(AD) Will I be going skiing this year? Nope. Will you find me in ski wear? Yep. I discovered many years ago that despite never actually going skiing, ski clothes (especially jackets) are the perfect way to keep warm and so I am very happy with my latest one from Protest. It is perfect for the school run, standing around in cold playgrounds and all those other adventures that involve me spending a lot of time outside and barely moving in the freezing cold while my children investigate a leaf, stick, puddle or invisible speck of dust. So yes for all the people asking, if you get a good quality ski jacket you can wear it everyday and this post shares why I think they make a great option for your winter coat.

A crazy lady (me) wearing a long black ski jacket with the hood pulled up really tight so I can only just peak out

Hiding away in a warm jacket, the next best thing to hibernating

Why You Should Choose A Ski Jacket For Your Winter Coat

I don’t like being cold, it makes me grumpy and miserable. Unfortunately I am not allowed to hibernate for half the year and I have no interest in emigrating anywhere so I look for other ways to keep warm. I know that layers are great for trapping heat, but I find it frustrating if I wander into a shop or get in a warm car and have to strip off 10 layers to stop myself sweating. I don't like wearing lots of layers, I want to wear my indoor clothes and something super warm over the top.

Having spent many years commuting into London for work I know as soon as you go underground the temperature increases by about 30 degrees, but taking off lots of layers is a challenge at rush hour. Whether on the train or a bus it’s never ideal to elbow a stranger in the nose as you strip off layer after layer when you have to be squished up close to him for the next 20 minutes. Fortunately overcrowded tube trains aren’t part of my daily life at the moment, but given how long my last winter coat lasted I can never be too sure they wont again in the future and I want my coat to be suitable for the eventuality.

Whether it is for shopping, tubes or just speed having one item that can take me from inside wear to “yikes my fingers are freezing off” temperatures is absolutely perfect. Ski jackets are designed for freezing temperatures so they are easily able to manage the average British winter.

It’s obviously not just the temperature that is the issue either, it rains a lot here in the UK too. Ever noticed how often it starts raining just in time for the school run? My children don't seem to mind walking slowly in the rain if it's going to delay them getting to school and I don't enjoy getting soaked through. Good ski jackets are both waterproof and breathable making the rain less of an issue. By the way I watched a programme on TV recently which explained how it is possible for fabric to be breathable and waterproof, it is all to do with the holes being really really small and water molecules being quite big. But given it keeps the cold out too I’m inclined to believe it involves some sort of magic.

Ski jackets, being designed for skiing and all that, are generally waist length because they are expected to be worn with their super warm partners: women’s ski trousers. Ski trousers seem a bit of a hassle when you aren't actually skiing which is why I got excited to spot a longer length ski jacket on the Protest site. No more cold wet bottom for me! I can even sit down on a damp bench and stay dry. Perfect. I just need someone to bring me a cup of hot coffee now (dairy free latte please).

Of course men don’t need to miss out of the warmth and coziness and there are some great men’s ski jackets available, but the men in my life have never really felt the cold as much as me. I can be wearing a coat, scarf and gloves and they are happily wandering around in an unzipped fleece and not remotely concerned that it is starting to snow. Weird. I’m not surprised men have been accused of coming from the freezing planet Mars while women from the sweltering hot Venus.

Testing out a longer length ski jacket called Jessica from Protest to review it. I have the XL zipped up in the forest

Cozy in a ski jacket for every day wear

Bending down to collect random things off the floor in a weird pose because that's what you do when reviewing jackets isn't it?

Washable

A warm dry mum smiling at the camera in a black ski jacket with teddy fear in the hood and lots of pockets

Practical

Review of the Jessica Ski and Snowboarding Jacket from Protest

As part of this collaboration with Protest I got to choose some clothes from the website. While I was very tempted by the leopard print ski jacket (genuinely I think it is very cool) I decided I would probably be more comfortable in a plain black design. I choose the Jessica Ski Jacket in black, but it also comes in a dark green and red. I am currently a size 14/ 16 and I decided to go for the XL. I have plenty of room in it which is great when it's colder and I want to wear a jumper underneath it. There is nothing worse than a too small coat where you can barely bend your arms if you want to wear more that a t-shirt underneath. I would probably have been fine with the next size down, but with the waist gaiter and velcro cuffs I can keep all the cold wind out. It also has a tightening cords for around the waist (if you want a bit of a figure) and to tighten the hood.

If you are actually going to wear it for skiing or snowboarding you will be glad to know that it has a goggle pocket and lift pass holder as well as easy headphone access, but for the rest of us you’ll probably be more interested that it has lots of pockets (I've counted 8), 10K water resistance (that is very high) and 10g breathability. The hood is deep so you can wear your hair up in a mum bun and still keep your glasses dry while keeping your neck and head snuggly with the soft teddy fur. I believe no actual teddies were harmed in the making of these jackets and they are 100% polyester so no animals were either. In fact the jacket is PFC free and uses an environmentally friendly waterproofing method so Protest are trying to limit the impact they have on the environment. Oh and it gets further bonus points because it is machine washable (wash it alone in your machine, inside out at 30 degrees C).

The only negatives I have found is the sleeves are a little long, but due to the velcro cuff you can fold them inwards and it will be handy if I forget my gloves though because I can just hide my hands inside. You also have to be careful you close the velcro on pockets etc or it snags the material.