Outerwear Reviews | The Best Men's Ski & Snowboard Jackets 2025

TL/DR Verdict Summary

If you’re looking for the very best lightweight shell jacket for backcountry performance then the Patagonia Untracked Jacket is our pick of the bunch. More of a piste cruiser?

You can’t go far wrong with the Spyder Leader, or Helly Hansen Alpha Infinity. On a budget? Columbia owns this space, take a look at their Iceberg Point jacket. And if you're a snowboarder? Well, the Burton AK Cyclic or Howl Shell jacket are both great places to start. 

Buying a Ski or Snowboard Jacket - The Basics

Ski jackets come in many shapes and sizes but there are a few key points to be aware of before finding the right ski jacket for you. Firstly, do you prefer an insulated jacket or a shell?

Insulated models are usually fine for casual skiing and often preferred for very cold climates. But anyone who's going to be really exerting themselves or working up a sweat (by ski touring, for example) will usually prefer to have a shell jacket, so they can layer up underneath as appropriate. 

"Howl Supply Co. offer up pure snowboard style, and Spyder are distinctly geared towards piste skiing"

Second, choose a level of waterproofing that's appropriate to you—if you're doing long days in the backcountry, you'll want a higher rating. For more details, and a breakdown of what waterproof and breathability ratings on ski jackets mean, check our buyers' guide to snowboard jackets and our buyers' guide to ski jackets, both of which are great jargon-busters.

Finally, different brands tend to offer different looks. For instance, Arc’teryx tends towards backcountry performance, Howl Supply Co. offer up pure snowboard style, and Spyder are distinctly geared towards piste skiing.

The tech in ski and snowboard jackets is, of course, very similar. But 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. 

Contents

Arc’teryx Rush GTX Pro 2.0 Jacket

RRP: £650

If you’re a serious skier or snowboarder who wants the best 3 layer shell jacket money can buy, what do you buy? Arc’teryx has to be on your list, and the Rush GTX Pro 2.0 is one of their most compelling offerings. It might look unassuming, but this packs a serious punch in terms of performance. It's made of Gore Tex's most waterproof and durable material, Gore Pro, which keeps even the worst mountain weather at bay.

All zips are watertight, it has pit zippers to let you quickly dump excess heat and enough pockets for everything you need, without going over the top and adding too much weight. Gore Pro isn;t the lightest material, but although this jacket is built like a tank, it only weighs 590g—handy for stashing in a backcountry pack if you're touring.

Buy Arc’teryx Rush GTX Pro 2.0 Jacket: £570 at alpinetrek.co.uk

Burton AK Acamar Gore-Tex Pro 3L Jacket

RRP: £840
Founded in 1977, Burton is the biggest name in snowboarding, and this, from their high-end AK collection, is one of their absolute, top of the range models. It's a fully featured, 3-layer shell made from Gore-Tex Pro, the toughest, most protective material the company make. This is designed to keep you dry in tough conditions, on long days, in big mountain environments. The fit gives you great mobility without being oversized and it is jam packed with smart features ideal for guides and mountain professionals. 

It’s seriously well-equipped when it comes to pockets too with several gear specific stash zones, and although you might not ever use the radio compatible pocket and mic access zipper, you’ll look damn cool wherever you get to on the mountain. The price tag may make some snowboarders balk, but the tech spec justifies it. 

Buy Burton AK Acamar Gore-Tex Pro 3L Jacket: £840 at burton.com

Burton AK Cyclic Gore-Tex  2L Jacket

RRP: £460

Also part of Burton's AK range, the Cyclic is a 2L Gore-Tex shell that's not quite as high performance as the Acamar, but will still handle almost anything the average—or even the expert—riders can throw at it. One member of the Snow test team who's based in the Dolomites has owned this jacket for a couple of years, and regularly uses it to go splitboarding. "It's perhaps not as breathable as Gore-Tex Pro, but it's still incredibly efficient at keeping you dry when you work up a sweat," they said. 

As well as its high waterproof and breathability ratings, the jacket's fabric is BlueSign approved, meaning it meets stringent sustainability standards. And it's packed with handy features, from an insulated phone pocket which helps prolong its battery life to the lift-pass pocket on the arm. 

Buy Burton AK Cyclic Gore-Tex 2L Jacket: £460 at burton.com 

Columbia Iceberg Point II Jacket

RRP: £160

Columbia are masters of all mountain ski jackets that perform on the slopes but don’t break the bank. The Iceberg Point II is a perfect example of this, featuring Omni-Tech waterproof fabric and a thermal reflective lining to keep the heat in.

Although only critically seam sealed, the zips are water resistant and the powder skirt will help keep the snow out. Pit vents help with temperature regulation and the wrist pass pocket, zipped hand pockets, chest, and interior pocket keep your kit organised. 

Buy Columbia Iceberg Point: £160 at Columbiasportswear.co.uk

Helly Hansen Alpha Infinity Ski Jacket

RRP: £560

Sitting towards the top of Helly Hansen’s ski jacket range, the Alpha Inifinty offers premium protection for the resort skier. Fit and styling are sophisticated and tailored but with enough room for layering and great freedom of movement. The soft-touch Lifa Infinity face fabric and Aquadry zips are highly waterproof, and warm but light Primaloft Black Eco insulation protects from the cold.

This jacket features Helly Hansen’s patented H2 Flow ventilation, providing airflow through the jacket when the going gets tough. You can read our full length review of the Helly Hansen Alpha Infinity ski jacket here. 

<Reduced>Buy Helly Hansen Alpha Infinity Jacket: £385 at HellyHansen.com

Howl Supply Shell Jacket

RRP: £240

Founded by professional snowboarders Darrell Mathes and Nima Jalali, Howl Supply are known for their streetwear-inspired designs that blend function and durability. Led by their "by snowboarders, for snowboarders" ethos, their new 3-layer unisex shell looks effortlessly cool while remaining completely practical.

The ripstop waterproof shell feels supple yet strong with fully taped seams and a tall collar with an oversized, adjustable, roll-away hood to protect from all weather. All three pockets are extremely generous and the hand pockets are mesh lined if you prefer to use them as vents. Overall this is a stylish, fully featured shell for all mountain riding, that will take you from first lifts all the way to last orders.

Buy Howl Supply Shell Jacket: £225 at blue-tomato.com

Montane Niveus Lite

RRP £475

Designed for ski tourers and ski mountaineers who like to move fast and light, the new Niveus Lite from Montane is stripped back and snow ready. It’s built with an ultralight 3-layer Gore-Tex with PFC-free ePE membrane and weighs in at just 360g. Ideal for high Alpine tours and spring mountain missions, it really excels when you’re moving at pace.

It has a slim fit, clean design, and keeps features to a minimum to save on weight, with a low-profile snow skirt and just a couple of pockets. What we love about this jacket though, is its excellent articulation which allows you to move freely on demanding climbs and tricky descents. 

Buy Montane Niveus Lite: £475 at blacks.co.uk

Patagonia Storm Stride Jacket

RRP £450

Striking the perfect balance between an athletic and freeride fit, the new Storm Stride is ideal crossover jacket for the backcountry skier. The combination of a lightweight, stretchy fabric and economical cut, keeps the weight and bulk down, while features have been kept minimal with a low-profile snow skirt and fuss-free design.

Pair it with the Storm Stride Pants for excellent freedom of movement on steep kick turns and icy boot packs without straying into ultra-tight territory, looking just as at home on the piste as out in the powder. It’s built with a PFC-free, 3-layer Pertex Shield which packs down easily for stashing in a pack while still offering great protection from an icy wind chill. 

Buy Patagonia Storm Stride Jacket: £449 at alpinetrek.co.uk

Patagonia Untracked Jacket

RRP £630

Patagonia's high-end Untracked outerwear (there are ski pants to go with this) was some of the first to be made from Gore-Tex's ePE, a waterproof, breathable material that's free from PFC "forever chemicals" and produces fewer emissions in the manufacturing process than conventional Gore-Tex. Patagonia's boffins worked closely with the material brand to develop the fabric, and it's now being used by several other brands (see the Montane Niveus Lite, above). 

While this jacket isn't cheap, the performance justifies the price tag. Our tester spent much of last winter ski touring in this jacket—perhaps the ultimate test of waterproofing and breathability. "I had in out in everything from heavy snow to blazing spring sunshine, and it handled everything with aplomb," was their verdict. 

Buy Patagonia Untracked Jacket: £629 at ellis-brigham.com

Peak Performance Vertical Gore-Tex 3L Jacket

RRP £720

This all-singing, all-dancing Gore-Tex Pro shell from Peak Performance is like the skier’s equivalent of the Burton Acamar. Developed with input from their athletes, it’s been built for top-tier, big mountain freeriding. It’s constructed with a winning combo of Gore-Tex Pro across most of the jacket, and Gore-Tex Stretch panels in the back and hood for better mobility and easy head turn.

It has a long cut that completely covers your hips and a plethora of pockets for stashing essentials. Come stormy weather the impeccably well-fitting, adjustable, helmet-compatible hood will leave you wondering what everyone else is complaining about.

Buy Peak Performance Vertical Gore-Tex 3L Jacket: £472 at alpinetrek.co.uk

Peak Performance Vislight Gore-Tex 3L Jacket

RRP £550

This jacket is designed to be suitable for summer hikes as well as winter forays into the backcountry. It's not quite got the same spec as the all-singing, all-dancing as the Vertical shell listed above—it's made of Gore-Tex C-Knit, rather than higher-spec Gore-Tex Pro, for starters. But it's still more than capable of handling everything you'd encounter on a day's skiing. You'd expect nothing less from a high end brand like Sweden's Peak Performance. 

Features include a Recco reflector, which can help rescuers locate the wearer in case of an avalanche, a ski helmet compatible hood, and plenty of pockets. 

Buy Peak Performance Vislight Gore-Tex Jacket: £271 at amazon.co.uk

Picture Welcome 3L Xpore Jacket

RRP  £460

Stay seen on the slopes this season in this new 3-layer shell from French brand Picture. The Welcome 3L Xpore Jacket is part of Picture’s new backcountry touring range. Designed to offer breathable, all-weather protection, it’s built with an Xpore membrane and a recycled face fabric made through Picture’s Circular Program which collects used clothing and fabric scraps from manufacturing and makes them into something new. 

The Xpore is fully seam sealed with waterproof zips, an adjustable hood and hem, and underarm zips for quickly dumping heat. It’s a functional and versatile snow shell with a long, straight cut that would work just as well in resort as it does on the skin track. Our tester took this out touring in a variety of conditions last winter, including a heavy snow storm. His verdict? "The Xpore is a worthy equivalent of Gore-Tex or other, better-known membranes. I was dry, despite the heavy snowflakes and the sweat I'd worked up."

Rab Khroma Converge Jacket

RRP £550

Originally a mountaineering brand, British brand Rab continues to elevate their snowsports gear each season. They really know how to make reliable kit for big mountain adventures. We love the new Khroma Converge with its long, freeride cut, handy inner stash pockets for stowing skins, and spacious hood that cinches in around your face for better viz in a storm. It’s built with 3-layer Gore-Tex with the PFC-free ePE membrane and has a soft lining that gives it that plush, premium feel and makes it super easy to layer underneath.

This jacket feels bombproof for deep winter freeriding, but light and packable enough for backcountry tours.

Buy Rab Khroma Converge Jacket: £339 at absolute-snow.co.uk

Spyder Leader Jacket

RRP: £579

This jacket has sat in French brand Spyder’s ski jacket range for years, and rightly so. It has developed over that time to become one of the best resort jackets out there, and that’s not to say it doesn’t perform well over the rest of the mountain too. Although it comes at a premium price, it feels every bit of the £580, with precision construction and near-perfect fit and finish.

This jacket is suitable for gentle skiing or more demanding skiing in colder conditions, with a hefty 100g of PrimaLoft Silver Eco insulation keeping you warm, boosted by graphene heat conduction technology to spread and dissipate heat.

Buy Spyder Leader Jacket: £311 at ellis-brigham.com

The North Face Descendit Ski Jacket

RRP: £270

This sleek ski jacket is designed to be as dependable as a German car, keeping you warm and dry all over the mountain. The Primaloft Black synthetic insulation keeps you warm while maintaining breathability and the DryVent 2L outer is reliably waterproof. Although pared back visually, the Descendit jacket still offers handy features such as a wrist pass pocket with a goggle wipe, pit vents, and a helmet compatible, fully adjustable hood.

Buy The North Face Descendit Jacket: £269 at ellis-brigham.com