Just a few years ago, no expert skier or boarder would dream of wearing an insulated jacket off piste. Even women (who typically run colder than men) couldn鈥檛 wear them for anything but easy groomer laps. The fabric was too stiff, the cut too confining, and the insulation too bulky and hot to handle tree runs, powder laps, and聽bootpacks.
But that鈥檚 all changing. Synthetic insulation is getting聽lighter, more compressible, and more breathable, and聽companies are starting to exploit those features in insulated jackets that actually keep pace with aggressive skiers.聽
鈥淗onestly, we prefer insulated jackets and pants for hiking Highland Bowl,鈥 says Pete Gaston, a ski mountaineer who co-founded Strafe, an outdoor apparel company based in Aspen, Colorado. Most puffy midlayers aren鈥檛 very breathable: wear one of those beneath an uninsulated shell (as many skiers and boarders do), and you鈥檒l soak yourself in sweat. Once you鈥檙e wet, you鈥檒l get cold. Strafe鈥檚 approach to this challenge was聽to integrate super-breathable insulation under a聽stretchy Polartec NeoShell聽outer fabric that鈥檚 supple, breathable, and not stiff.聽
Strafe聽Cloud Nine ($495)
That hike-ready combination makes the women鈥檚 practical for cold-weather powder missions. Yes, it鈥檚 got the R-value (read: insulation)聽you want during zero-degree chairlift rides. But it鈥檚 far from bulky, with super thin聽 insulation sandwiched inside鈥攏o聽baffles needed. It doesn't聽stifle聽during strenuous powder laps through the trees either: Alpha was originally designed for the U.S. Special Forces, which asked for the fastest-drying insulation that science could produce. Sweat breezes right through this stuff.
Of course, that doesn鈥檛 mean you can鈥檛 overheat in it. Sometimes, opening the collar and pit zips still can鈥檛 vent all the fire and moisture of a full-tilt effort, but that鈥檚 true of uninsulated hardshells, too. This one鈥檚 no clammier鈥攋ust warmer鈥攕o it鈥檚 perfect for ripping women who need a boost of warmth on resort days.聽
Flylow聽Daphne ($420)
Outrageously soft, stretchy fabric makes the feel lighter and less confining than most insulated jackets, and 80 grams聽of Primaloft Eco insulation delivers warmth without the lead-jacket weight. In short: it鈥檚 comfy during hard-charging pow patrols.
贬别濒濒测听贬补苍蝉别苍听笔辞飞诲别谤辩耻别别苍听($375)
Primaloft Silver insulation makes the less bulky than most insulated models, and its H2 Flow venting system keeps you from feeling smothered during sweaty sessions. As you move, mesh-backed panels in the back funnel out heat and moisture.