Buying top-notch ladies ski jackets can be a tedious process. You want to be warm but not overheated, stylish but not impractical, and insulated without looking like a puffball. Fortunately, while these may seem like challenging goals, you can get everything you want if you just have the necessary knowledge. This guide will help you make the right decisions so you can both stay warm and look good on the slopes.
Choosing ladies ski jackets – Shell or Insulated? That is the question.
Nobody wants to waddle around in an overstuffed jacket that makes you look and feel like a toasted marshmallow, but freezing to death is not an option either. When you’re choosing a ladies ski jacket, one of the most important choices you can make will be whether you buy a shell jacket or an insulated jacket. A shell jacket is the right choice if you tend to feel too warm when you wear a lot of dense clothing; it has no built-in insulation. This will also allow you the greatest degree of customization. Wear whatever layers it takes to keep you warm underneath; under most conditions, you should wear a base layer (thermal underwear) and a mid layer (sweaters or fleeces) underneath a shell jacket. The other benefit of choosing a shell jacket is that it will have minimal bulkiness, giving you a sleeker look.
However, that isn’t to say that insulated jackets are bad in any way. With their built-in insulation, you won’t need to put another layer of clothes between your base layer and your jacket nearly as often. Also, plenty of insulated ski jackets are built with fashion in mind, and you can always choose a jacket with a lower amount of insulation if the really dense ones are too awkward-feeling. When you want to be able to get to skiing or boarding without putting on a thousand pieces of clothing first, an insulated jacket will be your best choice.
Seams and their Importance
When buying ladies ski jackets, one important thing to keep in mind is the type of seams the jacket has: welded, fully taped, or critically taped. The highest-quality choice is a welded seam; these have none of the small holes present in regular needle-stitched seams, which make them more water-resistant and sleek-looking. The next best choice is to buy something with fully taped seams. The manufacturer glues tape to all of the seams, on both the inside and the outside of the jacket, making sure that water won’t seep into the cloth.
If you’re buying on a budget garment, though, you may want to opt for the cheaper critically taped seams. With these ladies ski jackets, only the most important areas will have taped seams, while the ones less likely to get exposed to moisture are not taped. When you make your choice, keep the look, function, and price in mind, and choose what works best for you.
Water Resistance
Of course, if you get one with the great welded seams and get soaked the first time you fall in the snow anyway, it’s not going to be worth it. You have to pick out ladies ski jackets with a high degree of waterproofing if you don’t want to get wet after a couple of falls. Jackets that claim to be “waterproof” are nearly always just water resistant. The most common measurement of water resistance is in millimeters, based on a pressure test. It’s a complex system and many companies skew their results, but as a general rule, you should look for ski jackets with at least 5,000 mm of water resistance. These should keep you dry when you fall or sit on a damp ski lift, and are usually impervious to rain.
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Picking out ladies ski jackets is all about who you are and what you want. There’s a gigantic range of options out there – go find what works for you in order to have fun in the mountain!
