Quiet, slightly stretchy GoreTex fabric. A simple cinchable powder skirt. Smooth-tracking waterproof pit zip. A truly helmet-compatible hood with great periphery visibility. While other hard shells offer these simple features, nowhere are they combined as elegantly and with as much attention to detail. You can just tell that every feature—like the oversize gauntlet-glove compatible cuffs and the massive collar, which perfectly wraps around and protects your face—has been fussed over and field-tested to death. Plus, with no insulation, and the only weight concession to resort skiing being a tiny, discreet Recco reflector, the 21-ounce Sabre is versatile enough to pull double duty as your foul-weather ski-touring shell. Our one minor gripe is that it takes two hands to adjust the front hood drawstrings. Otherwise, as one tester put it, “it’s just about perfect.” VERSATILITY: 5 (OUT OF 5) VALUE: 3.5 PERFORMANCE: 5
