The Best Women’s Ski Bibs of 2024

The women’s Flylow Foxy Bib ($430) is the OG — you can’t go wrong here. These high-chested, streamlined bibs are downright flattering.

Many of our female staff and gear testers have worn these stellar bibs in all conditions. And while we beam about the technical features for backcountry ski endeavors, the compliments we get on these bibs are almost as good as how well they move with us when we rip in them.

We love the array of stash pockets. You’ll find two generous thigh pouches and a backside pocket. There’s a side-entrance chest pocket and a complimentary roomy top-entrance kangaroo pocket for easy access to snacks (practically at your chin).

They are functional across sizes. One of our testers is 5’9″ and wears a size large while others are shorter and wear a size medium or small. The seams are fully sealed and the YKK zips are waterproof. At ground level, the hems are reinforced and interior gaiters slide over their boots.

You’ll dig the long thigh vents so you don’t overheat. That includes both interior and exterior side zippers for releasing steam. We found the elastic back panel is comfortable and breathes well. The overall stretch plus the lengthy outer side zip lets the bottom drop easily when nature calls, all without needing to pull down the adjustable suspenders.

Beware here — and with any bib, really — of the midsection fit. Check out the reviews on the Foxy. Most are positive, with some women scouring the country to find a pair of these popular pants. But a few mention the sizing chart being off from, say, fitting for their jeans. But remember, just like finding your favorite pair of jeans, each brand’s sizing run varies.

With a long legacy behind them, the folks at Flylow have had some time to perfect the Flylow Foxy Bib, and they easily land as the best overall in our arsenal of snow apparel.

You can’t go wrong with the more affordable price point and workwear look of these women’s coveralls. The North Face Women’s Freedom Bibs ($250) are tailored in the right places, but it still has some utilitarian inner-thigh vents that complement this feminine look.

These waterproof and seam-sealed high-cut women’s ski pants have only two layers. Unlike many of the premium three-layer outerwear constructions above, these bibs won’t excel in the wet and wild climes of the coastal regions, but they hold their own in drier climates and for those who won’t be out as long. The silhouette also offers short, regular, or long fits.

While the suspenders are adjustable, we also appreciate the belt loops. For spots to stash belongings, there are two zippered hand pockets, a cargo pocket on the right thigh, and two Napoleon pockets (accessed with the opposite hand) on the upper portion. If the day heats up, interior leg vents support a cool down.

Overall, The North Face Women’s Freedom Bibs are a solid, stylish option for testing a new foray into the world of women’s bibs, especially for those who stick to resort and dabble in a bit of side-country skiing.

New from our favorite Teton-based brand, the Stio Women’s Figment Bib ($479) turns heads and makes our days on snow that much smoother. Launched in the 2023-2024 season, this design has a jaw-dropping amount of storage. A freeride silhouette means we can easily don a fleece below the bibs on extra cold ones. And we don’t need to worry about our quads or glutes busting out any seams. This piece hits the mark and even exceeds what we envision a favorite bib can be.

Diving into our favorite luxury, this bib boasts five functional pockets. The kit’s matching jacket delivers another eight. And each pocket manages to be functional: Stio cracked the nut for combining two angled and softly-lined hand pockets alongside two boxy quad pockets that are spacious for quickly sliding in a phone. We don’t like sacrificing either, especially post ski when we pull off our gloves, and now we don’t have to. One of our biggest peeves is when we can’t smoothly utilize an upper thigh pocket when the legs are a bit too fitted around the quads. Not the case here.

Stio also achieved a bib with two entrances. Much like the other bibs on our list of faves, there’s a lengthy side zipper — this one is 20.5 inches long — that ladies can use to step into the bib. That’s also the zipper she pulls down to fold back the fabric and use the bathroom. A second zipper is front-center, and is our preferred entrance, because it’s a bit easier to slide our arms into the suspenders when the burrito is fully open.

The Figment has a few other fine details: An elastic belt with an adjustable slider helps you tight up the fabric around your waist, if you’d like. Parallel with the belt, a strip of Velcro fabric extends over the center zipper, providing a clean look. The suspenders are wide and easily adjustable with Velcro on the underside that adheres directly to the soft fabric, providing plenty of real estate.

Overall, the Stio Women’s Figment Bib hits the mark as a super functional, comfortable, and weather-proof layer. The material is a bit hefty for uphilling and backcountry sessions, and we found the fabric also feels heavy for touring in temperatures above freezing. If you’re backcountry skiing in a frigid climate, this bib is protective and roomy enough for lunging on the skin track, as a hybrid piece, but it’s not our first pick based on the breathability. That said, we’re hard-pressed to find a more stylish and suitable kit for 9-to-4 resort laps. We love the Figment.

Patagonia set a new benchmark for technical sustainability for the 23/24 winter with a collection of durable and high-end 3-layer snow apparel that is completely free of PFC chemicals from the textile to the applied waterproof barrier on the surface. Enter, the Patagonia Women’s SnowDrifter Bibs ($399).

Adopting the name of SnowDrifter, these bibs are totally overhauled with the launch of this 3-layer textile, which is made of 100% recycled materials that are Fair Trade Certified sewn. Even so, the product meets Patagonia’s in-house H2No performance benchmark for high waterproofness, breathability, and durability. The brand dedicated several years of R&D to fine-tune a completely PFC-free lineup of 2-layer apparel for winter enthusiasts, debuting The Powder Town collection, including the non-insulated Women’s Powder Town Bibs for ladies, in 22/23. Here’s the evolution.

The lightweight, stretchy fabric and minimalist design feels like a soft-shell jacket, yet is a constructed hardshell to tackle any burly conditions from freezing to whiteout blizzards and bluebird climbs. Malleability supports a full range of movement, as does the fit design, without sacrificing the protection, breathability, and moisture-wicking characteristics.

We found that these bibs are super light and ideal for uphill or downhill pursuits — plus they hang their hat on sustainability. There are two zippered cargo pockets on the thighs and one large zippered chest pocket, which are spacious enough for a beacon or other items.

A super long side zipper with two dual-direction zip-pulls facilitates bathroom breaks with a door flap as well as easy entry and exit. The design doubles as vents for breaking steam. Including a RECCO reflector and sturdy gaiters plus detachable suspenders for quick entry, the Patagonia Women’s SnowDrifter Bibs is now one of our favorite options in the gear bin.

Read our full GearJunkie Review of the SnowDrifter Bibs, our full GearJunkie review of the matching Patagonia Women’s SnowDrifter Jacket, and the full GearJunkie review of the Patagonia Men’s SnowDrifter Bibs, too.

Introducing the brand’s first-ever women’s bib, the Ortovox Women’s 3L Deep Shell Bib Pants ($650) quickly became one of our favorite technical bibs for backcountry missions as well as days, especially powder-flying or high-moisture ones, at the resort. The price is steeper than most other options on our list, but the garment’s quality and ease of movement deliver. Ortovox also prioritizes sustainable design, from PFC-free to certified climate neutral, ensuring a lower footprint on the planet.

Despite us wearing these bibs while loading and driving snowmobiles and ski mountaineering, we are only starting to see wear and tear on these bibs (on a front thigh pocket) after several seasons of snowmobile wrestling, trailer maintenance, immense shoveling, and backcountry skiing. To protect the hems, a generous Dyneema-CORDURA fabric wraps around each ankle area and reaches 11 inches high on the interior side, keeping the pants from getting ripped during kick turns on the skin track or while booting with crampons on.

In wet or blizzard conditions and on powder days, the 100% windproof and 20,000mm waterproof fabric is a barricade against the elements. On the ski lift during bell-to-bell snowstorms, the material didn’t get soaked. We were able to spend back-to-back full days outside working and playing in the snow during a 100-inch week without the bibs getting soggy. Those seams are fully sealed and you’ll find integrated gaiters that fit over snowboard boots, too.

Based in Germany, Ortovox has specialized in manufacturing high-end wool-based apparel for alpinists since 1988. Each product integrates Swiss wool from the Swiss Alps or Tasmanian merino wool, providing warmth and odor management. With natural fibers, these bibs breathe to a competitive degree, and the leg vents are very generous. Yet the merino wool also added warmth against biting wind, especially while sweating on the skin track. A merino insert against the lower back is a nice touch for protection against the cold.

We love the deep, wide, and spacious pockets — two on the thighs, on the hip, and across the chest — that can easily fit our large phone or a backcountry field book and the strong, easy-to-glide, waterproof zippers.

With double-sided, extended zipper access, the drop seat is unique on the Ortovox Women’s 3L Deep Shell Bib Pants. The long, two-way zippers on each side are set slightly back for ease of opening the drop seat from the left or right. The zipper reaches from the upper half of the back all the way to above the knee, making a huge section of fabric easy to grab and pull to the side.

Read more about the bibs in our full GearJunkie review. You can also check out the matching Ortovox 3L Deep Shell Jacket review in the Best Women’s Ski Jackets Buyer’s Guide.

Within today’s lineup of snowboard bibs, the women’s Airblaster Sassy Hot Bib ($320) is a step up in weather protection and overall technical features, making it one of our favorite options for riding at the resort in any and all weather conditions, especially in a climate like the erratic high-altitude Rockies. While these are a beloved bib among riders, they’re equally a great choice for skiers, too.

The two-layer bibs have a super high level of waterproofing compared to many others, sitting at 30,000 mm of waterproofing plus 20,000 g/m breathability. Furthermore, the two-layer Eco-Vortex fabric is treated with a PFC-free DWR to help moisture bead off the surface. The seams are fully sealed and garnished with strong YKK zips. The fabric feels smooth and substantial with a touch of insulation, which is available in certain colorways.

Around the kit, the pocket options set a bar. Riders will find two zippered hand pockets, two backside pockets, and one chest pocket plus a key clip. Up top, the adjustable elastic straps are smooth and functional while the elastic lower gaiters have a lace hook. We love the smooth, playful taffeta lining printed with bats!

The drop seat on this bib is unique in that it wraps nearly entirely around. The zipper goes 350 degrees and functions seamlessly — we’ve never had it get hung up on the interior liner or jam. A storm flap also covers the zipper, which adds style points. So svelte.

While these fashion-forward bibs are well-designed with excellent attention to detail and materials, the Airblaster Sassy Hot Bib doesn’t cost as much as outerwear that’s more technical and backcountry-focused. We recommend another backcountry-specific bib if you’re worried about dumping heat on the skin track.

Read more about the bibs in our full GearJunkie review. You can also read about the matching Airblaster Sassy Beast Jacket in the GearJunkie Best Snowboard Jackets Buyer’s Guide.

For the second winter season of women’s snowboard outerwear from Jones, the brand debuts the three-layer Jones Snowboards Women’s Shralpinist Stretch Recycled Bibs ($500) for the 23/24 winter season. We pulled on these bibs most days, be it time in the backcountry or at the resort, and really enjoyed the design.

Crossing off an OEKO-TEX Standard 100 label, which certifies that the textiles are free of toxic chemicals and safe for humans, and incorporating 100% recycled materials from the face to the backer makes this piece among the most sustainable out there to date. Even the polyester zip pull cords are recycled. The manufacturing site is also WRAP (Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production) stamped, meaning the facility is safe, legal, and ethical. Awesome.

Overall, the fit is sleek, athletic, and attractive with a stretchy four-way fabric that feels malleable. We didn’t experience any restrictive seams, and the material offered solid weather protection.

What’s the point of bibs without a bundle of thoughtfully placed pockets? This architecture checks out with smart textile cradles from the backside to the sternum. Two chest pockets are layered in a simple, brilliant way: A 7.5-inch-by-8.5-inch rectangular pouch is accessed from the top zip, which includes an interior mesh pocket for a device. A secondary side zipper brings you to a smaller 4-inch-by-8.5-inch rectangular pocket that technically sits behind the larger chest pocket.

Another two pockets on the thighs are 7 by 7 inches. Inside each is a mesh pocket for a device and a small loop in each seam to clip onto. Last is a zippered pocket on the backside. No shortage of options! 

Lengthy 23-inch-long zips flank each side of the dropseat with double zippers. We like that the entrance could be from either side, increasing functionality. The lowermost pulls are two-way, doubling as air ventilation. Broad cuff reinforcements are placed along the interior and back of each pant leg, stretching 12¼ inches wide by 8 inches high. Belt loops are incorporated as are internal gaiters. The fully taped seams are decorated with YKK AquaGuard Coil zippers.

Overall, the Jones Women’s Shralpinist Stretch Recycled Bibs are extremely comfortable and functional with style. We would like to see a slight improvement in the suspenders, which tended to get twisted every time we pulled on the bibs, requiring a minute to adjust — which is not a huge deal but a tad annoying. Making sure the suspenders are tightened up well is also key with these stretchy straps, which can easily slide off your shoulders if they’re too loose and you’re charging moguls on a pow day.

You can also check out the Jones Snowboards Shralpinist Stretch Recycled Jacket review in the GearJunkie Best Snowboard Jackets Buyer’s Guide.

These hardshell bibs miraculously felt like a buttery-soft, slender base layer, yet shielded the toughest squalls. As burly as they are, the slim-fitting Mammut Women’s Haldigrat HS Bib Pants ($539) are among the most feminine, Euro-influenced silhouettes in our pool of top picks — the number of compliments we received while wearing this fashion-forward yet bombproof kit was impressive.

Despite wrestling a snowmobile, trailer, backcountry tours, freeride laps, and blizzards at the resort, the fabric remains unscathed. This is one of our favorite bibs to launch for the 23/24 season. Paired with the new Haldigrat Jacket, the kit looks fresh. 

We loved how light and malleable this 3-layer pant felt on the ascent: completely quiet and supple. With an athletic design, there’s no bagginess or bulk, which is great from a performance standpoint. They’re form-fitting from the thighs to the waist and top of the bib, just below the ribcage. The lower leg is roomier and fits easily over ski or snowboard boots even with a double BOA, and there’s a snap to fold back and tighten the circumference when needed. 

Some of our testers wished that the crotch was more spacious or gusseted, for long-term comfort, especially on big days with continuous steep sections of uphill travel or bootpacking. The overall tight fit also means this isn’t the warmest option if that’s what you need, especially for a resort bib. 

Huge kudos for how deep and wide each thigh pocket is — 11.5 by 7.5 inches — though we’d like to see the pocket access improved. Sliding either hand in and out of the zippered thigh pockets was uncomfortable and inefficient due to the tightness — and a gloved hand wouldn’t fit.

Inside the right thigh pocket is an integrated stretchy neoprene cellphone pocket (imagine a sleeping bag for your device) that retains warmth to help preserve battery life. We have a large phone that fits fine — but it takes time on the skintrack to squeeze in, and forget about sliding your phone into these leg pockets at all while sitting on the chairlift.

There’s an avalanche beacon-compatible zippered pocket on the waist with an internal lanyard clip, which our testers really dig. A second internal clip for beacon attachment is in a thigh pocket.

The vents on the exterior legs are generous: 12 inches on one side and 24 inches on the other, which also opens up the dropseat. The zips are durable, conveniently two-way, and there’s no internal mesh — so don’t fall into powder on the side of the skintrack while trying to make a tricky kick turn (which happened to us). The water-resistant YKK zippers are small but durable, and those strong seams are fully taped.

We were able to use the drop seat in the backcountry with our jacket and pack on, but it was tough to do with the high-reaching zip and tight-fitted waist — we wouldn’t recommend it. It’s easier to remove your pack and jacket first. Reinforced patches on each leg’s interior are mega tall, wide, and made of extremely durable Dyneema. Beyond the performance, the lean design also makes these bibs packable. Also, the mint green color is fresh and beautiful, though it easily soils. 

From an eco-standpoint, the bibs are Bluesign-approved and Fair Wear certified, meaning the textile excludes harmful substances and the conditions are equitable and safe where the garment is made. The DWR is PFC-free. A portion of the fabric is also made from post-consumer recycled nylon.

Those who prefer a more relaxed fit will want to size up with these bibs. The Mammut Women’s Haldigrat HS Bib Pants and matching hooded jacket launched in June 2023.

The pockets on the kit’s jacket, the Mammut Women’s Haldigrat HS Hooded Jacket, are spacious and smartly designed. Read our review in the Best Women’s Ski Jackets Buyer’s Guide.

When our OG idyllic ladies’ snow bib offers an insulated iteration, we listen. The Flylow Foxy Insulated Bib ($430) is new for the 2023-2024 season, serving up 40 grams of 100% recycled insulation to keep our backsides and quads shielded from ice-cold blasts. If you shred in a frigid and windy zone — like Jackson Hole, Vermont, or Crested Butte — don’t hesitate to snag these bibs.

After testing these chest-high pants at one of the coldest ski areas in the country, we found that the insulation delivers and the fit is still superb. We loved pulling these on for freezing bluebird laps. On cold powder days, we even got a bit sweaty while romping runs, so we’d drop the exterior leg vents in the lift line. When the wind picked up, we were grateful to have this insulation to help keep us happy while waiting to load. We’re also happy to see the insulation is recycled, using the brand’s proprietary recycled polyester, called Greenloft. Moreover, the design is Bluesign-certified, too.

The fabric is cheetah-status against wet snowfall, too, with a premium waterproofness level plus a DWR coat. While the breathability is very high, as well, we found the only way to overpower the insulation is to use those leg vents. We’d slightly prefer interior leg vents, instead of or in addition to the exterior vents, but these do the job.

We love the creativity of layering two pockets in the chest zone: The smaller one has a horizontal zipper entrance and the larger pouch has a vertical zip entrance on the right side. That kangaroo-style pocket is spacious: 11 inches tall and about 7.5 inches wide. Two zippered pockets are on the thighs, which aren’t lined with a soft fabric nor are they the largest carriers among our choice bibs, but if you prefer a more fitted silhouette, these fit the bill. On the backside, there’s a zippered pocket on the right cheek.

Flylow pays attention to a handful of other micro points. We like that the suspenders have an easy, slender quick-release buckle on each side. The elastic bands are super flexible, which we appreciate for getting the bibs on and off. Belt loops are always a plus for the option to pull one on. Snaps wrap around the waist, too, which can be paired with powder skirts on Flylow jackets. Ultimately, if we’re heading out in a blizzard, the Flylow Foxy Insulated Bib is one of our top picks from the bin.

Made entirely of the proprietary and sustainable Primo fabric, the new Trew Chariot Bib Primo ($499) offers a relaxed freeride fit with room for layers — yet is flattering and feminine. We hugely approve. Throughout testing, we found that the fabric blocked very heavy and wet snowfall with no damping and dried very fast. 

Based in the Pacific Northwest, Trew launched drop-seat snow bibs in 2009, including a massive overhaul of the OG Chariot Bib by lead female designer Brittany Crook along the way. Fifteen years from inception, the brand has now launched a sustainable fabric after several years of development, which is strong enough to withstand even the coastal elements. Introducing the Primo Collection, the brand’s 100% recycled nylon 3-layer waterproof-breathable fabric that’s durable and offers dynamic stretch. 

The bibs zip down the front to peel off, which provides easy access despite being a tall bib that covers the chest area. Compared to the iconic Chariot Bib Classic, this fit runs slightly roomier. That said, our primary tester has a longer torso and would consider sizing up for the next round for a tiny more room in the undercarriage.

In our experience, the sizing is pretty darn perfect and we’re hard-pressed to find another brand with as many size options as this one. As of early 2023, Trew launched 1X-4X with short and tall options in addition to the XS to XXL run. For both size blocks, the short has a 30-inch inseam and the tall offers a 35-inch inseam. 

These bibs aren’t tight but they’re not baggy — we found there’s not a ton of extra space, which we only noticed on freezing days during bathroom visits (not while shredding). We needed a little patience to peel our layers up and down (and re-tuck them) with the drop-seat open.

The tailored waist area translates to a drop-seat that needs an extra second to open and shut due to the closer fit. It’s not a big deal but doesn’t make us want to wear these bibs on backcountry missions where we prefer an athletic and slightly spacious fit.  

Nothing is better than bib straps that stay in place. We love the underside of the wide, stretchy straps, which offer a strip of sticky silicone, allowing the suspenders to sit still. The extra seconds they require to pull on and snag loose hairs are worth the delivery. 

We dug the variety of pockets: Two upper chest pockets, which were perfect for a house key and wallet. There are three pockets on the upper thighs (two that are zippered and one with a Velcro flap), which are great for other collectibles. The pockets also have internal integrated 15 mm D-rings for latching clips.

Interior leg vents on the bibs get the job done and don’t have an interior mesh fabric for the zip pulls to get caught on. The hems and large interior kick patches (7.5 by 7¾ inches) are made with SuperFabric, a lightweight fabric that’s touted as abrasion and stain-resistant. Every intersection of fabric on the Trew Chariot Bib Primo is fully reinforced with 3L tape to keep out moisture — plus the zips are water resistant.

Read our review of the matching Trew Stella Jacket Primo in the Best Women’s Ski Jackets and Best Snowboard Jackets Buyer’s Guides.

The Outdoor Research Women’s Carbide Bibs ($329) won us over as soon as we tried it on. It fit well, felt lightweight yet kept us warm on a few sub-10-degree days, and works great for both resort and backcountry skiing.

Aside from the design, the Carbide bibs are made with a three-layer, waterproof-breathable Pertex Shield shell nylon fabric. These bibs also feature a 40-denier tricot knit backer and tough 420-denier scuff guards. Because there’s no insulation, these pants might not be the best for resort rippers that run cold. The streamlined cuffs are not expandable, so they compliment ski boots well but get jammed (or don’t fit) snowboard boots.

The straps and buckles lay flat and are easy to adjust. The bib has a dedicated beacon pocket with a clip, a large top stash pocket on the chest, and internal gaiters with PowerStrap slots.

For backcountry travelers, the Outdoor Research Women’s Carbide Bibs has zippered venting on both sides and a full-length zipper on the right side of the bib for easy bathroom access. It also has two side-access thigh pockets. We really loved the placement of the venting and this design’s ability to adapt to different conditions on the mountain.

Hot pants, meet ski pants. The Halfdays Isabel Soft Shell Bib Pant ($345) is for the woman who doesn’t want to compromise style while on the slopes.

The bib’s super stretchy fabric fits like a glove. A slim fit accentuates legs and curves in a way that baggier, more athletic-fitting pants simply can’t, without compromising performance. The Isabel Soft Shell Bib is a standout option for ripping groomers or sipping hot chocolate at the mid-mountain chalet, and stylish enough for a martini (or two) during apres. A single zipper down the front adds flair. 

Halfdays brand is a new women-owned business on the ski scene. Its founders say they like spending time outdoors, but don’t love ill-fitting apparel or the pressure that comes with a “hardcore” culture. So a team of women — Olympian Kiley McKinnon (who competed wearing men’s ski wear), product designers, and fashionable leaders — crafted gear aiming to balance well-made with chic. 

The silhouette is outfitted with two exterior pockets, gaiters, and zippered and gusseted hems, which we appreciate for ski or snowboard boots. The adjustable elastic shoulder straps are easy to maneuver and comfortable. While the seams are not fully taped for waterproofness, there are water resistant YKK AquaGuard zippers.

Fleece insulation keeps your legs toasty  — great for a chilly day inbounds but not a good fit for sweaty backcountry adventures. These aren’t the most technical pants or fabric, so be choosy if you’re skiing in wet conditions. But for the snow athlete that wants to look as good as she skis, the Halfdays Isabel Soft Shell Bib Pant is the way to go. 

Read about the matching Halfdays Lawrence Jacket in the GearJunkie Best Women’s Ski Jackets Buyer’s Guide.

While our editors appreciated the extra protection up top, not all women are sold on a chest-high bib like the Chariot. Some prefer a lower-profile suspender pant that still hits well above the belly.

The Stio Women’s Environ Bib ($459) is a great choice for this cut. The athletic bib designed for women still lets you drop trou, just without the big zip in the back. Instead, side zips provide adequate access, and the straps are easily adjustable.

We appreciate the option of belt loops to top off easy-to-adjust elastic suspender straps. For stashing goods, there are two zippered hand pockets and a single thigh pocket. Blocking moisture, the seams are fully sealed. Snow travelers will find YKK water-resistant AquaGuard zippers at the outset vents plus a YKK zippered fly, hand pockets, and thigh pocket.

Stio makes this mini-bib ski pant with high-end waterproof-breathable materials throughout. Tough CORDURA kick patches ensure your leg cuffs won’t fray too soon, and there are conveniently placed pockets (though, we’d like to see some more). Plus, articulated knees mean you can actually move in the Stio Women’s Environ Bib.

The technical and sporty Rab Khroma Kinetic Waterproof Bib ($380) is a hard charger that’s perfect for an athletic skier or rider. The pants are breathable with durable 3-layer stretch woven nylon fabric. They boast a superb range of motion and waterproofing. Rab says these pants offer the protection of a hardshell with the comfort of a softshell, and they’re spot on.

Full chest coverage differentiates this bib from some lower-slung styles we reviewed. We like the large front access pocket for storing things like a phone, GPS, chapstick, or snacks within reach. Another two thigh pockets and a backend pocket top off the options. Those exterior leg vents really open the window when a breeze is needed. With fully taped seams and a combo of YKK AquaGuard zippers (including a fully waterproof front fly zip), this layer is a warrior against moisture.

Extra features, like reinforced instep patches to shield crampons and strengthen the hem, make these pants a top choice for ski tourers and mountaineers. Internal gaiters block snow. The stretchy, breathable lower back helped keep us cool, even when carrying a heavy pack and motoring uphill in the backcountry. And everyone can get behind the generous drop seat to answer nature’s call.

These pants are ideal for a backcountry day, and also worked well in a resort at 30-degree temps with a warm wool baselayer. The Rab Khroma Kinetic Waterproof Bib is an ideal one-quiver pant.

Check out the matching Rab Khroma Kinetic Waterproof Jacket review in the GearJunkie Best Ski Jackets Buyer’s Guide.