Arc'teryx Macai

The BEST jacket Arc'teryx makes. Retails for $850. This is brand new with tags and receipt. Best ski jacket on earth. Asking $540.
Size large.

The eye for detail cannot be ignored. The powder skirt is removable and because of the Macai’s subtle stylings it can easily pass for an urban jacket. Pit zips are found under the arms and both have a mesh liner behind them preventing snow from entering. Long zipper tabs allow ease of pocket use with mitts. In short, the quality of construction in the Macai is impeccable.

What it all boils down to is this: do you get cold skiing? Are you willing to pay more for a jacket of superior quality? If yes then have a look at the Macai Down Jacket, the Rolls Royce of skiing jackets.

Arcteryx has been setting the pace on skiwear for a decade or more, so you know their first foray into down wasn’t going to be ordinary. This down ski coat was more effective in wet weather than the others thanks to the innovations. Arcteryx wrapped their down baffles in a layer of synthetic insulation to help wick moisture out of the feathers and swapped out feathers for synthetic insulation entirely in key spots like the hood, hems and collar. Everything else is spot on as usual, especially the fit. If you can afford it, buy it. It should last for years.

From the outside-in, Arcteryx always keeps their look clean, for style, but more importantly, to reduce the stitching for moisture to penetrate the shell. Arcteryx also keeps the interior very smooth—i.e. not a lot of pockets or texture—so that the jacket slides easily across interior layers for a better range of motion. It sports a zip-out powder skirt if you want to save a few ounces, mesh-backed pit zips for dry ventilation (this jacket is so warm you’ll need it at some point) even in a swirling snowstorm.

There’s a RECCO reflector to help ski patrol find you if you get slid or accidentally wander out of bounds for the night. The hood is just right—warm, big enough for a helmet, but not floppy if you don’t have one, and doesn’t cut off peripheral vision (important on merging ski runs)