Gear Review
With the 2024 ski season fully underway and plenty more days left on the hill, it’s a great time to feature a gear review. Highlighting one of the top brands in the ski industry, Helly Hansen has been designing high-performance outerwear for outdoor professionals and athletes for over a century. Continuing its legacy of producing long-lasting, durable materials, Helly Hansen offers an exceptional line of outerwear for skiers, whether you’re frequenting the resort or venturing into the backcountry.
I have had the opportunity to test and review the Helly Hansen Bellissimo Ski Jacket and Powderqueen Ski Pants this season. As a product tester and reviewer, I have worked with several brands testing outerwear, with this being my first wearing Helly Hansen’s products. A brand that you see everywhere on the mountain, I was excited to put it to the test and give my unbiased opinion. Being based in Aspen, Colorado, I’ve had the chance to ski in all types of weather and conditions, allowing me to properly assess the gear. For this review, I have broken it down into four different sections: Fabric, Fit, Protection, Features, and Performance.
Reviewer Stats:
- Name: Emily Crofton
- Days in the Helly Hansen outerwear kit: 8
- Height: 5’3”
- Weight: 110 lbs
- Testing Location: Aspen, Colorado
Fabric
Starting off with the Bellissimo Jacket, Helly Hansen had comfort and style in mind when designing this women’s ski coat. As someone who spends most of their time skiing at the resort, this is a great option as it focuses primarily on warmth and all-day performance. Made with 2-layer, 2-way stretch fabric featuring 100% polyester and polyamide, it fits and feels nice and allows for freedom of movement. Water-resistant and wind-proof, the exterior of this jacket protects you from light precipitation, high winds, and cold temperatures. On really wet days, I would probably choose a ski coat with Helly Tech, as this particular jacket is designed more for warmth over dryness. This brings us to the highlight of the Bellissimo Jacket–the Primaloft insulation. Integrated into the jacket design, 100 grams of Primaloft Black Eco insulation makes up the chic chevron baffles, giving it a flattering and incredibly warm fit. I wore this jacket on below-freezing days and was so happy with the level of warmth and comfort it provided. What made it that much better was the faux fur hood, providing even more protection from the elements. If you are someone who tends to get cold on the mountain, the Bellissimo Jacket is your saving grace.
Looking next at the Powderqueen Ski Pants, Helly Hansen uses the same construction with the 2-layer, 2-way stretch fabric design featuring 100% polyester in the shell. Offering a great range of motion and protection from the elements, I found these pants perfect for resort skiing. With 40 grams of Primaloft insulation, they kept me incredibly warm and comfortable even on the coldest days. Soft on the interior and durable on the exterior, the fabric in both the jacket and pants makes a lot of sense for skiers who value warmth and all-day comfort.
Fit
The Bellissimo Jacket and Powderqueen Ski Pants are designed to have a regular fit. Not meant to be loose or tight, the fit is intended to promote mobility, comfort, and functionality. When it comes to sizing for me personally, I typically float between x-small and small, depending on the brand. As a first-time Helly Hansen owner, I started off with a small in both the jacket and pants but ended up sizing down in the pants. At 5’3” and 110 lbs, the x-small fit me better in the waist and lengthwise. In order to customize the fit, they added adjustable velcro strips in the waistline, which allows you to tighten or loosen them if needed. Another addition to the fit that I like a lot is the articulated knees and crotch gusset, which allows the fabric to move more intuitively with your body. In the jacket, the size small fits me very nicely. Lengthwise, it sits right at my waist and offers a very flattering fit. While I typically wear a longer-fitting coat, this is a great fit for women who prefer a ski jacket that sits at the waist and can also be worn for streetwear. Since it is insulated, I don’t need to wear a lot underneath, but it is roomy enough to layer for extra warmth. There are a lot of adjustable fit features in the jacket, which I enjoy, including adjustable cuffs, hood, and powder skirt. Customizable and comfortable, I find the fit in the jacket and pants to be perfect for my size, flattering, and functional.
Protection
Arguably, the most important quality, protection from weather in the mountains, is crucial for outerwear. While I briefly touched upon it when highlighting the fabrics, it’s worth noting in greater detail. As Helly Hansen’s resort jacket and pants, insulation and waterproofing are essential. Since uphill travel and backcountry performance are not what these pieces are designed for, the emphasis is on warmth and comfort over weight and breathability. I tested the jacket and pants in variable weather conditions, including heavy snow, rain, wind, and below-freezing temperatures. As I previously mentioned, the insulation sets these two pieces apart, and I stayed incredibly warm in both. Highly windproof, the high protective collar and helmet-compatible hood provided ideal protection. On days when it warmed up in the afternoon, the mesh ventilation in the jacket and thigh ventilation zippers in the pants provided great breathability and temperature regulation.
Features
Always my favorite part of a gear view, let’s look at the features in this kit. As someone who skis with several belongings, I am a big fan of pockets. In the jacket, there are two hand pockets with YKK zippers, one inner chest pocket, one interior stash pocket, a ski pass pocket, and last but not least, a life pocket. New to me, life pocket technology is designed to preserve smartphone battery life by keeping it 2x warmer than a traditional ski jacket pocket. In addition to the plentiful storage, this jacket also features RECCO technology, which is crucial for spending time in the mountains as it allows you to be searchable for rescue in an emergency. As for the rest of the features, this jacket has an adjustable powder skirt, detachable faux fur, helmet-compatible hood, and adjustable cuffs. There’s also a very conveniently located goggle wipe attached inside the right-hand pocket, which always comes in handy. Truly outfitted for comfort and style, the Bellissimo Jacket has it all.
Like the jacket, the Powderqueen Ski Pants feature multiple pockets, including two hand pockets and one spacious thigh pocket. As I previously mentioned with the fit, the adjustable velcro strips in the waist allow you to customize to your preference, which is nice. On the bottom of the pants, there are adjustable snow gaiters that you can fit snugly over your boot or roll up, as well as reinforcement fabric to prevent rips and tears from ski edges. As someone who skis with their legs fairly close together (mogul skier), this is a key feature for me. With RECCO technology in the pants as well, this entire outfit features safety technology.
Performance
I found this outerwear kit to perform exceptionally well for everyday resort skiing. With warmth, comfort, and protection being the priorities here, it’s safe to say those boxes were checked. If backcountry skiing was my preferred activity, I would choose a different outfit as it does not provide the highest level of breathability, is not particularly lightweight, and does not save on weight. For lift rides and resort laps, this outfit provided exactly what I needed. The insulation is incredible, the fit is comfortable and functional, and it is water-resistant and windproof. There is enough ventilation for warmer temps, adjustable features to align with weather changes, and 2-way stretch construction allowing freedom of movement.
The Bottom Line
To sum it all up, with so many outerwear brands and styles to choose from, it can be hard to narrow it down. As a highly regarded brand in the ski industry, Helly Hansen continues to impress with its high-quality, performance-focused products. Well worth the price, the Women’s Bellissimo Jacket and Powderqueen Ski Pants offer a flattering fit, stylish look, superior performance, and unrivaled warmth and comfort. I have been so pleased with this outerwear kit and find it exceptional for the resort’s cold, snowy days.
Additional Photos:
