The Best Ski Jackets for Men, All Tested by Professional Ski Coaches

"Investing in a ski jacket is no small feat (nor a small price tag), so we take testing ski gear seriously at Travel + Leisure. We pride ourselves on using expert powder hound testers and editors to vet gear, but this season, we leveled up our testing by enlisting the help of professional alpine ski racing coaches to test out men's ski jackets."

"Our testers come from Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Foundation (better known as MBSEF), based in Bend, Oregon, with Olympic skiers like Tommy Ford and Laurenne Ross hailing from the club team. They are all lifelong skiers with decades of additional experience skiing professionally and more than 125 years of collective coaching experience. These alpine experts tried ski jackets from trusted brands like Helly Hansen, Arc'teryx, Stio, and more in their daily lives as coaches in the Pacific Northwest."

Professional alpine ski racing coaches from the Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Foundation tested a range of men's ski jackets. Coaches evaluated jackets based on performance fit, flexible fabrics, waterproof exteriors, and practical features for heavy use. Top jackets included watertight pockets, helmet-compatible hoods, adjustable sleeves and hems, Recco reflectors, and powder skirts. The coaches brought decades of skiing and more than 125 years of collective coaching experience, skiing up to 100 days a season. Coaches provided detailed notes on each jacket's durability, design, and fit during real-world coaching and skiing conditions.

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