Merassen GORE-TEX Jacket

Water resistance ratings use millimeters (mm) to show how much water pressure fabric can resist. 5,000mm is functionally waterproof, 10,000mm+ is waterproof for prolonged heavy rain, and 20,000mm+ is durably waterproof and handles prolonged extreme conditions.

Breathability quantifies a fabric's ability to allow vapour from body heat to pass from inside the garment to outside. Usually measured in g per square metre over a 24-hour period, for example 20,000g/m2/24. The higher the figure, the better the breathability. Some fabrics use resistance to evaporative transfer, or RET, to quantify breathability, and here, a lower RET rating indicates better breathability.

Simply, a fabric's ability to resist wind penetration. All waterproof fabrics are fully windproof. Some fabrics use a very tight weave to offer windproof protection without being fully waterproof, usually to maximise breathability for high output activities.

Warmth in skiwear generally comes from insulation inside the garment. This can be synthetic fibres that deliver effective warmth with little bulk, or higher lofting synthetic or down insulation that offers additional warmth and a pleasing puffy silhouette. 3-layer shell garments do not offer insulation; they are used over insulating mid-layers as part of an adaptable clothing system.

This is our take on how specific skiwear items fit. Sizes can vary by brand, so our buying and photoshoot team try on every garment to get a read on whether items run small or large for the stated size.