REASONS TO BUY
Stylish
Good hood and neckline
No frills
Inexpensive
REASONS TO AVOID
Feels cheap
Not many ski-specific features
Lacking in weather resistance
Burton has discontinued the Jet Set jacket.
Burton Jet Set Review
We got lots of compliments on this jacket's looks, but found it lacking in durability and full functionality on the slopes
Credit: Burton
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Our Verdict
The Burton Jet Set is on the inexpensive side for a ski jacket, but we found that you get what you pay for. It performed well enough and kept us warm and dry during mild conditions, but we found ourselves wishing for better weatherproofing when the weather got rough. Burton is known for earning major style points on the hill, and this jacket didn't suffer for compliments. We loved how it looked and how protective and toasty it was around the head and neck. It just didn't feel quite tough enough for some of our testers. This jacket is great for someone who only gets out on bluebird days or who doesn't mind a less burly construction.
Our Analysis and Test Results
With its excellent price point, we wanted to love the Burton Jet Set but found it lacked durability and versatility. It did look good on and off the slopes and kept us warm and protected on mild days.
Performance Comparison
The Jet Set looks good and feels great on!
Warmth
The Jet Set wasn't the warmest insulated jacket we tested; however, we found that there was enough room for a mid-weight baselayer underneath, and this made the jacket feel as warm as we needed it to. It has 80 grams of synthetic insulation in the body and 40 grams in the hood, which is nice when you're unhelmeted. We loved that the insulation is made with 40% recycled content.
The front zipper cover helps keep winds at bay, and we were plenty toasty on cold days.
Weather Resistance
Burton uses waterproof, breathable Dryride two-layer fabrics for the outer lining of the Jet Set. We found it to be protective in light precipitation, but in wetter conditions, we started to feel dampness soaking in. Fortunately, the jacket offers a lot of head and neck protection with its stand-up collar and a helmet-compatible hood.
Though the fabric isn't up to serious precipitation, the coverage is great.
Comfort and Fit
The Jet Set shines in this metric. It's soft on the inside and out. The mobility is there with this jacket, moving well with our bodies on the ski hill. It has a nice long torso, appropriately long sleeves, and is flattering. The sizing feels accurate to us. We could easily fit a thin base layer underneath. Overall, it's a very comfortable jacket.
We got plenty of compliments wearing the cool Jet Set.
Ventilation
The Jet Set has mesh-lined pit zips for ventilation. While some pit zips are better than none, we prefer unlined ones. The mesh keeps out unwanted snow, but it also impedes breathability. Because the jacket is on the lighter side for an insulated parka, we found that it breathed fairly well because of the soft outer fabric. The synthetic insulation kept us dry on the inside, even when we got sweaty skiing hard.
Mesh lined pit zips aren't our favorite.
Style
We got many compliments on this jacket, especially the “Gradient Spun Out” pattern we rocked at Arapahoe Basin in Colorado. Burton never sacrifices style for function, and this is true in the Jet Set, as well. The jacket has enough insulation to keep you warm but still boasts a flattering fit. The Jet Set transitions very well from the slopes to wherever you're headed after.
This version of the Jet Set won us many compliments.
Credit: Betsy Welch
Features
Burton has given the Jet Set several ski-specific features, but we weren't overly impressed. The hand pockets - whose microfleece-lining we loved - are the only zippered pockets of the four on the jacket. The chest pocket closes with velcro, and the inner mesh dump pocket has nothing to affix. This design made us slightly anxious to put our phones or other valuables in. Our favorite feature is the tall, protective collar which goes all the way around your neck whether you have the hood up or not. Standard features like a pass pocket and a powder skirt are here, too. We wish the powder skirt were removable.
We liked the large, mesh goggle pocket.
Should You Buy the Burton Jet Set?
The Jet Set has a low price point, basic ski features and fits nicely, but it lacks in the weather resistance and durability departments. We liked how it fit and moved while skiing, and we stayed warm when it wasn't freezing out. However, as the weather conditions worsened, we felt that the jacket couldn't hang as well as we wanted it to. It was great for simple laps around the resort on a mild day.
What Other Ski Jackets Should You Consider?
We think the Burton Jet Set presents a decent value but don't expect it to withstand adverse conditions or high output shredding. Although it is a bit more expensive, a modular 3-in-1 jacket like the The North Face Thermoball Eco Snow Triclimate is a more versatile – and more weather resistant – combination of a shell and an insulating layer. For women who ski hard, the award-winning Outdoor Research Carbide is our top-pick for a shell that deftly balances value and performance for both uphill in the backcountry and downhill skiing within the resort.
—
Betsy Welch
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