Flylow Billie Coat Review

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

Weather Resistance

The Billie Coat is a three-layer hardshell, and you can tell. The fabric was slightly stiff initially, 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 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 cinched tightly around our necks. Even with the hood fully cinched down, we could still move our heads from side to side. And, the Billie Coat's zippers didn't allow any noticeable drafts through.

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.

Warmth

The jacket isn't insulated, so it received a lower rating in this metric. We always needed to have adequate layers underneath. We will say, however, that the thick shell material did not let any wind pass through the material itself or the front zipper when traveling at high speeds down the mountain.

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.

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 is, our testers all wanted to be the ones 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.

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 all jackets had this option.

Another favorite feature of this jacket is the 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.

Should You Buy the Billie Coat?

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 and the slopes. We love its well-thought-out ski features, wind and waterproof exterior, and subtle style. Our only complaint is that it's not that warm, but that's to be expected for a hardshell. It's a jacket that will hold up to the test of time, and that's invaluable.

What Other Women's Ski Jackets Should You Consider?

We think that the Flylow Billie Coat is a stellar value for a hard-charging hardshell – it has all the features we want and need and offers superior weather resistance. That said, award-winning hardshells like the Arc'teryx Sentinel AR or the value-minded Outdoor Research Carbide have a slightly more tailored fit. Other technical shells, like the Norrona Lofoten Gore-Tex Pro or the Backcountry Notchtop Gore-Tex Active even offer a bit more ventilation for backcountry-focused skiers. But none of these shells offer the standalone warmth of the award-winning Helly Hansen Powderqueen 3.0 or even the price-point The North Face Thermoball Eco Snow Triclimate 3-in-1.