We buy all the products we test — no freebies from companies. If you purchase through our links, we may earn a commission, which helps support our testing.
The Flylow BA Puffy is a well-styled, weather resistant insulated ski and snowboard jacket. Flylow brands themselves as a bridge between ski resort demographics and the backcountry crowd. When it comes to their styling and shell jackets, that balance is easy to see.
REASONS TO BUY
Versatile styling
Excellent hood
Great ventilation
REASONS TO AVOID
Moderately insulating
Simple construction and detailing
Our testers found this jacket to be a well-built, warm and protective dedicated in-bounds piece. But compared to some other contenders, the BA Puffy is slightly less warm and slightly less weather ready. Durability seems on par and the price is less than half. As compared to the jackets in its price range, most notably the Best Buy The North Face Vortex Triclimate, the BA Puffy offers more “legit” styling and a more durable feel.
The BA Puffy has been discontinued.
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Flylow BA Puffy stands out for its solid function, lightweight feel, and versatile look.
Performance Comparison
Late in a stormy day on Mammoth Mountain, testers and photographers alike tired of the “work”, we decided to wind down with some fast laps. The BA Puffy seen here pulls on quickly and virtually disappears, even on a discerning tester.
Credit: Scott Sinner
Warmth
When it comes to warmth, the Flylow BA Puffy fell solidly in the middle of our reviewed jackets. It comes insulated with the widely recognized Thinsulate insulation.
Ventilation
All of the jackets in our test came equipped with some sort of dedicated venting system. The best venting jackets, aside from those offering the option to remove entire layers of the jacket, had long pit zips that can be opened in either direction. In our experience, each person prefers slightly different positioning of the pit zip opening. The Patagonia Primo Down and BA Puffy both have long pit zips with two zipper pulls on each. However, something in the construction of the rest of the BA Puffy makes the vents open wider than on the Editors' Choice winner. These wide openings seem to virtually pull in cool air when the rider is overheating. And, importantly, the vents seal right back down for wet and windy conditions.
Weather Resistance
Flylow's BA Puffy offers an excellent hood, secure cuff velcro, and a well-designed, zip-out powder skirt. Flylow's proprietary two layer Intuitive shell fabric and what tested to be an effective DWR coating augment the construction to provide excellent weather protection. One chink in the armor of the BA Puffy was the large and floppy main zipper flap. This strip of fabric protecting the main zipper, held down by velcro and magnets, comes open and catches powder snow more than other similarly built jackets in our test. The closest comparison in construction and function is the Patagonia Rubicon Rider. However, the Rubicon Rider's fabric and construction is stiffer and, as a result, the flap catches less snow.
Ski Features
Many people like matched outfits that integrate together. If you are looking for the one-piece experience without the one-piece stigma, Flylow, along with many of the other brands we tested can equip you with pants and jacket that clip together to keep the drafts out. Ironically, the Flylow Baker Bib pants do not integrate with the BA Puffy
Fit/Comfort
The BA Puffy has a loose and unrestricting fit that stays out of your way. The soft-feeling shell fabric and thin insulation moved with our testers and felt light. The sleeves are a bit short, repeatedly pulling the cuffs off of the gloves of one long-armed tester.
Style
In our opinion, and the experience of our testers, the Flylow BA Puffy nails versatile styling in a high performance package. Whether you are a leather-glove-wearing wannabe ski patroller, a pants-sagging terrain park rat, or pulling the jacket on over your race suit at the Thursday citizen series, the BA Puffy will complement your look. Our green Flylow jacket was the only jacket to earn random comment in the lift line during testing.
Best Applications
The BA Puffy is a great all-around, insulated jacket for virtually any skier or rider. The fit, style, and insulation is tuned to be versatile.
Value
Among the dedicated single-layer jackets, the BA Puffy comes in near the lower price point. Construction feels sound and the detailing is focused and spartan, in a good way. Reviews elsewhere on the web cite long-term durability and pleasure with the value the users have gotten.
Conclusion
We do not hesitate to recommend the BA Puffy for the average ski resort skier or rider. The construction is solid and design is spot on.
