If you’re shopping for ski wear, chances are you’ve spotted Dope Snow. Their jackets can be seen pretty much everywhere these days, both online and on the mountain. And while they are an undeniably stylish ski wear brand, they’re a brand that can be a little divisive.
We got our hands on some Dope Snow gear, including the Adept ski jacket. How does this Dope Snow jacket stack up in our review?
Overview
Pros:
- Stylish jacket in a wide range of colours
- Good build quality
- Lightweight and easy to fold/pack
- Sustainability is good
- Waterproofing and windproofing very effective
- Big hood perfect for helmets
- Media pocket with cable outlet could be useful
Cons:
- No inside dump pockets
- Medium weight insulation means this feels more like a shell than an insulated jacket
- That big hood collects the wind when not worn over a helmet
- Hood edges could be softer as they can rub
Buy from: Dope Snow UK
Wearing the Dope Snow Adept
While many online slate the Dope Snow brand, my first impressions of the Adept jacket were good. The material feels much more quality than many similar tier brands that I’ve tested before – examples here are Columbia, Rip Curl and Quiksilver ski jackets. I also thought the pockets, toggles and zips all feel well thought out and solid, with good storm proofing in the form of fabric guards on pockets. Less chance of snow or rain ingress!
The jacket also feels great on and I love the fit. It’s very much my style, but then I lean towards the ‘street’ end of fashion anyways. The main pockets are a good size, and you have some useful zippered in pockets, but it was lacking the goggle ‘dump’ pockets you get on some ski jackets.
As standard for a ski jacket, you also have the pass pocket on the left arm (velcro’d not zippered), under arm vents and a snow skirt to keep that pow out when you stack it! The snow skirt is built in, not detachable, which is standard for most jackets I’ve used.
On the mountain
I took my Dope Snow Adept jacket onto the mountains in Switzerland for it’s maiden test. While we didn’t have fresh snow to test it against, we did have subzero temperatures, plenty of windchill and several days riding on the mountain. This jacket has also been used in the depths of a pretty bleak British winter, with lashings of rain and freezing wind – so it has certainly been tested.
Riding on the mountain I found the Adept to be more than, well, adept… This is a jacket that does what it does without you noticing. It’s roomy enough that you can do all your activities without feeling constrained, and with the pockets and features, you’re never lacking for something.
Keep your phone or spare sunglasses safe? Yup. Pull your hood over your helmet? Effortless. Stash snacks for the chairlift? Plenty of pockets.
While the Adept is lacking inner goggle dump pockets, there is an inside pocket which is just inside the zip, which has space to hold your media items. But if you’re looking to pack spare goggles, or lenses, or a couple of spare batteries for your action camera, you might need to bring a daypack.
In all weathers
While the mountain terrain was relatively sedate, the Adept was great. When getting warm, open the arm vents to get some circulation. On the chairlift in a cold wind? Zip up and keep the wind out.
The real test actually came off the mountain in the British winter. With hammering rain and wind, the Adept performed well, keeping me dry and hidden from the elements. In terms of insulation I felt that it wasn’t quite on par with some other insulated jackets I’ve owned. That being said, it is a very lightweight insulated jacket so perhaps thats the idea. I’ve folded this jacket into small rucksack a times, which is definitely something I couldn’t do with my veteran ski jacket.
Saying all this, wearing layers or warmer clothing is going to be the default for most people wearing this jacket anyway. To be honest, I only noticed the insulation issue when walking in howling Devonshire wind having been rained on for an hour, with a jumper that was probably too thin. Basically, my own dumb fault.
Should you buy the Dope Snow Adept?
Honestly, yes, it’s a good piece of kit. I love the colour options and the jacket looks cool both on the mountain and for street wear. While hardcore off-piste adventurers and seasonnaire park riders might sniff at the brand, the truth is that this is a very durable jacket that will probably last a good few seasons. I think about 90% of ski and snowboard trippers will be very happy with their Dope Snow purchase.
This is a competitive price range to be honest. The £150-200 range is full of jackets that pass the test, but might be merely adequate. I feel that the Dope Snow Adept is genuinely a cut above much of the competition in this range, and you’ll be very happy with your purchase for years to come.
