Materials

Salomon’s QST Snow Pant uses materials called AdvancedSkin Warm and AdvancedSkin Dry that is very distinct from all the other pants in the test. The AdvancedSkin Warm boasts 40 grams per square meter of synthetic insulation, providing warmth by reflecting and retaining body heat even if the material is wet. The AdvancedSkin Dry is Salomon’s proprietary outer fabric which is a two-layer waterproof membrane. Even though this two-layer fabric doesn’t feel as heavy duty as some of the other fabrics in this test, the QST Snow Pant still held up surprisingly well. While the pants have a very comfortable and soft feel, initially testers doubted their ability to actually repel water. They were pleasantly surprised that they stayed warm and dry during all their days of testing and additionally had no durability issues that arose.

Features

The QST Snow Pant comes with most standard features of a resort pant without any unnecessary ones. It uses an adjustable velcro belt to create a tighter fit but also has additional belt loops. The QST Snow Pant features two zippered pockets with pull tabs below the waist that are easy to open with gloves. An additional zippered pocket on one side of the leg provided good storage for chapstick or a snack. These pants have large mesh vents down the inner thighs which are also easy to open and provide great ventilation on hotter days. The QST Snow Pant has an elastic snow gaiter underneath its expandable boot cuffs that both comfortably fit over any ski boot. One last feature of the QST Snow Pant that not all the pants in this test have is a short and light elastic waist gaiter which helps prevent snow from going down the pants. Testers preferred this short waist gaiter to the larger but detachable one that the Black Crows Corpus Insulated pant uses.

Weatherproofness

While using these pants, testers were on the lookout for signs of water absorbing through the fabric on snowy days or when seated on a wet chairlift. After multiple days of testing the QST Snow Pant even during stormy conditions, they had no complaints. While these pants are considered lightly insulated, they still held up great in heavy snow without any snow getting in around the waist or under the pant cuffs.

Temperature Control

The QST Snow Pant provides a versatile layer due to their excellent temperature control. These pants are lightly insulated so they can be worn on warmer days but can also be worn on the coldest of days with an extra warm base layer underneath. While breathability isn’t as crucial for an insulated pant compared to a dedicated touring pant, testers were still quite pleased with the breathability of these pants when choosing to hike up uphill to find some untouched powder. The QST Snow Pant uses inner thigh mesh vents that quickly dump heat so testers found them to be a perfect temperature in all but the warmest of spring days.

Fit/Comfort

Testers favorite part of the Salomon QST was probably the fit. These pants are made of such a comfortable material that testers were happy to keep them on when going out in town after a day of skiing. The material is a different fabric than most ski pants which often feels either crinkly or stiff so that the QST Snow Pant can be worn all day without complaint. However, their sizing is also a bit different compared to other brands and just like their jacket of the same name, these pants run a size small. The size medium pants that were tested fit testers the same as a size small in other brands.

Style & Value

Testers loved the style of the Salomon QST Snow Pant. They are a sleek pant that are comfortable and casual enough to wear out to the bar after a day of skiing and not look out of place. The colors for the Snow Pant are nice muted choices that match perfectly with the jacket of the same name. Besides looking stylish, these pants are also an excellent value. They are the cheapest of all the pants tested and yet only scored one point less than the Stio Environ Bib which won Best In Class for this test.