Kjus ski jacket.

A ski jacket is one of the most important items of clothing you will ever own. It needs to keep you warm in some of the most extreme weather conditions your body will ever face. It needs to be practical, hardwearing, and make you look great on the slopes.

So where do you start looking for one that works for you?

Right here of course – with our 7 steps to buying a great ski jacket. Read it together with our guide to 10 Features Every Ski Jacket Needs, and you’ll be a lot closer to finding the perfect jacket for you.

Shown here: Picture Apply Ski Jacket from Ellis Brigham, in pink (also comes in dark blue, black and raspberry).

After buying their first shell jacket, most people are converted. Traditionally most ski jackets are insulated, which is great in cold conditions but a nightmare when it’s warm or when you’re exerting yourself. A shell jacket is essentially a breathable, waterproof, and durable thin layer. A good shell will protect you against wind and rain and you can use layers underneath to control your temperature.

Pictured here: Helly Hansen Odin Mountain 3L Shell Jacket in grey fog colour (also in scuba blue and nightshade).

2. Choose the best brand

It’s easy to become a brand snob when choosing a ski jacket. However, when it comes to buying a ski jacket sometimes it pays. Haglöfs, Arc’teryx, Kjus, and Norrona make great ski jackets with the best materials – but they do come at a cost. Sweet Protection, Scott, Peak Performance, and Helly Hansen make good quality jackets that are slightly less expensive.

Seen here: Black Diamond Women’s Recon Stretch Ski Shell in Spruce colourway (also in black, evergreen, wine and ocean).

3. Find the best shape

Let’s face it, even if you do want a practical ski jacket you don’t want to look like a colourful sack of potatoes. Especially since your ski jacket will probably be one of the most expensive items in your wardrobe – you will want to look good in it.

Lucky for you, ski clothing manufacturers do take this into consideration. Longer jackets that cover your bum are great for those inevitable falls in the snow, and they will elongate the body.

Look out for fitted shell jackets that will show off your silhouette, but the right padded jacket can be flattering too.

Make sure it fits you, too. How freely can you move in it? Are the arms long enough? Can you dip your chin beneath the collar – for those moments when it’s blowing a blizzard and you’re sitting on a chair-lift? The only way you can be sure of these things is by going into a specialist shop and trying lots of jackets on – ordering off a website is always going to be a bit hit-and-miss.

Pictured here: Henri Duvillard Women’s Penia Ski Jacket with faux fur collar in deep blue (also comes in red).

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4. Untangle the technical info

When buying a ski jacket, manufacturers can be a little confusing when describing their jackets. Throwing around words that wouldn’t sound out of place in a laboratory, it can be difficult to make an informed decision.

I won’t bore you with what all the technical jargon means, but I will tell you what to keep an eye out for: waterproof up to 20,000mm (10,000 will do the job but you should aim high); breathable up to 20,000gr; vent zips; snow skirt; GORE-TEX.

You might not be able to tick all of the boxes, but having at least a few of these features make for a good ski jacket. Shown here: Haglöfs Spitz Jacket Women in Cloudberry/Desert Yellow (also in Hibiscus).

5. Choose a bright colour

Whether you are normally someone who likes to stand out – or fade into the background, the colour of your ski jacket is pretty important. Not only will you be wearing it for a whole season, or a decade, it will be the colour people recognise you by. Choosing a bright colour will set you apart from the rest.

Try and think outside the box and stay away from plain blues, reds and greens which will make you look like you’re trying to impersonate a ski instructor. Sapphire, burnt orange, and powder pink all look great on the slopes. An added bonus is that an original colour will make you easier to spot should you get lost in the lift queue.

Shown here: ARCTERYX Beta SL Hybrid Jacket Women’s in titanite.

6. The more you spend the longer it will last

When buying a T-shirt you can spend as little or as much money on it as you want, but in the end you’ve still just got a T-shirt. Buying a ski jacket is different. You pay for the technology, the durability, the waterproofness, the breathability…I could go on.

Try not to worry about spending more, as generally the more you spend the longer it will last. A good quality ski jacket is an investment and should last you for years. Having said that, last season’s ski jacket will always be cheaper than the current one and, for the most part, you will barely notice a difference (apart from the colour).

Show here: Norrona Lofoten Gore-Tex Pro Jacket in rhubarb colour (also in orange crush, campanula blue and winter twig colour choices).

7. Choose an eco-friendly jacket

An added consideration these days is whether your clothing is eco-friendly. Companies like Picture Organic Clothing and Haglofs lead the way, using recycled materials and eco-friendly water repellant, whilst Sherpa Adventure Gear gives back money from its sales to educate Sherpa children in Nepal.

Seen here: Picture Luna Jacket Flower Print in black.

If money’s tight, then it’s worth popping into TK Maxx and Decathlon, and seeing what’s on the racks, as they sometimes stock big-name brands. You won’t find the really technical jackets in there – O’Neill rather than Norrona, for example; and the colours can sometimes be a bit…odd. But prices are low, and sometimes you’ll find a Gore-Tex jacket in there. You could also dip into Mountain Warehouse, a flash sales and discount website also with a high street shop, and Amazon. As a rule of thumb, it’s much better to go into a shop and try several jackets on, before you buy.

Pictured here: Mountain Warehouse Powder Womens Ski Jacket in white (also comes in black).

This guide may not suit all skiers, but I hope it points you in the right direction! Also see our features 10 Features Every Ski Jacket Needs, Ski Trousers, How to Prevent Cold Feet Skiing and Ski Base Layers, and our guides to ski helmets, ski goggles, and the best ski gloves.