Snowboard pants and bibs
Snowboard pants are the waterproof outer trousers that keep a rider dry and warm on the mountain, built with a sealed seam, a knee-length storm cuff and a back hem long enough to sit over the boot when you drop into a tree. They come in 2 main patterns, the regular pant with an elastic waistband and a bib with shoulder straps, and both are judged by their waterproof rating, their seam construction and their cut. This catalog is part of a new, independent project that covers Snowboard gear from board to boots, and it is not affiliated with the shops that once sold the old brand name. The numbers below are the ones that decide the buy: a 15,000 mm waterproof rating for a dry day, a 20,000 mm rating for wet snow, and a 15,000 g/m2/24h breathability figure that tells you how much vapour escapes on a hard run.
Work through the 3 choices in order. First, Pick a snowboard jacket that shares the same waterproof fabric as your pants so the whole shell behaves the same when it pours. Second, Choose snowboard boots, because the cuff height and the ankle articulation change how you set the pant hem. Third, browse the Ski, snowboard and watersports kit, bought end to end, so the trousers are matched to a jacket you will actually own.
Waterproof ratings for snowboard pants and bibs
The waterproof rating of snowboard pants is measured in millimetres of hydrostatic head, and it is the number that decides how long the fabric holds out before water finds its way through the weave. A 10,000 mm rating suits a dry day on powder, a 15,000 mm rating suits mixed snow, and a 20,000 mm rating suits the wet, heavy snow of a late-season week. Match the rating to the forecast rather than to the price, and check that the rating is printed on the product page next to the breathability figure, because a high head with low breathability traps your own sweat inside the shell.
| Rating | Snow it suits | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 10,000 mm | Dry, cold, light snow | Weekend days and powder |
| 15,000 mm | Mixed, moderate wet | Most resort days |
| 20,000 mm | Heavy, wet, persistent rain | Wet weeks and storms |
Look at the breathability column beside the waterproof column, and treat a 10,000 g/m2/24h value as the floor for hard riding, because the breath of your body is the moisture that soaks you from the inside when the rating is too high for the conditions.
Snowboard bib versus regular pants
A snowboard bib replaces the elastic waist of regular pants with 2 shoulder straps and a chest panel, and it covers the lower back, which is where a regular pant lets snow in when you slide into a rail or a deep line. Choose the bib if you drop into back bowls, and choose the regular pant if you ride groomed runs where the waistband stays put. The 2 patterns differ in 3 ways: the bib adds about 80 g of weight, the bib needs a full 4-point adjustment at the shoulders, and the bib closes with a zip that runs from the chest to the crotch rather than a waist zip that runs around the back.
- Regular pant: elastic waist, drawcord, hem length 25 cm over the boot
- Full bib: 2 straps, chest panel, 4-point shoulder adjustment
- Half bib: 1 strap on the left side, lighter, suits mixed riding
Set the bib straps so the chest panel sits 2 cm above your belt line, and the back hem will stay over the boot cuff through a full turn, which is the point of the pattern.
Cut and sizing for snowboard pants
The cut of snowboard pants follows your stance width and your boot volume, and the size is chosen from the inseam, not from your shirt size. A regular inseam is 30 in (76 cm), a long inseam is 32 in (81 cm), and a short inseam is 28 in (71 cm). Measure from the crotch to the boot cuff, then add 2 cm so the hem does not pull when you squat into a turn. The 2 cuts that matter are the articulated knee, which pre-shapes the leg so the fabric does not bunch at the front of the knee, and the gusseted crotch, which adds 4 cm of extra fabric at the seat so you can drop into a crouch without the seam opening.
- Measure the inseam from crotch to boot cuff
- Add 2 cm for the squat allowance
- Check the knee is articulated for your stance width
- Confirm the hem sits over the boot by 2 cm
When the hem sits correctly, the cuff of the pant covers the top of the boot and the boot laces stay dry, which is the sizing goal, and the inseam you wrote down is the number to keep for the next pair.
Snowboard pants versus ski pants
Snowboard pants and ski pants differ in 4 places: the hem, the cuff, the zip and the back length. A snowboard pant has a storm cuff with a gaiter that wraps over the boot, a ski pant has an open hem that stops above the boot. A snowboard pant has a zip that runs up the back to the waist, a ski pant has a zip that runs up the front. A snowboard pant is cut 4 cm longer in the back so it sits over the boot cuff, a ski pant is cut even at the back and the front. A snowboard pant is cut for a wider stance, a ski pant is cut for a narrow, parallel track. Buy a snowboard pant for a snowboard, and buy a ski pant for a ski, because the hem and the back length are the 2 details that do not transfer between the two sports.
Buying a snowboard pant or bib: the checklist
Run the 6-point checklist before you add a snowboard pant or bib to the cart, and each point is a number you can read off the product page. Check the waterproof rating against the snow you expect, check the breathability against how hard you ride, check the seam count and the seam tape, check the hem length over your boot, check the zip type, and check the return window. A fully taped seam is the one that holds a 20,000 mm rating on a wet week, and a seam count of 16 or more across the leg is the number to look for. The 6 points in order are rating, breath, seam, hem, zip, and return, and the first 4 decide the buy while the last 2 decide the risk.
- Waterproof rating: 10,000 to 20,000 mm against the forecast
- Breathability: 10,000 g/m2/24h as the floor for hard riding
- Seams: fully taped, 16 or more across the leg
- Hem: 2 cm over the boot cuff after sizing
- Zip: back zip for a pant, chest zip for a bib
- Return window: 30 days or more for a size swap
Keep the 6 numbers together in one note, and the next time you buy a snowboard pant or a bib you will have the same checklist in front of you, and the pair will match the jacket and the boots you already own.