The Best Snowboard Jackets of 2023

These modern jackets look good, feel good, and offer an excellent barrier to all winter conditions, from heavy snow to wind to sunny days. It’s hard to beat the Trew Gear Women’s Stella Classic and Men’s Cosmic Jacket Classic snowboard jackets ($399).

These Bluesign-certified three-layer shells are robust and offer strong protection against snowfall, even in the Pacific Northwest where there’s a high water content. The design doesn’t stiff riders on breathability, either. And the pit zips are generous with 16 inches to gape open.

The fit is roomy, so you can layer beneath and have ease of movement. The length covers the bum for extra warmth and protection.

While a powder skirt is a nice touch, it’s even better when it’s removable like on these jackets. For a bit more safety, a RECCO reflector is integrated.

Inside, two mesh dump pockets are large enough to hold splitboard skins between laps — a big plus in our book. Outside, there’s a pass pocket and four external zippered pockets.

While they might be too pricy or overbuilt for some riders, they balance the demands of Mother Nature with style points and a high-quality, long-lasting build, making the Cosmic and Stella Classics our top picks for the best snowboard jackets of the year.

Perfectly insulated, tons of features, great pockets, and overall style contribute to why the Burton Covert Jacket ($220) is a great choice for resort shred days.

The jacket offers moderate-level waterproofness and breathability, which works for riders in more mild and moderate climates. And the price tag is on the lower end of the spectrum.

There are ample pockets (including one for media access), pit zips for venting, a removable powder skirt, and a helmet-compatible, one-hand-adjustable hood.

This was one of the warmest jackets we tested, and a few testers of different sizes and heights all liked the fit.

Burton also made a big effort with the sustainability of this jacket, using 40% recycled content insulation and ensuring all the fabrics are Bluesign-approved.

This insulated design sits at an excellent price point for comfortable, functional snowboard outerwear. The 686 Athena Insulated Jacket ($190) offers synthetic insulation throughout the body, sleeves, and hood. That cozy fill serves to keep shredders warm during cold temps and potentially eliminates the need for a mid-layer purchase as well, which could be a bonus for those on a budget.

While the jacket doesn’t boast the highest waterproofness and the seams are not critically taped, the insulation is synthetic, so it can retain heat even when damp. But overall, this jacket will serve folks in cold, dry conditions rather than snowboarding all day in a snowstorm with PNW high water content.

The pockets are adequate with an internal goggle and lens stash, an external smartphone pocket with an outlet for an audio cord, and a pass pocket. There are two spacious zippered hand pockets. We also like that there’s a powder skirt and underarm ventilation in this jacket.

Dakine leveled up its sustainability efforts this winter. The result? A hard-working, stylish snowboard jacket that’s also completely made from recycled materials, 100%, and is recyclable once retired. We welcome the Sender for guys and gals ($495). Called RE-PSYCHED, the brand’s 4-way stretch recycled polyester is pliable, comfortable, durable, and boasts a PFC-free DWR treatment, which helped us stay dry on pow days and in snow storms.

One of our favorite features of this baggier-yet-technical design is the prolific collection of roomy pockets for ample fuel, soft water flasks, or keys. On the front, two spacious exterior chest pockets have zip closures. There are another two lower-level pockets with both a zip and snap-flap closure (the snaps are a bit shallow and not the easiest to close). Inside, there’s a zippered chest pocket and a dump pocket. The left arm has a pass pocket.

The wide cuffs fit well and easily over gauntlet gloves, which are a must if your hands tend to get cold or you ride in a frigid, wind-chilled place. Those tapered velcro tabs are easy to grab and adjust.

As a non-insulated jacket, we quickly learned to utilize mid-layers on stormy lift days and comfortably moved uphill in this shell, which features to spacious underarm zips. We wish the zipper pulls were a tad larger and easier to grab but the zips never failed.

There is an attached powder skirt, though it tapers and doesn’t fully extend around the front, a drawback in our book on deep days. The jacket is free of wrist gaiters, which could be good or bad depending on the shredder.

Ultimately, this sustainable, well-constructed snowboard jacket for men and women is one of our favorites that we’ve tested. The jacket can also be worn as a kit with the Sender Pants.

The Flylow Roswell Jacket ($300) is insulated — hood included — making this layer a solid contender for blustery conditions. Just pull it on over a base layer and light fleece or on warm spring days with short sleeves, depending on the rider and location.

If the conditions call, riders can pull the hood over their helmet. There’s a powder skirt, and we appreciate the wrist gaiters with thumbholes.

While the waterproofness is on the lower end, the face fabric is treated with DWR, which enhances the protection so moisture beads right off. The jacket’s seams are fully taped, and there’s a YKK waterproof zipper.

With 120-denier fabric, the material is not the most robust but does the trick for weekly trips to the resort. All considered, we’d prefer to use this jacket at the resort versus the backcountry.

And we can’t overlook that there are pockets galore: four exterior pockets for stashing goods, a pass pocket, one interior pocket for gloves, and a media pocket.

The women’s Airblaster Sassy Beast Jacket ($300) has detail-oriented features, from the unique powder skirt to the spacious pockets and a highly waterproof, breathable fabric. With compressible PrimaLoft insulation integrated into the jacket, the design aims to keep riders both warm and dry.

The two-layer fabric is Eco-Vortex with an outer layer that’s 100% recycled. A PFC-free DWR finish adds even more protection against heavy snowfall. And the waterproof YKK zippers down the center front and on the chest pocket block moisture.

Overall, the smooth fabric isn’t loud or crunchy. And it barricades biting cold wind and repels moisture super well.

Some of the most unique features of this jacket are the two huge chest pockets. The opening is a whopping 12 inches, and the interior length is closer to 18 inches in total. The pocket is shaped like a triangle that tapers toward the top, so the width varies but is nearly 9 inches at its widest point. These two gargantuan pockets are a tradeoff for not having traditional hand pockets.

Check out our full review of the Airblaster Sassy Beast Jacket. Also read the review on the Airblaster Sassy Hot Bib, which is a key complement to the jacket.

Our best shell and backcountry-performance jacket for shredders is Outdoor Research’s Skytour Jacket ($379). Launched back in 2021, the Skytour is made with Outdoor Research’s AscentShell technology and has been a servant on backcountry missions.

Of all the shells we tested, this one was one of top-notch waterproofness and breathability. Our favorite detail is the stretch, which is a necessity while dialing back the shoulder straps and hip belt on a heavy pack. Malleable material is also key for snowmobiling to the base of a climb, or bending over to transition our gear or adjust our bindings at the top of the drop.

This jacket performs super well in the backcountry. The fit and sizing are accurate for the purpose. While it’s not insulated or roomy, you can use this shell at the resort, too.

All around, the design is equipped with pit zips and quality pockets both in terms of size and placement. There are both interior and dual exterior chest pockets, two hand pockets, an interior mesh stash, and a forearm pass pocket.

If we had to pick only a few favorite things to brag on about this jacket for men and women, it’d be the combo comfort and durability of the shell, the adjustable hood with a wire brim, and the softly lined chin guard. All in all, if you haven’t upgraded your splitboarding shell in a while, the OR Skytour AscentShell should definitely go on your list.

Recently launched by Jones Snowboards is an outerwear collection that includes the MTN Surf Parka ($500), an everyday jacket that works as well on bluebird park days as it does on a skin track. This baby is supremely accommodating in all conditions, comfortable, and versatile.

Lined with 100% recycled 40 g PrimaLoft insulation, the predominant characteristic of the MTN Surf Jacket is warmth, but not at the sacrifice of movement or breathability. Its tough body-mapped shell features two types of PFC-free fabric: a two-layer, waterproof ripstop recycled polyester in the hood and shoulders, and a more breathable, two-layer, four-way-stretch recycled polyester around the torso.

This pairing means protection where you get wet and breathability where you sweat, enhanced by zippered pit vents that make dumping heat a breeze. We generally keep them open for the downhill and zipped for the lift.

For other sustainability features, the jacket has YKK Natulon recycled zippers as well as YKK VISLON Aquaguard zippers with recycled zipper pulls and adjuster cords. A PFC-free DWR treatment. 100% recycled polyester lining. The materials include 46% recycled polyester. And the four-way stretch face fabric is combined with 58% recycled polyester.

The jacket is WRAP-certified and meets the Oeko-Tex standard 100 and includes Bluesign-approved materials, verifying the sustainable, ethical processes and materials used to make the jacket.

For storage, each of the parka’s nine pockets are designed for a different use, with a pass pocket in the left forearm and a cellphone stash tucked into the chest where it stays warm and holds battery life longer.

Read our full review of the Men’s Jones MTN Surf Parka.

This winter, Jones launches the first-ever women’s apparel in the brand’s newly founded outerwear collection. Enter the Women’s Shralpinist Stretch 3L Jacket ($550), a premium pick for snowboarders to wear from sunshine to winter storms, season after season on backcountry tours or while taking resort laps.

It’s a mystery to us how this material is so buttery soft yet tough. While the fabric seems to mark up easily, it is super durable and pliable.

But there’s no tradeoff for sustainability, which is at the forefront. The 40-denier and four-way stretch face fabric is 100% recycled polyester. The 20-denier polyester backer is 100% recycled, too.

The fabric is treated with PFC-free DWR, which adds resistance to moisture without being toxic to the environment. The whole package is OEKO-TEX Standard 100-certified, which verifies the safety of the materials for health and the environment, and it also has Bluesign-certified materials.

One of our favorite features of this jacket is how deep and large the two exterior chest pockets are. Each zipper length is 8.5 inches, and the pockets are nearly 7 inches wide with approximately 14 inches in length. There are four other pockets: two interior dump pockets, a large interior zippered chest pocket, and a small (pass) pocket on arm.

For sidecountry and backcountry riders, there are emergency avalanche rescue education and tools integrated into the jacket. That includes RECCO detectors and an integrated infographic called “5 Red Flags” with signs related to avalanche stability that splitboarders should consider. Inside the jacket is a second durable, laminated infographic that will likely never wear down — Avalanche Rescue Steps.

Read our full review of the Women’s Shralpinist Stretch 3L Jacket. 

The Volcom Aris ($290) is a well-fitting (but not tight), flattering, well-equipped jacket we found perfect for snowboarding.

The Aris uses maybe the most popular fabric out there — a two-layer GORE-TEX shell with a PFC-free DWR. The fabric is super durable and isn’t crunchy or loud.

And this jacket won us over with all the other little details: YKK AquaGuard zippers, a jacket-to-pant interface, long pit zips, a taffeta-lined interior and brushed tricot-lined pockets, and a hood adjustable in two places. The super soft suede chin guard is one of our favorites we’ve ever used and keeps our face protected during stormy days and lift rides. There’s a unique tiny whistle integrated into the front zipper pull, too.

This is one of those jackets that’s designed so well it feels familiar from the first day you put it on. There are also the adjustable cuffs, hem, and hood to applaud.

Whether you aim for a more urban-style jacket or a more modern-style jacket, the Aris caters to both. Let’s face it — most of us do want a jacket that feels and looks good. That combo makes it one of the best snowboard jackets you can buy.

Picture’s shells are about as sustainable as jackets can get. The men’s Object ($300) and women’s Seen jackets ($300) are similar — both are made with a two-layer 20,000mm water column-rated material with a PFC-free DWR treatment.

In addition to the sustainable outer, the Picture Object shell is also made with a 64% recycled polyester with DRYPLAY membrane. The women’s Seen is a touch more eco-friendly, made with a bio-sourced fabric (58% bio-sourced polyester from repurposed sugarcane waste and 42% recycled polyester).

Both jackets have fully taped seams, YKK waterproof zippers, underarm vents, powder skirts, wrist gaiters, and a designated pass pocket. There’s a pretty good warmth level, thanks to Picture’s body-mapped Thermal STD insulation in the body, hood, and sleeves.

Most differences are only in terms of style, color, and fit. The women’s is a slim fit, while the men’s is standard. The women’s jacket keeps the 60 g insulation in the hood for warmth up top, while the men’s Object drops the hood insulation to 40 g. Both have a PFC-free DWR treatment.

If you’re looking for a quality GORE-TEX jacket with a longer length designed for snowboarders, 686’s men’s Core Shell ($320) and women’s Willow Insulated jacket ($360) are fantastic options.

Some of the best and only longer-coverage GORE-TEX jackets on this list, the men’s Core and women’s Willow both feature a two-layer, Bluesign-approved GORE-TEX poly fabric with a DWR treatment and fully taped GORE-TEX seams.

Both men’s and women’s styles have helmet-compatible hoods, attached powder skirts, Lycra wrist gaiters, and adjustable cuffs. There are five total pockets (two hand pockets, one pass pocket, one goggle pocket, and one media access zippered pocket). And best of all, both include a lifetime warranty.

The only big difference between the men’s and women’s styles is the women’s version has an added 40 g of 70% recycled infiLOFT insulation. We found it provides nice warmth while not being so much that you can’t use this jacket on warm spring days, especially with the pit zips and chest vent zipper to help air out.

For close to $350, this all adds up to a great deal — one of the best snowboard jackets for men and women for the price.

Another staff favorite that didn’t quite make our top picks is the Volcom L GORE-TEX Jacket for men ($310). This Volcom Jacket shares similarities with the Volcom Aris — it’s a relaxed fit, two-layer GORE-TEX shell with design details that’ll help make this jacket last the long haul.

It’s waterproof and windproof and works great for snowboarding. There are many pockets with good placement, including two softly-lined hand pockets, a zippered pass pocket on the sleeve, a device pocket on the chest with an external zipper and media port, and a mesh goggle hammock inside.

The design also has fully taped seams, hood adjustment cinch, mesh-backed pit zips, and a full suede chin guard.

To help keep snow out on deep powder days, there’s also a zipper interface for the jacket to zip into your Volcom snow pants, which works seamlessly — we give it a big thumbs-up. Top it off with an eco-friendly PFC-free DWR coating, and this shell is ready for a storm or sunny bootpack.