Hello and welcome to my latest snowboard jacket review. This time around I will be reviewing the Ride Admiral Jacket.
I will assess the admiral on a number of different factors including waterproofness, fabric breathability, functionality and value for money.
O.k. let’s get right into it…
Overall
Jacket: Ride Admiral
Price: Check current price
Rating Score: 93.5/100
O.k. now let’s take a look at some details .
Waterproofing
There are two main things that contribute to the waterproofness of a snow jacket. The first is the waterproof rating of the fabric and the second is the seam sealing.
If you’d like to learn more about jacket waterproofing and everything else that makes up a good snowboard jacket (SJ) check out the link below.
The Key Specs when Choosing a Snowboard Jacket
Waterproof Rating
These ratings usually come in the form of a numerical rating between 5,000mm and 20,000mm (though I have seen some jackets with as low as 1,000mm!).
The Admiral has a rating of 20,000mm. This is huge! This jacket should be highly waterproof and be able to keep you dry in all weather conditions.
Waterproof rating score = 20,000mm = 20/20
Seam Sealing
This one is pretty easy. If the seams are ‘fully sealed’ this is a good thing. If they are critically taped it’s not so good. If there is no seam sealing then it’s a disaster waiting to happen.
The Admiral’s seams are now fully taped. The 2015 version was only critically taped so it’s great to see that they’ve made this improvement for the 2016 model.
I was surprised when I reviewed the 2015 model that it was only critically taped considering it has a 20,000mm rating. I’m not sure why they would go to the trouble of making the fabric so waterproof only to leave the door open for water to enter through some seams? But they have rectified that now so that’s good to see.
Seams sealed score = critically taped = 20/20
Breathability
With a rating of 20,000 grams the Admiral’s fabric will be super breathable.
Usually SJs are somewhere between 3,000grams and 20,000grams. 20,000 grams is more than enough and the Admiral will be good at wicking away sweat and keeping you comfortable all day.
The jacket I currently own is 10,000g breathable and does a really good job so 20,000 should be awesome.
Again this is an improvement over the 2015 model which had 15,000 grams breathability.
Breathability score = 20,000 = 20/20
Insulation
The Admiral does not have any extra insulation apart from a lining. This is not something I personally worry too much about as I often get too hot rather than cold on the mountain and prefer to use undergarments (merino or polypropelene tops) to regulate my temperature.
However, some people do feel the cold more than others, or typically ride in colder conditions. If this is you then the Admiral’s lack of additional insulation may be a concern.
If you are like me then it can actually be a good thing. Just something to keep in mind if you are thinking about this jacket.
Insulation score = 5/10
Powder Skirt
Most SJs (but not all) do have a powder skirt but it’s really good to have so it’s a feature that’s worth checking to make sure it has one.
The Admiral does have a powder skirt so we can tick that off the list.
Powder skirt = yes = 10/10
Hood
The Admiral also has a hood. I don’t personally use my hood much but it is definitely good to have on the odd occasion that I do need to use it.
Hood = yes = 5/5
Venting
Armpit vents can help the jacket to breathe particularly on those hot days. Not a biggie but can be good.
The Admiral now has armpit vents. Another quality that the jacket was missing in 2015 that they’ve improved for 2016.
This improves the breathability of this jacket even further.
Venting = Yes = 5/5
Pockets
The admiral features 3 external pockets (two hand pockets & a chest pocket) and 2 internal pockets (media pocket plus goggle pocket). It also has a loop for attaching lift tickets which could be pretty handy depending on the lift ticket you get.
Yes – 3 external & 2 internal (& functional) = 5/5
Style
Style is completely subjective of course but it’s worth a mention.
In my opinion the Admiral is pretty average looking. It’s not bad but nothing special.
Style score = 3.5/5
Final Score
Now the moment of truth – what has the Admiral scored overall….
FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
Waterproofing (material): | 5.0 | 20/20 |
Waterproofing (seams sealed): | 5.0 | 20/20 |
Breathability: | 5.0 | 20/20 |
Insulation: | 2.5 | 5/10 |
Powder Skirt: | 5.0 | 10/10 |
Hood: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
Venting | 5.0 | 5/5 |
Pockets | 5.0 | 5/5 |
Style | 3.5 | 3.5/5 |
TOTAL | 93.5/100 |
This is an awesome score! And well above it’s 2015 score.
The following were improved for the 2016 model.
- Seams now fully taped. Were critically taped.
- Fabric breathability increased from 15,000gm to 20,000gm
- Underarm venting has been added
It must also be remembered that it lost some points in the insulation section whereas, depending on your personal preference, you may actually want it to not have added insulation.
This jacket is right up there now with the best jackets currently on the market. Note some of the comments from my review of the 2015 model.
“Also it lost some points in venting which isn’t really a big thing on a jacket with such good breathability.
The biggest issue, in my view, is the seam sealing. If they could have just fully seam sealed this bad boy it would be one of the better jackets on the market. Unfortunately they didn’t.”
Well now they did!
The one thing we are yet to look at is value for money so let’s have a look at that now.
Value for Money
The Admiral has a recommended retail price of $349 which is probably at the higher end of mid range for SJs which can range from $100 to $600.
For $350 you do expect some pretty good specs – and you certainly get that out of the Admiral.
For Reference:
Of 10 men’s snowboarding jackets (costing between $300 & $350) that I put through my scoring system the average was 87.1/100.
This is a pretty good average score and you’d expect that for this price range. The Admiral knocks that average score out of the water.
With a score of 93.5/100 the Admiral is super value for money in my opinion (the 2015 model’s score was 80.5/100).
More Info and Where to Buy
If you are interested in the Admiral check out the links below to check for availability, current prices and more info.
Thanks for Reading
I hope this review has helped you in your research to find a snowboard jacket. If you have any questions or comments just leave them in the comments section below.
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