truthful make that backs upwardly its products.

• Fit: Relaxed
• Protection: H2No two-layer construction
• Insulation : 60g Thermogreen insulation

Pros:

• Versatile
• Warm
• Bang for the buck

Cons:

• Doesn't vent as well or wear as well as an all-in-one

Check Toll at REI Check Price at Evo

Best of the Residue

Stio Shot 7

When you lot're chasing the white dragon downwardly into its cold winter lair, you demand both warmth and protection. With an boilerplate daily temperature hovering just higher up 20 degrees F, it'southward no surprise that our top option for cold skiing comes out of Jackson Pigsty, Wyo.

Stio's Shot vii ($650) takes its über-comfortable Hometown Hooded Jacket and layers it with a two-layer GORE-TEX beat. The fill is responsibly sourced 800-fill that's been treated for water repellency.

The baffles are narrow, preventing the down from shifting. Although the down is treated to repel moisture, if you're regularly venturing out into common cold, wet slopes, we'd recommend a more forgiving insulation like Helly'due south Blastoff LiftLoft or Stio's own synthetic DoubleCharger ($400).

We found the Shot seven stays warm in the teens when layered over a midweight base of operations layer. The fit is roomy, and then if you tend to run cold, there'south room to add a midweight fleece. For warmer days, large mesh-backed pit zips provide some relief.

The Shot 7 is a beautifully executed ski jacket, purpose-congenital for stormy conditions. The helmet-friendly hood is permanently fastened. The pulverization skirt is removable, only it's integrated so well into the waist that information technology tucks cleanly out of the style until you lot need information technology.

Pulling in from its tall roots, two deep mesh pockets tin can swallow a pair of gloves. The mesh is tacked with a reinforced tab of fabric to prevent information technology from tearing out under mechanical stress. And a ii-way attachment, something not often found on ski parkas, makes it piece of cake to reach a harness (or more likely, your fly).

2 fat Velcro tabs cinch the wrist ii inches up the sleeve, out of the way of gloves and underlying layers, which can easily snag on the claw-and-loop closure.

While two-layer GORE-TEX offers minimal protection, if you're heading out beneath freezing, information technology'southward cold and dry, not cold and moisture. And the outer shell is extremely durable. Paired with down's integral immovability, this jacket should ski through several seasons of 100+ ski days and still come out looking fine.

• Fit: Relaxed
• Shell: GORE-TEX two-layer construction
• Insulation : Water-repellent, RSD 800-make full goose downwardly

Pros:

• Warm
• Weather-resistant
• Super comfortable

Cons:

• Expensive
• Express pockets
• Heavy

Bank check Cost at Stio

Spyder Impulse

Nosotros typically don't see a lot of puffy ski parkas on the market. While nosotros love the warmth, they are typically not slim enough or protective enough to make the cut. New for 2021-2022, Spyder released this slim-plumbing equipment puffy lofted with 700-fill. While some down fill ratings can climb well over 800, 700-fill up is still pretty nifty.

The down insulation is shelled with GORE-TEX Infinium. GORE is a little stingy on waterproof-breathable ratings, but all you need to know is it's water-resistant, not waterproof.

Infinium is the GORE-TEX product for wind resistance and breathability. Y'all'll most often discover it used in fast-frontwards sports, like cycling and skate skiing, where the user is pushing out more sweat.

The Infinium trounce is less durable than what nosotros see in Stio's Shot seven. But the trade-off is that it's repose, soft to the touch on, and has a bit of mechanical stretch.

The shell is treated with a DWR to shed the spray. To enhance its performance, you lot'll want to reapply a DWR treatment over time.

Sideslip into the Impulse ($650) and information technology hugs the body like a sleeping purse. The fit is exquisite, slimmer than Stio's Shot vii, merely at that place'south still room to layer over a fleece.

The hands naturally slide into the buttery-soft wrist gasket that trails off the sleeve. It's one of the best gaskets nosotros've tested this year. Unfortunately, the gasket'due south pollex-loop textile runs long, causing it to naturally fold over itself.

Instead of pit zips, Spyder moved the 8-inch, mesh-backed vents forward a touch. The zipper requires using both hands to pull it down, simply the design conclusion allows cool air to pull in from the front instead of from under the arms, which tends to trap heat.

The powder skirt is removable, only the helmet hood is not. The forepart and pocket zippers are waterproof. Seven pockets are cleanly placed on the jacket. It'due south an ideal number of pockets for a mean solar day on the slopes.

Ii of the pockets are mesh sleeves inside the jacket. These seem a little shallow, but they are plenty fine to stuff a neck gaiter or temporarily stash your gloves.

Spyder likewise put a impact of padding over the shoulders. It takes the edge off hoisting the skis back to the automobile, and it's nice to see details that consider the consumer's experience.

Like most jackets from Spyder, the Impulse exudes luxury. The design and finish are what you'd expect from a jacket that we've repeatedly seen on the Olympic podium. If y'all want the warmth, but don't need a fortress of protection, the Impulse is a amend pick than Stio's Shot 7.

• Fit: Athletic
• Crush: GORE-TEX Infinium
• Insulation : 700-fill goose downwards

Pros:

• Warm
• Breathable
• Super comfortable

Cons:

• Expensive
• Not waterproof-breathable
• Small zipper pulls

Check Price at ScheelsCheck Price at Skiis & Biikes

Saga Anomie

For younger skiers (or skiers who are young at middle), Saga'southward Anomie has a fashion-forward jacket that has all the bells and whistles we wait for in a ski jacket. Plus, it's available for $260, making it a deal on the ski jacket rack.

The durable poly trounce is waterproof and breathable, rated to 10K/10K. The pulverisation brim can exist removed, and the hood tin button upward into a collar.

Long pit zips are backed with mesh. And, two internal mesh pockets tin can store your goggles until the snowfall starts to fly. A nice wrist gasket secures over the easily.

Its 40g insulation lightly lofts the jacket (meaning it's non the warmest on our list). But in that location's enough of room to layer under information technology.

The jacket trends are oversized past design. You especially find information technology in the arms, but the cutting will be a favorite for snowboarders or those riding rails or bumps. If the bold colors don't sell this indicate, the fit will. If you prefer a trimmer fit, nosotros'd recommend sizing down.

• Fit: Snowboard, boxy cut (size downwardly if you adopt a trimmer fit)
• Trounce: Proprietary two-layer with DWR rated to 10K/10K
• Insulation : 40g synthetic

Pros:

• Lightly insulated with room for layers
• All the details you want in a ski jacket at half the price

Cons:

• Bulky
• Sleeves run long

Check Price at Saga Outwear

Buyers Guide: How to Buy a Ski Jacket

Where Will You Ski?

Looking for the correct ski jacket? Before you beat out the coin, your starting time decision should be to consider where y'all ski.

Laps at the resort have entirely different requirements than picking your ain line in the backcountry. And wet snow in the Pacific Northwest requires more conditions protection than slaying pw in the Rockies.

If 2022 pushes you deeper into the backcountry, yous'll appreciate lighter-weight and more breathable jackets with deep pit zips for ventilation.

Insulation

Skiing in-bounds prioritizes warmth and comfort. We like a jacket that can keep us warm and dry while riding the elevator and bombing the slopes.

For cooler temps, a dedicated ski jacket that is insulated with either synthetic (for skiing in the Cascades) or downwardly (think the high desert or Rockies) provides a level of comfort that a shell tin can't offer when worn solitary. Plus, an insulated jacket will always fit better than a shell worn over a puffy or fleece.

For the ultimate flexibility, many brands offer a 3-in-1 jacket: an insulated jacket that zips into a hard crush. Wear it alone, or pair it together — the selection can flex to your needs and offer a lot of bang for the cadet. While expensive, Patagonia'due south 3-in-1 Snowshot pulls this off meliorate than most.

Ski Shells

Exercise yous need insulation? Not always. The flexibility of a durable hardshell is tough to vanquish. Waterproof and breathable, you lot can layer the shell over a fleece or slim puffy on cold days. Or, y'all can wear information technology by itself on warmer spring days.

Shells occasionally cross over into our mountaineering and backpacking trips, and they can piece of work fine in the backcountry. But there are lighter, more compressible options dedicated to these kinds of pursuits.

Photo credit: Outdoor Research

Waterproof

Whichever jacket you buy, brand sure it's waterproof. GORE-TEX is a waterproof, windproof, and breathable membrane that is part of the fabric — it's the gold standard in waterproofing. All the same, many major brands accept their own version of waterproof-breathable fabrics.

Jackets have degrees of waterproofing, from five,000mm to 25,000mm h2o cavalcade ratings. The higher the level, the less breathable they are.

Nearly skiers don't head out into a full-on rain, and then we aim for at least a ten,000-xv,000mm water column rating. That's enough to cake wet snow without sacrificing breathability.

Backcountry shells tendency more technical and light. These jackets shed accouterments like insulation (acquit it separately) and powder skirts (extra weight). There's prophylactic in simplicity, so the trend veers toward very breathable membranes that are durable enough.

Features

Beat or insulated, either style, we look for jackets with a longer drib tail (to sit on), deep pockets (to store gloves or goggles in), and a hood that fits a helmet only lays back and keeps a functional collar.

A pulverisation skirt can limit ingressing snowfall. Some skirts tin can even be removed or tucked away cleanly. And pit zips tin offer you lot a wide thermal range. The best are backed with mesh to limit snowfall from piling in.

Fit is king. Some brands, like Arc'teryx, masterfully tailor their jackets to fit like a suit. These slimmer jackets layer well over a fleece but don't have plenty room to habiliment a puffy underneath. If yous run cold, you'll exist better served with an insulated ski jacket or a shell with some room.

Whether buying from an online store with a return policy or shopping in the shop, if yous are able, try the jacket on with layers you'll wear on the gradient. Ski jackets are expensive and will last several seasons. Information technology's non worth compromising with a poor fit.

FAQ

Do I Really Need a Ski Jacket?

In short, yes. A ski jacket is better than a soft-shell jacket (or whatsoever other layer that isn't fully waterproof).

If you have something waterproof (like a rain jacket), that may work, simply not also. Often, pelting jackets don't fit correctly over other layers, the hoods are too small, and the pockets don't have glove-friendly attachment pulls. They could also be too short in length to provide enough protection from water and snow.

Ski jackets also work slap-up for other wintertime activities such as snowshoeing, wintertime hiking, wintertime commuting, sledding, so on.

What's the Divergence Between a Ski Jacket and a Normal Jacket?

Ski jackets are technical gear. They're built for very common cold conditions but also a loftier level of activity. They have a combination of waterproofing, windproofing, durability, warmth, breathability, and ski-friendly features.

You can vesture a proper ski jacket all twenty-four hours — on the skin in, on a windy chairlift, a sunny day, or a cloudy twenty-four hour period with negative temps — all without irresolute or removing your jacket.

Ski jackets besides have lots of sport-specific features, similar helmet-uniform hoods, powder skirts to seal out snowfall, and beacon pockets, all of which make your experience more enjoyable.

Photo credit: Travel Nevada

How Much Should I Spend on a Ski Jacket?

It depends. New to skiing? Don't live in a common cold climate? Practice yous only ski or snowboard on vacation? Maybe wait for a jacket for $200 or less.

Or, exercise you lot appoint in wintertime activities that require a durable shell for much of the year? Make sure yous get one that has all the features you demand — you may demand to spend a little extra for technical features.

Set up a upkeep, check out all the jackets on this list, and detect the one or two best for you. And so, check to see if it's on sale. Seasonal dress, like ski jackets, often goes on sale in March. So spring and summertime are great times to shop.

Price usually reflects fit, quality of materials, and immovability. All of these elements increase the longevity of your investment.

If yous but ski a few days a year, you can compromise on cost. But it will come with a trade-off. If you're on the hill 40-plus days a year, your investment will get a long way to ensure that they are the best days of the year.

---

The Best Women'southward Ski Jackets of 2022

Going skiing? You'll demand a warm, waterproof two- or three-layer ski jacket. Bank check out our picks for the best women'due south ski jackets. Read more than…

The Best Ski Boots of 2022

Our experts tested the best ski boots of 2021-2022 to fit every upkeep and use, including top picks from Salomon, Dynafit, and more. Read more…

Share this post