Do you love riding in a hoodie? Me too! The coziness and flexibility are amazing. But if you don’t choose the right one, you’re gonna have a bad time.
Luckily I tracked down the best snowboarding hoodies available. Drumroll please…
The Best Snowboarding Hoodies:
- 686 Waterproof Hoodie
- Volcom Hydro Riding Hoodie
- Burton Crown Hoodie
- Dope Yeti Snowboard Hoodie
- Outdoor Research Vigor Hoodie
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The Best Snowboarding Hoodies Ever Made
When it comes to choosing a snowboard hoodie, you need to be picky!
Some hoodies will leave you miserable, soggy and questioning whether riding in a snowboard hoodie is even a good idea.
To avoid this, look out for the following essential features:
- Waterproofing: A regular hoodie will absorb snow instantly! Look for a decent waterproof rating or at least DWR (durable water repellent).
- Pockets: Must have a zip! Last thing you need is a full yard sale every time you fall.
- Face Cover: Not strictly necessary but a nice bonus!
- Wrist gaiters: Wrist gaiters, thumb loops or thumb holes prevent snow getting into your sleeves. They also prevent ice burns to the elbows!
- (Style): I know this shouldn’t really matter, but there’s no point rocking a hoodie if it makes you feel like your old gym teacher!
You’ll find that each hoodie on the list meets most of the above requirements. I pushed each one hard during product testing, both in the park and when riding powder.
So let’s take a look!
Best waterproofing (10k + DWR).
Great face mask attached.
Awesome stretchy material.
Zippered pocket.
Rapidly selling out!
The absolute best snowboarding hoodie available (in my humble opinion of course).
This hoodie smashed all of our tests, from Japanese powder to slushy park laps.
Fair enough, it does cheat slightly as it’s sort of a cross between a hoodie and a jacket (a hacket?) but that’s what makes it so awesome!
I actually barely needed my regular jacket when testing this, other than for the absolute coldest/wettest days.
You’ll still need to layer up underneath (which is the case for most snowboard hoodies).
On the downside it’s one of the more expensive options. However, the hoodie’s versatility means you’ll likely be able to wear it on more days of the year.
Awesome "storm cinch hood".
Probably the warmest listed.
100% Hydrophobic Fleece.
Volcom just make great gear!
I love Volcom gear and this hoodie is no exception.
Super comfortable, this is definitely one of the best snowboarding hoodies available this year. I’m not ashamed to admit that I even wear mine to bed on cold days (much to the dismay of my girlfriend).
The cinch hood is awesome and for the helmet wearer’s out there (most of you I hope!) the hood is designed to fit over helmets. This forms a nice warm cocoon for freezing cold chairlifts and peaks.
As with any DWR hoodie, the waterproofing won’t match up to a well-rated jacket. But it can certainly handle spring riding and back to back park laps.
Comfortable, stylish, functional.
A warm option, hmm fleecey.
Dryride Mist-Defy DWR.
Tip: Order a size up if you want a longer/loose fit
The burton crown hoodie has really stood the test of time.
Boasting all of the essential features you’d expect of a snowboarding hoodie, you really can’t go wrong.
It won’t be as waterproof as 686’s offering, however it’s much more like a “regular streetwear hoodie”. I can wear mine around town or in the gym and not look out of place.
I did find it to be slimmer fitting than some of the other brands. I personally choose a size higher than my regular size when wearing it for snowboarding. This helped to avoid it riding up and letting snow in!
Loads of tech
Media and lift pass pockets
Underarm venting
Stretch Drytech 15K Membrane
- 15k/15k waterproofing and breathability
Whilst Dope are sometimes seen as a controversial snow gear brand (being dubbed as “fast fashion”), I was super impressed by the quality of the Yeti Hoodie.
It’s super comfortable, packed full of essential technology, and most importantly… kept me dry.
The fit is nice and roomy, allowing for full tweakability (is that a word?) and room for layering should you need it. If you rock a baggier fit like me, I’d still recommend sizing up slightly though.
Personally, I’ve had great experiences with Dope gear and I’m happy to recommend giving them a try.
I’m currently writing up a full review of the Yeti Hoodie, so stay tuned!
The Best Mid-Layer Hoodie!
Built-in balaclava hood
Thermoregulating material
UPF 30 sun protection
Laser-cut thumb holes
This is by far the best snowboard hoodie to use as a mid-layer.
It’s unrestrictive, super comfortable and extremely warm.
It also includes an in-built balaclava hood; this came in super handy when I found myself stuck in a minor Canadian blizzard!
I did try wearing this as an outer-layer, but I wouldn’t recommend it. There’s no water resistance and the material can become damp very quickly.
Instead, add this to your layering arsenal!
Final Thoughts
There you have it, the very best snowboarding hoodies available.
I tested dozens of hoodies in order to figure out which deserved a place on the list.
If you have your own favorite snowboard hoodie… let me know in the comments so I can check it out!
Happy riding my friend.
21 comments
One of my friends has been begging me to try snowboarding. It looks fun but before I get started, I want to know what equipment to buy. Your blogs are helpful, especially this one about the best snowboarding hoodies. BTW, I laughed when I found out about what a full yard sale is.
Glad you found it useful 🙂
I noticed you said that you didn’t need your jacket when you wore the 686 Waterproof Hoodie (except for extreme weather). How easy is it to wear a jacket over this? I looked at the list of best snowboarding hoodies but I want something that isn’t too tight. Should I get a size extra or do they fit as stated?
Hey! You can definitely wear a jacket over any of these hoodies – so long as your jacket isn’t too tight. You shouldn’t really need to over the 686 though, as it’s got an outerlayer. Personally, I size up my snowboard hoodies over my casual hoodie size. A little extra length and flexibility never hurts, whereas a tight hoodie can ride up (leading to snow burns!). The Burton option in particular is prone to being a little tight. I wear a medium hoodie in street clothes, but an XL in the Burton. Hope that helps.
I love hoodies. I prefer them to jackets unless the weather is awful. In my experience you can get away with wearing hoodies in much worse conditions than you’d expect. The best snowboarding hoodies can take you to sub-zero! But then again, I wear shorts in Canada in winter
Hey, 686 Waterproof hoodie or the Burton Crown? Will be riding in it most days unless it’s like sub-zero and sideways snow
I’d go with the 686. I’ve got both and the crown isn’t so good when there’s wind chill
Would you take the burton crowned hoodie to whistler or need something warmer?
Hey – certainly a great hoodie for Whistler. But bring an outerwear jacket too if you’re going in the colder months. You never know when a blizzard can hit, and even the best hoodie will struggle on days like that.
Would you be warm enough in these hoodies in Japan?
Hey. Depends on the season, Japan gets super cold in January-February and the sun rarely shines!
I’d bring a hoodie but have an outerwear jacket available too. If you’re going in March/April, you’ll have way more sunny days!
Quite a few seem to be out of stock unfortunately, any suggestion?
Hey. It’s the season stock changeover at the moment… 2024 stuff will be hitting the shelves any time now
Can vouch for the 686 waterproof hoodie – hammered it last season and it held up pretty well
Hey, will you be updating this for next season?
For sure, stay tuned!
Today, I went to the beach with my kids. I found a sea shell and gave it to my 4 year old daughter and said “You can hear the ocean if you put this to your ear.” She placed the shell to her ear and screamed. There was a hermit crab inside and it pinched her ear. She never wants to go back! LoL I know this is completely off topic but I had to tell someone! Anyway, I can vouch for the 686 Hoodie. Absolutely love mine!
What a whirlwind of a comment! haha.
Glad you enjoyed the 686 – still my all time fav.
Thanks,
Fraser
Thank you for all those great review, I’m actually looking to buy one of those you mentioned. Besides the 686 do any of the other have a pocket with a zipper?
If you had to choose one, Which one will it be?
thank you!!
Hey Matt, thanks for dropping by. The 686 option is great, but if you’re looking for a more conventional hoodie style, with a zippered pouch, we’ve recently been testing the thirtytwo franchise hoodie. We’ll do a full write up soon – but it’s basically super comfortable, offers a nice relaxed fit, has a lift ticket stash pocket and does have hidden pouch zippers. On the downside… hope you like the single colorway option
Hope that helps!
(Personally I like the 686 Waterproof the best overall still)