We’d argue a bluebird afternoon skiing is perhaps the best winter day you could ask for, whether you’re ripping groomers at the resort, carving untouched powder in the backcountry, or just making it down your first bunny hill. But there’s nothing more disappointing than having your day spoiled by inclement weather that leaves you drenched and freezing because your trusted ski jacket failed to provide adequate protection against the elements.
Finding the best ski jacket is a challenging task for anyone. It involves striking a balance between technical materials that endure harsh conditions, durability to withstand wear and tear, and a functional design that enhances movement, all while staying within a reasonable price range. However, the search becomes even more daunting when investing in one of the best ski jackets for women. In addition to the aforementioned criteria, women also need a tailored fit that doesn’t constrict movement around the hips or chest, especially when fastening boots or executing jumps. And admittedly, it’s preferable that a ski jacket looks good—if it doesn’t, we won’t want to wear it.
Suit up in a colorful, comfortable women’s ski jackets.
Illustration: Forbes / Photo: Retailers
Here’s the thing: There is no single best ski jacket for women. The best option for you is going to depend on your body shape, your preferred style of skiing and, ultimately, how much money you want to throw down for a single, albeit important, piece of winter gear.
For new skiers or folks looking for a value-driven jacket, the Columbia 3-in-1 Whirlibird IV Interchange is going to offer the most versatility and keep you warm on the lifts. But skiers logging 30-plus days a season both in and out of bounds will be much happier with the durability and technicality that a shell offers, like the Flylow Billie. And while a lot of seasoned skiers say a shell is the way to go, some really love the insulated Picture Organic EXA that delivers less bulk and more warmth.
To control as many variables as I could when testing the best ski jackets for women, I surveyed 12 lady skiers and snowboarders on 18 different jackets that they’ve collectively tested over the last few years. Here are the ones we can attest are worth the money.
This jacket is a reliable—and attractive—workhorse that’ll keep up with any lady who likes to rip and powder hunt at the resort, and who may earn some turns in the backcountry, too.
For starters, the exterior of this jacket performs. It’s crafted with a Surface 3-layer hardshell fabric, which is super tough (150 Denier) and breathable via a 20k/20k membrane. At the same time, the fabric feel downright luxe, which, in Billie’s case, is thanks to the oxford plain weave which keeps it soft to the touch.
Two of our testers skied in this shell one to three days a week for three seasons and both report their Billies still look near-new with minimal wear. We also found this jacket to be roomy enough to fit layers underneath and comfortable for tall, athletic, short and curvy body types—although we do wish it came in a wider range of sizing.
Most importantly, testing confirms the waterproofing of this ski jacket is truly A+; water beads and rolls off the surface thanks to Flylow’s polymer DWR coating. On a recent heavy, wet powder day in Aspen, when some of our ski jackets were failing to prevent the cold moisture from seeping in, testers in the Billie Jacket were toasty and dry, even after hours of wet moisture fell from the sky. But, again, the breathable membrane prevents the design from getting swampy inside.
The Billie is a shell, which is going to be the best choice for most skiers other than resort bunnies or those who run cold. And it has everything you expect at this mid-high price point: waterproof YKK zippers; fully taped seams; huge pit zips to dump heat while hiking; a roomy, helmet-compatible hood; an isolated RFID pocket for your ski pass; a phone pocket; two main pockets big enough to hold all the snacks; and cute color choices, including two-tone options. Plus, it pairs well with one of our favorite women’s ski pants, the Flylow Foxy Bibs.
The lighter colors do get dirty, but testing reveals that stains lift easily with washing. It’s also worth noting that we tested a lot of different Flylow jackets and this one outperformed them all.
Pros:
Top-notch waterproofing
Durable fabric that holds up over time
Fits a variety of body shapes
Cons:
Lighter colors get dirty easily (but wash out easy)
Similar to the Flylow Billie, the Strafe Meadow Jacket is a high-quality, all-mountain shell that’ll keep you dry from deep winter powder days to backcountry spring missions, all while looking good.
Two of our testers have been wearing the Strafe Meadow Jacket for at least three years and report its waterproofing is top-notch, with a 3-layer construction, DWR finish, YKK zippers and fully taped seams. The fit is great for different body types and leaves room for layers underneath. The Meadow Jacket is also great at keeping warmth in and powder out with both a removable powder skirt; quick-dry knit thumbhole cuffs with adjustable velcro cuffs overtop; and a high, fleece-lined collar. This jacket has large underarm vents to cool off, a helmet-compatible hood and a noteworthy amount of pockets (including a dedicated pass pocket) that both testers praised.
One thing that sets this jacket apart from the Flylow Billie is that it’s 200 grams lighter, making it a slightly more desirable choice for any skier who divides her time between resort and backcountry (although exclusive backcountry skiers will want to opt for something like the Mammut jacket found below, as our backcountry tester reports the Strafe Meadow is a bit bulky to stow and cumbersome to move in).
All in all, the Strafe Meadow Jacket performed nearly as well as the Flylow Billie, but its higher price kept it from earning the top spot as a great pick for most skiers. That being said, the value of this jacket is worth the price if you can swing it.
Especially when considering all of its small nice-to-haves, like seamless shoulders for more comfort when wearing a pack, a microfleece-lined chin guard and a magnet snap closure at the front collar. And the company stands behind their product—the zipper of our tester’s three-year-old Meadow Jacket broke and the company replaced the entire jacket, free of charge, despite the brand’s state two-year warranty.
At face value, the Columbia Whirlibird IV offers unparalleled value simply because you get three jackets for the very affordable price of one: a ski shell for warm spring days; a puffy jacket you can wear off the slopes; and, when zipped together, a seamless, insulated ski jacket for chilly afternoons on the slope. But what really puts this 3-in-1 ahead of similar styles is that it actually holds up on the mountain, according to our testing.
Columbia launched its first 3-in-1 jacket, the Bugaboo, in the 1980s, so it’s had nearly 40 years to perfect the design—and that shows. The Whirlibird IV Interchange shell is waterproof and strategically seam-sealed where moisture matters most (though not fully taped). Yet it still remains breathable and with sizable-enough zips under the armpits to dump heat as needed and keep you comfortable on warm spring days.
The removable puffy utilizes Columbia’s warmest synthetic insulation and proprietary Omni-Heat reflective lining to reflect your body heat; considering it also zips into the shell, this makes for an ideal mid-layer if you’re zooming groomers on a cold, wet day, but when removed, it serves as an everyday light winter jacket.
Our tester, who is a beginner-intermediate skier, was attracted to the price of this jacket but reports it also has a surprising number of nice-to-have features for the price: a draw cord hood to keep the elements out, a zippered pass pocket on the arm and Velcro wrist cuffs to keep snow out of the sleeves.
The pockets aren’t huge or copious, especially if you have the liner zipped in. Also, it’s shorter than we like when landing in a pile of powder, and some users report the powder skirt is sewn in at an unusable height, depending on body shape, making this jacket best for resort skiers who are mostly on groomers.
But we love that it comes in a ton of fun colorways and that Columbia offers and designs it for extended sizing. And the price truly can’t be beat.
Pros:
Three jackets in one
Versatile for all-season skiing
Made in extended sizing
Cons:
Not super roomy in the hips, so may need to size up
Could use more pockets
Not ideal for powder skiing
Best Insulated Ski Jacket For Women
Warmth When You Need It, Breathability When You Don’t
While we’re strong believers that the best choice for most skiers is going to be a shell, folks who don’t like the bulkiness of multiple layers, or those who ski mostly resort, might be happier with an insulated jacket. We’ve tested a handful of options and Picture’s EXA Jacket comes out on top for a number of reasons.
One of our testers has snowboarded in this jacket 40-plus days over the last three years and she reports that while the jacket feels heavily insulated, it also never feels too warm, even on a March day in Colorado. It’s crafted with 60 GSM insulation of recycled thermal STD and also has medium-sized pit zips so you can ditch heat quickly after sweaty runs.
This jacket is also reliably waterproof, with a 2-layer construction and a 20K/20K membrane for that ideal balance between waterproofing and breathability. It has all the great features we love to see in a ski jacket, including tons of pockets for snacks, essentials and ski passes; a hood that covers your helmet on cold days, arm vents, a high chin for cold days, adjustable velcro wrists and an inner wrist cuff with thumb holes for better protection from snow up your sleeves.
We also love that Picture uses recycled materials and more eco-friendly manufacturing practices; the DWR used on the EXA outer is PFC-free, too. Most of all, we love that this jacket is downright cute, with four very fun color-blocked colors that’ll match a variety of ski pants and bibs.
Lastly, this jacket comes with a lifetime warranty, which our tester has used to easily replace a broken zipper.
Pros:
Insulated enough to keep you warm all day without overheating during spring skiing
The dream ski touring jacket is a lightweight shell that breathes well enough to keep you cool when moving uphill, but maintains warmth on the downhill, all while reducing your transition time. In short, it’s the Mammut Haldigrat HS Hooded Jacket.
This jacket beat out some hot competition for the backcountry category, including the Strafe Meadow and Patagonia PowSlayer. The Haldigrat was actually the only jacket on our list that testers rated as a 10/10 across the board on comfort, fit, waterproofness, durability, quality of hardware and aesthetics.
In fact, our backcountry tester, who has been hiking up and skiing down in the Haldigrat three to six times a week for two seasons now, reports this is “the holy grail for ski jackets.”
A handful of ski touring jackets these days rock top-notch 30k waterproofing, durability and low weight. What sets the Haldigrat apart is how well it moves with your body when you’re both touring and skiing and how well it breathes when things get toasty, even without touching the massive two-way pit zips. It also has massive chest pockets for your skins, a ton of pockets that are easily accessible with a pack on, a two-way main zipper and an extra-high chin guard. Plus, this high level of technical fabric is also made with sustainable post-consumer recycled nylon, finished with PFC-free DWR and feels soft to the touch instead of the usual lightweight jacket crinkle.
We also love that it’s warm enough to ski the resort in, and with the long, freeride-inspired cut and fun colorways, it’s downright cute.
Pros:
30k waterproofing
Removable powder skirt
Sustainable outer fabric made of durable post-consumer recycled nylon
Patagonia’s PowSlayer is a seriously-dialed powder-chasing jacket that includes the best of everything necessary without any frills. Crafted with a 3-layer Gore-Tex Pro Shell, it’s finished with the highest level of waterproofing while remaining both breathable and windproof. At the same time, this jacket is incredibly lightweight (522 grams) for skinning, ski touring or traveling, making it simple and reliable if you ski from the resort to the backcountry to abroad, like our tester.
In typical Patagonia fashion, the PowSlayer is incredibly sustainable: The shell is made from 100% recycled nylon fabric with zero compromise to its durability, waterproofing or breathability. It’s also Fair Trade Certified sewn and, like all Patagonia products, you’ll likely grow tired of this jacket before it gives out on you.
The PowSlayer has every feature a well-rounded skier could want, executed perfectly: watertight, light-weight zippers; a ski pass pocket on the arm; two chest pockets (including one with another zippered pocket inside it); a helmet-compatible hood that’s adjustable from the back and front when weather gets nasty; pit zips; fleece lining in the hand pockets; and two highly-functional stash pockets on the inside. Of course, it also has a powder skirt and Velcro wrist adjustments, and it even has embedded RECCO technology that makes it easier for search and rescue to find you.
Lastly, some ladies will love that this jacket boasts a slim fit if the oversized freeride or snowboarder style isn’t your jam.
Obviously, the biggest downside to this jacket is the price. But considering how incredibly well-designed it is, and that you’re also paying for sustainable manufacturing practices, we think the Patagonia PowSlayer is well worth the sticker price.
Pros:
Perfectly designed for any mountain situation, be it resort, sidecountry or backcountry
100% sustainable fabric
Fully weatherproof
Cons:
Expensive
Limited sizing, runs small and narrow
Not a ton of pocket storage for resort days
Zipper feels delicate, though ours hasn’t broken
How We Chose The Best Ski Jackets For Women
Twelve women who are all intermediate to advanced skiers and snowboarders assessed 18 ski jackets that they’ve worn for at least one full season. Each jacket style was rated using the following criteria:
Comfort during activity
Overall fit
Warmth
Waterproofness
Durability, season over season
Hardware quality and ease of use
Aesthetics
Necessary and nice-to-have features, such as snack pockets, pass pockets, removable powder skirts and so on.
Lastly, each jacket was rated on whether the performance, quality and features was worth the price, which helped determine its overall value.
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