Last week I produced a list of what I thought were the top snowboard jackets for men – but price wasn’t a factor in that list. For this post I want to present what I think are the best cheap snowboard jackets for men.
The Jacket’s in this list aren’t necessarily the cheapest you can get – but they will be value-for-money in terms of the performance you get from a relatively low price.
In my opinion snowboarding jackets below a certain level of waterproofing are a waste of time and money. To make this list each jacket in this list had to score at least 80 points (in my jackets rating system) and have a recommended price less than $250.
I have included both insulated and non-insulated jackets so you can find one to suit your preferences.
Compared to Other Jackets
As a means of comparison here are the stats from all of the jackets that I researched.
- The average score was 78.5/100
- The highest score was 100/100
- The lowest score was 14/100
- The average price was $279
O.k. let’s make a start with the top 10.
Reasonably Priced Jacket #10
Jacket: Ride Georgetown
Price: $249
Score: 92/100
Insulation: Lining
The Georgetown is the most expensive in this list – but it also has the highest score.
For a jacket that comes in at $30 less than the average snowboard jacket price and can score this highly it had to make the list.
With a 15,000mm fabric waterproof rating and being fully seam sealed, you get an awesome level of waterproofing for the price. And you get all the features you could want including powder skirt, venting, jacket-to-pant interface and all the pocket varieties you’ll ever need.
The Georgetown also made my overall top 20 snowboard jackets list (which didn’t take price into consideration)
For those on a budget but one that stretches a little bit further than “really cheap” the Georgetown is a great option.
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Waterproofing: | 4.5 | 27/30 |
| Seams: | 5.0 | 20/20 |
| Breathability: | 4.0 | 20/25 |
| Powder Skirt: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
| Venting: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
| Hood: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
| Jacket-to-pants interface: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
| Pockets: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
| TOTAL | 92/100 |
Reasonably Priced Jacket #9
Jacket: Ride Sodo
Price: $219
Score: 86.5/100
Insulation: Lining
Ride’s second entry in this list, the Sodo also comes with a 15,000mm waterproof rating and fully sealed seams.
It may not score as high as the Georgetown (due to no jacket-to-pants connections) but it makes up for that by being $30 cheaper – for a total of $60 cheaper than your average price but way above the average score.
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Waterproofing: | 4.5 | 27/30 |
| Seams: | 5.0 | 20/20 |
| Breathability: | 4.0 | 20/25 |
| Powder Skirt: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
| Venting: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
| Hood: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
| Jacket-to-pants interface: | 0.0 | 0/5 |
| Pockets: | 4.5 | 4.5/5 |
| TOTAL | 86.5/100 |
Reasonably Priced Jacket #8
Jacket: 32 Sesh
Price: $199
Score: 80.5/100
Insulation: Lining
The Sesh is the first of our Jackets to be in the sub $200 category.
You do loose a bit of quality here – the waterproof rating is 10,000mm – but you pay a huge $80 less than the average price and it still rates higher than the average score.
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Waterproofing: | 3.5 | 21/30 |
| Seams: | 5.0 | 20/20 |
| Breathability: | 4.0 | 20/25 |
| Powder Skirt: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
| Venting: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
| Hood: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
| Jacket-to-pants interface: | 0.0 | 0/5 |
| Pockets: | 4.5 | 4.5/5 |
| TOTAL | 80.5/100 |
Reasonably Priced Jacket #7
Jacket: Quiksilver Tension
Price: $229
Score: 91/100
Insulation: 60g
Now we go back up in price again – but also back up in quality. And back up to 15,000mm waterproofing.
The Tension is also the first insulated jacket on this list – so if you’re looking for that extra warmth then this jacket is worth a look.
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Waterproofing: | 4.5 | 27/30 |
| Seams: | 5.0 | 20/20 |
| Breathability: | 4.0 | 20/25 |
| Powder Skirt: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
| Venting: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
| Hood: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
| Jacket-to-pants interface: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
| Pockets: | 4 | 4/5 |
| TOTAL | 91/100 |
Reasonably Priced Jacket #6
Jacket: Burton Encore
Price: $209
Score: 85/100
Insulation: 60g body, 40g sleeve
With a score well over the average score and costing $70 less than the average price, Burton’s Encore gives you real bang for buck.
It also has insulation for anyone looking for extra warmth on the mountain.
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Waterproofing: | 3.5 | 21/30 |
| Seams: | 5.0 | 20/20 |
| Breathability: | 4.0 | 20/25 |
| Powder Skirt: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
| Venting: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
| Hood: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
| Jacket-to-pants interface: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
| Pockets: | 4 | 4/5 |
| TOTAL | 85/100 |
Reasonably Priced Jacket #5
Jacket: 686 Insider
Price: $200
Score: 80.5/100
Insulation: 80g Body, 60g Sleeve, 40g Hood
A very similar jacket to the 32 Sesh (#8 above) in terms of price and score, but 686’s Insider Jacket also comes with plenty of insulation.
So if you often ride in cold conditions or run a little cold and you’re looking for a jacket at a reasonable price that will keep you warm and dry in most conditions then the Insider is worth a look.
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Waterproofing: | 3.5 | 21/30 |
| Seams: | 5.0 | 20/20 |
| Breathability: | 4.0 | 20/25 |
| Powder Skirt: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
| Venting: | 0.0 | 0/5 |
| Hood: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
| Jacket-to-pants interface: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
| Pockets: | 4.5 | 4.5/5 |
| TOTAL | 80.5/100 |
Reasonably Priced Jacket #4
Jacket: DC Clout
Price: $219
Score: 90.5/100
Insulation: Lining
Like the #10 entry, Ride’s Georgetown, DC’s Clout Jacket made my top 20 jackets (which didn’t take price into account).
The reason that the Clout makes it higher in this list is that it’s $30 cheaper than the Georgetown – and it’s pretty close to the same score.
With a 15,000mm waterproof rating (and fully sealed seams) and a 15,000g breathability rating, the Clout’s will keep you dry and comfortable in 95% of conditions.
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Waterproofing: | 4.5 | 27/30 |
| Seams: | 5.0 | 20/20 |
| Breathability: | 4.8 | 24/25 |
| Powder Skirt: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
| Venting: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
| Hood: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
| Jacket-to-pants interface: | 0.0 | 0/5 |
| Pockets: | 4.5 | 4.5/5 |
| TOTAL | 90.5/100 |
Reasonably Priced Jacket #3
Jacket: 686 Vector
Price: $220
Score: 92/100
Insulation: Lining
686’s Vector Jacket is about the same price as DC’s Clout – but scores slightly higher courtesy of having a jacket-to-pants connection that the Clout lacks.
But really they are pretty equal – it just depends if you want more breathability (the Clout) whilst sacrificing the jacket-to-pants connection or if the jacket-to-pants connection is more important to you.
The Vector Jacket also made my top 20 jackets list.
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Waterproofing: | 4.5 | 27/30 |
| Seams: | 5.0 | 20/20 |
| Breathability: | 4.0 | 20/25 |
| Powder Skirt: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
| Venting: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
| Hood: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
| Jacket-to-pants interface: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
| Pockets: | 4.5 | 4.5/5 |
| TOTAL | 91.5/100 |
Reasonably Priced Jacket #2
Jacket: 686 Moniker
Price: $180
Score: 85.5/100
Insulation: 80g Body, 60g Sleeve, 40g
Now we get into the final 2 – which is where we see some really awesome prices. The Moniker is a whopping $100 cheaper than the average jacket – but it scores way above the average score.
You might only get 10,000mm waterproofing (which is usually enough for all but really wet conditions) but you get all the features you could ever want – and it is also insulated – and did I mention this only costs recommended USD180 (if you can get it on sale it’s an even better deal).
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Waterproofing: | 3.5 | 21/30 |
| Seams: | 5.0 | 20/20 |
| Breathability: | 4.0 | 20/25 |
| Powder Skirt: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
| Venting: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
| Hood: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
| Jacket-to-pants interface: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
| Pockets: | 4.5 | 4.5/5 |
| TOTAL | 85.5/100 |
Reasonably Priced Jacket #1
Jacket: DC Servo
Price: $179
Score: 81/100
Insulation: 80g Body, 40g Sleeves
It may have a score below that of the Moniker at #2 but DC’s Servo boasts 15,000mm waterproofing and 15,000g breathability – something that is seriously rare in a jacket of this price.
Where it lost points against the Moniker was that the seam’s are critically sealed instead of fully sealed and it doesn’t have jacket-to-pants connections.
You’ll struggle to find the kind of performance that the Servo Jacket offers at this price. It’s the cheapest on this list but still has awesome performance.
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Waterproofing: | 4.5 | 27/30 |
| Seams: | 2.5 | 10/20 |
| Breathability: | 4.8 | 24/25 |
| Powder Skirt: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
| Venting: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
| Hood: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
| Jacket-to-pants interface: | 0.0 | 0/5 |
| Pockets: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
| TOTAL | 81/100 |
Where to Buy and More Info
For more info and where to find any of the jackets mentioned above check out the links below.
- Men’s Snowboard Jackets at PRFO.com (CANADA)
Thanks for Reading
I hope this post has helped you to find a reasonably priced jacket suitable for you.
If you know of any other jackets at a reasonable price that you think deserve to be in this list feel free to mention it in the comments below.
Nate,
Although it’s technically not a snowboarding jacket (labeled as a ski jacket), the Elevation from Canadian company Eira is a fantastic jacket and a great value. I purchased mine for $150, but I’ve seen it as low as $75 on The Clymb. It features 20K waterproofing and 20K breathability, and all the bells and whistles like powder skirt, compression wrist cuffs, tons of pockets, fully-taped seams, etc.
Wow! That’s a great price for a jacket with those specs. You must have gotten a great deal on it. I haven’t had any experience with Eira but from quick research, the Elevation looks like a great jacket. It was $269 recommended price where I looked but down to $121 – always worth shopping around a few different stores to see if you can get the deals for things like this.
I guess when it comes to jackets there’s nothing really to distinguish ski and snowboard – in fact a lot of jackets are labelled as both.