The Warmest Winter Coat That Has an Olympic Snowboarder's Approval

At this point, I've lost count of how many times I've heard a brand claim that its outerwear is "the absolute warmest," "warmer than all the others," or "warm enough to withstand [enter extremely cold climate here]." Sorry, but it's a lofty claim that usually doesn't live up to its hype. And yet here I am, fresh off the heels of a ski trip to Whistler, Canada, with Roxy and Olympic gold medalist Torah Bright, and after putting in some serious hours on the slopes wearing the brand's new Premier Snow Jacket alongside Bright, I might have been proven wrong. (Like, severely wrong.)

Bright is an Olympic snowboarder who’s boarded countless mountains and who not too long ago wrapped the filming for her Imax film, Out of Bounds: Mountain Adventure, in Antarctica, so she knows a thing or two about how to dress for cold weather. In fact, you could say she's somewhat of an expert on the topic. So when I sat down with her to chat about all things Roxy, snowboarding, and keeping warm on and off the mountains, she gave the jacket a glowing review, and that was when I knew it was legit.

On the warming technology:

I test-drove the jacket myself, and when I say it warmed up all on its own, I'm not kidding. It features Roxy's trademarked Warmlink technology, making it self-heating and easy to control. To power up the jacket, I connected the accompanying power bank, popped it into its designated pocket, and pressed a button on the outside of the jacket to set it to "warm" or "hot." The jacket warms up close to your lower back to target your kidneys because, as I learned, once your kidneys are nice and toasty, then the rest of your body follows suit.

The day we set out to hit the slopes was chilly. The temperature at the top of Whistler Mountain lingered at a mere 20º—freezing by my standards but perfect for putting my warming jacket to the test. After the stunning gondola ride dropped us off at the top of the mountain, I turned on my jacket to the "warm" setting, and sure enough, I felt it almost immediately. By the time I skied down to the end of the run, I could already feel pearls of sweat forming on my back. It was working, maybe a little too well.

On the style:

Needless to say, the jacket passed my temperature test with flying colors, but as a fashion editor, I'm always aware that I'm not sacrificing style in the hands of function, even for activities as technical as skiing or snowboarding. Luckily for me, the jacket and matching pants have a sleek fit, and they come in a dark hue, which made for a really chic silhouette.

I've been a skier since I was a kid, and quite frankly, I thought I had resided myself to piling on the kind of bulky, unflattering layers that looked like they were swallowing me whole. So you can imagine that when I hit the slopes this time, I felt like the chicest and most put-together version of myself, and I definitely felt the difference in the way that I skied—look good, feel good, you know?

Torah Bright's reaction to the jacket:

When I asked Bright about her initial reactions to the new jacket, she echoed my experience: "I thought the fit was brilliant. I wasn't restricted in any way; it was still slim and a good length. I just thought the proportions of the coat were good on my body, anyway. And then testing out the technology, it was easy to use, and I was pleasantly surprised that it was almost instantly heated at the back. And I like to be quite warm, so I turned it on the highest setting it would possibly go right away. So I was impressed. I think the whole silhouette of the outfit looks amazing, too. It's classy."

Looking good and feeling good can have a huge impact on your mood and performance, so I can definitely say I'll be packing my Snow Premiere jacket along on all my future ski trips and cold-weather adventures. Scroll down to shop the jacket we've been talking about along with everything else I wore on the slopes, and further down, get a look at Torah Bright's own collection for Roxy.

Shop the Premiere collection:

Everything else I wore while skiing:

Torah Bright's collection for Roxy:

 This press trip was paid for by Roxy. Editor's opinions are her own. Speaking of winter coats, Katie Holmes has been wearing this cozy outerwear trend all over NYC.