Armada Stadium Review

This warm, comfortable jacket is as stylish as you would expect from the hard-charging ski brand Armada, at a low price that will surprise you. It wins our Best Buy Award for the second year running and is a great choice for anyone who wants a jacket that looks good, feels good on, has plenty of features, and keeps them protected from the elements.

Performance Comparison

Weather Resistance

The Stadium's shell material has a DWR coating and a 10K water-resistant fabric that will keep you dry in almost all weather conditions. It also has synthetic insulation which, in addition to keeping you warm, still keeps you dry even if it gets a bit damp when you're sweating and working hard, unlike the down fill of more expensive products. We skied mainly in bone dry Colorado snow; in a torrential downpour, the Stadium might start to feel soggy.

The Stadium's hood fits well over a ski helmet, and we can easily zip up the front of the jacket fully with the hood over our helmet. Being able to zip up the front collar all the way keeps drafty winds off our necks and secures the hood over everything so it won't come off if you take a tumble or are traveling at high speeds.

Comfort and Fit

We like that the Stadium's shell material has a slight stretch for extra comfort and movement and think this jacket is super comfy. It was the longest of the jackets we tested, but we found that this didn't hinder our movement. It actually kept our bums a little more toasty!

The size small fit relatively true to size but we found that the powder skirt adds extra bulk around our hips, and in combination with ski pants and layers tucked in, the jacket can feel a bit snug in that area. For this reason, consider sizing up if you're on the cusp of a size or if you prefer a looser fit. The jacket is incredibly flattering.

Warmth

This jacket has 80 grams of synthetic polyfill insulation in the torso and 60g in the arms, which translates to a warm and cozy jacket. When it got really windy, we could feel some chill cut through the arms, but our torsos stayed toasty. We found that, even though it is an insulated jacket, we still liked to wear a few layers underneath on the windiest, coldest days.

We grab this on cold days even when we're just running errands because of how well it works as an everyday jacket, too.. When it's downright freezing out, the Stadium also has features designed for extra warmth like integrated wrist gaiter/thumb holes and its large, synthetically insulated hood, which helps trap heat inside and makes it even cozier.

Ventilation

The Stadium has mesh-lined pit-zips that help with ventilating when you're working hard in the deep pow. We appreciate that they're there, but they're not as effective as an un-lined pit zip that provides instant air flow. The mesh-backed pit-zips keep the snow out of your inner jacket if you do a face-plant but allow less air to circulate. We've discovered that un-lined zips are more effective for ventilation.

The Stadium's shell fabric is more breathable than Gore-Tex, and therefore provides more ventilation than a jacket with Gore-Tex shell materials that can get a bit damp inside from perspiration. We still wouldn't take this jacket with us on a hike or tour, as we find that it's just too warm. It's a good choice for someone who doesn't overheat easily nor who gets particularly chilled.

Style

Armada is regularly at the top of the style game for ski wear and we find it sets the bar for stylish ski apparel. The Stadium is no exception. Great color choices and a flattering fit make this a jacket we love to wear off the slopes as much as on. The pockets are well-placed, and the contrasting zipper colors are fun and stylish. We loved the "Deco" color we tried this year; it was so easy for friends to find us on the slopes!

Ski Features

The Stadium is loaded with everything you need to keep you high functioning on the slopes. It has a great array of pockets for storage, as well as handy adjustable cords for cinching the neck and hood. The snug fit, however, affected our use of certain features (pockets and powder skirt, for example), so take this into consideration when deciding which size to buy.

It has an integrated snow skirt (although we prefer ones that are detachable) and a large, drop-in mesh goggle pocket. It also has a media chest pocket for your phone with a gasket to run your headphones in through the inside of the jacket. We also like the wrist gaiters, although they're cut on a diagonal (we think to leave more room in your glove). The cuffs are large enough to slide over big mittens and then cinch down with velcro. Other ski-specific features include a pass pocket on the sleeve. Having chest and hand pockets provides more places for snacks and chapstick, essentials for any big day out!

Value

We were surprised that this stylish, high-end jacket comes in at a low price point of $250-260. It's got everything we needed to shred all day on the slopes. Although it's not the most weatherproof or the best ventilating, it's still a solid jacket that will keep you protected. This jacket has something for anyone from the casual skier to the hardcore park rat. Therefore, we gave it our Best Buy Award. Because it is so versatile, warm, and steezy, it's a great bang for your buck!

Conclusion