Outerwear Reviews | The Best Women's Ski & Snowboard Jackets 2026

A decent ski jacket is your first line of defence against the cold, harsh winter elements, and is one of the most important bits of ski gear you can buy—arguably more important than a helmet, gloves, goggles or even ski boots.

Jackets come at a whole range of price points, with a whole range of different features to suit different types of skiing. If you're cruising blues in Meribel, you might want some insulation, and you probably won't need the same level of waterproofing and breathability you would if you were ski touring in Jackson Hole.

"We've selected a mixture of jacket types, from high-end Gore-Tex jackets designed for the backcountry, to simple models aimed at first-time skiers" 

Here, SNOW's gear experts have compiled a list of what we believe to be the best women's ski jackets—and snowboard jackets—on the market this winter. We've selected a mixture, from high-end Gore-Tex jackets designed for the backcountry and to simple models aimed at first-time skiers and riders. The prices reflect each jackets' features and fabric. We've listed them in simple, alphabetical order. 

At the bottom, you'll find a guide to what to look for in a ski jacket, which also explains some of the jargon. If you're looking for men's jackets specifically, you could also check out our more extensive, mixed list of men's ski and snowboard jackets, which has some other great options. Bear in mind that many of the ones listed there, and below, are unisex.

Airblaster Nicolette Women's Snowboard Jacket

RRP £260

Airblaster is the snowboard brand that’s never taken itself—or anyone else—at all seriously. Which of course has contributed to its reputation as one of the coolest brands in snowboarding. The Nicolette Jacket combines their signature fun-loving aesthetic with real-world mountain performance. Built with a 15k waterproof and 10k breathable outer, and 60g insulation on the body, with 40g on the sleeves, it’s not super-tech backcountry stuff. But it's more than enough for ripping round resort. 

The tailored fit gives it a modern, relaxed look without compromising function. Pit zips, a removable powder skirt, and fully taped seams round out a versatile design. Ideal for riders who split their time between park laps and lift-access powder, the Nicolette delivers dependable protection with Airblaster’s unmistakable style and personality. 

Buy Airblaster Nicolette Jacket: £105 at Absolute Snow

Armada Addisen Women's Ski 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 women's 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 insulation, with more around the core for warmth and lighter insulation in the arms for better mobility. All the insulation is made of 90 percent recycled materials. 

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: £130 at Absolute Snow

Burton Reserve 2L Relaxed Anorak

RRP £250
Blending streetwear style with on-hill performance, Burton’s Relaxed Anorak is perfect for riders who like to keep things loose and casual. Its 10k waterproof and breathable DryRide shell shrugs off snow and drizzle, while the oversized cut leaves room for layering—and, let’s face it, looks dope. 

The 90s inspired design features include a large front kangaroo pocket, side-entry zips, and a helmet-compatible hood. If you’re after a proper snowboarders’ jacket—and one you could conceivably wear out to après without feeling self-conscious—this is a great bet. 

Buy Burton Reserve 2L Anorak: £230 at Burton

Columbia Highland III Women's Ski Jacket

RRP £270

If you’re looking for an extra boost of warmth from your ski gear, Columbia’s new Highland Summit III Jacket offers just that. Lightly insulated and lined with Columbia’s Omni-Tech, it’s designed to offer warmth while remaining breathable. The gold dots reflect your body heat back towards you, significantly reducing radiant heat loss – ideal for a Scottish summit or a chilly chairlift. 

It’s waterproof and windproof with dedicated pockets for ski pass and goggles and the stylish drop tail design comes comfortably down over the back of your hips. When the wind picks up you can cinch in the helmet compatible hood and adjustable cuffs, button up the powder skirt, and enjoy a cold mountain day from first lift till last.  

Buy Columbia Highland Summit III Jacket: £230 at Alpine Trek

Decathlon Simond Freeride FR900 Ski Jacket 

RRP £180

Simond is legendary climbing equipment company, founded by a Chamonix blacksmith in the 1860s, that was recently bought out by the French chain Decathlon. It now sits alongside Wed'ze and Quechua as their in-house ski and snowboard brands—but Simond is the label they use for high-end kit. This jacket is pretty high spec, with 25k / 25k waterproof and breathability ratings, a Recco reflector, a ton of pockets, and a spray skirt. 

It's also got a nice "3d" hood, which the French brand has designed to adjust in several different ways to accommodate different helmet designs. As with many Decathlon products you may find that build quality suffers a little next to bigger name brands, but Decathlon have gone some way to assuage quality concerns by offering a two-year warranty, during which time it’ll be repaired for free. So it’s hard not to recommend the Simond Freeride FR900 Ski Jacket if budget is a primary concern. 

Buy Decathlon Simond Freeride FR900 Ski Jacket: £180 at Decathlon

Klattermusen Brage 2.0 Ski Jacket

RRP £650

Klattermusen come from Sweden, and although that doesn't guarantee decent outdoor clothing, they do have skin in the cold-weather-game, so it tends to ring true. They're also a mountaineering focussed brand which gives us confidence that they know how to protect you from the elements. 

The Brage 2.0's 3-layer shell make-up is high end, it’s built with Pertex Shield Revolve (a 100 percent recycled waterproof fabric) with fully taped seams. It’s soft and stretchy with a smart, low profile style. The adjustable hood moves with your head, cinching down easily over hat or helmet, and there’s good storage and plenty of adjustability to hone the fit. Overall, a top notch, street-style ski jacket that offers top performance on the mountain.

Buy Klattermusen Brage 2.0: £520 at Amazon

Montec Morpheus Ski Jacket

Montec and its sister brand Dope Snow have made a big splash in recent years by selling ski and snowboard gear with a decent tech spec, at affordable prices. Their direct-to-consumer model (meaning they only sell online) and lack of sponsored skiers has put some noses out of joint in an industry used to more traditional ways of doing business. But it has helped them keep prices low, and their product has flown off shelves. If you're looking for a decent ski jacket at the low cost end of the market, but has the technical features to back it up, they're well worth considering. 

The Morpheus Ski Jacket, and insulated jacket with a 20k waterproof and breathability rating is a case in point. With a freeride inspired fit, and bang-on-trend colours, it's aimed at ordinary skiers who want to go from cruising pistes, to dipping into powder, to hanging out at après. Read our full length, in-depth review of the Montec Morpheus Jacket to find out more. 

Buy Montec Morpheus Jacket: £218 at Montec

Patagonia Storm Shift Ski Jacket

RRP £450

This jacket looks like any other 2-layer Gore-Tex shell, but it’s the Storm Shift’s eco-credentials that make it stand out from the crowd. In partnership with Gore-Tex, Patagonia has created a line of waterproof shells completely free from PFCs. That’s no PFC’s in the DWR  finish and, crucially, no PFCs in the membrane either. This ePE membrane is an important milestone for the outdoor industry and since they introduced it in 2024, it has been rolled out across many brands – but folks, you saw it here first.

Coupled with a 100 percent recycled face fabric the Storm Shift offers a lower carbon footprint than ever before. It has all the usual features; pit zips, adjustable hood, powder skirt, and five useful pockets, but the finish and design are a cut above. Inside, there’s a soft, quick-wicking, body mapped fleece lining, giving it an edge on cold mountain days and easily regulating your temperature when you’re pushing it hard. 

Buy Patagonia Storm Shift Jacket: £450 at Patagonia

Rab Khroma Diffract Insulated Jacket

RRP £340

Made by Sheffield-based climbing and mountaineering brand Rab, the Khroma Diffract bridges the gap between shell and insulated jacket, delivering warmth and weather protection in one sleek package. Its breathable waterproof shell is paired with lightweight synthetic insulation that unlike real goose down, is great at keeping you warm even when it’s damp.

The articulated cut, underarm vents, and adjustable hood make it ideal for high-output ski touring or cold resort laps. With its refined design and mountain-ready functionality, this is a go-anywhere jacket that performs brilliantly across changing winter conditions.

Buy Rab Khroma Diffract Jacket: £340 at Absolute Snow

Rab Khroma Kinetic Ski Jacket 

RRP £340

As leaders in the mountaineering sector, we’d expect Rab to easily transition into ski touring gear, and their Khroma Kinetic does just that. Offering the feel of a softshell and the performance of a hardshell, its lightweight Proflex fabric gives you comfort on both the ascent and descent. Highly breathable and reliably waterproof it’s soft, supple and easy to wear, while packing down small for stashing in your pack.

There are some clever additional design flourishes, like the through-draught created when you open the front pockets and rear arm zips, the deep front pockets that will swallow up skins or map, and the built in stretch and arm articulation – excellent if your ascent involves some mountaineering skills. And it doesn’t look out of place on the piste either.

Available in men's and women's sizes, fits and colourways, this is a jacket that will doubtless prove popular across the board. You can read our full review of the Rab Khroma Kinetic Ski Jacket and pants here. 

Buy Rab Khroma Kinetic Jacket: £340 at Rab Equipment

The North Face Dragline Women's Ski & Snowboard Jacket

RRP £390

Boxy, bold and built for boosting around the whole mountain, The North Face Dragline Jacket will work for all your lift-served snow days, from sun soaked resort laps to playing in the powder.

The casual fit is designed to suit both skiers and snowboarders. But the relaxed looks hide an otherwise high-tech spec. There's a durable 3-layer ripstop Dryvent fabric, full seam sealing, and YKK Aquaguard zips to keep all moisture out. In true freeride style the hood is large and helmet compatible, and the chin comes up high over the face to offer excellent protection from biting winds. 

Inside, there’s a media port for headphones and a ton of great storage including a large internal dump pocket and two deep drop pockets on the front. It's available in a range of different colours and sizes for both men and women. 

Buy North Face Dragline Jacket: £384 at Amazon

Buyer's guide: What do you need in a ski jacket?

Before buying a ski jacket, ask yourself these questions. If you need more jargon-busting advice check out the buyers' guide on our best snowboard jackets round-up here. 

 

Is the jacket fully waterproof and how do I tell?

Get the basics right first, make sure your jacket is waterproof. We would suggest a minimum level for skiing and snowboarding of a 10,000mm hydrostatic head, this information can be found on the tag of the jacket or on the manufacturers web page. If you're really putting the jacket through its paces in all weathers then you should aim for a higher level of 20,000mm or above.

What are taped seams and do I need them?

Taped seams are important to stop the gradual creep of moisture past small holes created when the various panels of the jacket are sewn together. Some only have critically taped seams usually above the shoulder and in the hood but most dedicated ski jackets have fully taped seams i.e. every seam on the jacket has a layer of waterproof tape bonded over the top of it.

Are the zips waterproof?

Any zips will need to either have storm flaps - a flap of material over the top of the zip - or preferably be water tight. If they don't have either eventually moisture will creep through. You can tell if a zip is watertight by looking at the area either side of the teeth, if it has a rubbery looking coating then you're good to go. Also make sure that all zips run smoothly and have chunky pullers so you can easily use them with gloves or simply with cold hands.

How many pockets do I need and do I need pit zips?

Make sure you have enough for your needs, look for a jacket with a lift pass pocket on one of the sleeves as this will save a lot of hassle in busy lift queues. If you're going to be doing a lot of high intensity skiing or ski touring then pit zips are a must for ventilation through the body without having to remove your jacket.

Do I need an insulated ski jacket?

Whether you go for shell or insulated depends on if you prefer to layer up or not. Shell jackets (jackets with no insulation) are more versatile as long as you have a wardrobe full of technical layers to go underneath. You can vary these layers depending on conditions, from a light baselayer underneath on warmer days to a full compliment of base and mid layer for deep winter days. It also allows you to vary layers through the day for better temperature regulation overall. Some prefer insulated jackets for their simplicity and the fact that you don't have to buy expensive extra layers to go underneath them.

Is down insulation any good for skiing?

As a general rule synthetic insulation is better than down for ski clothing as it retains most of its insulating properties when wet. Although tempting be careful not to buy overly insulated jackets as they will quickly get hot and clammy when you're skiing.

Other features

Other features that skiers and snowboarders find useful, but aren't necessarily vital, are a powder skirt, which is designed to keep snow from going underneath your jacket, and thumb loops which keep your sleeves down and tucked under your gloves.