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Flylow Billie Coat Review

This stylish hardshell gives you what you need in a functional, no-frills package.
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Price:  $420 List | $419.95 at Backcountry
Compare prices at 3 resellers
Pros:  Stylish, great ski features, inexpensive, more versatile than an insulated ski jacket
Cons:  Heavy for ski touring, stiff, no insulation
Manufacturer:   Flylow
By Jessica Haist ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  Sep 25, 2019
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70
OVERALL
SCORE

RANKED
#7 of 12
  • Weather Resistance - 20% 9
  • Comfort and Fit - 20% 7
  • Warmth - 20% 4
  • Ventilation - 20% 7
  • Style - 10% 8
  • Features - 10% 8

Our Verdict

The folks at FlyLow have perfected the hardshell ski jacket with the Flylow Billie Coat. Although it has a Spartan feel, the features and weather resistance are second to none. We also love the cut and colors. This jacket was great to ski in on days when the weather wasn't, and we appreciated the oversized hood and removable powder skirt in changing conditions, as well. Since it's a shell jacket, the Billie Coat doesn't get high marks for warmth. Nevertheless, it has plenty of space for layering underneath.


Compare to Similar Products

(change comparison)
 
This Product
Flylow Billie Coat
Awards  Editors' Choice Award Editors' Choice Award  Best Buy Award 
Price $419.95 at Backcountry
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 3 sellers
Overall Score Sort Icon
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Star Rating
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Pros Stylish, great ski features, inexpensive, more versatile than an insulated ski jacketTop quality, good looking, warm, comfortable, useful featuresBreathes well, stylish, well-constructedSolid construction, highly functional, ski specific, breathes wellInexpensive, warm, stylish
Cons Heavy for ski touring, stiff, no insulationExpensive, 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 This stylish hardshell gives you what you need in a functional, no-frills package.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 Flylow Billie Coat Primo Puff A-CAD FUTURELIGHT Powder Bowl Jacket Armada Stadium
Weather Resistance (20%)
10
0
9
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
4
10
0
9
10
0
4
10
0
4
10
0
8
Ventilation (20%)
10
0
7
10
0
6
10
0
9
10
0
8
10
0
6
Style (10%)
10
0
8
10
0
8
10
0
9
10
0
8
10
0
8
Features (10%)
10
0
8
10
0
8
10
0
8
10
0
9
10
0
8
Specs Flylow Billie Coat Primo Puff A-CAD FUTURELIGHT Powder Bowl Jacket Armada Stadium
Insulation N/A 65g PlumaFill None None 80g Polyfill in body, 60g in sleeves
Waterproofing 20k/20k waterproof breathable membrane Gore-Tex 2L Futurelight 3L Gore-Tex 2L DWR
Weight (in pounds) 1.5 lbs 2.0 lbs 1.5 lbs 1.7 lbs 1.9 lbs
# of Pockets 2 hand, 1 chest, 1 sleeve, 1 internal 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 3-layer nylon Dobby Intuitive fabric 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 RFID pocket, headphone port 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 Removable powder skirt, helmet compatible hood, Pass 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

We always knew Flylow was a cool company with excellent products, and the Billie Coat convinced us that we know what we're talking about. The jacket performs well on the slopes and looks good, too. We felt it had everything we wanted in a hardshell despite feeling a little stiff and crunchy at the outset.

Performance Comparison


The Billie Coat is a great hardshell for all conditions.
The Billie Coat is a great hardshell for all conditions.

Weather Resistance


The Billie Coat is a three-layer hardshell, and you can tell. The fabric was slightly stiff at the outset, but we didn't mind because of its amazing ability to protect us from the elements. It boasts OmniBloq Durable Water Repellent coating, which is supposedly more protective than the industry standard DWR. We certainly didn't get wet during a sloppy snowstorm.

The water repelling qualities of the Billie Coat are bombproof.
The water repelling qualities of the Billie Coat are bombproof.

The jacket also protected us from the vicious winds of the Colorado Front Range. The hood helped, too, with more than ample room to fit over our helmets and then cinch tightly around our necks. We could still move our heads from side to side even with the hood fully cinched down. And, the Billie's zippers didn't allow any noticeable drafts through.

The Billie Coat keeps us protected from the elements in style.
The Billie Coat keeps us protected from the elements in style.

Comfort and Fit


This jacket fits true to size, and we were able to layer up underneath it easily. It has a long, flattering silhouette, and we liked that it was feminine without being girly. It was easy to move while we skied and rode. It felt a bit stiff the first few times we used it but it seemed to develop some flexibility with use.

Style


The Billie Coat has great subtle style. It's not flashy but it still manages to stand out in a crowd. Because of how flattering it was, our testers all wanted to be the one wearing this jacket for our photos. We like its long hemline, color choices, and how it tapers at the waist and flares at the hips. Our testers received many compliments when they wore this jacket.

Warmth


The jacket isn't insulated, so it received a lower rating in this category. It was the least warm of the hardshells we reviewed, so it was important that we always had adequate layers on underneath. We will say, however, that the thick shell material did not let any wind pass through the material itself or through the front zipper when traveling at high speeds down the mountain.

The Billie Coat breathed well on short ski tours.
The Billie Coat breathed well on short ski tours.

Ventilation


The Billie Coat breathes well for a hardshell and has large, gaping pit-zips. Because the shell has no insulation, it vents easily. We found that we could hike short distances without overheating in this jacket.

The Billie Coat has long pit zips allowing for maximum airflow.
The Billie Coat has long pit zips, allowing for maximum airflow.

Ski Features


We love the interior pockets in this jacket! They're both zippered and nine inches deep. The outer hand pockets are similarly spacious. Manufacturers often skimp on the usefulness of features in women's products, but the Billie Coat defies that trend. We love that the powder skirt is removable and wish that all jackets had this option.

The Billie Coat's removable powder skirt is there when you needed off when you don't
The Billie Coat's removable powder skirt is there when you needed, off when you don't

Another favorite feature of this jacket is drawcord for the hood. The toggles are placed on the outside of the collar near your collar bones and make it super easy to cinch down your hood when things get windy sitting on the chairlift.

Value


We think that the Billie Coat is a decent value for a hard-charging hardshell. It has all the features we want and need and offers superior weather resistance. Our only complaint is that its not that warm, but that's to be expected for a hardshell. Needless to say, it's a jacket that will hold up to the test of time, and that's invaluable.

Conclusion


If you are looking for a stylish, high functioning ski shell that will help you rip around the mountain and look like a pro doing it, look no further than the Billie Coat. Our testers received many compliments on this jacket and reached for it when they were hitting the town as well as the slopes. We love its well-thought-out ski features, wind and waterproof exterior, and subtle style.

We loved the long relaxed and feminine fit of the Billie Coat.
We loved the long, relaxed, and feminine fit of the Billie Coat.


— Jessica Haist