Patagonia Powder Bowl Jacket
First Impressions
No detail overlooked and no compromises describes the Patagonia Powder Bowl Jacket. It’s constructed from the Granddaddy of performance/breathable fabrics, Gore-Tex Performance Shell. And everywhere you look on the Powder Bowl, Patagonia perfectly placed a gadget, an adjustment point, a pocket or some other creative feature making this a uniquely capable and versatile piece.
Features
The Patagonia Powder Bowl has so much going on it’s hard to know where to start. Might as well see how it stacks up against my wish list of ski jacket features: removable, helmet compatible hood – check; interior goggle pocket – check and check, there are two enormous interior pockets plus another zippered pocket with a key hook; pit zips for ventilation – check; exterior pockets – check, there are four including two handwarmers, napoleon and bicep pockets; and bright color combo – check, there’s a two-tone blue, a bright green and two more subtler options in black or brown. In short, the Powder Bowl has everything we look for in a performance hardshell.
Patagonia didn’t stop there with the Powder Bowl. No, the company took all the zippers and made them waterproof. Then they lined the front zipper’s storm flap with grosgrain to make it easier to get up and down. And then, the company added a powder skirt (with tabs for connecting it to your ski pants), a mesh lining and strategically placed fleece panels (at the chin and behind the neck) to improve comfort.
To top it all off, Patagonia added a plethora of adjustments – at the hood and waist, in particular – using a hidden set of pull-tabs and button releases (what the company calls the Touch Point System) to help customize the fit.
Specs
Construction: Stitched, welded seams
Fabric: Gore-Tex Performance Shell
Weight: 36 oz
Fit
Putting on the Powder Bowl, it fit exactly as you’d expect. It runs true to size with room underneath for extra layers. You definitely feel the heft of the jacket. Sleeves adjust with hook and loop tabs. And the waist and hood can be cinched down using the aforementioned Touch Point System. Just look for the gray elastic bands under the collar and in the handwarmers to pull tight. Press the buttons hidden in corresponding gray fabric tabs to release.
Final Verdict
With the Powder Bowl, Patagonia sets the standard for hardshell jackets. It checks all the boxes and more. The Gore-Tex fabric performed extremely well in our waterproofing test – after hours of saturation, not a single leak was found. The Powder Bowl isn’t cheap at $399 MSRP, but man do you get what you pay for. The Powder Bowl is simply the best, most versatile hardshell we’ve seen so far this year. Recommended.