Snowboarding Jackets

How to choose a snowboard jacket

A snowboard jacket comes down to three decisions: waterproofing for the conditions you ride, shell versus insulated for how you like to layer, and a fit that works over your gear. Get those right and the rest is detail. Here is how we would talk you through it across the counter.

What waterproof rating do you need

Waterproofing is measured in millimetres of water column. For Australian snow, which is wetter and heavier than most gear is designed around, 15K is the sensible minimum, and 20K or GORE-TEX if you ride regularly or spend time off-piste. A 10K jacket is fine for dry bluebird groomers but wets out in sustained wet snow, which is exactly the weather we get most often.

Shell or insulated

A shell has no built-in insulation, so you control warmth with your mid layer. That makes it the more versatile choice for Australia's variable spring conditions. An insulated jacket is warmer on cold days but limits your ability to adapt as the day warms up, and our days warm up a lot. Most riders are better off in a shell with a good mid layer than in an insulated jacket they end up unzipping by 11am.

How should a snowboard jacket fit

Long enough to cover your lower back when you are bent forward with your arms up. Try it on over a mid layer, not just a t-shirt, because that is how you will actually wear it. Baggy fits allow more layering and freedom of movement; fitted cuts are lighter and cleaner. Neither is correct, it is how you like to ride.

Which features actually matter

A helmet-compatible hood, because a hood that will not fit over a helmet is useless in the weather you would want a hood for. Pit zips to dump heat on warm days. A powder skirt that seals against slush and powder when you fall. A chest pocket for phone and pass, and an internal pocket for goggles so the lens is not rattling around against your keys.

Which brands we carry

Burton, including the GORE-TEX AK line at the technical end. L1 for serious performance at a sharper price. Airblaster for personality alongside genuine function. And Yuki Threads, Australian-designed and built specifically around the conditions we actually ride. Authorised dealer across every brand, full manufacturer warranty.

Free shipping Australia-wide on orders over $90, same and next-day dispatch from Richmond.

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