Burton AK Cyclic Jacket and Pants Kit Review: A Mid-Range GORE-TEX Shell Set

Introduction

The Burton AK Cyclic jacket and pants kit sits inside Burton’s AK outerwear line, a family that spans a wide range of tops, bottoms, and combinations. Within that range, the Cyclic is the more accessible option: a mid-range set that serves as the entry point into GORE-TEX construction, and one that costs roughly half of what the most expensive jacket and pants combinations in the line can run.

That positioning matters. The Cyclic is not a stripped-down budget shell dressed up with a technical label. It is a genuine GORE-TEX set with a two-layer nylon build, deep pockets, a large adjustable hood, and a full vent system on the pants. What it does not offer is insulation. Both the jacket and the pants are shells, so warmth comes entirely from the layers you choose underneath.

That single design decision shapes almost everything about how this kit performs, from how it fits to how you plan a day on the mountain.

Who This Product Is For

This set suits skiers and snowboarders who want one dependable GORE-TEX shell kit for a wide range of conditions rather than a quiver of specialized pieces. Because nothing is insulated, the same jacket and pants can be worn with a light base layer on a mild spring day and with a heavier mid layer when temperatures drop.

It is also a sensible choice for anyone stepping up from a basic waterproof jacket into proper hardshell territory. GORE-TEX waterproofing and windproofing are the headline benefits here, and they are the reason the Cyclic occupies the entry point of the AK line rather than its ceiling.

Riders who want a warm, grab-and-go setup with insulation built in will need to look elsewhere, or budget for a mid layer to pair with this kit.

Fit and Sizing Notes

The most useful thing to know about the Cyclic kit is that the jacket and the pants do not fit the same way in the same stated size. Both pieces here were size XL, and they behaved quite differently.

The jacket is essentially true to size. At 6 feet 2 inches and 225 pounds, the XL offered fully extended sleeves that did not ride up when reaching, a slightly longer drop through the body, and generous room underneath for layering. Since the jacket is an uninsulated shell, that interior room is a feature rather than a compromise. If you normally wear an XL in technical outerwear, the jacket should land where you expect.

The pants are another story. The XL pants were snug through the waist and stayed snug down to the knee, with the tightest feeling in the upper third. The waist buckled comfortably and fits roughly a 36 to 38 inch waist, but the quad and thigh area ran close, and the overall length was on the shorter side, leaving less coverage over the boot. Part of this likely comes down to the pants being designed with snowboarding in mind rather than skiing. They are not stretchy, so there is less articulation to absorb the tighter cut.

Sizing up to an XXL in the pants improved things noticeably, with a little more length and more room through the quad and thigh.

Weather Protection and Fabric

The Cyclic set uses a two-layer nylon construction with a GORE-TEX layer inside, which in practice behaves like a three-layer stack. The exterior is a hard shell nylon with a noticeably crinkly hand, while the interior lining is softer against the skin, so the inside of the jacket is more comfortable than the outside texture suggests.

Both the jacket and the pants share the same fabric story, including the same interior nylon layer. GORE-TEX delivers the waterproofing and windproofing, and Burton does not publish a specific waterproof rating figure for this set, though shells of this type generally land in the 20,000 to 30,000 mm territory.

In real use, the protection has held up well. Wind has been a non-issue, and precipitation that has not already frozen has simply rolled off the surface. That reliability is exactly what makes GORE-TEX worth having in a climate where precipitation varies from day to day and from hour to hour.

The trade-off is that none of this fabric generates warmth. Layering is not optional with the Cyclic, it is the whole system. Get the mid layer dialed in and the kit handles a wide range of days comfortably.

Pockets, Hood, and Feature Details

The feature set is generous, and a few details stand out as genuinely thoughtful.

The jacket pockets are notably deep. The chest pocket is roomy enough to swallow a GoPro, and in practice it can hold two of them at once without strain. The cuffs are articulated, extending further over the hand than a standard cuff, which works well with mittens. There is a media pocket with a cord port and a lined pocket, along with a mesh stretch goggle pocket. The hood is large and adjustable, roomy enough to pull over a big helmet with space to spare, and it has proven useful on cold, windy days. A removable powder skirt is included, and an adjustable draw cord at the waist lets you cinch the fit.

One detail worth flagging: the pass pocket sits on the bicep rather than the more common side or wrist position. It works, but it is a different placement than most riders will be used to.

The pants carry standard deep pockets, and the depth cuts both ways. A phone sits far down in the pocket, so nothing falls out even if you forget to close the zipper. Keys and smaller items, however, require some fishing to retrieve. The zippers run downward, which makes it easy to confirm at a glance that they are closed. A thigh pocket handles small items like a goggle cleaning cloth. The leg vents are the standout: a full horseshoe shaped opening with mesh behind it, which can be run on one leg or both depending on how much airflow you want.

Things to Consider Before Buying

The biggest consideration for skiers is the pant cuff. Snowboarders ride on a single edge and rarely worry about tearing the bottom of their pants, so snowboard-oriented pants typically skip the heavy abrasion patch. The Cyclic pants follow that pattern. There is some scuff protection along the bottom, but not the large Cordura style patch found on most ski-specific pants. Ski edges will eventually catch that hem.

This is fixable. A tailor, or anyone comfortable with a sewing machine, can add roughly two inches of Cordura to lengthen the hem. That solves two problems at once: it increases durability against ski edges, and it adds length if the pants fit short over your boots.

The second consideration is sizing. If you have larger legs or thighs and you are ordering the same size in the jacket and pants, the pants will likely be the piece that does not fit. Trying the pants on, or sizing up in them, is worth the effort. The jacket, by contrast, is the straightforward half of the purchase.

Finally, remember that this is a shell set. If your current setup relies on built-in insulation, plan for the extra cost and packing space of a proper mid layer.

Buying Advice

The Cyclic kit makes the most sense if you value versatility. A GORE-TEX shell jacket and pants that fit true in the jacket and let you tune warmth with layers is a genuinely flexible system, and it covers more of the season than a single insulated jacket can.

For sizing, treat the jacket and pants as two separate decisions. Order the jacket in your normal technical outerwear size, and expect it to fit with room for layering. For the pants, consider going up one size if you have a fuller thigh or quad, or if you want more length over the boot. If you are ordering a matching set, try the pants on before committing to the same size as the jacket.

The blue teal colorway is bold and unmistakably blue, which is worth weighing if you prefer a more muted kit. Beyond that, this is a well-equipped mid-range GORE-TEX set, and the value case rests on the fabric and the feature list rather than on insulation it was never designed to have.

Conclusion

The Burton AK Cyclic jacket and pants kit is a capable mid-range GORE-TEX shell set with a strong feature list, a jacket that fits true to size, and a few real caveats around the pants. Buy it for the waterproofing, the windproofing, and the layering flexibility. Plan around the snug pant fit, and consider reinforcing the hem if you ski in it rather than ride. Get those two details right and this kit delivers exactly what a shell set should: dependable protection that adapts to the day.