The Fairbanks ski and snowboard jacket has a very casual style that makes it versatile enough for wearing day in and day out. It has a great look that is slightly on the baggy side but not ridiculously so. With a long cut and a layer of Warmflight insulation, the Fairbanks jacket offers plenty of protection. The level of insulation is just enough for warmth without being too bulky or sweaty.
This is not a highly technical ski and snowboard jacket but it still features everything you need for hitting the slopes. 10K waterproofing is a decent level for the main material, however, the Fairbanks only has critically taped seams. This means that only the seams over the shoulders have been taped to prevent water from getting through during prolonged use in damp conditions.
Inside the jacket, there's a powder skirt that can be fixed to the inner edge of the jacket with a popper on either side, when not in use this stops it from flapping about. A mesh dump pocket takes care of gloves and goggles and the lining is super soft and comfortable. There’s also a velcro-sealed inner pocket for phones and wallets.
Clearly, this jacket has been designed to keep you warm with the 40 grams of insulation but if you should start to overheat on the slopes there are mesh-lined pit vents to help you regulate your temperature. There are absolutely loads of pockets on the outside of the jacket, including two zipped chest pockets, two cargo style pockets with Velcro storm flap, and two zipped hand pockets, altogether making this a jacket for wandering around the resort as much as going out skiing and snowboarding.
When you want to batten down the hatches the hood has a proper adjuster on the back for effective cinching over the head. It also has very cool looking laces with leather ladder lock adjusters for the front adjustment. In fact, we absolutely love the style of this jacket from the chunky nickel main zip puller, to the little leatherette Quiksilver logo.
Overall, although not the best performing ski jacket the Fairbanks still does the job out on the slopes, and it does it with style.
