Description of Spyder Big Sky Soft Shell Jacket - Men's:
Zip up the Spyder Men’s Big Sky Softshell Jacket, and enjoy the weather protection of a hard-shell jacket with the breathable mobility of a stretch layer whether you’re cruising the resorts or killing it in the backcountry. This ski-specific jacket features an XT.L waterproof breathable shell, and a fully-adjustable hood and powder skirt to further seal out the elements on epic powder days. Underarm Underarm zips let you ventilate after an athletic charge down the mountain.
Bottom Line: Get big comfort and big protection from the Big Sky.
This is truly a excellent softshell jacket! Exactly what I hoped it would be! I got it primarily for resort/slackcountry skiing and tooling around town. I have skied in it on mild days to bitter cold, to stormy big dump days and the jacket is a work horse! There were a few times driving up to the mountain that I thought that I thought I might have to use my high dollar gore-tex shell but so far this season I have only used this jacket! Amazing! It breathes fine but it also as has ventilation pit zips so you can get as much ventilation as you would need. IT HAS A POWDER SKIRT!!! So amazing to me how many so called ski-board-winter activity type jackets out there that don't have a powder skirt - I would never buy a winter jacket without one! The sizing runs pretty true to size though the sleeves seem to be just a bit tight. I went with a XL - usually right for me. There is adequate room to get couple layers on under it. With a light weight merino wool turtle neck base layer & a mid weight 3/4 zip fleece under it - I was able to be out in temps at or just under 0 degrees. It you want a baggy fit & look - go up a size. Even sized up this jacket doesn't look way over sized when on - a very smart design! Needless to say I am very satisfied! About the only thing I'd like to see is the main front zipper to be the same as the side pocket zips - the sealed waterproof zipper type - but still the jacket does just fine as is. In all, you can buy with confidence knowing that this is a top quality jacket that functions as you would expect and has a great manufacturer & dealer to back it up! If you don't have a softshell jacket yet - GET ONE! This is an excellent value for the price and has the features any skier would want or need!
Get this jacket. I agree the advice of altasnowbirdripper and kipp (thanks!) and went with a size larger. The fit was a bit more full, but not too big like an oversized hoodie. I usually fit a M but the L was chosen because I planned to layer under the softshell, and although it was a size larger, it still looked flattering, especially if your snow pants are a "freeride" fit (i.e., not too tight). There are nice touches throughout the jacket which is really meant to be simple. The small zip pocket on the arm, simple internal pockets--not much for you to carry with you in the jacket, but it's all good if you want to go lightweight. The pit zips are nice for dumping heat, but as noted by another review, they "catch" under your arm, most likely because they are still a bit stiff. If you don't keep your arms at your sides, this should not be a problem. Finally, the best thing about this softshell is the powder skirt. There are not too many companies out there that offer this in a softshell, even if it's meant for skiing/boarding--kudos to Spyder for this. I have to add that getting a larger size jacket makes the snow skirt a bit loose around the waste, but this is better than no skirt at all and a safety pin can shorten it an inch or two. Oh yeah, Spyder offers lifetime warranty on their products. Quality stuff.
While the Big Sky isn't the warmest jacket out there, it does pretty well for a soft shell. I'm happy with the purchase just expected something a little more. I bought it as a replacement to a light weight shell that I had ripped when an unsuspecting tree reached out and grabbed me. But the jacket does a great job for what it is though. One of the first days I wore it, I ended up making Tram laps through the gullies (@ Big Sky) during a storm that included wind gusts of over 30mph that shut down the majority of the lifts (Triple, Challenger, Shedhorn, and Dakota). While there were probably better jackets to wear that day the Big Sky kept me warm and dry. Also I took Altasnowbirdripper's advice and went a size larger (usually L but went XL). It fits just the way he said it would (Thanks!). The only beef I have with it is that I feel like it rides up under my arms a bit sometimes. I kind of find that irritating since the pit vents slightly rub doing certain maneuvers. But thats something I can get over. Other than that I find that it's a great jacket and I would definitely recommend it to a buddy.
