Ski/snowboard Jackets

Snowboarders have two main requirements regarding their snowboard clothing. You want to be dry at all times and pleasantly warm. So to find a good snowboard jacket, we need to pay attention to two properties, namely the waterproofing and breathability of the jacket.

Water column

Waterproofness is characterized by the water column. This is a scale that represents how waterproof your jacket is in millimeters. It is measured by releasing an amount of water at a certain pressure and measuring how much water is allowed to pass through. Generally, snowboard jackets start at a waterproof rating of 5K (5000mm). These can withstand moderate rainfall. Of course, there are also jackets with a waterproof rating greater than 5K (5000mm). These jackets range from 8K (8000mm) to 15K (15000mm) which are almost completely waterproof.

Breathability

In addition to the water column, the breathability of the jacket is an important feature. Snowboarding is an intensive sport which causes one to sweat. Therefore, it is important to be able to drain this sweat. This characteristic indicates how many grams of sweat your jacket can handle within 24 hours. A jacket with a breathability rating of 15K can thus wick away 15 liters of sweat in 24 hours.

Features

Besides these two important properties, many small features have been added to snowboard clothing over the years. These include elevator pass pockets, snow catchers and ventilation systems.

Brands

To create an optimal snowboarding experience for you and others, we chose quality brands that we, as seasoned snowboarders, stand behind. These brands are: Volcom, DC Shoes and Picture.