To make this list more useful I have broken this list down into four sections and this includes:
- The Top 5 Women’s Insulated Snowboarding Jackets
- The Top 5 Women’s Non-Insulated Snowboarding Jackets
- The Top 5 Women’s Snowboarding Jackets between $200 & $300
- The Top 5 Women’s Snowboarding Jackets for less than $200
This list has been updated for the 2017-18 season.
O.k. let’s get into the lists.
The Top 5 Women’s Insulated Snowboarding Jackets
If you’re someone who runs cold – or if you tend to ride in super cold conditions, then these jackets are probably for you. Also for anyone who wants their jacket to do the insulating and doesn’t want to worry too much about layering underneath.
Note: These are the top jackets (assessed for waterproofing, breathability and functionality) that also have insulation – but the amount of or the type of insulation hasn’t been assessed.
Price is not taken into account for this except that anything over $500 wasn’t considered.
Of the 89 insulated jackets that I rated:
- The average score was 74.8/100
- The highest score was 97.5/100
- The lowest score was 22.0/100
- The average price was $259
Insulated Jacket #5
Jacket Name: Volcom Bow Insulated Gore-Tex Jacket
Price: View more Info and Current Prices Here
Type: Insulated
Level of Insulation: 80g (low-loft insulation)
Waterproofing: 25,000
Breathability: 20,000
There is really very little difference in terms of performance of the 5 jackets here. So, you’re decision will ultimately come down to the jacket you like the look of the most and how much insulation you want.
This is the cheapest of the 5 insulated jackets that made the list.
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Waterproofing: | 5.0 | 30/30 |
| Seams: | 5.0 | 20/20 |
| Breathability: | 4.5 | 22.5/25 |
| 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: | 4.0 | 4/5 |
| TOTAL | 96.5/100 |
Insulated Jacket #4
Jacket Name: Burton AK 2L Embark Gore-Tex
Price: View more Info and Current Prices Here
Type: Insulated
Level of Insulation: PrimaLoft® Silver (60G) Insulation (mid-level insulation on Burton’s scale)
Waterproofing: 25,000
Breathability: 20,000
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Waterproofing: | 5.0 | 30/30 |
| Seams: | 5.0 | 20/20 |
| Breathability: | 4.5 | 22.5/25 |
| 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: | 4.0 | 4/5 |
| TOTAL | 96.5/100 |
Insulated Jacket #3
Jacket Name: The North Face Lostrail Insulated
Price: View more Info and Current Prices Here
Type: Insulated
Level of Insulation: 80 g/100 g Heatseeker™ (mid level insulation on The North Face’s scale)
Waterproofing: Gore-Tex
Breathability: Gore-Tex
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Waterproofing: | 5.0 | 30/30 |
| Seams: | 5.0 | 20/20 |
| Breathability: | 4.5 | 22.5/25 |
| 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 | 97/100 |
Insulated Jacket #2
Jacket Name: Roxy Essence 2L Gore-Tex
Price: View more Info and Current Prices Here
Type: Insulated
Level of Insulation: PrimaLoft® Black Insulation Eco (60g) – mid level insulation on Roxy’s scale
Waterproofing: Gore-Tex
Breathability: Gore-Tex
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Waterproofing: | 5.0 | 30/30 |
| Seams: | 5.0 | 20/20 |
| Breathability: | 4.5 | 22.5/25 |
| 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 | 97.5/100 |
Insulated Jacket #1
Jacket Name: Roxy Wilder 2L Gore-Tex Jacket
Price: View more Info and Current Prices Here
Type: Insulated
Level of Insulation: Thinsulate (80g body, 80g sleeve, 60g hood) – mid level insulation on Roxy’s scale
Waterproofing: Gore-Tex
Breathability: Gore-Tex
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Waterproofing: | 5.0 | 30/30 |
| Seams: | 5.0 | 20/20 |
| Breathability: | 4.5 | 22.5/25 |
| 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 | 97.5/100 |
The Top 5 Women’s Non-Insulated Snowboarding Jackets
If you prefer your jacket to be a shell – something that maximizes focus on waterproofing and being breathable and is lighter than an insulated jacket– and you want to be able to do your own insulating with layers and you can use your jacket for spring/warm weather riding as well, without over-heating, then these might be more your style.
This wasn’t as easy a task as I thought it would be. It seems that a majority of women’s snowboarding jackets have some sort of insulation included. But I did find 15 non-insulated jackets and these were the highest rated of those.
Of the 15 non-insulated jackets that I rated:
- The average score was 80.7/100
- The highest score was 97.0/100
- The lowest score was 29.0/100
- The average price was $275
Non-Insulated Jacket #5
Jacket Name: Dakine Baretta 3L Gore Tex
Price: View more Info and Current Prices Here
Type: Shell
Waterproofing: 28,000mm
Breathability: 25,000g
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Waterproofing: | 5.0 | 30/30 |
| Seams: | 5.0 | 20/20 |
| Breathability: | 5.0 | 25/25 |
| 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: | 4.0 | 4/5 |
| TOTAL | 94.0/100 |
Non-Insulated Jacket #4
Jacket Name: Ride Vine
Price: View more Info and Current Prices Here
Type: Shell
Waterproofing: 20,000mm
Breathability: 20,000g
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Waterproofing: | 5.0 | 30/30 |
| Seams: | 5.0 | 20/20 |
| Breathability: | 4.5 | 22.5/25 |
| 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 | 97.5/100 |
Non-Insulated Jacket #3
Jacket Name: Burton AK Blade Gore-Tex
Price: View more Info and Current Prices Here
Type: Shell
Waterproofing: 25,000mm
Breathability: 20,000g
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Waterproofing: | 5.0 | 30/30 |
| Seams: | 5.0 | 20/20 |
| Breathability: | 4.5 | 22.5/25 |
| 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: | 4.0 | 4/5 |
| TOTAL | 96.5/100 |
Non-Insulated Jacket #2
Jacket Name: Burton Rubix Shell Gore-Tex
Price: View more Info and Current Prices Here
Type: Shell
Waterproofing: 25,000mm
Breathability: 20,000g
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Waterproofing: | 5.0 | 30/30 |
| Seams: | 5.0 | 20/20 |
| Breathability: | 4.5 | 22.5/25 |
| 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: | 4.0 | 4/5 |
| TOTAL | 96.5/100 |
Non-Insulated Jacket #1
Jacket Name: Volcom W Gore-Tex
Price: View more Info and Current Prices Here
Type: Shell
Waterproofing: 25,000mm
Breathability: 20,000g
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Waterproofing: | 5.0 | 30/30 |
| Seams: | 5.0 | 20/20 |
| Breathability: | 4.5 | 22.5/25 |
| 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 | 97/100 |
The Top 5 Women’s Snowboarding Jackets between $200 & $300
The jackets in the 2 lists above don’t take price into consideration. Truth is that not everyone can afford to, or are willing to, spend that much on a snowboarding jacket.
If you’ve got a reasonable budget, but not an endless one, but still want great waterproofing, breathability and other performance factors out of your jacket, these jackets are probably for you.
Of the 48 jackets that I rated that cost between $200 and $300:
- The average score was 75.9/100
- The highest score was 97.0/100
- The lowest score was 22.0/100
- The average price was $255
Note: The following would have also made this list, but are already in one the lists above:
- Volcom W Gore-Tex (Top 5 Non-Insulated)
- Volcom Bow Insulated Gore-Tex (Top 5 Insulated)
- Ride Vine (Top 5 Non-Insulated)
Jacket Between $200 & $300 # 5
Jacket Name: Roxy Wildlife
Price: View more Info and Current Prices Here
Type: Insulated
Level of Insulation: 3M™ Thinsulate™ (100g body, 80g sleeves, 60g hood)
Waterproofing: 15,000mm
Breathability: 10,000g
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Waterproofing: | 4.0 | 24/30 |
| Seams: | 5.0 | 20/20 |
| Breathability: | 3.0 | 15/25 |
| 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 | 84.0/100 |
Jacket Between $200 & $300 # 4
Jacket Name: Oakley Phoenix Biozone
Price: View more Info and Current Prices Here
Type: Shell
Waterproofing: 15,000mm
Breathability: 15,000g
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Waterproofing: | 4.0 | 24/30 |
| 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 | 89.0/100 |
Jacket Between $200 & $300 # 3
Jacket Name: Volcom Shadow Insulated
Price: View more Info and Current Prices Here
Type: Insulated
Level of Insulation: 60g
Waterproofing: 15,000mm
Breathability: 15,000g
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Waterproofing: | 4.0 | 24/30 |
| 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 | 89.0/100 |
Jacket Between $200 & $300 # 2
Jacket Name: 686 GLCR Hydra Insulated
Price: View more Info and Current Prices Here
Type: Insulated
Level of Insulation: 60g Polyfill Body/40g Polyfill Sleeves
Waterproofing: 20,000
Breathability: 15,000
| 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 | 92.0/100 |
Jacket Between $200 & $300 # 1
Jacket Name: 686 Smarty 3-in-1 Aries
Price: View more Info and Current Prices Here
Type: Insulated (or shell when you want it to be)
Level of Insulation: Removable Liner has 60g Polyfill Insulation Body/300g Butter Fleece Sleeves and Collar
Waterproofing: 20,000
Breathability: 20,000
This is a very versatile option as you can use it just as a shell if you remove the removable liner. Or, on those colder days, you can include the liner and add warmth when you need to. That plus being super waterproof and at a reasonable cost makes this an attractive option.
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Waterproofing: | 4.5 | 27/30 |
| Seams: | 5.0 | 20/20 |
| Breathability: | 4.5 | 22.5/25 |
| 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 | 94.5/100 |
The Top 5 Women’s Snowboarding Jackets for less than $200
If you want to get the best you can in terms of performance – but want to spend as little as possible to get it, then this is the list for you. You’ll likely have to sacrifice a little bit in performance but these are the best that I’ve found in terms of performance for under $200.
Of the 33 jackets that I rated that cost less than $200:
- The average score was 66.0/100
- The highest score was 89.0/100
- The lowest score was 29.0/100
- The average price was $177
Jacket Under $200 #5
Jacket Name: 686 Dream
Price: View more Info and Current Prices Here
Type: Insulated
Level of Insulation: 100g Polyfill Body/60g Polyfill Sleeves/40g
Waterproofing: 10,000mm
Breathability: 10,000g
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Waterproofing: | 3.0 | 18/30 |
| Seams: | 5.0 | 20/20 |
| Breathability: | 3.0 | 15/25 |
| 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 | 77.5/100 |
Jacket Under $200 #4
Jacket Name: 686 Authentic Eden
Price: View more Info and Current Prices Here
Type: Insulated
Level of Insulation: 80g Body, 60g Sleeves and 40g Hood Polyfill Insulation
Waterproofing: 10,000mm
Breathability: 10,000g
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Waterproofing: | 3.0 | 18/30 |
| Seams: | 5.0 | 20/20 |
| Breathability: | 3.0 | 15/25 |
| 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 | 77.5/100 |
Jacket Under $200 #3
Jacket Name: 686 Authentic Bae
Price: View more Info and Current Prices Here
Type: Insulated
Level of Insulation: 100g Body, 80g Sleeves and 40g Hood Insulation
Waterproofing: 10,000mm
Breathability: 10,000g
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Waterproofing: | 3.0 | 18/30 |
| Seams: | 5.0 | 20/20 |
| Breathability: | 3.0 | 15/25 |
| 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 | 78.0/100 |
Jacket Under $200 #2
Jacket Name: Volcom Jasper
Price: View more Info and Current Prices Here
Type: Insulated
Level of Insulation: 80g Low-Loft Insulation
Waterproofing: 15,000mm
Breathability: 15,000g
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Waterproofing: | 4.0 | 24/30 |
| 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: | 4.0 | 4/5 |
| TOTAL | 88.0/100 |
Jacket Under $200 #1
Jacket Name: Volcom Mission
Price: View more Info and Current Prices Here
Type: Insulated
Level of Insulation: 80g Low-Loft Insulation
Waterproofing: 15,000mm
Breathability: 15,000g
If you want some great waterproofing and breathability out of your jacket but don’t want to pay an arm and a leg for it, the Volcom Mission might be perfect for you. It gives you more performance than all the other jackets that I looked at in this price range.
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Waterproofing: | 4.0 | 24/30 |
| 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 | 89.0/100 |
Thanks for Reading
I hope this list has given you some options for your next or first snowboarding jacket – depending on your needs and your budget.
For more info, current prices and availability for any of the jackets above check out the links under each jacket.
Leave a Reply