Pick a snowboard jacket
A snowboard jacket is a waterproof shell worn as the outer layer on snow, built around a high waterproof rating, a breathability rating, and a cut shaped for the men or women model you buy. The 2026 catalog splits the line into 3 groups: a men's range, a women's range, and a sale rack that clears last season's stock. This page walks through each group and the spec numbers that decide which jacket fits your riding. If you are buying the whole setup at once, start with Snowboard gear from board to boots so the jacket matches the rest of the kit. For the boot that pairs with the jacket, see Choose snowboard boots, and for the head protection that finishes the layer, see the Snowboard helmet guide. The wider catalog covers Ski, snowboard and watersports kit, bought end to end, from the first pre-season order to the wash that ends the season.
Snowboard Jacket vs Ski Jacket
To separate a snowboard jacket from a ski jacket, look at 4 features that differ between the two: the back length, the cuff, the gaiter, and the hood. The table below lines them up so you can see which one matches how you ride.
| Feature | Snowboard jacket | Ski jacket |
|---|---|---|
| Back hem | Longer, reaches mid-thigh to cover a fall | Shorter, ends at the waist |
| Cuffs | Broad, often with a 10 cm velcro strap over the glove | Narrow, a simple elastic or snap |
| Powder gaiter | Built in, snaps on to the snowboard pants | Usually absent |
| Hood | Sizes over a 2 cm liner, 2 point or magnetic fit | Sizes over a helmet, more structured |
| Arm length | Longer sleeves for the one-strap stance | Standard length |
A rider who boards only in one style can still pick either, but the longer hem and the gaiter are what keep the snowboard jacket the right shell for a day on the board.
Men's Snowboard Jackets
Men's snowboard jackets in the 2026 catalog share 5 shared traits: the cut, the waterproof membrane, the breath rating, the pocket count, and the size run. Each one is set out below so you can match a model to how you ride.
- Cut: a relaxed, straight body with a hem that reaches mid-thigh, cut to sit over a full snowboard pants without a gap at the hip.
- Membrane: 10,000 mm to 20,000 mm waterproof column, where 10,000 mm serves a dry powder day and 20,000 mm serves a wet spring day on the lower slopes.
- Breathability: rated in 3 steps, from 5,000 g per m2 per 24 h at the entry level to 20,000 g at the pro level, matched to how hard you push on the mountain.
- Pockets: 6 zip pockets, with 2 of them hand-warmer sized, 1 of them a chest pocket that holds a phone, and 1 of them a snow pass pocket on the forearm.
- Sizes: from UK 8 through UK 22, with the chest in 3 widths, regular, plus and tall, so a 52 inch chest fits without a size jump.
The men's cut also carries a longer sleeve than the ski version, sized for the one-strap stance, and the cuff runs wide enough to close over a 10 cm glove with the velcro strap.
Women's Snowboard Jackets
Women's snowboard jackets differ from the men's cut in 4 places: the waist, the hem, the sleeve, and the hood. The table below keeps the men's numbers alongside so the difference reads clearly.
| Feature | Men's cut | Women's cut |
|---|---|---|
| Waist | Straight, no taper | Tapered at the waist by 5 cm |
| Hem length | Mid-thigh | Slightly shorter, sits at the top of the thigh |
| Sleeve | Longer for the one-strap stance | Shorter, with a narrower cuff opening |
| Hood | Two point fit over the 2 cm liner | Smaller depth, still over a 2 cm liner |
| Size run | UK 8 to UK 22 | UK 8 to UK 20 |
The women's line carries the same membrane ratings as the men's, from 10,000 mm to 20,000 mm waterproof and 5,000 g to 20,000 g breath, so the choice inside the women's range stays about fit and features, not about the fabric.
Waterproof and Breathability: What the Numbers Mean
Waterproof and breathability on a snowboard jacket are printed on the tag as 2 numbers, the column in millimetres and the breath in grams per m2 per 24 h, and 3 thresholds decide which one suits your riding.
- Waterproof column: 10,000 mm holds a dry powder day, 15,000 mm holds a mixed day with a little wet snow, and 20,000 mm holds a full wet spring day without a leak at the shoulder.
- Breath rating: 5,000 g per m2 per 24 h serves a casual day of 3 to 4 lifts, 10,000 g serves a full day of 6 to 8 lifts, and 20,000 g serves a hard day of 10 lifts where the core stays dry.
- Seams: the column only holds if every seam is taped, and a fully taped jacket is the one to buy for a wet season, while a pit-zip jacket drops the breath number by 30 percent when the zips close.
A jacket marked 10,000 mm waterproof with 5,000 g breath is the entry shell in the catalog, and the jump to 20,000 mm with 20,000 g is the step up for a rider who spends a full day on the mountain in wet spring snow.
Buying on Sale: When the Rack Turns Over
Sale on a snowboard jacket works on a fixed calendar, and 2 windows in the year carry the deepest cuts, with the stock turning over by size and by colour before it turns over by model.
- End of season sale, running from 10 June to 31 July, where last season's stock drops by 40 percent off the list price and the full size run goes at once.
- Pre-season clearance, running from 15 August to 30 August, where the current season's overruns drop by 30 percent and the top sizes, UK 20 and above in men's and UK 18 and above in women's, clear first.
A rider who knows their size and their membrane rating can save a full 40 percent on the end of season rack, while the pre-season rack is the right buy for a rider who wants the current season's features at a 30 percent cut before the new season opens on 1 December.
Fitting the Jacket: The 3 Measurements That Decide
Fitting a snowboard jacket comes down to 3 measurements taken at home: the chest, the sleeve, and the waist, and the chart below maps each one to the size column in the catalog.
| Measurement | How to take it | What it sets |
|---|---|---|
| Chest | Around the fullest part, 1 cm of room for the base layer | The main size column, UK 8 to UK 22 |
| Sleeve | From the shoulder point to the wrist bone, arm bent at 90 degrees | The width column, regular, plus or tall |
| Waist | Around the natural waist, not the hips | The women's taper, a 5 cm cut from the men's |
The chest measurement is the one that moves the size, and the sleeve is the one that moves the width, so a rider with a 52 inch chest and a 30 inch sleeve lands in the UK 14 plus column, while the same rider with a 27 inch sleeve lands in the UK 14 regular column at the same price.
Caring for the Jacket: The Wash That Keeps the Rating
Caring for a snowboard jacket is a 3 step routine that runs twice a season, once at the start and once at the end, and it keeps the waterproof rating and the breath rating both working at the printed numbers.
- Wash: a 30 degree cycle with a technical shell wash, 1 per load, on a gentle spin, and never a standard detergent that clogs the membrane pores.
- Treat: a DWR reproof spray on the outer, worked in by hand, then a 10 minute tumble on low to reactivate the coating, 2 applications per season.
- Dry: a full 20 minute tumble on low, because the heat is what reactivates the membrane, and a jacket air-dried on a line loses 15 percent of its breath rating over the winter.
A jacket washed and reproofed on this 2 step, twice a year routine holds its 10,000 mm to 20,000 mm waterproof column for the full 4 year life of the shell, while a jacket skipped in the second year drops to the lower end of the range by the spring.