Burly Protection and Just Enough Warmth for Resort Shredding: Outdoor Research Powderverse Ski Pants Review

The temperatures had plummeted for the first time all season. Welcoming the stormy weather, I summited an in-bounds uphill route just as the sun peaked over Colorado’s Gore Range through scattered clouds. I snapped into my ski bindings for an unspoiled powder run, and then squeezed in two more before the resort’s lifts started to hum.

By the time I reached 11,000 feet, the wind was harsh and howling. I was wearing Outdoor Research’s new Powderverse Ski Pants and Jacket — thankfully, I was layered for the turbulent conditions. Frozen flakes bounced off my legs. I felt protected against the icy gusts by the Powderverse Pants’ burly face fabric. The conditions were frigid, but the pants had just enough insulation. I was warm enough to keep skiing for the rest of the day after the lifts opened.

In short: The new Outdoor Research Powderverse Ski Pants ($300) split the difference between heavy-duty insulated ski pants and technically oriented hardshells. The durable ripstop face fabric is complemented by a lighter-weight lining and synthetic insulation in the seat to protect skiers from the icy bite of the ski chair. The air-trapping fabric layer kept me comfortable on cold days without overwhelming me with warmth when the sun popped out.

Skiing in the Powderverse Pants felt great — they offer a refined fit, ski-oriented gusseting, and a cut that will match a wide range of skiers. These high-quality pants have a price-to-performance ratio that puts them ahead of cheaper and pricier options from other brands.

Check out how these ski pants compare to other top picks in our Best Ski Pants buyer’s guide and our roundup of Best Ski Pants for Men.

Outdoor Research Powderverse Pants Review

The Powderverse Pants are a new offering from Outdoor Research for 2026, bringing a comprehensive feature set for resort skiing that you’d typically find on much pricier options — high-end waterproofing, durable fabric, light insulation, and high-quality details. 

Most importantly, these ski pants fit well and look great. So, what’s the catch? I spent many full days skiing in the Powderverse Pants in Colorado’s weather spectrum to find out.

These ski pants were comfortable right out of the box. At 6’1”, 195 pounds, with a 33-inch waist, I was on the upper end of the medium/regular spectrum, and they generally fit true to size. I loved that the inseams were plenty long. Even when I hiked them up, the cuffs still covered my boots. But they weren’t super baggy when I wore them more casually at the waist. The cut is moderate all around — a true regular fit that felt and looked refreshingly normal. No aesthetic frills, no style statements.

Fit

While I liked the fit, the mobility gets a B+. I loved that the knees feature articulated panels that bend naturally without bunching. And the pants didn’t noticeably restrict during squatting or during a big compression at the resort.

However, the Powderverse Pants could use a more substantial gusset in the crotch. I felt some lateral constriction, most acutely while skating uphill. Still, they fit and move much better than Helly Hansen’s similarly priced Emiko snow pants.

Waist fastening is handled by tried-and-true belt loops, which is almost always my preference on pants like these. They’ve also got Velcro tabs at the hips to pull in any room at the waist, but as usual, they weren’t secure enough given that I’m basically a rectangle from the neck down. A real belt kept the pants in place.

Outdoor Research is usually ahead of most other brands in inclusive sizing. The Powderverse pants are available in sizes Small through XXL in two inseam lengths, so they should fit most skiers.

Insulation and Warmth

The Powderverse Pants strike a nice balance of warmth without overdoing it or hamstringing their versatility. That’s the magic of Outdoor Research’s Core-Mapped Insulation — they only pack the Powderverse’s seat with VerticalX Eco Insulation to protect your tail from the chilly chairlift. It works, too. I found out firsthand when Vail’s temperatures plunged overnight, leaving me unprepared everywhere else.

While the rest of the pants aren’t insulated per se, they’re far more substantial than a standalone shell. There’s a 50-denier recycled Taffeta lining and an outer shell with some dead space in between. That meant that they were moderately warm even sans fully mapped insulation.

Base layer selection was therefore quite important as the season’s temperatures swung back and forth. I run warm compared to most skiers, so Le Bent’s Featherweight ¾ Bottoms underneath the Powderverse Pants were all I needed for resort skiing down to about 5 degrees F.

When resort temps got freakishly warm, the Powderverse Pants delivered airflow with big side vents down each leg. They felt sufficient for warm resort skiing scenarios and the occasional sidecountry bootpack, no problem. But for a warm person like me, they were simply too warm for backcountry skiing.

Shell and Weather Protection

Outdoor Research is based in one of the rainiest parts of the country, so nobody should be surprised that the Powderverse Pants were designed to repel water in all its forms with a high 20K waterproof rating. They employ Outdoor Research’s signature AscentShell waterproof and breathable fabric.

And given all of Colorado’s weird weather, I managed to test the brand’s claims firsthand. Neither rain nor snow could penetrate or soak into the face fabric.

The Powderverse Pants actually combine two face fabrics — a two-layer 75-denier x 160-denier ripstop and a beefier two-layer polyester 150-denier plain weave. Both fabrics utilize a polyurethane membrane and are primarily recycled.

The heavier-duty 150-denier makes up the majority of the pants, including the lower legs, seat, and thighs, where you’d want more protection. The lighter 75-denier x 160-denier fabric is mapped into the movement-oriented zones. 

That’s a complicated way of saying these pants are burly without feeling like cardboard.

The Powderverse Pants double down on weather protection with YKK Aquaguard waterproof zippers on both the vents and thigh pockets. I don’t know that they’d keep my pockets dry if I were swimming in a lake, but they were plentifully protective and durable for storm skiing.

Pockets

Outdoor Research streamlined pockets with the Powderverse Pants. You get three total pockets: one on the hip and one on each thigh.

I’m a big fan of the avalanche beacon-ready pocket on the hip that’s in several of Outdoor Research’s ski pants. There’s an inner elastic sleeve that keeps a beacon from bouncing around or flopping to the side, and a big triangular clip that attaches to the beacon’s leash. The pocket nestles the beacon close to your body so it doesn’t bounce. And it’s designed in a way that it doesn’t jab into my waist while seated.

Editor’s note: There is no third-party certification for ski pant pocket designs to ensure safe, secure storage in the event of an avalanche. Manufacturers of avalanche transceivers typically recommend users wear a beacon against their body and beneath outer layers with the included beacon harness. 

I wasn’t as enthralled with the thigh pockets. They’re fine overall, but they’re low profile and relatively shallow. My iPhone and bulky case could barely fit in the right thigh pocket, and only if the pocket was empty. A tiny bit more room or depth would be a good addition — and offer more room for snacks!

Gaiters With a Unique System

Gaiters can be a weak spot in budget-friendly ski pants. I find they’re frequently prone to tears and cuts given their vulnerable positioning and lower-quality fabric. 

But Outdoor Research equipped the Powderverse Pants with a unique power strap passthrough system. When set up correctly, it locks the gaiters above the ski boot buckles. A camming-style powerstrap, like the one on my Scarpa TX Comps, laces through slots on the bottom of the gaiter and locks the grippy perimeter of the gaiter to the upper cuff.

I’ll be honest: Lacing the strap through the gaiter is annoying and takes longer than I’d like, but it’s worth it every time. It provides a near-surgical seal against snow from creeping into the tops of my ski boots, and it keeps the gaiters safe from ski edges and buckles. It’s a good system.

The pants’ cuffs feature an extra-burly 420-denier nylon kick patch that stood up to days of bushwhacking and ski edge slices. It rounds out a thoroughly robust pair of ski pants.

Conclusion

Outdoor Research Powderverse Ski Pants are well-rounded, resort-oriented ski pants at an honest price. For $300, you get waterproofing and weather protection that compete head-to-head with the most expensive ski pants on the market. 

Strategically mapped synthetic insulation adds just enough warmth for chilly lift rides without overwhelming the pants. A stout build all but guarantees years of heavy use. And the features are mostly dialed in.

Sure, I’d love slightly more mobility at the crotch and a bigger thigh pocket. But overall, it would be tough not to recommend the Powderverse Pants for resort-shredding powder hounds who prefer a little bit more warmth than an uninsulated hardshell provides on its own. 

With that insulation comes a small trade-off — these snow pants aren’t best suited for backcountry skiing or splitboarding. But they’ll have no problem on short bootpacks to resort powder stashes thanks to good venting and decent breathability.

The Powderverse Pants kept me warm, protected, and mobile in Colorado’s full range of weather conditions. At a few hundred dollars, these ski pants are a true value choice and a solid option for riders from Colorado to the Pacific Northwest.

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