Women's ski coat - best overall value (price and quality)
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Anonymous
Anonymous
| Make sure it's a true ski jacket - a hood that's wide enough to fit over your helmet, the sleeve should have a zipper near the wrist for your pass, zipper vents under the arms (good for spring skiing), and the obvious- waterproof, insulated, range of motion, etc. |
Anonymous
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OP, your link looks fine but a trip to REI or some other place is a good idea. You can try on multiple things and get advice.
This is no longer necessary: "the sleeve should have a zipper near the wrist for your pass" And some people prefer just a shell with layers underneath and some people prefer their outermost layer to have some insulation. |
Anonymous
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A lot depends on what sort of skiing you do and where. We do most of our skiing in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast where the runs are shorter and the weather icier, so I am all about warm-warm-warm. Plus room to add more warm layers underneath.
I got a steal on an Obermeyer jacket a couple seasons ago -- down fill around the torso, a lighter composite in the arms for easy movement. We went out in negative temps with crazy wind, and I was totally comfortable on the chair. For Colorado, you may want something lighter because you're going to heat up on the longer runs, plus there's generally more sun. I think Columbia jackets are a good choice, and I have a similar one for warmer days (it also doubles as my rain jacket), but you may want to follow PP's advice to go to REI and try some on. You may find some features you love, or some that are deal-breakers. |
Anonymous
| I generally find Columbia to be a good value—it’s a solid brand but doesn’t have sky-high prices. I have a Columbia ski jacket that’s held up well for the last 8+ years. It’s a shell with a fleece that zips in for flexibility re layering and temperatures |
Anonymous
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The coat selected looks fine.
My kids have snowboarded in cheap puffer jackets they bought at the mall. My older son's last parka was a Rossignol on sale at Peter Glenn. We tend to buy good value one-off coat models from Peter Glenn online. Their return process works if you need it. REI's merchandising isn't quite to my taste. https://peterglenn.com/ |
Anonymous
| I was about to recommend Reima, which is a fantastic Scandinavian brand with great colors/patterns and decent prices (that also puts things on sale frequently) but I just went to their website and discovered they are only selling kids/toddlers gear in the US now. That's a huge bummer! I am now wondering if their adult gear is available at REI or other retailers. Anyway, that's my brand recommendation if you can find it. |
Anonymous
| I like Stio jackets. They often have an early season sale which makes them very reasonable. They are made for skiing, which is important (features like a lift card pocket, phone pocket, vents, etc). |
Anonymous
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I have a Columbia ski jacket. it is a 3 in one- shell and with puffer jacket. I bought it on sale from REI when I was learning to ski and didn't want to spend a lot. I have used it 5 season now and really like it. It has held up well and kept me comfortable in all sorts of conditions- east coast wet snow and even rain and the freezing cold, wind and snow in Colorado. I like that it can be worn as just a shell on warm days or or with different base layers to suite my needs.
My only complaint about the jacket I have is that it is heavy. When I upgrade I will just get a shell and have separate base layers as I already own a thinner and much lighter in weight, not warmth, Patagonia nano puff as well as a Patagonia fleece/better sweater that keep me incredibly warm. Just make sure there is room to add a layer if you need to. |
Anonymous
| We’re similar skiers and don’t bother with dedicated ski jackets. We get a decent warm shell and layer underneath. I focus more on the gloves/mittens and balaclava. |
Anonymous
| Honestly you need to try them on with all your layer underneath to make sure it fits right. For example, for whatever reason, North Face jackets don't fit me well. I love my Obermeyer that I got it on REI clearance. DD wears Boulder Gear and DH wears Outdoor Research. |
Anonymous
I was going to suggest the same place. We’ve gotten amazing deals at the end of the season here |
Anonymous
| Columbia is the value brand for outdoor stuff, so you are moving in the right direction, OP. |
Anonymous
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Columbia is a solid brand and if the teenagers like it, that is half the battle. Note that jacket says "medium warmth" so it might be worth considering when you will be there (January? March?) and what they are planning to wear underneath. For reference, I skied in CO and ID last February and some mornings the temps were in single digits.
FWIW, I wear an Obermeyer jacket and my teenage daughter has a North Face. |
Anonymous
| Costco $40 down jacket. It kept me plenty warm in Montana. |