This winter听you鈥檒l spend arguably more time in your ski pants听than any other piece of your kit. Jackets come off at lunch听and boots听as soon as you get to the car. Base layers rotate days. But your shell bottoms will be with you from breakfast through apr猫s, every day of the season. So getting the right pair is vital.听
I鈥檝e skied for decades and听spent months testing women鈥檚 ski pants and bibs in all types of winter weather and settings: in-bounds, sidecountry, backcountry, and apr猫s. Often听I wore multiple pairs in a single day. My favorite pants听of all time are听the Holden听Sierra听bibs; they鈥檙e听stretchy, have a high pee rating (more on that below), and keep snow out of my nether regions. Meanwhile, dedicated uphill skiers will live in the Dynafit Beast pants, and budget-friendly shredders will love Picture鈥檚 feature-rich Exa pants. Here鈥檚 more info on those, plus听other pants that have risen above the rest.
How We Test
I鈥檝e been a ski-pants connoisseur for years, trying on every pair I could get my hands on in stores, at trade shows, and out of friends鈥 closets. So when it came time to put together this review, I had a pretty solid idea of where I wanted to start. With听ski pants, I look for good fit, freedom of movement, and functionality and practical details that match the mission.
I started with some two dozen听pairs of ski pants听and narrowed those down to ten over the course of last winter. The pants that made the cut did so because their features enhanced my overall experience. While some have more bells and whistles than others, all of the ones here fill a different niche.
Each year, 国产吃瓜黑料听reviews the best ski apparel听of the new season in our annual Winter Buyer鈥檚 Guide. This review is a bit different. It doesn鈥檛 just cover the year鈥檚 best new products听but rather encompasses all of the top ski pants and bibs currently on the market鈥攚hether they鈥檝e been out for two years or ten. We鈥檝e broken down our reviews down into the following categories:
Best Ski Bibs
Holden Sierra ($349.95)
Fit: A little extra room through the hips and thighs, with adjustable shoulder straps
In my mind, one design consideration can make or break women鈥檚 bibs: how easy鈥攐r impossible鈥攊t is to pee while wearing them. The Sierra鈥檚 pee rating? Extremely high. There are two different ways to get your derriere out of these pants without undoing the shoulder straps. The first is听the drop seat. Starting at the right knee, a zipper runs听up the thigh and over the top of your bum. Unnzipped, the flap hangs down toward听your knees, allowing you to pee freely. The second option (and probably not intentional by the design team) is a double zipper on the left leg that runs from the knee to the top of the pants. Unzip it from the bottom to pull the pants to the side, and do your business. When nature is not calling, that zipper, and a similar one on the right leg, double as vents.
Initially, Holden鈥檚 urban, fashion-forward design sensibility made me wonder if the Sierra would be too fashionable听to ski well, but it听outperformed other bibs in every instance. The fit is dialed with a straight cut that鈥檚 roomy in the legs and hips without being baggy, and it has just enough stretch to make uphill strides feel unencumbered. The pant legs were slightly shorter than some of the others I tested, which worked perfectly for my five-foot-six听frame, and adjustable, stretchy shoulder straps allowed me to get the upper-body fit just right.听Skiers with extra-long legs might try the Stio Environ (reviewed below) for longer inseams.
Touring in the Sierra is a dream. The bibs are听light and breathable enough to handle a good sweat, with no moisture buildup, thanks to a waterproof-breathable nylon-shell material. When temperatures听at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort in Wyoming rose to above freezing and our crew went from snow bunnies to wet blankets, the Sierra fared better than anything else听my non-tester ski buddies and听I听had with us. While my jacket absorbed moisture, the bibs came out dry. I even spent 15 minutes sitting in the wet snow to be sure it wasn鈥檛 a fluke.
Runner-Up: Dakine Beretta Gore-Tex 3L ($450)
With full Gore-Tex construction, zippered outer-leg vents, articulated knees, and plenty of pockets, is a strong contender for a do-it-all pant. The drop seat offers similar functionality to the Sierra, but a slimmer fit in the thighs and a bit more room around the midsection made the Beretta the second choice for my strong skier legs.
Best Resort Ski Pants
Picture Exa ($190)
Fit: Fitted through the hips, with straight-cut legs
Picture calls the fit of 鈥渞egular,鈥 which loosely translates to just enough room to move comfortably. The interior is lined with a supersoft fleece, best paired with a thin, slinky-textured base layer (or nothing at all), to minimze friction with the pile. The Exa鈥檚 40 grams of synthetic fill took听the edge off cold days, like when temperatures听at Colorado鈥檚 A-Basin dropped to the midteens.
On another, warmer day, at Eldora, outside Boulder, Colorado, temperatures听hovered around 28 degrees, with not a single cloud in the sky. Exa鈥檚 dual thigh vents, which run from just below the hip to the knee, were clutch in dumping heat after a few hard mogul runs. And though insulated pants are typically not intended for touring, I did take the Exa for a quick spin on a piercing four-degree day. The pants managed my body temperature from start to finish, with no sweat buildup inside, thanks to a waterproof-breathable, PFC-free membrane.
A nonremovable powder skirt , which extends about five inches above the waist of the pants, looked cool at first but later ended up straddling a line between unnecessary and annoying (I inadvertently wore it with a jacket that also had a powder skirt). The stretchy band at the top felt uncomfortable more often than not. But that鈥檚 a small inconvenience for an otherwise top-notch pant made by a听company with a听mission听to create organic, recycled, and bio-sourced ski apparel. The final clincher? In a world where we鈥檝e come to expect $500 price tags on outerwear, the Exa retails at a mere $190, making it the most affordable pant I tried.
Runners-Up: Spyder Women鈥檚 Winner Regular GTX听($249) and Armada Whit听($199.95)
The Winner is perfect for the weekend-warrior resort skier: 40 grams of synthetic insulation keeps you warm on long lift rides, and a two-layer Gore-Tex laminate with听DWR keeps the weather at bay (though the pant doesn鈥檛听breathe as well as the Exa鈥檚 three-layer construction). The Winner is听fitted through the hips and waist, making it听ideal for narrow-waisted women.
While not insulated, the Whit pant听has听mesh lining through the legs and fleece on the bum to take the edge off cold days and make riding sans base layer more comfortable. The fit is slim and tailored, flared through the bottoms, and flattering to boot.
听
Best Eco-Friendly Ski Pants
Patagonia Women鈥檚 PowSlayer听($549)
Fit: Roomy through the waist, hips, and thighs
I recently ran into a Patagonia employee who informed me it would be best for the environment if we didn鈥檛听buy new ski pants at all. Point taken. That being said, skiing in jeans isn鈥檛 going to work, so if you鈥檝e loved your last ski pants beyond repair, then choosing an eco-friendly replacement is a solid move. Patagonia has set the bar for the outdoor industry鈥檚 environmental efforts, laying the groundwork for companies like Picture and others to join the movement. The PowSlayer is听made from 100 percent recycled-nylon plain-weave Gore-Tex Pro. Patagonia also takes responsibility for the entire life cycle of its听products鈥攎eaning the company听will repair or recycle them when the time is right鈥攕o you can feel good knowing you鈥檙e leaving a gentler footprint.
Thanks to all the well-known benefits of Gore-Tex, 听is the perfect choice for backcountry powder quests. And when the morning temperature听at the top of Jackson Hole鈥檚 tram read zero degrees, I doubled down on base layers and was thankful for the pants鈥 ability to block wind. To be fair, the PowSlayer is not intended for in-bounds lift riding, but I was comfortable for the entire day.
I welcomed the PowSlayer鈥檚 roomy cut when making uphill strides听(fair warning:听it鈥檚听also arguably loose enough to warrant sizing down.) The pant听affords complete freedom of movement, even with pockets packed to the brim. Two deep pockets on the thighs held everything but the kitchen sink, including snacks and sunscreen, without making me look like a hoarder, and one smaller pocket closer to the right hip holds smaller essentials, like lip balm. A third thigh pocket has a built-in beacon sleeve鈥攁nd of all the pants in this test, the PowSlayer was听the most comfortable for carrying a beacon in the thigh pocket (no awkward bunching, no tight spots) while skinning uphill. An adjustable, built-in waist belt also came in handy. The hefty $549 price tag is easier to swallow when you consider that everything about this听pant, from performance to sustainability, is on point. Finding a pair听on sale leaves you no excuse not to invest.
Best All-Around听Ski Pants
Stio Women鈥檚 Environ听($379)
Fit: Long inseam, with a roomy, straight-leg cut
Jackson-based Stio is no stranger to long winters full of everything: touring, sidecountry, resorts, apr猫s, and the occasional听backyard sledding session. So it stands to reason the company听would design a pair of ski pants that do听it all.
听gives you space to layer but is听streamlined enough to avoid bagginess, which meant it was听equally at home on uphill missions near Jackson and in-bounds at Colorado鈥檚 Copper Mountain.
These pants听are looser through the hips than others we tested, and they have a slightly higher waistline, so the adjustable band stays out of the way of your pack鈥檚 hipbelt. With legs that are a touch longer than competing pants, they鈥檙e best for tall lady shredders (though听they鈥檙e still manageable for shorter women).听Fit tip: wear听a belt if the waist doesn鈥檛 stay above your hips, otherwise the sagging will slightly restrict uphill strides.
Two decent-size听pockets on either hip come in handy for snacks. And听thanks to the roomier cut, they鈥檙e are actually usable. One smaller vertical-zip pocket on the midthigh is a bonus for an听RFID ski pass or similar-size听necessity. Unsnap the internal snow gaiters to get your boots off even quicker at the end of the day, and thank the snow gods for Cordura reinforcements on the cuffs, which will keep the Environ听in good shape after you wear it听all season.
Online perk: Stio鈥檚 website is 眉ber shopper friendly, including photos and videos to illustrate the pant鈥檚 fit. The brand also provides the model鈥檚 height, hip, and chest measurements, to give you a solid idea of what to expect. No more shooting in the dark.
Runner-Up: Helly Hansen W Aurora Shell 2.0听($350)
Hiking up Highland听Bowl, in Aspen, Colorado, was a breeze in . The fit is relaxed and roomy, and stretchy three-layer fabric kept weather at bay while keeping this sweaty hiker dry. Five pockets give you more options than you鈥檒l ever need for storage.
Best Ski-Touring Pants
Dynafit Beast Hybrid Women鈥檚听($349.95)
Fit: Fitted through the hips and thighs, with a higher waist听
Dynafit is notorious for owning its European roots (read: tight-fitting outerwear) and the Beast Hybrid follows suit. Personal aversions to slim-fitting outerwear aside, as soon as I made ten uphill strides in the Beast, I fell in love with it. The extra-pliant material felt like it was a part of me. With no constricting outerwear, I was efficient and fast with each step鈥攏o maxing out at 80听or 90 percent of my stride. On the downhill, I was surprised to find that the fit didn鈥檛 restrict my range of motion in tight trees听and wide-open turns alike.
To be transparent, I have what you might call skier legs.听Skinny-legged folks might find that the Beast fits a bit looser fit from hip to knee, but听it听would still be the most slim-fitting pant听in this roundup. The cut in the hips and waist is comfortable without being too constricting, and the pants听become slightly wider at the bottom to easily fit over ski boots. The fit lends itself so well to touring performance that you might opt out of looser-cut bottoms听for life.
听is听an ideal hybrid between a soft shell and a hard shell. Knees, thighs, and rear end are reinforced with water-repellant and wind-resistant three-layer fabric, for a high level of performance through all weather conditions. The rest of the pant听is soft shell, for comfort and breathability.
While moisture built up inside my jacket (not a Dynafit) on an early-morning skin at Eldora, I stayed dry from the waist down. Adjustable cinches let you customize fit around your waist. Two pockets on the front are big enough for snacks or a phone鈥攊f your legs are lean enough for them to be usable.
Runner-Up: Eddie Bauer Women鈥檚 BC Fineline Bib ($399)听
are ultra comfortable for long days, with hard-shell material for storm days and soft-shell material around the torso for when things get toasty. They鈥檙e also some of the most lightweight bibs we鈥檝e seen, with plenty of room through the hips.
How to Buy Ski Pants
After spending time in so many different ski pants, one factor really rose to the top: fit. Bad fit overrules everything, no matter how much you like a pant鈥檚 fabric or features. While brands do try to accommodate different body types and fits, ultimately, you won鈥檛 know for yourself until you try things on.
Look for pants that meet your needs. Do you spend听all your time ski touring? Search听for something breathable that won鈥檛 restrict your movement. Or do you prefer lift-served skiing? Find something comfortable, with a hint of insulation. You鈥檒l be happiest in pants built to support your agenda, whatever that may be. Most important, all hail the midseason sale.
That said, there are a few basic terms and specifications you should understand before you start shopping.
Waterproofness and Breathability
Waterproofness and breathability are typically signified by a series of numbers that look听like this: 20k/20k听or 10k/10k. The first number relates to the level of waterproofness,听the second to breathability. For simplicity鈥檚 sake, just remember that听higher numbers indicate higher levels of both. (A 20k/20k fabric is both highly waterproof and breathable, a 10k/20k听fabric is moderately waterproof but highly breathable, and a 10k/10k听fabric is moderately waterproof and breathable.) The typical range for both听is 5k to 20k.
The more waterproof and breathable an item is, the more technology is involved, which translates to a higher price tag.
Soft Shell听or听Hard Shell?
Most ski pants on the market are hard shell, which is more often than not the clear choice for any skier, since hard-shell pants offer much higher waterproof ratings. Soft-shell pants, by comparison, offer less听waterproofness but more breathability, making them a better choice for uphill skiers. In general, hard-shell pants are听better for resort skiing or in adverse (read: wet, windy, sloppy) conditions.
Bibs or Pants?
Ultimately, this comes down to personal preference. Bibs prevent snow from creeping into places you don鈥檛 want it to听but can make it harder to answer nature鈥檚 call. If you opt for pants, consider a jacket with a powder skirt to help keep out snow.
Bells and Whistles
Zippers
While not necessary in all instances, hardcore skiers who live in their outerwear daily will appreciate听details like weather-sealed zippers or garages to keep the pull from flapping around.
Cuff Guards
Reinforced cuffs extend the life of your pants. Look for durable patches on the inner ankles. These will stand up to ski edges and, if you鈥檙e into ski mountaineering, crampons.
Belts and Adjustable Waistbands
The last thing you want is a pair of pants that offers no flexibility in the waist. Look for either belt loops, a built-in belt, or adjustable Velcro tabs on the waist.
Pockets
When trying pants on, don鈥檛 neglect the pockets. Fill them with ChapStick, a phone, a granola bar, a pair of gloves鈥攁nything that will reassure you that they鈥檒l actually be usable. This is especially vital for tighter-fitting pants.