Outerwear Reviews | Best Women's Ski & Snowboard Jackets 2025

Our gear experts have gathered together a collection of the very best women's jackets for skiing and snowboarding here — from shells designed for touring, to streetwear-inspired models that'll help you feel at home in the snow park. 

TL/DR Verdict Summary

If you’re looking for a lightweight ski touring shell, that packs down tiny, The North Face Balmenhorn Jacket is our pick of the bunch. If you're mostly into cruisey blues, red runs, and the occasional foray into powder when the snow's good, check out Salomon's Moon Patrol, or Arc'Teryx's stylish Sentinel Insulated Anorak.  

If budget is your primary concern, you may want to look at Decathlon's Wedze 500 ski jacket, which is ludicrously cheap at just £99. And if you're a snowboarder, check out the Roxy Chloe Kim jacket, designed with the help of the US halfpipe superstar, or Burton's Reserve 3L jacket.   

Buying a Ski or Snowboard Jacket - The Basics

There are a few key decisions to consider when looking at women's ski jackets. First up is the kind of jacket you want, which will usually fall into one of two categories—insulated jackets, or shell jackets.

Insulated models are thicker, and bulkier, but warmer. So they're great if you're skiing somewhere properly cold (like Canada) or if you're mostly cruising the pistes. If you're going to work up a sweat by ski touring or hiking in the backcountry, you're better off going for a shell, which is more breathable. 

Breathability and waterproof ratings are the second important thing to consider when jacket shopping. These will indicate what kind of conditions the jacket can handle.

"The general rule of thumb is that if you're touring or heading out into the backcountry, it's worth paying more for a higher-rated fabric"

 

For the full rundown of what waterproof and breathability ratings on ski jackets mean, check our buyers' guide to snowboard jackets and our buyers' guide to ski jackets. But the general rule of thumb is that if you're touring or heading out into the backcountry, it's worth paying more for a higher rated fabric on your jacket. 

And then of course the final question is fit, and style. Do you like that long tailed parka look? Fur on the hood? Or do you prefer something more stripped back and classic? If you're looking for a snowboard specific brand or style, you'll find more of the best snowboard jackets for men and women here. If you wouldn't be seen dead wearing a snowboard brand, you can find more of our test team's picks of the best ski jackets for men and women here. 

Best Women's Ski & Snowboard Jackets of 2025

Arc’teryx Sentinel Insulated Anorak

RRP £600

The new insulated Sentinel Anorak from Arc’teryx is the ultimate bodyguard for all mountain skiing and snowboarding. Yes, the £600 price tag might make your eyes water, but with its expert tailoring, eco-friendly materials, and all-weather protection, we think it’s a quality investment. Designed by women, tested by women, and built specifically for women, the Sentinel series has a reputation for providing the perfect fit.

It has a stylish, boxy cut, falling over the back of the hips, and the anorak design not only looks effortlessly cool, it’s super practical for sealing out snow on deep pow days. The Sentinel Anorak is built with a PFC-free, 3-layer Gore-Tex, made with a recycled face fabric, a soft-feel lining and insulated with 100 percent recycled insulation.

Buy Arc’teryx Sentinel Insulated Anorak: £420 at ellis-brigham.com

Armada Addisen Jacket

RRP £260

When it comes to creating stylish, all-mountain ski gear, Armada have been stepping up their game year on year. This insulated, parka-style jacket is an all-new favourite, with fish-tail drop hem, high collar, helmet-compatible hood, and durable, 2-layer waterproof shell. It features two weights of 90% recycled insulation, with more insulation around the core for warmth and lighter insulation in the arms for better mobility. It’s perfect for party laps in the park, pounding through powder, and for cruising into après-ski. Versatile, warm, and weatherproof, we think the Addisen is excellent value for money at just £260. A fully featured ski jacket that looks great on and off the slopes.

Buy Armada Addisen Jacket: £260 at absolute-snow.co.uk

Burton Reserve 3L Jacket

RRP £325

Burton is the best-known brand in snowboarding, producing everything from snowboards, to helmets, to gloves, and all of it high quality. The outerwear that the Vermont-based brand produces is similarly excellent. This sits somewhere near the middle of their range—it's made of a 3L fully waterproof and breathable fabric of Burton's own design called DryRide, that has a 20k / 20k rating. It's not quite as high end as their AK Gore-Tex offerings, but it's more than enough to handle piste cruising, backcountry missions, and park laps. It also looks the business.  

Buy Burton Reserve 3L Jacket: £243 <sale> at burton.com

Colmar Puffy Parka Ski Jacket 

RRP £665

We’ll admit it. There was a time when we’d turn and run for the hills the second we saw a jacket with this level of tailoring, writing it off as more suitable to skiers who spend more time uploading slope-side selfies to their Insta than doing any actual skiing. But skiers who do will be doing this jacket a major injustice, because there’s little the Colmar Puffy Parka can’t cope with. Generous use of material in key areas such as the wrists and neck (it’s got one of the highest collars we’ve come across) provide unbeatable warmth, while pillow-like padding offers a refreshing alternative to the scratchy fabric often used in these areas – stiff collars and scourer-like Velcro patches are never going to be things we want close to our skin, after all. 

For extra water-repelling capabilities, the fabric has been treated with Teflon EcoElite, while the large pockets – one of which has a built-in lens cloth for sunglasses and goggles – will ensure you stay warm and dry, regardless of what the weather’s doing.

Buy Colmar Puffy Parka Ski Jacket: £532 at colmar.com

Columbia Cirque Bowl Insulated Jacket

RRP £300

The Cirque-Bowl offers that timeless, belted ski jacket look in a super functional package. Built with Columbia’s own Omni-Tech, a waterproof and breathable membrane with 100 percent recycled fabrics, it should keep you dry in the worst mountain weather. Its lightly insulated with breathable synthetic insulation and features Columbia’s Omni-HEAT technology – a gold, thermal reflective lining that can increase radiant body heat reflection by up to 40 percent.

The ideal ski jacket for those who run cold but still want to look stylish on the slopes, it has a helmet-compatible hood, plenty storage in multiple pockets, and underarm venting for controlling your temperature.

Buy Columbia Cirque Bowl Insulated Jacket: £240 at columbiasportswear.co.uk

Descente Iris Jacket

RRP £739

Descente’s Iris Jacket blends high fashion with top-tier performance for those seeking style and function. The jacket is insulated with low-bulk Thinsulate insulation with high loft panels for additional warmth where you need it. The Dermizax stretch outer fabric is waterproof and breathable, with a stretch lining for complete mobility.

The Iris also features DESCENTE’s Heat Navi technology which converts infrared rays from sunlight into stored heat, adding up to five degrees of extra warmth (ideal if you’re someone who feels the cold but who doesn’t want to wear lots of bulky layers).

It also has a wealth of handy pockets, a snow skirt, inner cuffs with thumbs loops for a seamless fit with gloves, and both the hood and faux fur are removeable if you’re keen to mix up your look.

Helly Hansen Elevation Infinity 3.0 Jacket

 

RRP £680

The Elevation Infinity 3.0 returns this season with a few design updates and its hallmark luminous orange hood (great for spotting on a crowded slope, although it’s become such a popular style make sure your pals don’t follow the wrong one!)

It’s a sturdy, protective shell jacket, ideal for throwing on over all your layers in the depths of winter. Designed with input from ski patrollers and Helly’s freeride team, it’s built with Lifa Infinity Pro for durable, PFC-free waterproof protection with a boxy, freeride cut.

This season’s iteration has been purposefully designed to pair with the Elevation Infinity Shell Bib Pant and the powder skirt has been removed for a superior fit and better mobility.

Buy Helly Hansen Elevation Infinity 3.0 Jacket: £408 at hellyhansen.com

Helly Hansen St. Moritz Insulated Women’s Ski Jacket

RRP £450

Like the Swiss resort it's named after, the insulated St Moritz ski jacket exudes an upmarket vibe, and its look oozes with unmistakable class. Helly Hansen’s breathable Lifa Infinity tech (a chemical-free membrane) keeps even the tiniest droplet of moisture at bay, without the risk of overheating – even when the sun’s blazing, this breathable layer will ensure you stay cool. 

An additional PFC-free DWR (durable water repellent) treatment makes the St Moritz jacket ideal for wet-weather days, and we’re loving the combination of a high collar (nobody likes a cold neck, after all) and the double-whammy of Primaloft Gold Cross Core insulation and Thermoplume Cross Core insulation.

Buy Helly Hansen St. Moritz Insulated Women’s Ski Jacket: £468 at hellyhansen.com

Patagonia Insulated Storm Shift

 

RRP £315

Want warmth, weather protection, and eco-cred all in one? The new Insulated Storm Shift takes all the design from last season’s Storm Shift with the addition of a light layer of breathable, 100 percent recycled insulation. Great for staying out longer on deep winter days, this jacket offers lightweight warmth and reliable wind and weather protection.

What’s more, you can rely on Patagonia for using the most eco-friendly materials available including PFC-free, 2-layer Gore-Tex made with recycled fabrics. We love this jacket’s super-soft, baffled lining and the protective hood with its tall collar, perfect for braving blizzards and enjoying freshies lap after lap.

Buy Patagonia Insulated Storm Shift Jacket: £449 at ellis-brigham.com

Roxy Chloe Kim Jacket 

RRP £360

Chloe Kim is the best female halfpipe rider ever to step on a snowboard. She went gold medal-winning child prodigy at the 2018 Winter Olympics to unstoppable force at the Beijing 2022 Games, and you'd be a fool to bet against her "three-peating," (as her American counterparts are fond of saying) at the Milano-Cortina games next year.

This jacket is part of a collection designed in collaboration with her longtime sponsors Roxy. The outer fabric is Roxy's own DryFlight, which has a 10k / 10k waterproof and breathability rating. The insulation is 100g Primaloft Black. It's not the highest spec jacket but if you're throwing down in the park or cruising the pistes, this will keep you feeling warm, dry, and—arguably most important—stylish. 

Buy Roxy Chloe Kim Jacket: £359 at absolute-snow.co.uk

Salomon Moon Patrol Gore-Tex Jacket

RRP £500

This quality jacket from French brand Salomon combines blocks of colour with elegant tailoring and a rugged design guaranteed to keep you warm and dry, no matter how hard it’s snowing, sleeting or raining. The three-layer Gore-Tex offers all-weather protection without compromising breathability. 

Jackets which offer this level of protection often score badly when it comes to freedom of movement, but this isn’t the case with the Moon Patrol jacket, thanks to Salomon’s Motion Fit design, which references the way in which the jacket has been shaped to allow room for movement where you need it most.

Our testers loved what they called "tactical supersizing" – more specifically the high neck area, the large handwarmer pockets, which have more than enough room for piste maps, energy bars and a mobile phone, and the jacket’s slightly longer profile, which minimises the risk of the dreaded numb bum scenario if you take some time out by the side of the piste.

Buy Salomon Moon Patrol Gore-Tex Jacket: £299 at ellis-brigham.com

The North Face Balmenhorn Futurelight Shell

RRP £360

Lightweight, supple, and protective, The North Face's (TNF) Futurelight fabric is designed to breathe when you’re moving and weather any storm. It’s the perfect construction for this season’s Balmenhorn shell, built for ski tourers and mountaineers who want packability and protection for moving fast and light (plus, it’s made with recycled materials). 

Feature wise, the Balmenhorn is relatively pared back to keep the weight and bulk low, but it does have two large chest pockets and two inner mesh pockets for stowing essentials. The adjustable hood is helmet compatible with a high, protective collar and we love the yellow and black – a nod to the classic TNF look.

Buy The North Face Balmenhorn Futurelight Jacket: £287 at alpinetrek.co.uk

WEDZE 500 Ski Jacket 

RRP £99

Decathlon are renowned for creating good quality outdoor gear at an accessible price point, and their own brand WEDZE 500 ski jacket is no exception. For under £100, it has solid waterproofing with taped seams and essential mountain features like adjustable cuffs, a snow skirt, and adjustable hood.

It has a slim fit with a simple, no-frills design, and the insulation provides good warmth for moderate conditions, making it suitable for most recreational skiers. It falls short in terms of advanced materials for extreme mountain weather and it’s probably not as durable as others on this list, but while it lacks that premium feel, it’s a reliable choice for one-week-a-year resort skiers on a budget.

Buy WEDZE 500 Ski Jacket: £89 at decathlon.co.uk