I’m 42 and started snowboarding after I was in kindergarten, so I’ve spent numerous time at Colorado ski resorts sporting a wide range of ski kits. In all of my years on the slopes, I’ve by no means been stopped as a lot as I’ve whereas sporting the Rossignol Rallybird Ski Jacket. And as somebody who lives and skis at Aspen Snowmass — the land of stylish style — that is saying lots.
Maybe it was the modern, trim reduce of the jacket, or possibly it’s the pairing with matching pink Rossignol Girls’s Relaxed Bib Ski Pants. No matter it’s, I used to be heading off feedback from well-meaning skiers each time I clicked into my bindings. (Private favourite: When somebody instructed my husband — wearing a blue ski package — that we appeared like a being pregnant take a look at.)
Throughout a full season of arcing turns and booting Highlands Bowl, I discovered myself fairly impressed with the Rallybird’s in depth options, high-quality supplies, and durable weatherproofing. Whereas I’ve solely owned it for one season, sturdiness is trying fairly good, too.
In brief: The Rossignol Girls’s Rallybird Ski Jacket ($425) is a comfortable shell that retains nasty climate out whereas having fun with in-bounds laps at your favourite ski hill. The trim match and soft-as-butter supplies really feel nearly as good as they appear, and skiers can have all loads of options like thumb loops, zippered pockets, and underarm vents.
Take a look at our full roundup in The Finest Girls’s Ski Jackets purchaser’s information.
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Match
Fitted -
Insulation
None -
Shell
3-layer -
Waterproof ranking (mm)
20K -
Weight
197 g/m²
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Heavy cloth “feels” hotter than most non-insulated kits -
Mushy to the contact -
Burly supplies
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Trim match could not work for everybody -
Non-removable powder skirt bunches across the waist
Rossignol Girls’s Rallybird Ski Jacket Assessment
You possibly can’t throw a snowball on a ski hill with out hitting a pair of Rossignol skis. Based in 1907, the enduring French model received its begin with a woodworker and skier named Abel Rossignol. He used his expertise to style a pair of strong wooden skis, jumpstarting the corporate. However it wasn’t till 1937, when Emile Allais turned the triple world champion on a pair of Rossignol Olympic 41 skis, that the model actually took off.
Whereas Rossignol nonetheless has deep roots in skis — I’ve owned at the least 4 pairs through the years — they’ve additionally taken the subsequent logical step into attire with ski jackets just like the Rallybird. Throughout the 2023-24 ski season, I logged practically 50 days on snow, and roughly 20 of these had been sporting this jacket.
It noticed blitzing snow and wind gusts as excessive as 50 mph, in addition to bluebird sunshine on closing weekend. All through the season, the Rallybird continued to be a mainstay in my weekly ski rotation.
Excessive-High quality Cloth
One among my favourite points of this jacket is its really feel. Due to the three-layer, 100% polyester cloth, the Rallybird is comfortable to the contact and nearly looks like a softshell jacket. It’s not crinkly while you stroll round — no swish-swish sound — and doesn’t scratch your pores and skin with tough supplies.
Throughout one chilly day at Aspen Highlands Ski Resort, I forgot my neck gaiter so I spent the day burrowed into the excessive collar of the jacket. Fortunately, the comfortable fleece lining saved my face, and I didn’t expertise any chafing or abrasion on my chin.
Most ski kits have a waterproofing rating of 10K or greater, and folk snowboarding in moist and sloppy snow (just like the Pacific Northwest) often need a rating of 16K or greater. Premium, bombproof ski jackets usually boast scores as excessive as 28K. Due to a PFC-free DWR therapy, the Rallybird has a weatherproof rating of 20K, so it might probably deal with the vast majority of nasty climate that skiers are prone to encounter.
I spent a morning snowboarding in single-digit temps with blowing snow and gusty winds, and the jacket by no means wetted out. For resort skiers who all the time have a lodge and toasty hearth close by, I feel this stage of climate safety is greater than a lot.
Plus, it’s stretchy. The Rallybird doesn’t have the mobility of yoga pants or perhaps a softshell, however the polyester cloth does have a little bit of give. This makes the match extremely comfy, particularly while you make huge actions like swinging your skis over your shoulder.
Sufficient Options to Make Most Skiers Pleased
Whereas the Rallybird isn’t full of extras, it does have fairly just a few bells and whistles that make a ski day extra fulfilling.
My favourite: elastic thumb loops. This design is a lean elastic band with a slim, prolonged pull tab, each of that are hardly discernible while you pull them on. For skiers preferring under-the-cuff ski gloves, it’s tremendous straightforward to slip the loops over your thumbs and pull the gloves over prime. This retains snow out because it prevents the jacket sleeve from driving up — even while you’re wallowing round in a snow drift, as I discovered the arduous method.
The Rallybird isn’t a minimalistic jacket with a two-way zipper and ample pockets, together with two zippered chest pockets, two zippered hand pockets, and a fifth zippered go pocket on the left forearm. The chest pockets simply swallow small snacks (like gummy bears) and automotive keys, and I managed to tuck a hand hotter bundle into one of many hand pockets. Whereas I do want the hand pockets had bigger zippers — they could be a bit tight whereas sporting mittens — they get the job carried out.
Inside, there are two mesh drop-in pockets (open on the prime) on all sides for tossing ski goggles or an additional lens. They’re roughly the dimensions of a beacon.
Underarm zippers rapidly dump warmth, so skiers may technically use the Rallybird as a touring jacket if they need. However, it’s fairly heavy, so we suggest sticking to the frontside with this helmet-compatible package.
Just like the hand pockets, the pit zips have barely quick zippers which can be difficult to seize, and so they aren’t dual-sided. Once more, this isn’t a deal-breaker, however it’s value noting. Nonetheless, the zippers dump warmth in a rush and had been good to have whereas having fun with some spring snowboarding on closing day.
Modern Match and Aesthetic
I’ll be trustworthy: the Rallybird simply appears good. There are tons of stylish ski kits at Aspen Snowmass, nevertheless it’s a rarity for locals to get compliments — these are often reserved for the fashion-forward vacationers. However I misplaced depend of how many individuals requested me concerning the Rallybird. The jacket has a trim reduce, particularly by means of the waist and the arms, and that provides to a modern aesthetic.
And, the color-blocking provides a pleasant design ingredient, too. It’s not overly fashionable (particularly within the period of monochrome ski kits) nevertheless it does stroll that positive line between trendy and traditional sufficient to final the lengthy haul.
Room for Enchancment
I’m often a measurement small or medium in ski jackets, however I are likely to measurement up for house to layer beneath. Nonetheless, I opted for a small for the reason that medium was too huge. Consequently, the dimensions mixed with the trim reduce led to a cumbersome match, particularly when laden down with a heavy midlayer.
I cherished the match after I paired it with a thinner, lively midlayer, however I might persistently attain for a special jacket if it was colder and I needed to load up with a heavier puffy beneath.
And whereas I perceive the worth behind an excellent snow skirt, I tend to take away them — and that’s not an choice on the Rallybird. It’s completely sewn in place, which added a bizarre thick layer round my midline. But once more, this was not a deal-breaker, however I did discover myself unzipping the jacket from the underside to grant me just a little wiggle room. My husband mentioned it turned my “private model,” however it will be nice to simply take away the powder skirt as an alternative.
Rossignol Girls’s Rallybird Ski Jacket: Conclusion
For those who’re a backcountry skier seeking to reduce weight or house, then the Rossignol Girls’s Rallybird Ski Jacket isn’t for you. However in case you are somebody who spends numerous time on the ski resort and values a trendy package, the Rallybird is a good selection.
I discovered the Rallybird had handy, adequately-sized pockets — for palms, on the chest, and for a ski go — purposeful underarm vents, and a helmet-compatible hood. Most of all, I cherished the buttery really feel of the material, and the weatherproofness was greater than sufficient for blustery days.
Not solely does this ski and snowboard jacket have sufficient technical chops to please the overwhelming majority of skiers, however I can promise that you’ll make new mates after they ask about your jacket on the raise.