The right layers make the difference between a great day on the mountain and a miserable one. Here’s our pick of the best ski jackets from our most recent testing, grouped by budget, plus what to know about baselayers.

Best Value Ski Jackets (Under £300)

Dope Spartan – £175 – 15K/15K waterproofing with PFAS-free DWR and Fellex insulation. Great value all-mountain performance.

Montec Doom – £218 – A tough, weatherproof 20K/20K shell with an asymmetric zip and Comfortemp insulation.

Rab Firewall Alpine – £250 – A light, quiet 3-layer Pertex Shield jacket rated 20K/20K, with pit zips for venting.

Jack Wolfskin Prelight 3-in-1 – £260 – A shell plus a separate Primaloft vest made from recycled materials, so you can adapt it to conditions.

Mid-Range Ski Jackets (£300–£500)

Patagonia Powder Town – £320 – H2No waterproofing in a recycled, PFC-free build with RECCO reflectors built in. Sustainable and reliable.

OOSC Yeh Man – £350 – A warm, bold, fully insulated resort jacket with generous vents and pockets.

Montane Alpine 850 Down – £400 – 850-fill HyperDry down with box-wall baffles for an exceptional warmth-to-weight ratio.

Schöffel Pontre Shell – £450 – A quiet, breathable 20K/20K Venturi shell with stretch panels, vents and RECCO, built to be layered under.

Peak Performance Whitelight – £490 – HIPE stretch fabric with Solarcore insulation and Graphene for a warm, refined feel.

Premium and Big-Mountain Shells (£500+)

Rab Khroma Latok GTX Pro – £595 – A stormproof touring shell in ePE GORE-TEX Pro with an articulated fit and removable powder skirt.

The North Face Summit Verbier STX – £630 – A technical, precisely-fitted 3-layer DryVent/GORE-TEX shell with fully sealed seams.

Peak Performance Vertical Pro – £690 – Athlete-developed ePE GORE-TEX Pro protection with RECCO built in, for genuine big-mountain use.

Helly Hansen Ridge Infinity Stretch – £700 – LIFA Infinity fabric with PrimaLoft Gold insulation and H2Flow venting – warm, agile and fully featured.

Arc’teryx Rush – £750 – A top-tier touring shell in ePE GORE-TEX Pro with a shorter cut, dump pockets and pit zips.

Descente Finder – £759 – Dermizax 20K/15K fabric with 3M Thinsulate and Heat Navi mapping for warm, athletic piste performance.

Don’t Forget Your Baselayer

A good outer shell is only half the story – what you wear underneath affects warmth and comfort just as much. See our dedicated guide to the best ski baselayers for what to look for in fabric weight and fit.

You can see the full breakdown of every jacket above, including close-up looks at the fabric and features, on the InTheSnow YouTube channel.

Looking for more gear roundups and reviews? Click here to go back to our full gear guide.