The fact that the 3L Deep Shell’s construction gives you a little more warmth than standard shells, without adding too much weight or bulk, also makes it a solid choice for ski touring.

Eco Credentials

The Deep Shell has a host of eco-friendly attributes. First up, this product contains no environmentally harmful perfluorinated compounds (PFCs). Those are the nasty chemicals that have long been used to provide waterproof protection, particularly in the durable water repellent (DWR) treatments that ensure water beads up and rolls off the surface of the jacket.

According to the brand, the jacket is also climate neutral, which means it was produced in the most environmentally friendly way possible, whilst any unavoidable CO2 emissions have been offset.

The merino wool used as insulation has been inspected for compliance with the brand’s wool promise, so that Ortovox can guarantee their merino comes from monitored, ethical sheep farms.

Lastly, the jacket has been ethically manufactured under fair working conditions in conformity with the Fair Wear Foundation.

Construction and Performance

A good ski shell should be protective yet comfortable, tough yet flexible. The Deep Shell delivers on all fronts, thanks to a waterproof-breathable fabric that has 2-way stretch for added freedom of movement. Performance is impressive. If you want the technical specs, Toray’s PU-based Dermizax EV fabric is tested to a minimum of 20,000mm Hydrostatic Head, with a Moisture Vapour Transmission Rate (MVTR) of up to 20,000g/m²/24hrs. Of course, it’s also PFC free. 

Those 100% merino inserts in the chin and chest area add a welcome boost of warmth, without too much extra bulk or weight. Other features are well-equipped for skiing. You get a two-way adjustable storm hood and adjustable waistband and cuffs, as well as a removable powder skirt. Pit zips provide additional ventilation if you do start to overheat. Practical pockets include two spacious front pockets, an inner pocket and an upper arm ski pass pocket. Inside the jacket is an integrated cell phone pocket housed within the front left pocket, where merino mesh protects your battery against the cold.

Verdict

If you’re in the market for a new ski jacket, the Deep Shell is well worth a look. It’s a well-cut, high-performance shell with some great features (including those toasty merino wool inserts), as well as excellent green credentials and stylish slopes to ensure you’ll stand out on the slopes.

“This Bavarian brand does performance excellently (at the last ISPO they won three Gold Outstanding Awards – more than any other brand). Their cut always seems better than their rivals, whilst their sustainability thinking is up there with the best. Although it might seem that the most sustainable garments are the ones with the lowest impacts it is worth noting that the garment that gets used for the longest actually has the lowest overall impact (as garment creation is often the most impactful part of the process) – so sometimes factors like excellence performance are (& should be) more important than straight Life Cycle Assessment reports.”