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…

Sprayway Obsidian down jacket £160 www.sprayway.com If you’re looking for a good value, practical down jacket for the winter the Sprayway Obsidian is well worth checking out. Its lightweight, packable and has minimalist good looks, but best of all is that it offers a great warmth to weight ratio thanks to insulation of 700+ fill power 90/10 (down/feather) duck down, which is also treated to be water resistant. Add to that the TecSHELL 30D polyamide, quick drying outer fabric with DWR coating and you’re getting a lot for your money with the Obsidian. Features are pretty minimal as is usually the case with down jackets – there’s an elastane bound hood (i.e. it’s not adjustable, although it’s still pretty effective)…

Haglofs L.I.M. Touring PROOF jacket £300 www.haglofs.com Designed specifically for ski touring, this jacket has been pared right down to reduce weight and bulk, but at the same time retains all the essential features for a day out on your skins. It features Haglof’s ‘PROOF’ four-way stretch fabric which allows for good freedom of movement at the same time as providing durable, waterproof and windproof protection. The fully-adjustable hood with laminated peak helps to keep foul weather at bay as does the high collar and microfleece chinguard. Below this is a small zipped chest pocket and two generously-sized, mid-mounted torso pockets that also act as vents when the zips are open. The cuffs and the hem are partly elasticated, which…

Schoffel Sierra Nevada 2 £590 www.snowandrock.com This top of the range offering from Schoffel comes with all the whistles and bells and has excellent build quality and insulation, albeit at a price. With its thick polyester insulation it’ll keep you warm on cold chairlifts, whilst the addition of elastane to the waterproof and windproof outer fabric provides plenty of mobility although less than you’d get with a shell – that said you won’t need to layer up as much under the Sierra Nevada 2 as you would with a shell. You get a stack of features, amongst which are an insulated, detachable and adjustable hood beneath which is a snug chin guard, pit zips, snow skirt, four outer pocket (two…