Marmot Women’s Spire Pant Review

May 29, 2015
Marmot Women’s Spire Pant
GEAR INSTITUTE RATINGS
89
Quality of Materials
7
Comfort
9
Warmth
8
Functionality
8
Fit
9
Value
8

The Good

  • Long fit
  • Bomber boot gaiter
  • Articulated knees
  • Burly side seams and zips
  • High back

The Bad

  • Wide in the hips
  • Tight on the butt, crotch & thigh
  • Suspenders are extraneous (though removeable)
THE VERDICT

The Marmot Spire pant works for various winter activities including resort skiing, touring or ice climbing. The suspenders seem more stylish than functional but are easy to remove. The pants are wide in the hip, but tight in the butt, crotch & thigh (see tester body description in FIT below). Otherwise, a functional, full-length stormproof pant.

FULL REVIEW

Quality of materials
Gore-Tex 3-layer performance shell fabric blocks out wind and water and offers breathability. To minimize slip between the layers, the membrane is bonded to both the outer and inner material. (Note Gore’s fabrics pass the Bluesign screening, checking safety and environmental performance.) The inner ankle area has a durable scuff guard and all zippers and snaps are burly. The elastic suspenders are thin and feel unnecessary to hold pants up or keep snow out, but they are easy to remove.

Comfort
Shell material is fairly quiet and the thoughtful construction, like articulated knees, offers easy mobility. The fit in the butt and upper thigh is a little tight for a skier’s body (read: wide hips and generous glutes) and will feel tighter when layered with expedition-weight baselayers. 

Warmth
These pants are not insulated but offer wind and storm protection. The high back adds warmth while the side zips offer venting.

Functionality
These pants offer a wide range of functionality for winter activities thanks to high-quality fabric and numerous features.

Fit
These pants are best for tall, slender hips since the pants felt tight in the butt and thigh area yet loose in the hips. The suspenders didn’t really help this problem, but a belt and light-weight long underwear made the pants fit more comfortably. A note about fit: I wear women’s size M or 8 pants and have “child-bearing hips” and fairly long legs. Fit is highly personal and subjective—and extremely important with pants. It’s challenging to find ski pants that fit well in the butt (many are either too tight or saggy). I have tried to describe the fit to the best of my ability.

Value
$360 is a good chunk of change for ski pants but Gore-Tex fabric is the real deal (and guaranteed to perform). The Spire is a 3-in-1 pant in terms of functionality; it can be used for ski touring, backcountry spring skiing or layered (depending on your body shape) for mid-winter resort wear.

 


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