I researched many jackets before buying this one. Yesterday was my first time trying snowboarding, and at the end of the day I was so happy I had chosen the 686 Smarty Stellar jacket. I was worried about being cold, wet and uncomfortable, but instead the jacket kept me very warm and dry, despite the 20F weather, harsh winds, snowplowing, and fifty plus times I wiped out (not kidding). It has a lot of pockets and other useful features. The powder skirt snapped into my 686 Smarty Original cargo pants to help keep the snow off my backside when I fell down. I got it in black and one size larger for the extra room. As someone brand new to snowboarding, I was happy that I'd bought a jacket that's waterproof, warm, and full of features. Well worth the money.