Helly Hansen W Whitestar Ski Jacket Review

This review of the Helly Hansen W Whitestar Jacket was written by Holly Barber aged 15

Last Easter, I embarked on a skiing holiday to Andorra; this was only my third skiing trip. I am now a more experienced skier, so wanted more technical ski wear than I had on previous trips.  With this in mind, the Helly Hansen W Whitestar Jacket certainly did not disappoint.

I am in my mid-teens, and tend to find that clothes don’t fit me very well as I’m what you would call an ‘in-between’ size. However, this jacket fitted like a dream, and looked great too! Its simplistic aesthetics make it a very stylish option, looking good both on the slopes and around town.

The jacket comes in a choice of two colours, black or port (a reddish colour) – I chose the latter. This paired particularly well with the cinnamon W Powder Pant.

Helly Hansen is known for its technical gear and attention to detail, with the W Whitestar Jacket being no exception. It has a range of features, and one that I found particularly useful was the H²Flow™ System.

As we were skiing in spring conditions, the temperatures were high but the wind brought on a chill factor when going up the lifts. This is where the H²Flow™ System came in very handy, as it kept me cool when I needed it to but also retained the heat in the cold.

You can control this by zipping and unzipping the well-placed vents under each arm, with the air being circulated around the back of the jacket. That said, the vents cannot be quickly done up as the fabric creases, and is nearly impossible whilst wearing gloves. I also found that there was a slight lump in the seam under the right arm, but this quickly disappeared with use.

The jacket is equipped with a detachable fur-lined hood that can be pulled on over a helmet. One slight problem was that the hood kept on detaching from the right shoulder whilst I was wearing it, but this can easily be fixed as you can just remove it altogether if it becomes too much of a nuisance for you.

The front hand pockets have horizontal zippers, which ensure that nothing will fall out when you open them up and increases ease of fitting your hands inside for warmth.

Wrist gaitors in the sleeves also help to keep hands warm and dry within gloves, and the sleeves expand to make fitting gloves much easier and more efficient.

As well as the hand pockets, the Whitestar Jacket features more insulated pockets both inside and out. The most technical has to be the Life Pocket+™ which uses Primaloft® Aerogel Insulation to keep your phone warm during cold wintry days on the mountain, and helps to extend battery life.

As I took this jacket out during spring, I didn’t see the full effects of this pocket but I can still say that it works well in slightly chilly conditions. One thing I thought the jacket was missing though was a lift pass pocket in the arm, but this wasn’t too big of a deal as I just put it in my trouser pocket instead.

Overall, I was very impressed with the Helly Hansen W Whitestar Jacket, and it was a big step up to a whole new technical level in what I had worn before. At £450 it is good value for money, and will certainly last me a few years yet!

FEATURES

• Helly Tech® Professional
• 2 ply fabric construction
• 4 way full stretch fabric
• Fully seam sealed
• Life Pocket+™ with Primaloft® Aerogel Insulation
• Waterproof, windproof and breathable
• Durable Water Repellency treatment (DWR)
• Primaloft® Black Insulation Hi-loft 100g in body and 80g in sleeves
• Fully insulated
• H²Flow™ System mechanical venting for optimal comfort
• RECCO® Advanced Rescue system
• Articulated arms and elbows for superior fit
• Detachable helmet compatible and adjustable hood
• Draft collar with brushed tricot
• Dual hand warming pockets and chest pocket
• Wrist gaitors with thumb hole
• Internal pockets for goggles/w goggle shammy and electronics
• Ski-pass pocket
• YKK® metallic coil zipper
• Arm length 87.5cm
• CB Length 59cm

hellyhansen.com