The Finest Ladies’s Ski Pants of 2022-2023

Pros:

• Durable
• Big side vents
• Waterproof

Cons:

• No mesh backer on the side vents

Check Price at REI

Columbia Bugaboo Omni-Heat Snow Pant

The Bugaboo Omni-Heat pants from Columbia ($110) win for both comfort and style. They are lightweight at under a pound and have internal gaiters, fully taped seams, and an adjustable waist to help with custom sizing.

While they lack a couple of key features (like vents), for waterproof snow pants, you can’t beat the price. The pants’ soft insulation adds warmth without sacrificing waterproofness. These pants are definitely a better option for resort skiers and beginner riders.

We don’t recommend these for backcountry travel, but if you’re an occasional skier looking for a pant that can also handle wet, wintry weather while working in the yard or sledding, the Omni-Heat pants will do the trick

Specs:

• Shell: 2-layer nylon Omni-Tech fabric
• Insulation: Microtemp XF
• Pockets: 5
• Seams: Fully taped
• Zippers:Zippered front pockets and zippered leg pocket
• RECCO: No
• Fit: Active
• Cuffs: Yes, with snap closure
• Our favorite perk: Good performance for the price
• Best for:Beginner skiing in resorts

Pros:

• Warm
• Waterproof
• Inexpensive

Cons:

Check Price at REI

Why You Should Trust Us

The GearJunkie team is made up of amateur to expert alpine and backcountry skiers. We’ve skied runs in-bounds and hut-to-hut all over North America, including bell-to-bell resort powder days, ski-to-surf trips such as on Vancouver Island, backcountry hut adventures, skimo races, and cross-country laps on the nordic trails. Women’s ski pants are essential for staying comfortable and dry while in motion, riding the lift, or taking a snack break. Over the years, we’ve tested many different ski pants, and this list comprises the best of the best.

While testing women’s ski pants in the field, we assessed durability, overall fit, ease of movement, protection, fabric feel, breathability, ventilation, and functionality. We’ve tested ski pants while carving turns in ice-cold temperatures, blizzards, blustery wind, intense sun, and even rain from far-out tours to parking lot tailgating.

Beyond our team’s experience, we also considered the most popular and bestselling women’s ski pants on the market as well as a broad range of price points and a variety of features and applications.

Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose the Best Women’s Ski Pants

Snow pants aren’t hard to find, especially if you live in a colder climate. But finding the right pair can be harder than you think. So here are a few tips to get you started.

Consider Activity and Usage

Chances are, if you’re looking for a pair of snow pants to wear for a specific winter sport such as backcountry skiing, alpine skiing, or snowboarding, they’ll each have slightly different design features, fit, and style that make those pants more comfortable and functional for the day’s winter activity. That being said, many ski pants do work for other winter activities such as sledding, shoveling, fat biking, ice climbing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, winter hiking, dog walking, building snow caves, snowball fights, pow surfing, ice skating — you name it.

As you narrow down your top activity, consider the average temperature, conditions, and your personal body heat. Do the temperatures hover at 0 degrees Fahrenheit or up towards 30 degrees, and is there often windchill? Do you expect dry or wet snow? Will you be consistently moving, or do you anticipate being sedentary such as on the ski lift or while watching the kids play in the snow outside? And do you generally tend to run hot or cold?

Depending on the activity and output, you’ll want either insulated or uninsulated pants and ventilation as well as waterproofness. Each of those factors influences the price tag.

Type of Fit

Do you prefer a relaxed or more athletic fit? While this is a personal preference, a more streamlined fit is often more comfortable and ergonomic for skinning uphill as well as activities like fat biking.

If you want an unencumbered range of motion, maybe go with a relaxed fit. And if you run cold and wear more or thicker base layers, consider an insulated pant or going up a size.

It’s also important to note sizing sometimes differs depending on the pant’s style. And fit will also depend on your frame — if you’re taller or shorter than average or wear plus sizes, look for pants that offer accommodations or sizes for those builds.

All the pants on our list have some form of adjustable waist.

Which Fabric Should You Choose?

For powder days or backcountry travel, it makes a lot of sense to invest in a GORE-TEX or similar fully waterproof fabric.

The climate where you venture outdoors is also an important variable. There are three general snowpack zones: maritime, closer to the ocean; transitional; and continental with lower humidity and colder temperatures. The maritime snowpack has more water content and will be more wet, such as on Vancouver Island. Comparatively, Colorado’s continental snowpack typically has less water content and is much dryer.

Furthermore, two-layer and three-layer fabrics have different weights, waterproofness, and breathability ratings.

Ask yourself whether the pant will work for what you want. The goal is to find a pant with a fabric that will protect you and complement your activity level on the mountain or in the backcountry whether you’re taking resort laps for a couple of hours or skiing hut-to-hut for a few days.

Ski Pant Pockets and Features

Every pant has different features, but we have two must-haves for snow pants. They need to have internal gaiters that secure well over boots (gaiters with boot adjustment access are a plus) and functional, deep, wide, easy-to-open-and-close pockets. Ladies, you know what we’re talking about. That inch-wide chapstick pocket just doesn’t cut it.

Thigh pockets are especially great if you don’t like pocket items (like a cell phone or beacon) bunching up near your hips. Another important feature to consider getting in your pant is a RECCO reflector for safety in avalanche terrain.

Budget and Price

Depending on how often you hit the slopes, price is a factor. If you’re still starting out in a snowsport, or only make it to the mountain a couple of times a year, consider a more budget-friendly pant.

As you gain experience, you can always invest in a higher-quality pant that will ultimately perform better and last longer on the mountain.

FAQ

How Much Should I Spend on Ski Pants?

The answer to this question largely depends on the type of skier you are. Have you never been in a winter climate and are skiing for the first time? Do you only ski on vacation? Look for a pair of pants that are more budget-friendly initially — you can always upgrade later.

Or, do you engage in winter activities that require a durable layer for much of the year? Make sure you get pants that have all the features you need — you may need to spend a little extra for technical features.

Our answer is always first, set yourself a budget. Check out all the pants on this list and find the one or two best for you, and then check to see if it’s on sale. Lots of times, seasonal apparel like ski pants and jackets go on sale after the season ends, so spring/summer is a great time to shop.

If you are able, we strongly encourage trying ski pants on, whether buying online with a return policy or shopping in the store. (We’ve included notes on the fit of each pant for this very reason — finding the right-fitting pant is hard!)

What’s the Difference Between Ski Pants and Insulated Ski Pants?

Regular, non-insulated ski pants are a protective, waterproofed fabric. Insulated ski pants are the same, but with (usually) synthetic insulation added between the fabrics for warmth. Do you need pants with insulation, and how much?

The answer all depends on what type of skiing you are doing, and where. How cold is it? Will you be traveling uphill, in the backcountry, or at resorts? Do you expect to be sedentary, in which case, your body temperature may drop, such as on the ski lift or while getting the kids booted up in the parking lot.

You may want to buy a cold-weather-specific insulated pant for those really snowy days on the mountain and a non-insulated shell pant for warmer days and backcountry use. Especially if you run cold, consider insulated options. Our best overall pant, best budget pant, and best resort pant all have insulation for instance. (PrimaLoft insulation is the standard in many ski pants.)

Let’s face it, you may not think about pant insulation while making turns on your favorite run. But when faced with -10-degree windchill on a chairlift, suddenly you’ll be wishing for some extra warmth on your bottom half.

What Is RECCO?

RECCO is an avalanche safety system used by ski teams and rescue professionals to help find people trapped in an avalanche. The first part of the system is a reflector sewn into outerwear apparel to help a buried skier be detected in the event of an avalanche.

A RECCO reflector doesn’t transmit any signals or need any batteries, but it’s great to have in an emergency. A RECCO detector transmits an active signal, with a range up to 120 m through the air and 10-20 m through snow.

Note that a RECCO reflector does not replace an avalanche transceiver, also known as an avalanche beacon. If you plan to go into the sidecountry (slackcountry) such as out the boundary gate at your local ski area, or into the backcountry, be sure to wear and know how to use your avalanche transceiver. Likewise, be sure that your ski partners wear and know how to use their avalanche transceiver.

Should Ski Pants Fit Loose or Tight?

Somewhere in between. Not so tight that they restrict movement, but not so loose that there’s extra space between the pants and your body (you’ll lose heat and get cold more easily plus it will feel too cumbersome or potentially get caught). If you wear thicker or more baselayers down below, consider sizing up to ensure that the pants fit properly.

Always try on ski pants with a thicker layer underneath — essentially, what you’d wear out in the cold. Especially if you are buying shell pants (uninsulated), you may want to size up or down, depending on the type of base layers you wear underneath.

With pants, it’s also super important to check the size and length — and see if they offer short, tall, or petite sizing for women who run short or tall.

Is GORE-TEX Good for Skiing?

GORE-TEX is a waterproof, windproof breathable membrane that is part of the fabric. For a long time, GORE-TEX has been the gold standard in waterproofing.

However, there are lots of other similar apparel membranes out there. Many major brands have their own version of waterproof-breathable fabrics.

Whichever ski pants you buy, make sure they are waterproof. Fabrics have degrees of waterproofing, from 5,000mm to 10,000mm to 25,000mm water column ratings. Generally, a handful of our GearJunkie team likes to shoot for at least a 10,000-15,000mm water column rating based on where we live and what kind of snow we experience in Colorado.

However, the highest level of waterproofing will sacrifice a little on breathability. In mild to medium — not extreme — winter climates, you’ll want a balance.

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