Patagonia Men’s Insulated Powder Bowl Jacket

Nothing beats the feeling of the brisk air hitting your face as you are tearing down the side of the mountain. Seeing the snow fall means fresh powder on the slopes calling our names and gives all of us here at Busted Wallet sheer joy and excitement!  Winter gear is nothing new for us. We live for the winter, the snow, and the products we test out. Snow jackets can always be a tricky find. The challenge lies in finding a jacket that is able to hold up to the harsh conditions that you will be faced with on the slopes all while providing comfort, fit, and flexibility. There are so many jackets that are too bulky and end up being hard to get comfortable in. Patagonia has found the sweet spot with their  Insulated Powder Bowl Jacket.

Recently we had the opportunity to test out the Powder Bowl Jacket and its safe to say this is a jacket that provides both the protection against cold, harsh weather and comfort and flexibility needed to face the mountain. Its light weight design packs a surprisingly powerful defense against some nasty conditions. You’ll want to get your hands on this jacket so you too can hit the slopes regardless of the weather.

Key Features/Specs:

• Tough 2-layer polyester GORE-TEX ®fabric for durably waterproof/breathable and windproof protection;
• 60-g and 100-g Thermogreen® insulation stays warm even when wet
• Removable, helmet-compatible, 2-way-adjustable hood with laminated visor for optimal visibility in bad conditions
• Drawcord on hem exits into handwarmers for easy adjustment
• Watertight coated zippers with Slim Zip installation reduce bulk and weight; pit zips quickly release heat; low-profile cuffs secure over or under gloves
• Lightweight stretch-woven powder skirt with webbing loop at center back connects to any Patagonia® Snow pants
• Zippered pockets: two handwarmers, one chest with secure media pocket with cable routing, one bicep, one interior drop-in, and one interior zippered pocket with key clip
• Concealed RECCO® reflector
• Shell: 2-layer, 4.6-oz 150-denier 100% polyester GORE-TEX® fabric with a DWR (durable water repellent) finish. Lining: 2-oz 100% polyester plain weave.
• Insulation: Strategically placed blend of 60-g and 100-g 100% polyester (90% recycled) Thermogreen® insulation.
• Powder skirt: 3.5-oz 91% all-recycled polyester/9% spandex. Fabric is bluesign® approved
• 1137 g (40.1 oz)

Design/Comfort: 

Patagonia is at the top of the market for functional, innovated outdoor wear. This is no different with their Insulated Powder Bowl Jacket. They have packed this jacket full of some of the latest technology to ensure it will hold up to all weather conditions. The durable 2 layer GORE-TEX® fabric provides waterproof/breathable windproof protection. Looking at the design of the jacket from the inside out, one key feature is the strategically placed insulation inside the jacket where it is needed the most. Another great feature is the removable 2-way adjustable hood.  It is helmet compatible and has a laminated visor which provides better vision during extreme conditions. The jacket is also equipped with a stretch fabric powder skirt to keep the snow out in case of a nasty spill. A cool feature attached to the powder skirt is a webbing loop that connects to any of Patagonia’s snow pants keeping the pants up and your jacket down.

Performance:

The design provides the jacket with a light weight feel while keeping you warm.  We never seemed to get too hot in the jacket though, even when it was a bit on the warmer side.  If you do happen to get a little too warm, the jacket is equipped with underarm vents that can be opened by the pull of a zipper.  All the zippers on the jacket are watertight coated and feature Slim Zip technology to keep water and moisture out as well as reduce bulkiness.

For all the serious ski/boarding bums who like to hit up the back country, this jacket is equipped with an embedded RECCO® avalanche rescue reflector. Just in case the worse scenario occurs, Patagonia/RECCO has you covered!  For the not so extreme hazards, this jacket has hand warmer pockets and even a secure media pocket located inside the chest pocket. There is a cable routing slit to run headphones through to keep them dry and under the jacket. There is also an additional pocket and a drop-in on the interior and a few other exterior pockets on the jacket that will suit any riders needs.

Style:

The Powder Bowl Jacket has a great fitted feel to it. It has a roomy feel without looking or feeling too bulky. So often, jackets are way too big and over sized. This is not one of them.  The jacket features a tall collar which is nice when the conditions take a turn for the worse. It keeps your neck and lower face warm. There are three colors to choose from:Black, French Red, or Underwater Blue (which we tested)

Durability:

The fabric seems to hold up to some tough conditions. We definitely tested the durability when we hit the slopes on some pretty nasty conditions. We even had a few spills and the jacket held up. It is a really great design and the exterior is rugged.  The one issue we found was that the fabric stains fairly easily. Now we did treat it with some mild fabric stain removers and found it cleaned up well.

Value:

Bottom line, this is a jacket that upholds the quality and durability that Patagonia stands by. The light weight design provides the much needed warmth in the places that matter the most. The versatility of the jacket allows you to control the breathability and functionality. From the removable helmet-compatible hood and underarm vents to the GORE-TEX® fabric, this is a great jacket to have for the slopes.

Buy it Now: $479 or to learn more check out Patagonia.com