The moment I put this jacket from Artilect on, I thought I had found my new favourite ski jacket.
It immediately feels soft and welcoming but incredibly well built. It's one of those jackets that is minimalist but fully featured. And by that, we mean that it is a very high performing jacket in terms of waterproofing, breathability, and other performance features like the hood and zips.
Although the Shadow Canyon jacket is aimed at snowy mountain use it does not feature a snow skirt and we think this is quite deliberate by Artilect, as any jacket with a snow skirt is immediately labelled as a 'ski jacket' that somehow can't be used for other things. We like this approach as it means that there's less waste, it's more environmentally friendly, and is ultimately better for the consumer's pocket. Having said that the Shadow Canyone is £420, which is more than a drop in the ocean for most.
This is a 3-layer shell jacket, so it has no insulation but provides a fantastic balance of weight, durability, and waterproofing. The 40D two-way stretch nylon ripstop material is very soft and stretchy but also feels like it can take a few knocks. It feels super light and supple on the body which really helps when you're out in the backcountry or charging hard down the pistes.
With an athletic, close fit it isn't one for people who prefer baggy ski clothing and our sample is strangely a little tight around the shoulder and armpit area, so it may be worth sizing up from your usual size.
Impeccable build quality is visible all over the Shadow Canyon jacket, from the stitching, to the zips, to the adjusters.
Being a minimalist jacket has its strengths and weaknesses. With only two zipped hand pockets and one zipped chest pocket, the Shadow Canyon does not compete with some other ski-specific jackets which include a lift pass pocket and mesh dump pockets for your gloves inside. There is no hole for headphones but all of this is deliberate. Apart from the YKK Touchlink zipper with nfc smartphone compatibility, there are no fancy bells and whistles on the Shadow Canyon yet this still feels like a special ski jacket.
We absolutely love this simplicity. it's debatable whether a powder skirt is vital on a ski jacket anyway, but a lift pass pocket wouldn't have gone amiss.
Buy Artilect Shadow Canyon Ski Jacket: £420 at Snow & Rock
