Versatile Winter Jacket Takes a Beating, Retains Performing

Living in a ski town means 100-plus days on snow and a lot of wear and tear on gear, especially when snowmobiles are involved. I have put the TREW Cosmic PRIMO Jacket through the gauntlet in Southwest Colorado with many deep resort, backcountry, and snowmobile days. Every time I ventured out, no matter the adventure or snow conditions, I came back warm and dry.

TREW is no stranger to making ski and snowboard jackets. And after many years of R&D, the new PRIMO fabric checks a lot of boxes we expect for a modern shell, from being sustainably made to being weatherproof and tough. 

I love being able to use one jacket from the skin track to the resort, to the snowmobile. The versatility of conditions the TREW Cosmic PRIMO Jacket works in is unmatched.

It’s become one of my favorites.

In short: The TREW Cosmic PRIMO Jacket ($499) utilizes TREW’s proprietary PRIMO fabric, a 100% recycled nylon three-layer fabric. With TREW’s highest level of waterproofing and breathability — a 20,000mm-rated membrane — this stylish jacket feels bomber from the resort, to après, and the backcountry. It’s been able to perform after all the abuse of a full winter season in Colorado and is available in extended sizing for the perfect fit for all types of riders. 

Read the full GearJunkie Snowboard Jackets guide.

TREW Gear Cosmic PRIMO Jacket Review

The PRIMO Jacket has held up as one of the most durable pieces of winter gear I have tested. The new PNW 3L Primo Fabric from TREW is both protective and lightweight. It took several years for TREW to design alongside partner Toyota Textiles of Japan. It’s the brand’s propriety, waterproof, breathable, and 100% recycled nylon fabric.

PRIMO fabric also has mechanical stretch properties — meaning it isn’t woven with any stretch yarn like spandex. Yet it offers just enough flexibility for easy movement.

In the Field

Since donning the new PRIMO jacket, I clocked 7 days at Telluride Ski Resort riding powder, and 10 days at Crested Butte Mountain Resort riding everything from from whiteout powder to bluebird, springlike conditions.

I took the PRIMO on four backcountry tours outside Crested Butte and two hut trips. One of these trips was a week-long trip running snow safety for the Grand Traverse Ski Race, battling fierce wind and cold above 11,000 feet.

After all this testing, countless tomahawks, and over 100 snowmobile miles, I was impressed with the durability and the performance. I’ve had the chance to test both the original Cosmic jacket and the new PRIMO Cosmic. I can safely say the PRIMO jacket holds up exponentially better in terms of fabric wear and waterproofing.

After only 2 days on a snowmobile, the original TREW Cosmic jacket started to show oil stains and had a decrease in waterproofness. In comparison, the TREW Cosmic PRIMO jacket still looks and performs like it did the day I first tested it.

The heavy-duty fabric kept me warmer through cold weather and wind compared to other shell jackets I’ve tested. Overall, it performed better through a broader range of activities and conditions. 

Pockets & Storage

Overall, the Cosmic PRIMO Jacket offers enough storage options to carry everything I generally need for a day in the snow. It features two large, zippered hand pockets at the waist that are perfect for snacks, GoPros, extra batteries, and more. The left forearm’s pass pocket made it exceptionally easy to get my pass scanned in the lift line.

The Cosmic PRIMO Jacket also has two large chest pockets with an internal mesh phone sleeve. These pockets easily fit my iPhone 15 Pro Max. I could open and close the zippers easily with my bulky resort gloves. It was no issue to grab shots of friends whenever the moment called for a camera.

Lastly, inside are two mesh dump pockets. I used these to hold splitboard skins, gloves, and/or goggles between backcountry laps.

Colorful Options

One of my favorite features of the new PRIMO line is the bright color schemes and patterns. As a photographer, I love how the bright colors pop when contrasted with white snow.

I tested the Stargazer green and received multiple compliments on the color; also, it looks great whenever I get in front of the camera. The new lineup for the 2024 Cosmic Jacket comes in five poppy colors: Stargazer (green), Black and Ginger (orange with black), Cypress Eclipse (green with black), Sockeye (salmon), and Blackout (all black).

The new colors will stand out clearly on the hill. That visibility is helpful in flat light, and if you’re riding with a group or at the après scene so you look as good as you feel. Plus, with 100% recycled nylon and Bluesign certification, you know this jacket was made with sustainability in mind.

Zipper and Vents

A removable powder skirt and waist cinch pulls provide another barrier for snow when things get deep. Fully water-resistant zippers are easy enough to pull on with gloved hands.

A good winter jacket keeps snow out when it’s cold and dumps excess heat when things get warm. To help keep warmth in and snow out, the Cosmic Jacket features Velcro wrist cuffs. Their circumference is large enough to slide over gloves easily, but they can be cinched tightly to seal your sleeves. These effectively kept snow out of my sleeves no matter what kind of conditions I was in.

When I needed to dump heat, two 16-inch pit vents make it easy. When blizzard conditions kept me in my shell, but I was generating heat from skinning in the backcountry, these helped regulate my body temp and evaporate moisture.

The fabric itself isn’t as breathable as a touring-specific, air-permeable shell. But as someone who runs cold, I had no issues on that front.

Fit and Sizing

This jacket features a modern freeride fit or a relaxed fit. It offered plenty of room for layering underneath, and the tail was long enough to keep my butt covered without feeling bulky.

TREW is one of the few brands to feature extended sizing as of 2023. The jacket comes in an Extended collection featuring 3XL-5XL sizing, allowing all types of riders to get the best fit. This offering of more inclusive sizing utilizes the same high-performance eco-friendly fabrics and comes at the same price point.

TREW worked with plus- and extended-size designers and pattern-makers to create a brand-new, custom pattern for the collection.

Critiques

My biggest gripe with the Cosmic Jacket is its hood. The hood does not fully fit a modern ski helmet. It mostly fits but leaves a gap at the top (pictured). This gap was prone to catch wind and snow, which led to the hood being blown down when riding. I wear a medium or medium-large helmet. 

Another downside of having the hood over a helmet was that the hood pulled tight all the way back. This caused the collar to get very tight around the neck whenever I had the hood up.

As mentioned, the heavy-duty nature of the Cosmic Jacket’s PRIMO fabric means it doesn’t breathe as efficiently as a lighter-weight touring-specific shell. If you’re going to be working up a sweat, check out GearJunkie’s guide to the Best Hardshell Jackets for some options.

Lastly, at $500, the Cosmic PRIMO Jacket is on the more expensive end of the ski jacket spectrum. But, it’s still cheaper than some ski jackets from brands that don’t use any sustainable materials in the design.

TREW Cosmic PRIMO Jacket: Conclusion

The TREW Cosmic PRIMO Jacket, though not perfect, is still one of the best jackets on the market, in my opinion. The upgraded PRIMO fabric does a great job of making this jacket tough, waterproof, breathable, and sustainable. And, the extended sizes make this jacket much more inclusive for all types of riders.

I continue to stack winter adventures in my PRIMO jacket — like my first hut trip of 2024 and windy, ridge-top sunsets near 13,000 feet. And I continue to be impressed by its durability.

If this were the only jacket in my closet, I wouldn’t be worried about lasting through more than one ski season. While it might be a tad pricey or overbuilt for some riders, TREW balances the demands of Mother Nature with style points and a high-quality build.

From bell-to-bell days in the resort, to dawn-to-dusk days in the backcountry, and long snowmobile rides, this jacket proved to me that it can handle it all.