I cannot say enough about this jacket, I love it! I’m a picky shopper and research everything so I did all the leg work for you (you’re welcome).

To start, it has all the features you’d expect in a high end jacket for 1/2 the cost. It’s waterproof, has very high-rated moisture wicking fabric (cheap jackets uses fleece), water proof cuffs with thumb holes, removable snow skirt liner, high collar that covers the zipper (so it’s not hitting your face), a roomy adjustable hood that can accommodate a helmet, thoughtful padding on the lower back, large side vents that have double ended zippers and, of course, the Reco tracker in the arm for emergencies.

Pockets:

very sturdy TYT zippers, a lot of fleece lined pockets (chest pocket is best for cell phones, arm pocket for ski pass for tap-and-go access to the ski lift).

Style:

Just look at the picture! This blue is so nice, it stands out on the mountain, my friends could easily see me in a crowd (great for poor cell service) and I got a lot of compliments on it. I looked at higher priced jackets and Northface black is boring and Burton’s are just ugly with the worse pastel pallet I’ve ever seen, bleh, and as an adult, I appreciated the solid color over bold irritating patterns).

Real-World Review:

I wore this for a ski weekend at Whiteface Mountain in Lake Placid, NY. The day time temps were about 7° with sub-zero temps at the summit, active snow and very windy. It was SUPERB. Much better than the Columbia jacket I retired and was…

Got this because my 13yo ski jacket was showing its age and wasn't comfortable to wear any more.

It's impressive how much ski jacket technology has progressed in the past decade.

I like the design and the extra features like the rfid search and rescue compatible tech in the sleeves and back, the wider neck area that goes higher than your regular jacket so you're protected from the wind and snow but still able to move your head freely to look around.

I tested this jacket out on a snowshoe walk in 15F and it kept me very warm with a shirt and t-shirt as base layers. It even kept my forearm area warm which is something most jackets struggle with as the padding in that area is not the thickest.

On that walk I got pretty warm for awhile but surprisingly I didn't sweat, this jacket seems to be breathable, I'm guessing through that extra wide neck area. It can be tightened if needed but I kept mine wide open and it was fine, still stayed plenty warm.

The zippers are good quality, they go up and down effortlessly and they're waterproof as well.

Fitment is towards the looser side, I got a medium as I always go and found the sleeves to be a tad too long but nothing that would bother me too the point where I wouldn't want to wear it. This means i can add extra layers for when it goes into the negatives here.