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Salomon Snowtrip - Women's Review

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Salomon Snowtrip - Women's Review (Salomon Snowtrip)
Salomon Snowtrip
Credit: Salomon
Price:  $300 List
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Manufacturer:   Salomon
By Jessica Haist ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  Mar 16, 2013

Our Verdict

The Salomon Snowtrip is the only 3-in-1 jacket we tested that has two water resistant and completely windproof layers. We believe it is also the most figure flattering of all the jackets in this review but is also the smallest fitting jacket in the review. If you want this jacket to fit comfortably we recommend going up one size. We liked that switching between layers was easy. The Snowtrip is very breathable but was the least waterproof of the jackets in this review.
REASONS TO BUY
Flattering cut
Warm
Wind resistant
Breathable
REASONS TO AVOID
Fits small
No insulating layer
Non-removable powder skirt

Our Analysis and Test Results

Warmth


The Snowtrip is very wind resistant because it consists of two layers of softshell material that are both made from Salomon's climaWIND material that helps keep the cold wind out and seal warm air in. It is not the warmest jacket we tested because it has no insulating layer to hold in heat like the Columbia Bugaboo Interchange - Women's or the Helly Hansen Enigma jackets do.

Water Resistance


This jacket was the least water resistant of all the jackets we tested. We found that the water was quick to absorb into the material, meaning that this jacket is better suited for dry climates and not somewhere you may get rained on frequently. Even though Salomon's climaPRO and climaWIND technologies are water resistant, the water seems to soak into this jacket rather quickly — although it does not soak all the way through the jacket.

Ventilation


Softshell material is more breathable than a hardshell material such as Gore-Tex or the North Face Boundary Triclimate HYVENT material, and this jacket is no exception. The material will allow moisture easily through its permeable fabric. Unfortunately this jacket does not have pit-zips so when you are really working hard in deep powder you will not have the added venting that pit-zips allow.

Ski Features


This jacket fell in the middle of the pack as far as ski performance. The special ski features it has are a powder skirt (that is not removable) and ski pass pocket. As we mention in the buying advice section, we don't find powder skirts particularly useful and wish we could remove this powder skirt for when we wear it around town. The hood fits relatively well over a ski helmet and we found that the jacket moves well with the wearer while skiing. We liked that the interior jacket did not zip in to the exterior, instead it just zipped up like a regular mid-layer, making it easier to switch between the two layers.

Style


We found that this jacket has the most flattering fit and is the most form fitting of all the jackets in this review. The interior soft shell layer is equally as flattering when worn by itself. With its tailored fit and fashionable colors, you are sure to look good whether skiing the groomers or at happy hour.

Comfort and Fit


As mentioned in the style section, this jacket is the most form-fitting of all the jackets, which means some people may find that it fits small. We noticed that the testers who were normally a medium could not fit many layers underneath this jacket without it feeling tight. Our testers who usually wear a size small or extra-small found that the size medium fit them comfortably. Go up a size for better comfort with this jacket.

Best Application


We wore this jacket at the resort as well as around town. We also took it on a backcountry ski trip and found that we could wear the outer shell while hiking up and it worked pretty well — although it is a heavier layer than a regular shell.

Value


The Snowtrip is the most expensive ($300) of the 3-in-1's but both of its layers are windproof and water resistant as well as having the most flattering fit. It is not as comfortable or warm as the other 3-in-1's in this review since it does not have an insulating layer.

Other Versions


There is also the Salomon Snowtrip Premium 3:1 and men's version of both the Snowtrip and the Snowtrip Premium.

Jessica Haist