Outdoor Research Snowcrew Pant - Women's Review

The Outdoor Research Snowcrew are relaxed-fit ski pants with synthetic insulation. They are constructed from Outdoor Research's 2-layer Ventia fabric, with a smooth Taffeta backer and pillowy VerticalX Eco synthetic insulation. The construction is meant to strike the balance between warmth and breathability. These pants run significantly larger than others we tested; if you like a slimmer fit, definitely opt for the size down.

Weather Resistance

When wearing the Snowcrew on storm days, they kept us warm and dry through most precipitation. As long as the snow was light and fully frozen, they blocked it well. Once the snowfall rates ramped up and didn't relent, or conditions became really wet, we found that these pants saturated in places by the end of the day.

While the Snowcrew mostly impressed us with its weather resistance, cracks began to show in our shower test, where we stood under running water for two minutes to assess waterproofing. The Snowcrew started to absorb water into the face fabric, though they didn't wet through to the interior. The material also dries out very quickly. They wouldn't be our ideal pants for frequently skiing in wet environments, like the East Coast or Pacific Northwest.

Fit and Comfort

The Snowcrew pants have one of the baggiest fits of any ski pants in our lineup. If you like a relaxed fit, these are an excellent option. This helped us stay warm and comfortable in these pants, no matter what we layered underneath them. We loved how they never felt too tight, even when we changed up our base layer system.

Thanks to this generous fit, we had unhindered mobility in the Snowcrew, and they performed great for hiking and even backcountry skinning on cold days. We could high-step to our heart's content, without feeling limited in our range of motion. If you prefer a more athletic fit, we'd suggest sizing down from your normal size. The Snowcrew is sewn with knee and hip articulation that will maintain flexibility and easy movement even in a tighter fit.

Breathability

With long, easy-access thigh vents, you can modulate your temperature if you overheat when wearing the Snowcrew. The 10-inch mesh-backed vents prevent snow from sneaking in while you're cooling down. Outdoor Research's 2L Ventia fabric itself is also manufactured to promote breathability, allowing moisture from within to escape. The interior taffeta liner blocked this exchange a bit, often trapping heat on the inside unless we used the vents.

On warm, mild days on the mountain, we found ourselves quite hot if we were skiing hard in the Snowcrew pants. While these pants have a full suite of technical features, it would take a cold day to avoid overheating in them while backcountry touring or snowshoeing. However, they are more breathable than other similarly warm insulated pants we tested. They're reasonably comfortable to wear against bare skin as well, which would cool them down on spring days.

Warmth

The Snowcrew were among the warmest pants of the entire ski pants lineup, bested only by insulated bib options with more coverage. The Vertical X-Eco insulation, made from 85 percent recycled polyester, has a high warmth-to-weight ratio. That makes these insulated pants warm without feeling excessively heavy. The synthetic insulation feels puffy and malleable, and it effectively keeps in heat during cold conditions.

With the generous fit, you can comfortably add a super thick fleece pant beneath on truly frigid days. While hiking or skiing hard, we overheated a bit on on mild, sunny days where the temperature crept above freezing. In general, if you're looking for an insulated pant to keep you warm in cold and generally drier conditions, the Snowcrew is a safe bet.

Features

The Snowcrew pant comes fully loaded with all of the features we want, and some we didn't know we needed. Features are perhaps the biggest strength of this pant. They have some of the deepest and largest fleece-lined pockets we've ever seen: They extend almost all the way down to your knees, and across almost the entire thigh, and they're plenty large enough for your phone. The right pocket also has a mesh slip pocket and attachment inside for an avalanche transceiver. The Snowcrew also has an integrated adjustable velcro and spandex waistband to adjust the fit, and they also have belt loops.

The stretch cuffs on the Snowcrew are also unique. They feature a port for the power strap of your boots. We found that this was only handy on certain pairs of boots. Since we're not adjusting this strap that often throughout a day of skiing the resort, we're not sold that it's worth including.

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Style

The Snowcrew is not a showstopper pant on its own. Paired with a dark or muted jacket, your on-slope look will be understated. Don't expect the earth-tone colors of the Snowcrew to stand out against backgrounds of similarly colored trees and rocks. However, when paired with the matching jacket, we scored some compliments on the mountain. Though the colors we tested aren't flashy, they do look sharp.

The relaxed fit of these pants isn't quite baggy enough to be considered “trendy,” but most of our female testers liked the look. However, those seeking a slim fit may not like the feel or look of the relaxed cut.

Should You Buy the Outdoor Research Snowcrew Pants?

If you value warmth, comfort, extra-large pockets, and a long list of added features, you can't go wrong with the Outdoor Research Snowcrew. These are a great pant made by a reputable brand and offered for a reasonable price (and they come with a great warranty). However, for skiers and riders in maritime climates that see rain along with their snow, the Snowcrew may not have enough waterproofing for such wet conditions. And if you're an athletic skier who likes to hike and often overheats on the slopes, you'll likely find the Snowcrew pants too warm. But overall, the Snowcrew is a great value that will keep you cozy most days on the mountain, just remember to size down, because they run big.

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