Flylow Gear Lucy Jacket Review

Colorado-borne Flylow Gear has been growing in popularity, and it's easy to see why. This brand is churning out high-performing and high-styling gear with price tags that severely undercut a lot of the competition. Case in point is the Lucy Jacket, which I tested in Crested Butte, Colorado. This jacket combines the comfort and stretch of a softshell with the durability and protection of a hardshell, making it an impressively well-rounded jacket. It can't match the bombproof feel of Gore-Tex, but the jacket is still a solid performer in wet weather, is well-made, exceptionally soft, and looks good to boot. To see how the Lucy Jacket stacks up to the competition, see our articles on the best ski jackets, women's ski jackets, and women's snowboard jackets.

Editor's note: This review details our experiences with the previous version of the Lucy Jacket. The newest version uses Flylow's Tactic membrane (which is similar to the previous version's Intuitive), features a number of sustainability updates (including PFAS-free DWR and recycled construction), and adds a single dump pocket (the previous had none). We updated links throughout this review on October 21, 2025, to go to the most up-to-date version. We'll be sure to update our thoughts more once we've had a chance to get the new Lucy on the slopes, though we expect our opinions to largely remain the same.
 

Table of Contents

• Weather Protection
• Comfort
• Breathability
• Build Quality and Durability
• Weight and Packability
• Key Features
• Fit and Sizing
• What We Like/What We Don't
• Comparison Table
• The Competition

Performance

Weather Protection

Using Flylow Gear’s in-house 3-layer Tactic fabric (note: the version tested in this review used Flylow's Intuitive fabric, which isn't much different), the women’s Lucy Jacket is a highly protective barrier against the elements. We didn’t get any big powder dumps during our time testing in Crested Butte, Colorado, but the jacket deftly fended off light precipitation with no signs of wetting out. For added assurance, the Lucy jacket sports a quality durable water repellent (DWR) coating, includes YKK waterproof zippers at all openings, and is fully seam-taped. Rounding out the protective features, you also get a removable powder skirt for blocking out snow at the waist, functional hem adjustments, a helmet-compatible hood that provides ample coverage both at the top and sides, and Velcro at the cuffs that sealed nicely under my gauntlet-style gloves. Finally, the collar comes all the way up to my nose and leaves only my ski goggles exposed, which is great on especially blustery days.
 

All that said, it’s worth noting that the Lucy feels more like a soft and supple softshell than a highly protective hardshell, and you can get a more bombproof and impervious construction in a Gore-Tex-equipped model. To be sure, I didn’t experience any issues with the Lucy in terms of wetting out or allowing wind in, but it simply doesn’t have the batten-down-the-hatches feel of Gore-Tex shells (a potential downside in particularly wet climates like the Pacific Northwest). Depending on your priorities, the tradeoffs may or may not be worth it. Personally, I think the Lucy is a good compromise: It’s perfectly capable of sealing out the elements but manages to do so without the stiff construction typical of a hardshell design. For skiers that prioritize comfort but don’t want to sacrifice wet-weather protection, the Lucy is a great match.
 

Comfort

As I touched on above, the Flylow Gear Lucy Jacket is an exceptionally comfortable ski shell. Its stretchy construction is immediately noticeable, as is the supple, tricot-lined interior. This is especially great news for backcountry-goers, as the Lucy allows great freedom of movement to reach down and adjust bindings, remove climbing skins, etc. In addition, I never experienced any bunching or riding up, and the jacket never felt crinkly or stiff like a typical hardshell. And Flylow nailed the details, with soft fleece lining in the hand pockets and chin area and a flattering, streamlined cut that stays out of the way and adds to the jacket’s good looks (more on this below).
 

Breathability

The Lucy is designed with demanding backcountry use in mind, and it follows suit that the jacket was a good overall breather. I admittedly run cold, but I didn’t experience any overheating, even when venturing off-piste on a short sidecountry hike. To help with temperature regulation, the Lucy comes equipped with generous, 12-inch pit zips that are easy to open, even with gloves on (closing them is a bit tougher, but still manageable). I didn’t find myself needing to use these unless temperatures crept into the 30s Fahrenheit, but to be fair, I also didn’t get a chance to take the Lucy on longer, more intensive backcountry missions (COVID-19 cut our testing short). I’m eager to get more time with the jacket this coming season and put it through more demanding adventures, and I'll follow up here should any issues crop up.
 

Build Quality and Durability

Simply put, the Flylow Gear Lucy Jacket exudes quality. Everything from the Velcro cuffs to the zipper pulls and seams have a robust, confidence-inspiring feel. And the specs back that up: For the face fabric, Flylow chose a hardwearing 100-denier (D) polyester that feels noticeably thick to the touch. For reference, many of our favorite ski shells fall in the 50- to 75-denier range. Overall, we appreciate the extra assurance for backcountry pursuits, which often involve encounters with trees, rocks, and other obstacles. Again, I haven’t had a chance to truly put the Lucy through its paces, but all signs are positive that the jacket will hold up well to regular use and abuse.
 

On another note, I’d be remiss not to mention the Lucy’s attractive styling here. More than any other ski jacket I’ve worn, the Lucy has received so many compliments on its fun color scheme and eye-catching design. All in all, it’s a piece I’ve loved taking directly from the slopes to the lodge and even walking around town, and the pastel pink and blue sections haven’t faded or stained (an initial concern I had given the lighter hues). Taken together, despite its performance focus, this is a supremely good-looking jacket (with very tasteful and unobtrusive branding) that doesn’t come off as overly technical.
 

Weight and Packability

Despite the burly build, at 1 pound 3.5 ounces, the Flylow Gear Lucy Jacket falls on the lighter end of the women’s ski jacket spectrum. For reference, Trew Gear's similarly intentioned Stella Classic jacket weighs a bit more at 1 pound 8 ounces. Same with Arc'teryx's high-end Sentinel Jacket, which comes in at 1 pound 5.3 ounces. It even has Patagonia's SnowDrifter Jacket beat (1 lb. 5.1 oz.), which is one of the brand's dedicated backcountry ski jackets and features a similar stretchy hardshell fabric. In my opinion, this gives the Lucy jacket a lot of backcountry appeal, and makes it a great choice for those who split time between the resort and the skin track. 
 

Key Features

Hood

As I mentioned above, the Lucy’s ski helmet-compatible hood is highly protective and offers ample coverage both at the top and around the sides. Further, adjustment is as simple as toggling the two drawcords at the front and one at the back of the head (tightening and loosening can both be done with gloves), and the tall collar leaves only my goggles exposed to the elements. That said, I did find it difficult to turn my head side to side with the hood over a helmet and the main zipper fully engaged. It was an easy problem to solve by lowering the zipper around two to three inches, and we’ve had this same problem with a few other ski shells, but mobility nevertheless was an issue.
 

Storage: Pockets

In my opinion, the Flylow Gear Lucy Jacket has just the right number of pockets for stowing the essentials. For starters, you get two massive, fleece-lined hand pockets that easily swallow gloved hands. Additionally, the jacket features a pass pocket along the left forearm, a mesh-lined chest pocket at the left side, and an interior mesh pocket along the right side of the torso. Neither of the latter two are big enough to stash a modern smartphone, but they work well for items like a wallet, keys, and snacks. And interestingly, despite its backcountry focus, the Lucy doesn’t have a dump pocket on the interior for stuffing climbing skins, a hat, or gloves while on the go. However, the hand pockets can easily fit those items, and this shouldn’t be a deal-breaker for most (note: the newest Lucy does have a single dump pocket, which should be large enough to store those items). 
 

Powder Skirt

Like many ski-specific shells, the Flylow Gear Lucy Jacket sports a powder skirt for sealing out snow at the waist in the event of a fall or on deep powder days. It’s a functional, all-around design with two sets of buttons at each side for adjusting fit, an elastic, silicone-like band along the bottom for keeping it in place, and a zipper at the top for removing the skirt when not in use. It's an unobtrusive design that goes largely unnoticed throughout the day (which is a good thing). And for those wanting an integrated system, the skirt can be attached to any of Flylow’s current women’s snow pants.
 

Fit and Sizing

I ordered a women’s size medium in the Flylow Gear Lucy and found it to be a good all-around fit. For reference, I’m 5’6” and 135 pounds, and the jacket fit me well overall with no noticeable areas of tightness or looseness when wearing my usual merino baselayer and down midlayer combo underneath. For backcountry use, the fit is a little baggy on me with a lighter baselayer and optional midlayer, and I’d likely size down if I planned to use the jacket strictly for touring. But the length is just about perfect: The jacket covers well below my butt (I measured the center back length at around 29.5 in.) and nicely seals out snow without riding or bunching up when sitting on a lift or bending down to adjust my bindings. 
 

Sustainability

The latest version of the Lucy Jacket incorporates several eco-friendly measures. Most notably, the jacket is made without using any PFAS (also known as "forever chemicals") in the waterproofing or DWR coating. Flylow also now uses 100% recycled polyester in the shell fabric, and the materials are Bluesign certified, which means they meet the organization's high standards for environmental and consumer safety. Put together, the Lucy is a highly sustainable design and sets the standards for other manufacturers across the market. 
 

Flylow Gear Men’s Malone Jacket

The Lucy is a women’s-specific jacket, and Flylow Gear also has a men’s version called the Malone. The Malone costs the same and has a nearly identical construction and feature set, including a 3-layer Tactic build, helmet-compatible hood, removable powder skirt, and YKK waterproof zippers. The men’s variation clocks in a bit heavier and is sold in different colors, but you can expect performance between the two to be very similar across the board.

What We Like

• Great combination of weather protection and comfort. Overall, the Lucy is a highly capable barrier against the elements but also exceptionally soft.
• At 1 pound 3.5 ounces, the jacket feels light and airy while riding.
• One of the best-looking performance-focused jackets we’ve tested to date, with fashionable styling and attractive colorways that don’t look overly technical.
• Premium materials and a well-thought-out feature set.

What We Don’t

• Lacks the bombproof feel of Gore-Tex-equipped hardshells (although the boost in comfort is a worthwhile tradeoff, in my opinion).
• Collar feels slightly restrictive with the hood over a helmet and the main zipper fully closed.
• Chest pockets are both too small to accommodate a modern smartphone.
• For strictly touring use, I’d prefer a trimmer fit and likely would have gone down from a size medium to a small.
   

Comparison Table

The Competition

Flylow Gear’s new Lucy shell stands out among the ski jacket competition for its excellent combination of comfort and protection. But the ski jacket market is full of alternatives to consider. Trew Gear is Flylow's most direct competitor, and their Stella Jacket Classic is similar to the Lucy in a lot of ways. It features a 3-layer waterproof construction, a host of ski-specific features (including a powder skirt, helmet-compatible hood, internal dump pockets, and pit zips), and stylish cut and color options. In practice, we've found the Stella to be more weather-resistant than the Lucy—its shell lacks the softshell-like stretch that the Lucy has. This is great news for those who mostly stick to the resort or live in wet climates, but it limits the versatility of the Stella. For true crossover capability, we'll still turn to the Lucy. 
 

If you're willing to spend up, Arc'teryx's Sentinel Jacket is another compelling design. This 3-layer shell is outfitted with reliable Gore-Tex waterproofing but remains relatively breathable for the skin track. As expected from the brand, the Sentinel exudes quality—everything from the award-worthy StormHood (which has better protection and mobility than the Lucy's) to the fit and finish is premium. That quality comes at a hefty price, however, and we still think the Lucy is a better match for the skin track. The Sentinel is slightly heavier and doesn't have the same stretchy fabric. For dedicated backcountry use, Patagonia's SnowDrifter Jacket is a nice alternative. Like the Lucy, it has a stretchy shell fabric that moves, breathes, and offers plenty of protection against the elements. The 'Drifter has a decidedly athletic vibe compared to the Lucy, however, and its thinner shell (50D) won't hold up as well to consistent resort use. The SnowDrifter will breathe better than the Lucy, but we still think the Lucy has it beat when it comes to versatility. In our opinion, the Lucy is the best of both worlds.
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