Advnture Verdict
Well-placed insulation makes the Liberate warm without being bulky, and with lots of freedom of movement you can get on with snowboarding how you like. Good looks, but the pockets are oddly placed.
Pros
- +
Fully waterproofed
- +
Comfortable to wear all day
- +
Great looks
Cons
- -
Oddly placed pockets
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DC Liberate: first impressions
Designed for people who want to look smart in the snow, the DC Liberate is a classy longer-length snowboarding jacket built for days of resort cruising. It is a delight to wear, with a comfortable soft lining, a relaxed, roomy fit and a brushed outer material that’s a far cry from some of the more plasticky ski coats we tested out for our best women’s ski jackets buying guide.
This jacket fits on the slim side, and isn’t cut generously enough to suit curvier women without needing to size up. The longer-length torso will suit taller women, however. This smart parka-style coat is a bit of a “stealth” ski jacket that looks just as good with jeans as with salopettes, so you can wear it all winter, in and out of the mountains, for a variety of winter sports.
• RRP: $265 (US) / £200 (UK)
• Waterproofing: 15,000mm H/H
• Insulation: Profill
• Sizes: XS / S / M / L / XL
• Colors: Camo / Khaki / Red
• Compatibility: Perfect for snowboarding in a range of conditions
DC Liberate: on the slopes
DC’s fashion-forward Liberate is more than just a pretty face. The insulated jacket is instantly warm once on, trapping in body heat well without being too bulky, and is waterproofed to 15,000mm, repelling even steadily falling snow (for more on keeping warm in chilly conditions, see: down vs synthetic insulation).
Armpit zips cool things down if you’re working hard, and there’s more insulation on the torso and less on the arms, which really helps with freedom of movement, especially if you’re into playing about in the terrain park.
We like that there are plenty of external pockets, including a lift pass pocket and great lined hand pockets, but the large chest and bottom pockets of the Liberate are oddly placed on the centre of the coat, and are hard to get to when the jacket’s on – they may be more of a nod to style than to function.
