best men's ski and snowboard pants to stay protected on the slopes

[YaKoMoS]

If you’re heading to the mountains this winter, make sure you choose the right pair of ski pants or salopettes for what you need – this way you’ll really be able to enjoy your time on the slopes. Waterproofness is undoubtedly one of the qualities to look out for. It's worth knowing that waterproof garments are often tested against a universal performance scale and rated from 0-50,000mm+. 

For ski and snowboard trousers, the lowest you’d really want is 10,000mm, with high end performance gear being up at 20-30,000mm (being highly waterproof yet still flexible and breathable). Then there’s insulation – shells are more versatile as you can use in both milder and cold conditions (simply layer with thermals), however built insulation is more convenient if you’re going skiing in mid-winter at a resort.

You also need to consider style and cut – some are baggier and allowing high manoeuvrability, aimed more at freestyle or backcountry riders. Others will be more traditional and offer a close fitting snug warm fit, intended at the average piste skier. The more premium options might feature a concealed RECCO reflector. This is a neat band-aid sized passive reflector meaning you can be detected by an avalanche transceiver in that worst case scenario.

We have selected a range of trousers suitable for all conditions and types of skiing, and tested them in terms of their fit, comfort, build, waterproofness, materials quality, and most importantly their performance in adverse weather.

You can trust our independent reviews. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections, which are formed from real-world testing and expert advice. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

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