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Ski jackets are an essential piece of gear when you head to the icy mountains for a weekend or a vacation filled with snow activities.
Aside from keeping your body warm, most ski jackets offer waterproof or windproof features that protect you from the elements, keeping you dry and warm. Fortunately, during our research, we have found a wide variety of ski jackets that didn’t have animal-based fabrics, and we can’t say it was that hard to found a great selection of vegan-friendly ski jackets.
In this article, you’re going to find 6 vegan ski jackets (we might add more in the future) that are a great long-term investment as they’re crafted using long-lasting materials and also contain features that will improve your experience on the slopes.
Some of these ski jackets are also made with recycled materials, making them a better choice for the environment. Yet, more importantly, they’re ALL vegan. Check them out below!
6 Best Vegan Ski Jackets
Helly Hansen Alpha Lifaloft Jacket
The Alpha Lifaloft strikes a perfect balance between warmth, comfort, and style. It uses Helly Hansen’s HELLY TECH Professional shell and LifaLoft insulation, which is lightweight, warm, and doesn’t lose its loft when wet. The jacket has a really sleek and refined look, with a contoured fit and some classy color options.
Now, it may not be the absolute warmest or most weather-resistant jacket out there, but it’s definitely warm enough for most winter days at the resort. Just add a layer underneath, and you’re good to go! The proprietary HELLY TECH Professional shell material is super weather resistant, so it’ll keep you dry in all but the wettest conditions.
- Weight:Â 2lbs
- Type:Â Insulated Jacket
- Hood:Â Yes, Detachable
- Recco Rescue Detector:Â Yes
Columbia Cushman Crest Jacket
The Colombia Cushman Crest is a comfortable, insulated jacket that leverages Omni-Heatâ„¢ and Omni-Techâ„¢ advanced technologies, delivering waterproof protection, softness, and ventilation.
Backed by the quality craftsmanship Columbia is known for, this jacket uses your own body heat to make and keep you warm.
If you’re entering the icy season and the temperatures are freezing, you won’t think twice about picking up the Cushman Crest when stepping outside.
- Weight:Â 3lbs
- Type:Â Insulated
- Hood:Â Yes, Detachable
- Recco Rescue Detector:Â No
Patagonia PowSlayer Jacket
If you tend to ski in climates that are wetter and warmer, then you don’t need a bulky ski jacket that is heavy and overwhelmingly warm.
You want something like the PowSlayer that keeps you moderately warm and dry but also gives you the freedom to move as you tackle the slopes unrestricted.
It features a GORE-TEX membrane that prevents moisture from reaching your skin when the weather goes left… but at the same time, it’s breathable enough to prevent sweat accumulation.
- Weight:Â 1lbs
- Type:Â Shell
- Hood:Â Yes
- Recco Rescue Detector:Â Yes
The North Face Resolve 2 Jacket
The North Face Resolve 2 is a level-up from Resolve 1 and is also made with top-notch technology that ensures the maximum amount of comfort, warmth, breathability, protection against the elements, as well as flexibility.
This jacket is armed with a fully waterproof/windproof membrane and a durable nylon construction designed for heavy use in heavy weather.
- Weight:Â 0.75 lbs
- Type:Â Rain jacket
- Hood:Â Adjustable
- Recco Rescue Detector: No
The North Face Chakal Jacket
The North Face Chakal is an insulated jacket that was built to protect you from freezing temperatures. In fact, it’s equipped with a body-mapped PrimaLoft® Black Insulation that covers the torso, as well as the sleeves and the hood.
It also features a double-layered DryVent waterproof membrane that prevents snow or rain from reaching your skin, however, it also has a breathable fabric that fends off sweat accumulation.
- Weight:Â 2lbs
- Type:Â Insulated jacket
- Hood:Â Yes, Detachable
- Recco Rescue Detector:Â No
Moerdeng Waterproof Ski Jacket
The Moerdeng Ski Jacket is a budget option that does provide decent warmth, thanks to its synthetic insulation and fleece lining. So if you’re looking for something affordable for occasional cold-weather trips, it might work for you.
However, it has some issues. For one, it’s not as waterproof as it claims to be. A user tested it under a shower, and water leaked through the seams. Plus, the hood isn’t big enough to cover a helmeted head properly.
The fit of the jacket is pretty boxy, too. It’s not form-fitting, and it can feel a bit restrictive. If you’re looking for something more tailored, this might not be the best choice.
- Weight: 2lbs
- Type: Casual
- Hood: Yes, Detachable
- Recco Rescue Detector: No
Features to Look For in Ski Jackets
Besides not containing any animal-based fabric, there are different qualities and features that are important when purchasing ski jackets. Since skiing is typically done in a very cold (sometimes freezing) environment, your jacket should obviously be able to keep you harm.
However, nowadays, jackets are not simply jackets. They come with several features. In this particular case, they have features that improve your experience on the slopes.
Insulation
Natural insulation is generally more compact than synthetic insulation. However, natural insulation might not necessarily be vegan, for instance, it’s not unusual to see jackets with down insulation, which is made from duck or down plumage.
As a result, for vegans, we typically recommend choosing synthetic insulation. It has its advantages, for example, it functions a lot better when you’re in a wet environment, and by this, I mean the snowy environment that you might experience on the slopes.
In fact, a lot of the ski jackets we found were made from synthetic (or polyester-made) insulation.
Breathability
Not only are ski jackets designed to protect you against the elements, but they also need to provide you with some sort of ventilation, especially when you’re skiing. Yes, in general, skiing is done under frigid temperatures, but with all the clothing covering the body, it’s not unusual to sweat after one or two runs on the slopes.
The ideal ski jacket can keep your body warm but also needs to allow the moisture (or sweat) to leave your body, otherwise, it can get really uncomfortable.
Because of this, you should pick a ski jacket with materials with a waterproof rating of 16,000 – 20,000 mm and a breathability rating of 10,000 – 15,000 mm.
Warmth
Naturally, the reason anyone buys a ski jacket is to actually feel warm and protect themselves from the elements. Ski jackets are usually armed with an inner layer that is lined with a thermal material that evenly distributes warmth to the covered areas.
For example, the Patagonia Snowshot 3-in-1 Jacket is made with a Tricot mesh lining that manages internal moisture and adds warmth.
Every ski jacket has a mechanism that provides you with warmth, but the materials might vary. Some jackets might use fleece, others, unfortunately, might use animal fur.
Comfort & Fit
Comfort and fit are obviously important features. Since skiing is an activity of a highly physical nature, our clothing must be comfortable and well-fitting, without feeling restrictive.
How a jacket is cut, the materials used in construction, and the utilities or extras included in the jacket can affect your experience on the slopes. Fit, on the other hand, is subjective.
What may fit one person may not fit another, and this is why we recommend you try out a ski jacket in a store before committing to a purchase.
Design
While it may not seem as important, we can’t deny that the better we look, the better we feel. A great ski jacket not only looks good, but it doesn’t compromise performance. At the same time, it’s important to note that design is another subjective feature, because while we may agree that the design is highly-appealing, you may not feel the same.
That being said, we do believe the jackets we have included in the list above are super cool.Â
Types of Ski Jackets
3-in-1 Jackets
As the name suggests, 3-in-1 jackets contain the qualities of insulated, hardshell, and softshell jackets in one single jacket.
Insulated
Insulated jackets are for the really cold days.
Basically, insulated jackets have an outer shell, and also a layer of insulation built into the construction, which can either be made from synthetic or natural materials.
Hardshell
These are probably the most commonly used jackets. Often because they’re very versatile, and have high-quality waterproof properties, in addition to being very breathable.
Softshell
Softshell jackets, on the other hand, are quite soft and very stretchy. And like hardshell jackets, they’re armed with solid waterproof mechanisms to protect you from the elements. Plus, due to their flexible nature, they provide the user with more freedom of movement.
However, they’re not as wind and water-resistant as hardshell jackets and lack extra features.
Bottom Line
Hopefully, through this article, you can find a vegan-friendly ski jacket that can provide you with enough warmth, comfort, and functionality to spend quality time on the slopes. We know it’s difficult to choose among the options above, but we’ve really tried to provide you with options that will last more than a couple of years.
Thank you for reading this blog post and see you on the slopes!
