Helly Hansen Kvitfjell Race Insulated Ski Jacket review: retro-styled protection with all the latest tech

Helly Hansen Kvitfjell Race Insulated Ski Jacket: first impressions 

If you love skiing and you really love doing it in style, you're going to be sorely tempted by the Kvitfjell Race jacket. This ski jacket from Helly Hansen has already won awards and it's no surprise, given that it was designed with input from the Norwegian national alpine ski team. The professional advice is obvious in its high performance for resort skiing in all conditions.

Fully waterproof and packed with Primaloft Black Ocean Recycled insulation, we've never felt cold in this jacket, even in sub-zero temps and there's no need for a mid layer on milder days. Insulated jackets can pose a problem in the spring, especially if you want to ski hard, but we've found it's very breathable plus it has underarm vents when you overdress.

Because it was designed with ski racers in mind, this jacket won't hinder your mobility in any way. From the articulated sleeves to four-way stretch, you'll easily be able to adjust your boots and take on bumps if that's your thing.

Helly Hansen's ski gear is getting increasingly tech-heavy and this jacket is no exception. There's a RECCO reflector built into the hood in case you decide to go off-piste and get in trouble as well as a Life Pocket to keep your phone close to hand and stop it from dying in the cold. There's also a super handy phone leash so you'll never drop your phone from the chairlift again and a goggle wipe for powder days.

Pockets abound here – we've found six so far including a well-positioned lift pass pocket on the left sleeve – and you can reasonably leave your backpack at home even during a full day on the slopes. The hood is helmet-compatible thanks to an initially hard-to-find inner zip and the women's version has other women's specific adjustable details so it can be tailored to your body.

And then there's the aesthetics. This retro-styled jacket has classic good looks that make it a head-turning piece of gear and one you'll likely want to wear for years and years. That's a good thing too, because it's easily one of the most expensive ski jackets we've tested.

Helly Hansen Kvitfjell Race Insulated Ski Jacket: in the field 

I've loved skiing in my Helly Hansen Elevation Infinity 2.0 Ski Shell Jacket for the last couple of years so I was actually a little conflicted when I was offered this to test. Could I possibly like a jacket as much as the Elevation Infinity? What if I liked it more? There was only one way to find out, so I've taken this to Verbier and Chamonix this year and tested it in whiteout conditions and bluebird ski days.

Here’s how it performed:

Sizing, fit and comfort

I tested a small in this jacket, which is my usual size, and I'm very happy with it. Ski clothes and Helly Hansen jackets are often a bit baggy on me, but this has enough room to wear over a wool base layer and my half-zip Daybreaker fleece without looking like I'm wearing my big brother's jacket.

It's got a real retro vibe so the fit is quite sleek and flattering rather than bulky and baggy, which is more functional for skiing and there's lots of stretch added for mobility.

I got to put this to the test on a busy press trip to Chamonix with the brand where we were moving around the mountain a lot with ski patrol. That involved a lot of taking my skis off and putting my boots in walk mode and I was able to move perfectly comfortably, even with lots of layers.

Weather protection and breathability 

As I mentioned, I've been used to skiing in a shell with lots of layers for a while, so I wasn't sure how I'd feel about going back to an insulated jacket. Would it be too warm?

Well, I can say that I've never been cold in this jacket, even without a few sub-zero days at the top of the chairlift, and in general, I do run a little cold, so that's a great start.

On my last two days in Chamonix, I went into autopilot and wore this over my fleece even though the temperatures were relatively mild. I'd overdressed and did find myself getting a little sweaty, especially because one day I was skiing Les Houches alone, it was quiet, and I was lapping runs at very high speed with very little waiting time between runs.

However, that gave me a good chance to test the breathability of the Primaloft insulation, and amazingly I didn't stay damp or get chilled when the temperatures started to drop at the end of the day. I was wearing merino wool against my skin, which certainly helped, and I was able to ski all day without having to tie my fleece around my waist and risk looking like a gaper.

In a more unusual test of this jacket's breathability, I got the unexpected opportunity to go ski touring when I was in Verbier but this was the only jacket I had brought with me on my trip. I'd usually go touring in a softshell, and it was snowing that day, so I threw this on over my Houdini Power Hoodie to get on the gondola thinking I would have to shed it and put it in my backpack once I got moving.

I skinned uphill for about 4.5k from the mid mountain gondola to a mountain hut. Amazingly, I never needed to take this jacket off off and just unzipped the vents. I'm not saying this is a touring jacket by any stretch, but it is breathable.

Weight and packability

This is an insulated ski jacket, so it's not going to be light compared to a shell or softshell and it's in line with other insulated Helly Hansen ski jackets like the Verbier Infinity in terms of weight.

That said, I've worn it for travel on a ski trip where I didn't want to check a bag and didn't find it particularly burdensome, and I recently rolled it up and managed to pack it in my Fjallraven High Coast Duffel 36 along with my other clothes for a flight. I do pack light and I don't want to give the impression that it's feather-light and super compressible, but for what it is I'd say it's an acceptable weight and size when packed.

Storage, hood and other features

For spending full days on the hill, I wanted to carry my neck gaiter, ski gloves, beanie, ski pass, phone, portable charger and cord and my wallet, and I really didn't want to wear a backpack. With all the pockets in this jacket, I managed that and still had room to spare.

I used the inner pocket for my charger and chest pockets for my phone and wallet. Then I still had the hand warming pockets free for my beanie and neck gaiter when I wasn't wearing them. Compared to my Elevation Infinity, the ski pass pocket has moved down to the forearm from the upper arm which is much more practical for boarding gondolas.

Some of the other pockets contain hand surprises too, from a goggle wipe in the left hand warming pocket which I used loads on powder days, to the phone leash in the life pocket which I thought was just genius for using my phone on the ski lift. That will save a lot of skiers a lot of money but make spring cleanup less lucrative!

The hood is obviously helmet-compatible because it's 2025 so I was surprised when mine kept coming down during a snowstorm. When I got back to the hotel I took a proper look and realized there's a zipper on the inside of the hood that you need to unzip to get the hood over your helmet properly in the first place, then you can tighten it. It works great, just not immediately obvious.

As for other features, there's a RECOO reflector built into the hood and I was pleased to see Chamonix ski patrol using the transceiver when I was there. This can really speed up the process of finding off-piste skiers if there's an avalanche and they don't have a beacon.

The only thing I can think of that's missing is a high vis detail which a lot of other Helly jackets have on the hood that makes you really easy to see in whiteout conditions, but I also get that it doesn't go with the awesome aesthetic of this smart-looking jacket.

Durability and value

Clearly I've only been testing this jacket this season so I can't hand-on-heart say it will last years, but based on its construction and my experience with Helly Hansen, I'm pretty confident in its ability to stand up to the test of time.

As for value, well the price is a little eye-watering and you can spend less on a perfectly good ski jacket and be happy. But, if you live to ski and want to look good and have access to all the latest tech? You'll love the retro vibe of this classic-looking jacket.

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