Wantdo Snowboarding Hooded - Women's Review

There are myriad winter jackets available on the online marketplace, and the Wantdo Snowboarding Hooded jacket is one of the most popular. Perhaps the most standout quality of this jacket is its low, low price relative to many other ski jackets out there. We found that this jacket performed adequately, and if you are on an incredibly tight budget, we can say it did, in fact, keep us warm and dry.

Performance Comparison

Warmth

If the Wantdo is one thing, it is warm. The high-pile fleece liner of this jacket is extremely warm. We found that we began to get very warm if we put this jacket on in the lodge before putting on boots, helmet, and goggles. The insulated hood provides even more warmth, even when already wearing a helmet or goggles.

The heavy insulation in the arms of this jacket also provides great warmth. There were no cold spots with this jacket fully battened down. The adjustable hem also kept the drafts out on windy test days. Unfortunately, the Wantdo allowed some drafts in through the sleeves, as there are only two button settings for adjusting the cuffs. Overall, though, this jacket definitely kept the cold out and body heat in.

Weather Resistance

The exterior of the Wantdo is made of a PU waterproof membrane stretchy weave backed with heavy insulation and fleece. The DWR-treated membrane beaded water and broke the wind very well during our cold, windy, and snowy test days. An additional layer of protection is the bulky, helmet-compatible hood with removable faux fur trim. The faux fur is lofty and large enough that it blocks the wind and weather around the face very well.

Unfortunately, several elements of this jacket allowed the outside in. While the two exterior hip hand pockets are equipped with water-resistant, taped zippers, the central zipper is not water-resistant and has exposed fabric that began to absorb moisture on wet days. We also found the drawstring system of this jacket to be poorly designed. The drawstring could not cinch tightly because the faux leather pieces did not tightly hold the string. Overall, the Wantdo had the capability to keep out the elements as long as we didn't push it too far in terms of duration or moisture.

Comfort and Fit

There are some real highs and lows in this metric for the Wantdo. The soft and fluffy fleece lining the body of this jacket was extremely comfortable. We liked how it felt cozy, no matter which base layers we were wearing.

The bulk of the insulation is a double-edged sword here. The bulky insulation is not very compressible and negates this jacket's stretchy outer layer, making it challenging to bend arms even in a well-fitting jacket. Also, we found the waist-cinching feature to feel constricting when skiing hard or riding lifts. The sleeves also ran a little bit short for our longer limbed ladies, leaving gaps between gloves and cuffs.

Ventilation

To be blunt, this jacket did not have any ventilation features. While the exterior material is purportedly waterproof and breathable, we had a hard time finding the breathability in practice. This jacket also does not have any external pit zips or vents. This trapped in moisture from exertion, and if we had been sweating, we began feeling clammy and cold after a few hours in this jacket.

Style

What can we say, the Wantdo is definitely a particular kind of resort-specific look. If you seek a few extra style features, this jacket sports a removable faux fur hood and faux leather clamps on the drawstrings. It also has a drawstring at the waist to provide some shape.

Unfortunately, we found that the additional drawstring did not truly provide a waist-slimming effect. This jacket still trended a little bit on the bulky and square shape. Outside of this jacket's shape, there are many colors to choose from, ranging from very bright to more low-key, like the navy we tested.

Features

This jacket checks the boxes for resort-oriented features. The Wantdo has four pockets: two exterior zip pockets, one interior dump pocket, and one interior zip pocket. It also has several drawstrings to adjust the hood, hem, and waist, but we found these drawstrings tended to lose their tightness over time.

In the realm of resort-specific features, there is also a powder skirt, but we wished it was removable or that it had a more breathable attachment fabric. The hood's faux fur trim is removable, allowing for a variation in warmth and style.

Should You Buy the Wantdo Snowboarding Hooded Jacket?

If you're on an incredibly tight budget, this jacket will keep you warm and dry for a fraction of the price of many ski jackets on the market. This is a resort-oriented jacket. If you stick to the groomers and only get out skiing a couple times a year, this jacket could be a decent choice. If you need breathability or the flexibility to go into the backcountry, you'll be better off spending more money on a more versatile jacket.

What Other Ski Jacket Should You Consider?

For those truly on a budget, this is a solid option. Wantdo does make another jacket we think is a bit better-performing for about the same price — the Wantdo Mountain Hooded. If you are seeking a high-quality jacket at a reasonable price and can afford to spend a little bit more for a jacket that will hold up better over time, check out the versatile Outdoor Research Carbide. Looking for an insulated jacket to hit the slopes in? Check out our favorite, the Helly Hansen Powderqueen 3.0.