PATAGONIA POWDER BOWL SKI JACKET REVIEW

Patagonia Powder Bowl ski jacket £380 www.patagonia.com
I’ll cut straight to the chase and say that this is probably the best all-round ski jacket I’ve reviewed so far this season – it will work admirably for everything from serious backcountry forays to cruising the pistes.
The Powder Bowl features 100 per cent recycled, two-layer polyester GORE-TEX face fabric, which has a reassuringly burly feel without being too heavy and also provides excellent waterproof/breathable and windproof protection. It also has a DWR (durable water repellent) finish to help shed rain and snow.
I’m not normally a fan of lined ski jackets as they can be heavy and bulky, but the Powder Bowl features a great brushed-polyester mesh interior to wick moisture along with slick mesh in the arms which glides smoothly over layers, and neither are heavy nor bulky (the jacket weighs in at around 940g depending on size) but they do add to the comfort factor.
From the top the Powder Bowl features a two-way-adjustable, helmet-compatible hood with a laminated visor for optimal visibility (the hood is a bit of a faff to adjust when you’re not wearing a helmet – the one minor criticism of the jacket) below which a tall collar does a good job of keeping out blowing snow and cold winds.
There’s the ideal amount of pockets – one chest pocket, two handwarmer pockets with microfleece lining, a lift pass pocket on the left sleeve (all with zips) and inside you’ll find a large stash pocket and a zipped security pocket.
Technical features include a powder skirt with webbing loops for attachment to any Patagonia ski pants, pit zips, coated, watertight zippers throughout with slim zip installation to reduce bulk and weight and an embedded RECCO avalanche rescue reflector.
And to round everything off the Powder Bowl both looks and feels great…