Obermeyer Bliss Review

The Obermeyer Bliss Pant is a lightly insulated ski pant with a slim, athletic fit. The synthetic insulation is made from recycled plastic bottles using Repreve technology, and the 2-layer fabric is made from polyester treated with “Hydroblock” DWR. It comes in a wide range of sizes, three lengths, and an array of colors. Though they claim to have two-way stretch, we did not find them to have particularly great mobility in our testing. They are also offered in a curvy fit.

Likes

The Bliss Pant is offered in an incredibly broad, inclusive, and precise size range, from size 2 to 22, with three different lengths available. If you're tall and thin and have trouble finding pants that fit right, these just might be your holy grail. They're also available in a curvy fit option with the full size range.

We liked how the boot-gripping cuff effectively stayed in place and kept snow from creeping into the top of our boots when bootpacking through deep snow, and the waist adjustment allows for fit modulation.

Despite a bit of added insulation, the Bliss Pant is also able to breathe quite well in warm temperatures. Though they offer inner thigh vents, they're very short and mesh-backed, so the amount of airflow is more modest compared to other pairs. For insulated pants, though, the Bliss are reasonably breathable for warmer spring days.

Obermeyer offers a lot of fun colors, and the hot pink that we tested made us incredibly easy to spot on the slopes. Those who like bright colors for some flair on the slopes will have plenty to choose from here.

Dislikes

Most of our female testers found the fit to be a bit out of proportion: Tight in the thighs and larger in the waist. They have a straight cut that's almost reminiscent of a boot cut jean. As mentioned above, the curvy fit is potentially a solution to this issue, but we didn't test that option. Since the regular fit is on the slimmer side, this didn't allow us as much versatility for layering beneath these pants. Obermeyer claims these pants have two-way stretch, but they still felt quite restrictive for movement. Though our testers didn't particularly love the fit of these pants, everyone's body is different, and the fit may be great for other skiers.

The Bliss pants don't have waterproof zippers on the thigh vents, so moisture can sneak through when riding the chairlift in a wet snowstorm. When faced with relentless precipitation, the fabric will saturate. In our shower test, the fabric soaked through in places, but effectively beaded water in others.

The properties that allow these pants to breathe also allows wind gusts to sneak through, which may lead to shivering your way down the mountain when conditions are cold and blustery. Despite the insulation, we didn't feel that the Obermeyer Bliss Pant was very warm; they're definitely not insulated enough for below-zero days. However, we know most people aren't psyched to head out in weather like that, so if you're someone who prefers a hot beverage in the lodge during inclement weather, these shortcomings may not bother you as much.

Should You Buy the Obermeyer Bliss Pant?

For casual resort skiers who mostly get out on bluebird days, the Bliss pant provides a pop of color and acceptable protection from the elements at a reasonable price. While not the most durable or waterproof option out there, and likely won't be warm enough for extreme conditions, they're still great and have all the features you need if you just hit the slopes a handful of times per season.

What Other Women's Ski Pants Should You Consider?

If you like the look of the Bliss pant but want better wind and waterproofing, the Arc'teryx Sentinel was one of the most stylish and most protective ski pants we tested, effectively repelling snow even on the deepest powder days. For a much warmer insulated option, we love the Patagonia Powder Town Insulated pants. For a similar fit but better performance across the board, we like the Mammut Stoney HS Thermo.