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Burton Jet Set Review

We got lots of compliments on this jacket's looks, but found it lacking in durability and full functionality on the slopes.
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Price:  $200 List | $199.95 at REI
Compare prices at 3 resellers
Pros:  Stylish, good hood and neckline, no frills, inexpensive
Cons:  Feels cheap, not many ski-specific features, lacking in weather resistance
Manufacturer:   Burton
By Betsy Welch ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  Dec 13, 2019
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65
OVERALL
SCORE

RANKED
#10 of 12
  • Weather Resistance - 20% 7
  • Comfort and Fit - 20% 7
  • Warmth - 20% 6
  • Ventilation - 20% 6
  • Style - 10% 7
  • Features - 10% 6

Our Verdict

The Burton Jet Set is on the inexpensive side for a ski jacket, but we found that you get what you pay for. It performed well enough and kept us warm and dry during mild conditions, but when the weather got rough, we found ourselves wishing for better weatherproofing. Burton is known for earning major style points on the hill, and this jacket didn't suffer for compliments. We loved the way it looked and how protective and toasty it was around the head and neck. It just didn't feel quite tough enough for some of our testers. This is a great jacket for someone who only gets out on bluebird days or who doesn't mind a less burly construction.


Compare to Similar Products

(change comparison)
 
This Product
Burton Jet Set
Awards  Editors' Choice Award Editors' Choice Award  Best Buy Award 
Price $199.95 at REI
Compare at 3 sellers		$799.00 at REI
Compare at 3 sellers		$598.95 at Backcountry
Compare at 2 sellers		$399.00 at Backcountry
Compare at 2 sellers		$207.93 at REI
Compare at 2 sellers
Overall Score Sort Icon
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Pros Stylish, good hood and neckline, no frills, inexpensiveTop quality, good looking, warm, comfortable, useful featuresBreathes well, stylish, well-constructedSolid construction, highly functional, ski specific, breathes wellInexpensive, warm, stylish
Cons Feels cheap, not many ski-specific features, lacking in weather resistanceExpensive, not very breathableOff-set pocket placement, proprietary powder skirtOn the heavy side, not remarkably flatteringFits a bit snug around the hips, non-removable powder skirt
Bottom Line We got lots of compliments on this jacket's looks, but found it lacking in durability and full functionality on the slopes.Warm, cozy, good looking, and comfortable, the Primo Puff is a great jacket for resort skiing that comes at a high cost.The North Face hit it out of the park with this stylish, breathable hard shell that can work hard and play hard.The Powder Bowl offers great protection from the elements in a simple yet well-constructed design.This resort ripper will help you shred the slopes with style and ease, at a great price!
Rating Categories Burton Jet Set Primo Puff A-CAD FUTURELIGHT Powder Bowl Jacket Armada Stadium
Weather Resistance (20%)
10
0
7
10
0
9
10
0
9
10
0
9
10
0
8
Comfort And Fit (20%)
10
0
7
10
0
9
10
0
9
10
0
9
10
0
8
Warmth (20%)
10
0
6
10
0
9
10
0
4
10
0
4
10
0
8
Ventilation (20%)
10
0
6
10
0
6
10
0
9
10
0
8
10
0
6
Style (10%)
10
0
7
10
0
8
10
0
9
10
0
8
10
0
8
Features (10%)
10
0
6
10
0
8
10
0
8
10
0
9
10
0
8
Specs Burton Jet Set Primo Puff A-CAD FUTURELIGHT Powder Bowl Jacket Armada Stadium
Insulation 80g Thermolite 65g PlumaFill None None 80g Polyfill in body, 60g in sleeves
Waterproofing DryRide 2L Gore-Tex 2L Futurelight 3L Gore-Tex 2L DWR
Weight (in pounds) 1.6 lbs 2.0 lbs 1.5 lbs 1.7 lbs 1.9 lbs
# of Pockets 2 zippered hand, 1 mesh, 1 media 2 hand, 1 chest, 1 internal 2 zippered chest, 1 zippered phone, 1 zippered wrist, [internal] 2 goggle 2 zippered hand, 1 zippered chest, 1 arm, [internal] 1 zippered, 1 drop 2 hand, 2 chest, 1 sleeve, 1 indernal drop-in
Main Fabric Polyester, nylon 100% recycled polyester plain-weave GORE-TEX fabric with stretch 75D x 56D recycled polyester, brushed tricot backer, DWR coating 150D 100% recycled polyester GORE-TEXT with DWR coating 100% Nylon (solid prints); 100% Polyester (prints)
Unique Features Mesh-lined vents, mesh dump pocket, snag-free neckline hood has laminated visor; watertight zippers; RECCO reflector off-set pockets accommodate backpack;YKK AquaGuard zippers; pass-through pocket; jacket-to-pant integration Watertight, coated zippers, adjustable powder skirt, RECCO reflector Internal goggle pocket, wrist gaiters
Hood Option? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Pit Zips? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Cuff construction Velcro Velcro Velcro Velcro Velcro with wrist gaiters
Ski features Powder skirt, hem sinch, goggle pocket Powder skirt, helmet compatible hood Powder skirt, thumb loops, goggle pocket, pass pocket Powder skirt, pass pocket Powder skirt, pass and goggle pocket, jacket/pant interface

Our Analysis and Test Results

With its excellent price point, we wanted to love the Jet Set but found that it lacked in durability and versatility. It did look good on and off the slopes and kept us warm and protected on mild days.

Performance Comparison


The Jet Set looks good and feels great on!
The Jet Set looks good and feels great on!

Weather Resistance


Burton uses waterproof/breathable DRYRIDE two-layer fabrics for the outer lining of the Jet Set. We found it to be protective in light precipitation, but in wetter conditions, we started to feel dampness soaking in. Fortunately, the jacket offers a lot of head and neck protection with its stand-up collar and a helmet-compatible hood.

The Jet Set's oversized hood and tall neck cuff keep out the elements
The Jet Set has a large velcro chest pocket for your phone and a snack.

Comfort and Fit


The Jet Set shines in this category. It's soft on the inside and out. The mobility is there with this jacket, moving well with our bodies on the ski hill. It has a nice long torso, appropriately long sleeves, and is flattering. The sizing feels accurate to us. Under the jacket, we could easily fit a thin base layer underneath. Overall, it's a very comfortable jacket.

The Jet Set definitely has style.
The size small fit our 5'6 tester perfectly.

Style


We got lots of compliments on this jacket, especially the "Gradient Spun Out" pattern we rocked at A-Basin in Colorado. Burton never sacrifices style for function, and this is true in the Jet Set, as well. The jacket has enough insulation to keep you warm but still boasts a flattering fit. The Jet Set transitions very well from the slopes to wherever you're headed after a day of skiing.

Warmth


The Jet Set wasn't the warmest insulated jacket we tested; however, we found that there was enough room for a mid-weight baselayer underneath and this made the jacket feel as warm as we needed it to. It has 80 grams of synthetic insulation in the body and 40 grams in the hood, which is nice when you're unhelmeted. We loved that the insulation is made with 40% recycled content!

The velcro flap over the front zipper helped keep cold air out.
The Jet Set was toasty on a powder day.

Ventilation


The Jet Set has mesh-lined pit zips for ventilation. While some pit zips are better than none, we prefer unlined ones. Nevertheless, the mesh keeps out unwanted snow if you take a tumble. Because the jacket is on the lighter side for an insulated parka, we found that it breathed fairly well because of the soft outer fabric. The synthetic insulation kept us dry on the inside, even when we got sweaty skiing hard.

Mesh lined pit zips aren't our favorite.
Mesh lined pit zips aren't our favorite.

Ski Features


Burton has given the Jet Set several ski-specific features, but we weren't overly impressed. The hand pockets - whose microfleece-lining we loved - are the only zippered pockets of the four on the jacket. The chest pocket closes with velcro and the inner mesh dump pocket has nothing to affix it. This made us slightly anxious to put our phones or other valuables in. Our favorite feature is the tall, protective collar which goes all the way around your neck whether you have the hood up or not. Standard features like a pass pocket and a powder skirt are here, too. We wish the powder skirt was removable.

We liked the large mesh goggle pocket.
We liked the large, mesh goggle pocket.

Value


We think the Jet Set has decent value, but don't expect it to withstand adverse conditions or high output shredding. Its construction feels like its price tag, and the ski features aren't that helpful. Nevertheless, for casual skiing in decent weather, it gets the job done well.

Conclusion


The Burton Jet Set has a low price point, basic ski features, and fits nicely, but it lacks in the weather resistance and durability departments. We liked how it fit and moved while we were skiing, and we stayed warm when it wasn't freezing out. However, as the weather conditions worsened, we felt that the jacket couldn't hang as well as we wanted it to. It was great for simple laps around the resort on a mild day.


— Betsy Welch