Not bad. I'm sending these back because I prefer another option I picked up (the POC VPD Hip Shorts) but these are solid. The coverage zones are large, the placement is good, and the fit is comfortable but not so loose that things start to slip.

The one thing that put the POC shorts over them is the fact that because of the placement of the hip pads on these, they kind of bunch up at the waist, especially under pants. The POC shorts have 2 separate pieces at each waist with a small break in between, so they articulate better. It's a nitpicky detail and otherwise I would have no problem rocking these.

Unimpressed. I was curious when I picked these up to order them why they were so much more expensive than the similar Burton shorts or the POC VPD Hip Shorts (which use a similar soft material that stiffens upon impact). Now that I've worn and compared, I'm even more curious.

The D3O zones are thinner and provide less coverage than either of the cheaper options. They do have solid frontal thigh protection, but that strikes me as something that'd be more important for biking than for snowboarding, so keep it in mind.

These are definitely going back.

The other two reviewers are on point. I can't even imagine what Oakley was thinking when they made this jacket. It does indeed look like a garbage bag and there is no way I would ever go snowboarding in it as a primary outerwear piece. It lacks a powder skirt, hood, and the material seems very flimsy. However, it is very comfortable, compressible, and warm. It would work great as a about-town jacket or as a layering piece. I'd give it three stars if not for the fact that mine already has some fraying just wearing it the past couple days. Most likely going to be returned, but if I replace it and it holds up, could be an intriguing option (just not as snowboarding outerwear).

I own two other Sessions jackets (a 05-06 GT Surveillance Jacket and a 07-08 Firefly Crosshatch), and have tried on a bunch of their stuff at their headquarters near Santa Cruz, so I feel comfortable reviewing this without having tried it.

The good:
- It holds up to Session's generally solid build quality.
- It looks absolutely sick.
- It seems to provide fairly good warmth without too much weight.

The fit is Sessions... I'm not sure what they call it. It is not fitted, but it is not their baggiest fit. It's comparable to the Burton sig fit (baggy, but not stupid baggy). If you prefer a slimmer fit, size down one.

Sessions generally makes sick stuff, and I really wanted to keep this jacket, but there was one major flaw that I KNEW would bug me once I got onto the mountain. The flap that covers the zipper on this jacket is held in place by buttons rivets. This is done by velcro on most other jackets, including the Session ones I've owned. This would get to be a pain in the ass buttoning and unbuttoning those rivets in the cold with gloves on.

The inconvenience factor would only cut one star in most circumstances. If you want, you can always leave them unbuttoned and not worry about it. However, if you hit your chest on anything remotely hard, it would HURT like a mother. As someone who has seen iPhone-shaped welts on the chests of buddies who've taken bad falls, button rivets are the last thing you want near your sternum and solar plexus.

If you're just cruising around or just looking for a cold weather jacket, this is a phenomenal jacket and at the price I'd jump on it. However if you're a more aggressive rider who could potentially take a high impact hit to the chest (either in the trees or charging on an icy day), I'd look elsewhere.

Comfortable, non-stink, and does not restrict movement. Way better than any synthetic I've ever used... keeps you drier, warmer, and doesn't stink as much. I use these as my general snowboard baselayer, as well as when I'm cold at work or running. Super versatile and well worth the cash if you have it.

Even with the hefty price tag, if you are in a position to use base layers often, you will actually SAVE money as you will not need to wash these as often thanks to Merino wool's inherent antibacterial nature. A lot of synthetics have something similar, but it will wash out eventually. With these, it's a part of the fiber and will last for the life of the garment.

Terribly designed. Ideally, you want your snowboard wrist guards to be long, somewhat flexible, and have support on the back of your hand. These things fail on all three counts. Check out http://www.ski-injury.com/wrist.htm to see what can potentially happen with these; the guards in those photos and next to the x-rays are this same guard, just an earlier model. These may be worthwhile for absolute beginners, but even then I would go with another company. RED, Protec, and Seirus make way better models, don't waste your time with these.

These things are great. Not only are they cheaper than Burton's RED wrist guards, but they are also lower profile and in my experience MUCH easier to get into gloves. They don't allow quite the same amount of manual dexterity, but they come close and are better designed. The big thing in their favor is that both the bottom and top splits are removable, so you can make them as rigid and supportive as you want. Great buy if you're throwing down in the park and a MUST buy if you're a newbie. Wrist injuries are the most common injury in snowboard, don't be another statistic.

I feel a little bad leaving a review without actually having used this jacket and having returned it, but it was just not what I was looking for. Since I didn't actually use it, I just gave it a 4 as to not affect the average rating and provide some additional information.

On the plus side, it seemed reasonably waterproof (put it on and ran one of the sleeves under a sink, not the most comprehensive test by any means) and is the most lightweight snowboard jacket I have ever handled. It honestly barely felt like it was there, less intrusive than some Anorak jackets I've tried on.

However, that lightweight comes back to haunt (at least for me). Burton jackets are typically chock full of features, ranging from Crossflow venting to hidden storm pockets. This thing is a shell and that's pretty much it. One exterior chest pocket, handwarmers, pit vents, and that's pretty much it. No wicking layer, no insulation, no mesh backing on the pit zips. I was ok with this, as I prefer to layer independently, but the complete lack of interior chest pockets killed it for me. I do most of my riding in-bounds with an MP3 player, so this didn't quite do it for me.

Even if you don't ride with an MP3 player, I wouldn't recommend this jacket unless what want is absolutely the most lightweight jacket possible. There are better values out there for sure. But if losing weight and bulk are the top of your priority list and you have cash to burn, this is definitely the jacket for you.

I personally prefer independent layering over thickly insulated jackets, so I prefer a relatively lightweight jacket. This isn't the most lightweight jacket in the world (that would probably go to something in the Burton AK line), but it's about as compact as you can get without getting a minimalist shell. I tried lugging it around in the pack I wear and no issues whatsoever with the size or weight of it. At the same time, it feels hefty enough to hold up under the stress of snowboarding.

It looks very good, the fit is baggy but not excessively so, and it has a ton of great little features like magnetic clasps, audio routing, and ALS lining. One of the things I really like about it is the powder skirt, which has clasps to wrap around belt loops on your pants. I have Bonfire pants, and these provide a more secure, better connection that Bonfire's own proprietary "snaptite" system!

I only have a couple complaints:

1.) The thumb hole wrist cuffs are a nice idea, but too hefty to be used as intended. When you slip them on under the glove, it puts a ton of pressure on the area between your thumb and hand. However, they're easy enough to move past and just use as a cuff at the wrist.

2.) When zipped all the way up, it's quite tight at the chin. This might be by design, as I found that compared to the other jacket I own, which has a looser fit at the chin, you don't have to worry as much about the hood obscuring your vision with your neck turned. This one is up to your personal preferences.

Both very minor concerns.

I haven't tried this thing out on snow (one of the problems with buying gear in the summer), but it passed a shower test with flying colors. If it holds up durability-wise, it should be awesome... and even if it doesn't, life time warranty! Great value, great pick-up with the current late-August sale. The only real concern I have about it is that backcountry/dogfunk had so many of them, I might see too many of them on the mountain!

These provide decent protection, but allow for a fair amount of dexterity as well. However, they do have some significant flaws. If you look in the picture, you'll see below the knuckles on the back of the hand, there's a pretty sizeable piece. This piece of material does nothing. It goes over the adjustable strap for the palm and adds unnecessary bulk. I would remove it, except that piece also requires a piece of "hook and loop" which I found sticks to the liner of many gloves. So unfortunately, that pieces adds little protection or function, but adds a considerable amount of bulk. If Burton had slightly switched up the design, they could have gotten rid of that with less functionality (plus likely fewer construction costs).

That having been said, I don't like super rigid wrist guards, so these are the best option for me functionally. Just keep in mind that you may need to upsize your glove size to account for them.