Helly Hansen Legendary Insulated Pant - Women's Review

Likes

We found the Legendary Pant both waterproof and reasonably breathable, with mesh-backed vents on each thigh to help modulate temperature. The articulated knees help maintain good range of motion, and a velcro waist adjustment keeps them in place. The insulation offers decent warmth for the weight on cold days.

Perhaps the biggest benefit of the Legendary pants is their value. For a reasonable price, these pants offer all of the bells and whistles you'll need for exploring your favorite ski hill. They boast decent waterproofing, an adjustable waistband, zippered hand pockets, and effective stretch boot cuffs, and cost a lot less than some of the premium pants we tested.

For most winter conditions you'll encounter, the Legendary pants are sufficiently weatherproof. The two-layer polyester and polyamide material and fully-taped seams effectively kept icy wind gusts and snow at bay. And, throughout our testing period, the waterproofing treatment beaded off moisture quite nicely. These pants stood up fairly well to the shower test: in two minutes of targeted spray, the material only absorbed a small amount of moisture, and repelled the rest.

Dislikes

We found the fit to be a little interesting. Our lead tester almost always wears a size medium and has an athletic build — lean, with more size through the thighs and hips — and the Legendary felt tight in those areas. Compared to other pants we tested in the same size, there was less room through the upper thigh and backside of the Legendary, which was especially noticeable when hiking or bending over to fasten boot buckles.

Fit is always subjective and highly dependent on body type, and over years of testing ski pants, we've seen just how much variation there can be from brand to brand. If you typically find pants tight through the thighs or hips, this is one model where sizing up is worth considering. That said, even with the larger size, these pants still lean toward a slimmer, more tailored silhouette. Because of that, we didn't have as much flexibility for piling on thick base layers underneath for below zero days.

While the DWR coating on the Legendary pants was effective in the shower test, sitting on the chairlift through a wet and stormy day, the back pocket zipper and inner thigh vents did not successfully keep all moisture out. These zippers are the only non-water-resistant zippers on the pants, and they began to allow water to seep in around the edges. The waterproof treatment on the pants worked well throughout our testing, but we wouldn't recommend these for skiers in climates where the forecast often lists sleet or 'wintry mix'.

Should You Buy the Helly Hansen Legendary Insulated Pant?

The Legendary Insulated Pant delivers all of the features you need in a resort skiing pant at a reasonable price. They had decent performance across the board. If you want a good insulated pant for the resort and prefer a more form-fitting, tailored cut, the Legendary Pant could be the pant for you. However, we wouldn't recommend these for skiers living in wet, maritime snow climates.

What Other Women's Ski Pants Should You Consider?