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Jackets

Whether you’re tackling backcountry trails, carving powder, or enduring alpine storms, the right jacket can make or break your adventure. Our reviews dive deep into the best jackets and technical outerwear from trusted brands like Arc'teryx and Patagonia, helping you find the perfect balance of performance, durability, and comfort for your adventures.

Most Popular Coverage

A man running in the mountains wearing the Arc'teryx Incendo Airshell Hoody.

Tested: Arc’teryx Incendo Airshell Hoody

For those who prioritize function over form and understand the specific niche this running jacket fills, the Arc'teryx Incendo Airshell Hoody delivers impressive performance. Just don't expect it to be your do-everything outer layer — this ...

Tested: Arc’teryx Incendo Airshell Hoody
A women wearing an Arc'teryx Beta AR jacket as she summits a Colorado 14er

Arc’teryx Beta vs Beta AR vs Beta SL (Plus Beta SV)

Even in mid-summer it gets cold and windy at the summit of Colorado's famed 14ers. Karen chose the Beta AR Jacket for her summit of Mount Columbia.Heads up: Several Arc’teryx men’s and women’s ski and ride ...

Arc’teryx Beta vs Beta AR vs Beta SL (Plus Beta SV)
A mountain biker wearing the Patagonia Stormracer jacket

Best Patagonia Jackets: Temp ratings & more (Full guide)

Y'all know this is just my opinion... right? I'll cover Best Patagonia Jackets in 3 parts: Shortest answer, Short answer, Long answer.Best Patagonia Jackets: Shortest answer As you see from this chart, the warmest Patagonia jacket is the AlpLoft Down Parka. Read ...

Best Patagonia Jackets: Temp ratings & more (Full guide)
Three men standing on a mountain peak wearing Arc'teryx jackets.

Best Arc’teryx Jacket | Temperature ratings + much more

Standing on the summit of a Colorado 14er during a 3-day backpacking trip. From left, the Arc'teryx Cerium, Arc'teryx Alpha Lightweight, and Arc'teryx Beta SL.Heads up: Several Arc’teryx men’s and women’s ski and ride shells and ...

Best Arc’teryx Jacket | Temperature ratings + much more
A man wearing the Arc'teryx Proton Heavyweight jacket in the snowy Colorado backcountry.

Temperature Ratings of Jackets (Quick cheatsheet)

SummaryMost outdoor apparel companies say that providing temperature ratings for their jackets isn't possible.And to be fair, they're not incorrect. There are tons of fluid parameters that are difficult, if not impossible, to measure. And let's ...

Temperature Ratings of Jackets (Quick cheatsheet)
The chest pocket on an Arc'teryx Proton Lightweight jacket.

Arc’teryx Proton vs Atom | How to decide + our temperature ratings

The available lineup of men's Arc'teryx Proton and Atom jackets varies throughout the year depending on season. It can include the Proton Hybrid Hoody, Proton Hoody, Proton Heavyweight Hoody, Atom Heavyweight Hoody, Atom Hoody, and Atom ...

Arc’teryx Proton vs Atom | How to decide + our temperature ratings
Image showing the fabric of the Patagonia Nano Puff vs Micro Puff

Patagonia Nano Puff vs Micro Puff Review: How to decide

The more matte 20d fabric of the blue Patagonia Nano Puff vs the Micro Puff and its 10-denier face fabric in greenOur bottom line: Nano Puff vs Micro PuffWe like the versatility of the Patagonia Nano ...

Patagonia Nano Puff vs Micro Puff Review: How to decide

Insulated Jackets

A man standing on a mountain peak wearing the Arc'teryx Cerium.

The Best Down Jackets of 2026

Below we’ve grouped our picks for the best down jacket so you can match warmth, weight and packability to your needs. We do our best to give you choices and include a few brands that may ...

The Best Down Jackets of 2026
Walking by a river wearing the Patagonia Hi-Loft Nano Puff Hoody.

Patagonia Hi-Loft Nano Puff Hoody Review: A Synthetic Heavyweight

When Patagonia dropped the Hi-Loft Nano Puff, it felt like their answer to the common question: Can you get down-sweater warmth without down?Clear, cold, and windy. The Hi-Loft Nano Puff Hoody comes into play when you ...

Patagonia Hi-Loft Nano Puff Hoody Review: A Synthetic Heavyweight
A man wearing the Arc'teryx Atom SV jacket in blue.

Arc’teryx Atom SV Hoody Review: Warmth for Harsh Alpine Conditions

The Fall 2025 Arc'teryx Atom SV is available in five colors for men, including Black Sapphire.Heads up: Several Arc’teryx men’s and women’s ski and ride shells and pants are seeing rare markdowns — up to 40% off ...

Arc’teryx Atom SV Hoody Review: Warmth for Harsh Alpine Conditions
Arc'teryx Proton SL Hoody in men's side active view

First look: The 2025 Arc’teryx Proton SL Hoody

The 2025 Proton SL Hoody is available in three colors for men, including Dynasty. We've got great news for fans (and future fans) of Arc'teryx's lightest-weight version of the uber-comfortable, uber-versatile Proton insulated hoody: it's officially back ...

First look: The 2025 Arc’teryx Proton SL Hoody

Arc’teryx Cerium vs Cerium SV: How to choose 2026

The Cerium Hoody in Rune (left) and the Cerium SV Hoody in Black Sapphire (right) may come from the same product collection, but they're distinct jackets in almost every way. Arc’teryx’s Cerium line of jackets and vests ...

Arc’teryx Cerium vs Cerium SV: How to choose 2026
Image of the Stio Hometown down hooded jacket taken from behind.

Stio Hometown Down Hooded Jacket Review

The Stio Hometown Down jacket features technical construction and ample comfort to be considered as your go-to winter down jacket.Stio was born in the shadows of the Teton mountains in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and the Stio ...

Stio Hometown Down Hooded Jacket Review
Arc'teryx Fissile SV Down Jacket

Arc’teryx Fissile SV Down Jacket review | A down-insulated oven for skiers

Heads up: Several Arc’teryx men’s and women’s ski and ride shells and pants are seeing rare markdowns — up to 40% off on select current-season styles. Here's what's still available in men's and women's markdowns at Arcteryx.com.The all-new Arc'teryx Fissile SV ...

Arc’teryx Fissile SV Down Jacket review | A down-insulated oven for skiers

Hard Shell Jackets

Arc'teryx Alpha vs Beta: Gore-Tex Pro items

Arc’teryx Alpha vs Beta: I own ALL six models of Winter ’24

Y'all know this is just my opinion... right? Heads up: Several Arc’teryx men’s and women’s ski and ride shells and pants are seeing rare markdowns — up to 40% off on select current-season styles. Here's what's still available ...

Arc’teryx Alpha vs Beta: I own ALL six models of Winter ’24
A women wearing an Arc'teryx Beta AR jacket as she summits a Colorado 14er

Arc’teryx Beta vs Beta AR vs Beta SL (Plus Beta SV)

Even in mid-summer it gets cold and windy at the summit of Colorado's famed 14ers. Karen chose the Beta AR Jacket for her summit of Mount Columbia.Heads up: Several Arc’teryx men’s and women’s ski and ride ...

Arc’teryx Beta vs Beta AR vs Beta SL (Plus Beta SV)

Stio Environ Jacket review: A full-featured ski shell to slay resort days

Rocking the full Stio Environ kit during a cold January day at Copper Mountain, Colorado. I expect three things from a full-featured ski shell: weatherproof performance for whatever Mother Nature throws my way, dependable durability for harsh ...

Stio Environ Jacket review: A full-featured ski shell to slay resort days

Mammut Stoney HS | Mammut’s softest ski jacket

With a premium feel and construction that shows attention to detail, the Mammut Stoney HS jacket is one of the best hard shell ski jackets we've tested this winter.The Mammut Stoney HS jacket is the brand’s ...

Mammut Stoney HS | Mammut’s softest ski jacket

Ski & Snowboard

Ski touring through trees wearing the Arcteryx Rush ski jacket and pants

Arc’teryx Rush Jacket and Bib Review

The Arc'teryx Rush jacket and pants featuring Gore-Tex Pro are constructed to be a lightweight, waterproof, and breathable kit for the backcountry. We took them to Arc'teryx's backyard in British Columbia for some real-world testing during ...

Arc’teryx Rush Jacket and Bib Review
Arc'teryx Fissile SV Down Jacket

Arc’teryx Fissile SV Down Jacket review | A down-insulated oven for skiers

Heads up: Several Arc’teryx men’s and women’s ski and ride shells and pants are seeing rare markdowns — up to 40% off on select current-season styles. Here's what's still available in men's and women's markdowns at Arcteryx.com.The all-new Arc'teryx Fissile SV ...

Arc’teryx Fissile SV Down Jacket review | A down-insulated oven for skiers

Stio Environ Jacket review: A full-featured ski shell to slay resort days

Rocking the full Stio Environ kit during a cold January day at Copper Mountain, Colorado. I expect three things from a full-featured ski shell: weatherproof performance for whatever Mother Nature throws my way, dependable durability for harsh ...

Stio Environ Jacket review: A full-featured ski shell to slay resort days
Ski touring with the Patagonia Stromstride men's backcountry ski jacket

Patagonia Stormstride Jacket review: Testing the backcountry-focused ski shell

The Patagonia Stormstride is a backcountry ski jacket made for high-output ski touring. The Patagonia Stormstride series is the brand's most breathable jacket and pants for ski touring. The Stormstride jacket offers a three-layer waterproof fabric that ...

Patagonia Stormstride Jacket review: Testing the backcountry-focused ski shell
A man wearing the Patagonia Insulated Powder Town jacket and pants while pulling snow surfers off a snowmobile.

Patagonia Powder Town Review: Jacket, Insulated Jacket, Pants & Bibs

Todd wearing the Patagonia Powder Town Insulated jacket and pants for a full day on sleds in the backcountry.The Patagonia Powder Town line is designed to be a durable, weather-protective ski system for resort riders and ...

Patagonia Powder Town Review: Jacket, Insulated Jacket, Pants & Bibs

StormHood vs DropHood

The difference between StormHood and DropHood is that with the DropHood the hood is separated from the collar, whereas with the StormHood the hood and collar are sewn and move together. About less than 5-10% of Arc'teryx ...

StormHood vs DropHood
A man wearing the Arc'teryx Proton Heavyweight jacket in the snowy Colorado backcountry.

Temperature Ratings of Jackets (Quick cheatsheet)

SummaryMost outdoor apparel companies say that providing temperature ratings for their jackets isn't possible.And to be fair, they're not incorrect. There are tons of fluid parameters that are difficult, if not impossible, to measure. And let's ...

Temperature Ratings of Jackets (Quick cheatsheet)

Mammut Stoney HS | Mammut’s softest ski jacket

With a premium feel and construction that shows attention to detail, the Mammut Stoney HS jacket is one of the best hard shell ski jackets we've tested this winter.The Mammut Stoney HS jacket is the brand’s ...

Mammut Stoney HS | Mammut’s softest ski jacket