Reviews You Can Rely On

Armada Stadium Review

This resort ripper will help you shred the slopes with style and ease, at a great price
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Armada Stadium Review
Credit: Backcountry
Price:  $260 List
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Manufacturer:   Armada
By Jessica Haist and Betsy Welch  ⋅  Dec 13, 2019
76
OVERALL
SCORE
  • Weather Resistance - 20% 8.0
  • Comfort and Fit - 20% 8.0
  • Warmth - 20% 8.0
  • Ventilation - 20% 6.0
  • Style - 10% 8.0
  • Features - 10% 8.0

Our Verdict

The Armada Stadium will make you feel like a pro on the slopes this winter. It is a stylish and practical choice for any hard-charging skier or snowboarder. It is also a great deal and wins our Best Buy Award for the second year in a row for its reasonable price point and high-functioning features. We love the available color choices, its large helmet-compatible hood, and its warm yet breathable insulation. The long tailored cut is flattering, although you may want to size up for extra layering room. We also wish that it had a removable snow skirt to reduce the bulk when it's not needed. The insulation is a cozy synthetic material that will keep you warm up to the single digits.
REASONS TO BUY
Inexpensive
Warm
Stylish
REASONS TO AVOID
Fits a bit snug around the hips
Non-removable powder skirt

Our Analysis and Test Results

This warm, comfortable jacket is as stylish as you would expect from the hard-charging ski brand Armada, at a low price that will surprise you. It wins our Best Buy Award for the second year running and is a great choice for anyone who wants a jacket that looks good, feels good on, has plenty of features, and keeps them protected from the elements.

Performance Comparison


armada stadium - the armada rips and looks great at an affordable price.
The Armada rips and looks great at an affordable price.

Weather Resistance


The Stadium's shell material has a DWR coating and a 10K water-resistant fabric that will keep you dry in almost all weather conditions. It also has synthetic insulation which, in addition to keeping you warm, still keeps you dry even if it gets a bit damp when you're sweating and working hard, unlike the down fill of more expensive products. We skied mainly in bone dry Colorado snow; in a torrential downpour, the Stadium might start to feel soggy.


The Stadium's hood fits well over a ski helmet, and we can easily zip up the front of the jacket fully with the hood over our helmet. Being able to zip up the front collar all the way keeps drafty winds off our necks and secures the hood over everything so it won't come off if you take a tumble or are traveling at high speeds.

armada stadium - a helmet-compatible hood is key.
A helmet-compatible hood is key.

Comfort and Fit


We like that the Stadium's shell material has a slight stretch for extra comfort and movement and think this jacket is super comfy. It was the longest of the jackets we tested, but we found that this didn't hinder our movement. It actually kept our bums a little more toasty!


The size small fit relatively true to size but we found that the powder skirt adds extra bulk around our hips, and in combination with ski pants and layers tucked in, the jacket can feel a bit snug in that area. For this reason, consider sizing up if you're on the cusp of a size or if you prefer a looser fit. The jacket is incredibly flattering.

armada stadium - the stadium has lengthy, flattering lines.
The Stadium has lengthy, flattering lines.

Warmth


This jacket has 80 grams of synthetic polyfill insulation in the torso and 60g in the arms, which translates to a warm and cozy jacket. When it got really windy, we could feel some chill cut through the arms, but our torsos stayed toasty. We found that, even though it is an insulated jacket, we still liked to wear a few layers underneath on the windiest, coldest days.


We grab this on cold days even when we're just running errands because of how well it works as an everyday jacket, too.. When it's downright freezing out, the Stadium also has features designed for extra warmth like integrated wrist gaiter/thumb holes and its large, synthetically insulated hood, which helps trap heat inside and makes it even cozier.

armada stadium - we never overheated in the armada.
We never overheated in the Armada.

Ventilation


The Stadium has mesh-lined pit-zips that help with ventilating when you're working hard in the deep pow. We appreciate that they're there, but they're not as effective as an un-lined pit zip that provides instant air flow. The mesh-backed pit-zips keep the snow out of your inner jacket if you do a face-plant but allow less air to circulate. We've discovered that un-lined zips are more effective for ventilation.


The Stadium's shell fabric is more breathable than Gore-Tex, and therefore provides more ventilation than a jacket with Gore-Tex shell materials that can get a bit damp inside from perspiration. We still wouldn't take this jacket with us on a hike or tour, as we find that it's just too warm. It's a good choice for someone who doesn't overheat easily nor who gets particularly chilled.

armada stadium - we love pit zips but prefer them to be open, not mesh lined.
We love pit zips but prefer them to be open, not mesh lined.

Style


Armada is regularly at the top of the style game for ski wear and we find it sets the bar for stylish ski apparel. The Stadium is no exception. Great color choices and a flattering fit make this a jacket we love to wear off the slopes as much as on. The pockets are well-placed, and the contrasting zipper colors are fun and stylish. We loved the “Deco” color we tried this year; it was so easy for friends to find us on the slopes!


We always get compliments when we wear the Armada at the hill.
We always get compliments when we wear the Armada at the hill.
The Armada is a great all-around jacket, on the slopes and off.
The Armada is a great all-around jacket, on the slopes and off.

Ski Features


The Stadium is loaded with everything you need to keep you high functioning on the slopes. It has a great array of pockets for storage, as well as handy adjustable cords for cinching the neck and hood. The snug fit, however, affected our use of certain features (pockets and powder skirt, for example), so take this into consideration when deciding which size to buy.


It has an integrated snow skirt (although we prefer ones that are detachable) and a large, drop-in mesh goggle pocket. It also has a media chest pocket for your phone with a gasket to run your headphones in through the inside of the jacket. We also like the wrist gaiters, although they're cut on a diagonal (we think to leave more room in your glove). The cuffs are large enough to slide over big mittens and then cinch down with velcro. Other ski-specific features include a pass pocket on the sleeve. Having chest and hand pockets provides more places for snacks and chapstick, essentials for any big day out!

armada stadium - the stadium's wrist gaiters keep our sleeves in place when we're...
The Stadium's wrist gaiters keep our sleeves in place when we're skiing aggressive lines.

Value


We were surprised that this stylish, high-end jacket comes in at a low price point of $250-260. It's got everything we needed to shred all day on the slopes. Although it's not the most weatherproof or the best ventilating, it's still a solid jacket that will keep you protected. This jacket has something for anyone from the casual skier to the hardcore park rat. Therefore, we gave it our Best Buy Award. Because it is so versatile, warm, and steezy, it's a great bang for your buck!

armada stadium - the armada has everything you need for a long day out.
The Armada has everything you need for a long day out.

Conclusion


The features and functionality of the Armada Stadium Jacket will keep you out there on the slopes from first chair to last. It's warm without being too hot, and it breathes well enough that you can shred the resort. We like the design (especially the contrasting zippers!) and the fit is flattering. It has all the pockets we need, and the hood stays up over our helmets, even when it gets windy. The Stadium takes our Best Buy Award because of its reasonable price, “go anywhere” attitude and functionality, and style. Its long cut fits a bit snug around the hips so consider sizing up if you're in between sizes.

Jessica Haist and Betsy Welch