OutdoorGearLab Tests the Best Ski Pants for Women, Announces Winners Today

CHEYENNE, Wyo. - June 16, 2014 - PRLog -- After testing seven pairs of the top-performing pants, OutdoorGearLab has published The Best Ski Pants for Women Review. This latest review included models from Arc’teryx, Marmot, and Patagonia, among others, and the company’s dedicated team of testers assessed each piece according to six weighted metrics: warmth, comfort & fit, ventability, weather resistance, features, and style. Over the course of the winter, OutdoorGearLab’s testers took these women’s ski pants to some of Colorado’s most famous ski resorts; they skinned to the top of backcountry peaks in them; and they wore them while relaxing during apres ski.

Gear Editor, Alexis McLean, a downhill ski racing coach at Eldora Resort in Nederland, Colorado, rotated through the pants on long mountain work days. She and her testers were also sure to hit the slopes in a wide variety of conditions, from frigid and blizzarding to warm and bluebird. Through this process, she was able to assess each pair’s weather resistance, warmth, and ventability.

In addition to examining each product’s outdoor performance, McLean gathered a group of ladies who varied slightly in size and body shape to try on each pair of women’s ski pants. This diverse group of women weighed in on how the pants compared side-by-side in comfort, fit, and style. After taking each metric into consideration, OutdoorGearLab tallied up the scores and awarded three products its top honors. The Marmot Women's Freerider won the Editors’ Choice award, The North Face Freedom LRBC took home the Best Buy award, and the Arc'teryx Sentinel Full Bib earned the Top Pick for Technical Pant. Read on for a brief description of each award-winner.

Marmot Women’s Freerider

An extremely high-performing pair of women’s ski pants, the Marmot Freerider combines excellent weather resistance with great comfort and style. The Editors' Choice winner employs a two-layer construction system, meaning that it provides less warmth than fully insulated garments, but is also less bulky and more versatile as the weather warms up. With its GORE-TEX fabric, the Freerider may be more expensive than some of its competitors, but it also offers superior protection from the elements and will likely last for seasons to come. This piece is best for resort use, especially given its slightly sub-par ventilation system. The testers did note however, its stand-out features, fit, and overall style.

Arc’teryx Sentinel Full Bib

The only bib-style women’s ski pants in this review, the Arc’teryx Sentinel Full Bib took home OutdoorGearLab’s Top Pick award. The most technical product in the review, the Sentinel is also the most expensive, ringing up at more than $500. Comprised of super durable, water-shedding GORE-TEX, this pant uses three-layer construction, meaning that the outer shell, waterproof layer, and inner lining are compressed into one super strong fabric wall. Although this pant does not provide quite as much leg warmth as other models, its extra coverage through the torso earned it extra consideration. Testers also noted the Sentinel’s superb ventilation system and its ski-specific features.

The North Face Freedom LRBC

With style, a comfortable fit, warmth, and adequate weatherproofing, this is a great buy for the quality. Although this pant was not the top scoring item in all these categories, it was not far behind some very expensive models.  It held up to wet chairlifts, regular wear and tear, and cold windy backcountry ridges. The best application for this pant is at the resort where you have the option to go in for a warm-up if weather comes in, but hey are a well constructed pant with a great design. For as much style and trendy fit as these pants have, they offer movability, warmth, and durability.

About OutdoorGearLab:

Headquartered in Cheyenne Wyoming, OutdoorGearLab LLC compares products in side-by-side tests to create world’s best outdoor gear reviews. Outdoor enthusiasts will find reviews of products for activities like hiking, climbing, backpacking, and camping on the company’s free website. OutdoorGearLab’s dedicated Gear Editors live across the country and test products while recreating in some of the United States’ most beautiful outdoor areas. After testing the outdoor equipment, these gear editors score the products across a range of weighted categories and publish the results in comparative reviews. Once the competitors are ranked head-to-head, awards are given to top-performing products. See more at http://www.outdoorgearlab.com/.