The new and improved Stio Environ Jacket is a burly ski jacket shell designed to fend off the elements while charging down the slopes. It’s waterproof, breathable, and packed with pockets — and updated for the 2022-23 ski season.
To get us a closer look, Stio sent Man Makes Fire a review unit. After the testing the Stio Environ Jacket while skiing over multiple seasons, as well as comparing it to other Stio ski jacket shells and updates, this is what we learned:
Stio Environ Jacket Review
Stio is an outdoor, mountain-focused clothing company based out of Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The company makes technical outdoor clothing, as well as everyday mountain-style apparel. We’ve reviewed several Stio apparel items over the years, including the excellent Stio Pinion down jacket, which also earned a spot in our guide to the best down jackets.
Stio has been producing the customer-favorite Environ for several years — but the fabrics and design have evolved over time. This year, Stio has updated it once again. It’s consistently been one of the company’s bestsellers — and for good reason: It’s a bomber ski shell offered at a competitive price point.
The Environ checks all the boxes for what you want in an all-mountain ski shell: waterproof/breathable fabric, a helmet-compatible hood, pit zips, and a powder skirt.
If you want a rugged-yet-breathable ski shell, the Stio Environ needs to be on your shortlist.
Let’s start with the fabric. For the new updated Environ version, Stio is now using a 100% recycled polyester 150 denier face fabric, which is very similar to the previous iteration. The waterproofness and breathability ratings remain the same — 20,000mm waterproofness and a 10,000g breathability rating.
One key difference is the name of the fabric has changed from the Japanese Dermizax to Stio’s new “PeakProof” 3-layer waterproof/breathable name. Based on the similar tech specs and long history of keeping the Environ a rugged shell, we expect overall performance to remain similar to the previous version we tested.
Breathability
The new and improved Stio Environ Jacket has updated colors, including the easy-to-spot Beehive option!Despite the relatively thick 150-denier fabric, the shell still delivers a solid 10,000g breathability rating. I was able to hit a series of long, hard runs on the ski hill during testing, and I was producing a good bit of heat and body moisture. The interior of the Environ never got clammy.
Interestingly, I had placed my phone in the outside chest pocket, and after about six hard runs, I pulled it out on the lift. I always place the screen side to my body, and it was covered with moisture. I believe the Environ’s excellent breathability let water vapor escape through the interior of the jacket and into the pocket, where it accumulated on the cold screen of the phone. If you’re using non-waterproof electronics, you might want to use an interior pocket rather than the outside chest pocket. Still, I was impressed by the breathability.
In case you’re wondering, you can accumulate body moisture on your phone in the same way in warm weather if your phone is in a pocket of your hiking pants. Since most hiking pants aren’t waterproof, this should be no big surprise. In the Environ’s exterior chest pocket, which has a breathable layer next to my body, I see the moisture on the phone as an indicator of real-world breathability effectiveness.
Shop the Environ direct from Stio and get FREE shipping on orders over $49!
Fabric Feel and Durability
I’m satisfied with the breathability, but what about the feel? The Environ is bomb-proof burly — and I count this as a good thing. I have full confidence that I can hit a branch — or more likely, wreck — and I won’t puncture or tear the Environ. I did go down once on a nasty patch of ice and skidded on my back for quite a ways. After close inspection, there were zero scuff marks on the Environ.
However, describing a fabric as bomb-proof can sometimes imply the fabric is stiff, and that’s not quite right here. The fabric is a bit stiffer than some of the competition, but the Stio Environ is surprisingly supple. It’s just a bit crinkly — but not so much that its annoying. The fabric’s best feature is how it induces confidence in its ability to take abuse and keep doing its job without getting in the way. I’m a fan.
Meanwhile, what if you want a thinner, more lightweight shell that’s still tough but a bit lighter for backcountry ascents? You’ll want to check out Stio’s Raymer (which we’ve also tested). Instead of a 150-denier fabric, the Raymer uses a 50-denier fabric. You get a similar waterproofing capability as the Environ, but the breathability rating goes up to 13,000g — so you get a small boost in breathability, which is expected given the thinner fabric overall. As for weight, the Environ weighs in at 29 ounces while the Raymer weighs in at just 18 ounces.
If you want to error toward bomber durability, the Environ is the right choice. For a lightweight shell experience, the Raymer could be a better option.
What about the Stio Objective Pro Jacket? It’s a bit lighter than the Environ but the key difference is use of a 3L GORE-TEX PRO Shell fabric. If you’re a GORE-TEX fan (and can afford the extra cost) the Objective Pro series is for you. We’ve tested the Objective Pro jacket and bib over two seasons in both frigid and wet conditions and it’s performed flawlessly.
Stio Environ Jacket Zippers
Zippers can make or break a jacket, and in our experience, Stio always gets its zippers right. The main zipper on the Environ is stout and water-resistant, as are the smaller chest and hand pockets.
All the zipper pulls have small zipper pull cords attached, and while I thought they might be too small for ski gloves, I had no trouble finding and using them. In fact, they’re surprisingly easy to find and use.
Overall Fit and the Helmet-Compatible Hood
The new updated hood design is helmet-compatible — and also removable.The overall fit of the Stio Environ is a standard ‘regular’ fit that is designed to accommodate a base layer and a midlayer. Stio says it has improved the fit, but hasn’t identified any key changes. In my experience with outdoor apparel companies, this usually means the fit adjustments were more about minor details than overall fit characteristics.
We’ve seen very consistent sizing across Stio’s product lines.
Stio does a great job of maintaining fit across its product lines — I’ve tested five Stio XL jackets, and they’ve all fit as expected.
Skip to the Bottom to see related Stio gear reviews from Man Makes Fire!
The sizing in our men’s XL was spot on for me (I’m about 6’3″, 220 lbs). I was able to wear the Environ comfortably with a wool base layer and the Stio Pinion down jacket. When I wanted a bit more insulation, I wore the wool base layer, a fleece pullover, and the Stio Pinion down jacket — and that remained flexible and comfortable, too. Of course, on more active ski days I’ve worn fully synthetic midlayers instead of goose down jackets due to moisture.
Meanwhile, what about the sleeves? The sleeves are plenty long and include a generous swath of velcro on the wrist for easy adjustability. In fact, I have long arms and sleeve length is a common issue for me — not so with the Environ.
The collar has a soft tricot lining.When using the hood over a helmet, the collar remains comfortable.
Stio achieves this by using a collar design that remains separate from the hood itself. In fact, you can zip off the hood entirely if you don’t want it. Nice. Sure, most guys are going to just leave the hood attached, but I can see ditching it for warmer bluebird days and nice spring skiing days.
More Features: Powder Skirt and Pit Zips
The new updated powder skirt is better positioned for fit and effectiveness vs the previous generation.Stio includes, as you would expect, a built-in powder skirt, which Stio says it reengineered for 2022-23. The most noticeable difference is that it’s now positioned a bit lower than the previous version.
*Editor’s Note: If you don’t want a powder skirt, Stio offers a more minimalist design option — the Environ XT. The hood and collar are all one piece and you lose a chest pocket, but you get the same burly PeakProof 3-layer waterproof/breathable shell fabric. The Environ XT also weighs 5 oz less than the regular Environ.
Back to the Environ: The generous pit zips are awesome and include two zipper pulls each, so they’re easy to find and open.
Updated Pockets!
The new addition of a left-sleeve ski pass pocket is very much appreciated!The Stio Environ really shines with its pockets. First, you get two easy-to-access exterior chest pockets. I like having easy access to my phone, and the chest pockets work well. When it’s really cold, I’ll drop a hand warmer in the pocket to help maintain battery life. If I don’t need the phone handy, I’ll transition it to an interior zippered chest pocket to keep it warmer.
Here’s a cool design point: You get two interior pockets. The left interior pocket is zippered while the one on the right is stretchy mesh that’s good for goggles, a balaclava, hat, etc.
Stio also included two large exterior hand pockets. They’re fairly tall on the inside and are big enough for a soft water bottle.
The best new addition to the Environ is the new left sleeve RFID ski pass pocket. This was one of our only quibbles with the previous generation Environ — and Stio has fixed it!
The Bottom Line
All-in-all, the Stio Environ Jacket is an awesome waterproof/breathable ski shell with relatively burly but flexible fabric. The fit and finish is fantastic and its on-the-mountain performance is excellent. Stio also gets the details right: the sleeves are long enough to keep you covered while active, and the cuffs offer a wide-range of adjustment. Lots of pockets let you organize your stuff. The helmet-compatible hood fits well, plus it zips off if you want to trim your profile. Very highly recommended.
Get the Gear:
- Stio Environ Jacket – men’s
- Stio Environ XT Jacket – men’s
- Stio Environ Pant – men’s
- Stio Environ Jacket – women’s
- Stio Environ Pant – women’s
Don’t Overlook the New Stio Environ Pants
The new Stio Environ Pants for skiing and snowboarding now come in a wider range of sizes and colors.The new and improved Stio Environ Pants are now a fantastic ski shell pant option. Why? The new versions this season not only include the same bomber fabric, the Environ Pant now comes in multiple inseam size options. Stio now lets you choose from a Short, Regular or Long inseam ranging from S to XXL.
When you add the improved fit and sweet overall style, the Stio Environ Pant is ready for most anyone.
