Stout Backcountry Ski & Splitboard Jacket for Women: ORTOVOX 3L Deep Shell Jacket Review

One of the most breathable and tenacious touring jackets we’ve tested to date, the ORTOVOX 3L Deep Shell Jacket is well-constructed, durable, lightweight, and full of features for the backcountry.

ORTOVOX’s new 3L Deep Shell Jacket (and Deep Shell Bibs) left a solid impression on our team after testing. The brand constructed this premium design for the long haul and to manage a range of weather conditions for off-piste adventure.

In short: The women’s ORTOVOX 3L Deep Shell Jacket ($680) is an excellent investment for backcountry skiing and splitboarding, ski mountaineering, snowmobiling, and ice climbing. If you do it all, consider investing in a shell that can do it all too.

It also functions at the resort but might overshoot the price range of what those on piste are looking to wear. (The jacket is also available in men’s.)

ORTOVOX 3L Deep Shell Jacket Review

While wearing this jacket on backcountry and hut trips, the design delivered protection and comfort in brutal wind pounding the steep, rugged bootpack or the sun beaming down on the skin track.

For activities that require a loaded pack, like snowmobiling and splitboarding, this burly, well-crafted apparel sets a high bar.

The three-layer jacket features merino wool and Toray Dermizax EV (an ultrathin, waterproof-windproof membrane). It also has a helmet-compatible hood, two large chest pockets, one arm pocket, and generous underarm ventilation.

The jacket stands out thanks to the following:

Women’s-specific design
Roomy, comfortable fit
Pockets conducive to touring
Robust protection against the elements
and more rocking qualities

Since 1988, the Germany-based brand has crafted high-end, wool-based apparel for alpinists, which launched in the United States in 2015. And the brand’s first women’s-specific bib (part of the women’s 3L Deep Shell kit) is a noteworthy plug for the brand in 2022.

Before testing this set, I’d been wearing another ORTOVOX merino-lined hardshell kit for four backcountry seasons in Crested Butte, Colo.

In all conditions, my women’s Guardian Jacket ($750) and hardshell pants — the model has been discontinued but was similar to the Ortler Pant ($400) and 3L Deep Shell Pants ($550) — withstood splitboarding, skiing, snowmobiling, trailer maintenance, tons of shoveling, and wood-hauling.

Today, the Guardian kit still looks and performs in mint condition, which is a solid indication of how the 3L Deep Shell Jacket should fare over time.