Norrøna Men's lofoten Gore-Tex Insulated Jacket 26/27

A lofoten shell with the insulation already built in, for people who run cold or ski resort days more than they tour. GORE-TEX weather protection on the outside, synthetic insulation on the inside, so you get storm-worthy protection without stacking a puffy under a shell and dealing with the bulk where the two meet.

The trade-off is honest and worth stating plainly. An insulated jacket is less versatile than a shell plus separate layers, because you can't remove the warmth when spring arrives. It's also warmer, simpler and less fussy on a chairlift at ten below, and it's one zipper instead of three layers to manage at every transition.

Synthetic insulation rather than down, which is the right call for a ski jacket. Down loses its loft when it gets wet and a ski jacket gets wet, whether from snow, sweat or a spring afternoon. Synthetic keeps working damp.

If your skiing is mostly lift-served in Vermont cold, this is the more comfortable choice and we say so regularly. If you tour at all, buy the shell.