Best Kids Snow Pants and Bibs (For Serious Winter Play)

If you live somewhere cold and don’t want your kids to spend the entire winter cooped up indoors, then you’ll need a good pair of snow pants or bibs for them. There are now actually some really cool options for kids snow pants, like ones with high-tech waterproof materials, leg vents and built in gaiters.

That doesn’t mean you need to spend a fortune to get good snow pants for your kids (though some are definitely pricy!).  Here are the top picks for both little kids and big kids and how they compare.

 

Quick Picks:

• Best Overall: Columbia Adventure Ride Bibs
• Best for Little Kids: Obermeyer Snoverall
• Best for Older Kids: Obermeyer Parker
• Budget Pick: Arctix Bibs

Tip: Check out REI’s Outlet section for discounts on last-season’s snow pants and bibs.

 

Kids Snow Bibs Comparison

Model	Price	Sizes	Insulation	Water- proof rating	Breath- ability rating	Quick- release	Leg Zips	Vents
Carters	$	2T-8	N/G	N/G	N/G	Yes	No	No
Arctix Bibs	$	6-18	85g	5k	N/G	No	No	No
Columbia Adventure Ride	$$	2-18	100g	10k	10k	No	No	No
Obermeyer Snoverall	$$	2T-8	100g	10k	10k	Yes	No	No
Obermeyer Volt	$$	2T-8	80g	10k	10k	No	No	No
Obermeyer Warp	$$	2T-8	80g	10k	10k	No	No	No
Castle X Phase	$$$	6-18	150g	N/G	N/G	No	Yes	No
Obermeyer Enforcer	$$$	6-18	40g	10k	10k	Yes	Yes	Yes
Obermeyer Conner	$$$$	2T-8	40g	10k	10k	Yes	Yes	Yes

 

Kids Snow Pants Comparison

Model	Price	Sizes	Insulation	Water- proof rating	Breath- ability rating	Leg Zips	Vents
Arctix Unisex	$	6-18	85g	5k	N/G	No	No
Columbia Bugaboo II	$$	2-18	100g	10k	10k	No	No
Quiksilver Snowboard pants	$$	8-16	100g	10k	5k	No	Yes
Obermeyer Brooke	$$	6-16	60g	10k	10k	No	No
Obermeyer Brisk	$$$	6-18	60g	10k	10k	Yes	No
Obermeyer Jessi	$$$	6-18	40g	15k	15k	No	Yes
Obermeyer Parker	$$$	6-18	60g	10k	10k	Yes	Yes

 

Best Snow Pants and Bibs Reviewed

1. Columbia Kids Adventure Ride Bib

If you are on a budget but willing to pay a bit more for good snow bibs for your kid, the Columbia Adventure Ride bibs are a great choice.  They have the “Grow System” which allows you to extend the length of the pants so you get more use out of them.   This makes them a good value in the long run.

With 100g of insulation, these are one of the warmer kids snow bibs you’ll find.   The Omni-Tech fabric is also waterproof and breathable (10k/10k). Most snow bibs with these specs cost a lot more.

I just with the suspenders were quick release. It’s annoying that they didn’t include this feature. Because of that, I’d only get them for older kids who aren’t going to have accidents.  Note that Columbia also makes a snow pants version of these bibs which have the same properties.  They are called the Bugaboo.

Pros:

• Grow System to extend length of pants
• Very warm
• Waterproof and breathable
• Good value
• Lots of colors
• Elastic and Velcro for adjustable waist
• Durable

Cons:

• Suspenders aren’t quick release

Get The Bibs Here and Get the pants version here.

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2. Obermeyer Snow Pants and Bibs

 

The brand Obermeyer makes incredibly high-quality snow clothes for skiing and snowboarding, but they are equally as good for things like sledding.  There are a lot of different models to choose from but virtually all of them have these high-end features:

• Extended Wear System: This allows you to add approximately 2 more inches to the pants, so you can get more use out of them.
• Lifetime Warranty: The fact that Obermeyer gives a lifetime warranty is a sign of their quality.
• Waterproof and breathable: Obermeyer uses advanced technology fabrics which have a high waterproof rating and good breathability.
• Articulated and reinforced designs: The snow pants and bibs are sewn together in a way which allows a full range of movement. Critical areas, particularly the knees and butt, are reinforced so the snow pants and bibs last longer.
• Reflective Trim: There is tons of reflective trim on Obermeyer products, so your child is visible in the dark.
• Pockets: Some of the Obermeyer snow pants and bibs have multiple pockets, including hand warmer pockets.

The higher-end Obermeyer models have vents in the thighs to prevent sweating and leg zippers at the cuffs.

The problem is that Obermeyer makes a lot of different snow pants and bibs for kids.  Annoyingly, they don’t always have an equivalent girls and boys model.

For little girls, I’d recommend the Snoverall Bib. For little boys, the Conner Bibs are good but not nearly as insulated. For older boys, the Parker pants are awesome because they have leg zips and vents. For older girls, the Brooke pants are great but don’t have leg zips or vents like the Parker pants do.

Pros:

• Insanely good quality
• Very durable
• Extended grow system
• Some cool patterns and colors

Cons:

• Expensive 

Find them at REI, Amazon and Backcountry.com

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3. Quiksilver Snowboard Pants

The Quicksilver Snowboard pants have 100g of insulation, and the insulation is a very high quality. That makes these snow pants very warm.  The waterproofing on the material also does its job well.

Unfortunately, they only have a breathability rating of 5000g.  To compensate for this, Quicksilver did add vents to the thigh area. I’d recommend these if your kid plays in very cold weather but isn’t active the entire time.

Pros:

• Very warm
• Have zippered vents in the thighs
• Durable
• Several color options

Cons:

• Not very breathable

Get Them Here

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4. Castle X Phase Youth Snow Bibs

Castle X is a brand which makes gear for snowmobile racing.  So, their Youth snow bibs are designed to handle extreme cold and wind.  They have 150g of insulation and a windproof shell.

They are not designed for active kids though. They don’t list the breathability rating, but your kid will start to sweat in these snow bibs if doing intense activities or playing in mildly-cold weather.  Their Amazon listing doesn’t have a size chart.  The XS is for 41-48″ height, S is for 50-53″, M is for 54-60″, L is for 61-65″ and XL is for 65-68″.

Pros:

• Very warm
• Windproof
• Incredibly durable construction 

Cons:

• Pricy
• Don’t list waterproof or breathability rating
• Only black color
• No reflective trim
• Poor breathability

Get Them Here

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5. Arctix Snow Pants and Bibs

If you need cheap snow pants for a slightly older child, Arctix is a good option.  They are one of the few cheap brands to actually list how much insulation their pants contain.  They also have a very durable construction with reinforced areas.

The Arctix pants and bibs both have a waterproof rating of 5,000mm.  That’s not enough to keep kids dry in wet snow.  Knees will end up wet when kneeling in snow. But it’s good enough to keep your kids dry while walking in snowfall.  The breathability of the Arctix pants is terrible though, so they are not recommended for very active kids!

Pros:

• Lots of cool designs
• Affordable

Cons:

• Suspenders aren’t quick release
• Poor waterproof rating
• Not breathable

Get the Bibs Here and the Pants Here

 

6. Carters Snow Bibs

Carters makes a lot of cheap clothing for kids.  Compared to other cheap brands, their quality is actually pretty good.  They have features like reinforced knees, side gussets for a better fit and the material is decent.  But, at this price, don’t expect the snow bibs to be waterproof. They don’t even list the waterproof rating, which is a really bad sign!

Note that there is a girls and boys version of these snow bibs.  They are the same, except that the girls’ version has some different color options and a little heart on the top area.

Pros:

• Cheap
• Okay quality for the price

Cons:

• Not waterproof

Buy Them Here

 

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Kids Snow Pants Buying Guide

Snow Pants vs. Snow Bibs for Kids?

Compared to pants, snow bibs definitely do a better job of keeping your child warm.  You won’t have to worry about exposed backs when your child bends over and the front of the bib protects against wind when your child’s jacket is unzipped.

But snow bibs are notoriously annoying for bathroom breaks.  You typically have to take off your jacket entirely to get the bibs down. For little kids, this could mean accidents.

There are some snow bibs with buckles or other quick-release suspenders.  You’ll still have to take the jacket off to get the suspenders back on (though you might be able to thread the suspenders up through the back of your kid’s jacket).

 

How Much Insulation Should Snow Pants Have?

Snow pants and bibs insulation is measured in grams.  While some types of insulation are better than others, higher insulation generally means a warmer pair of snow pants. The amount of insulation your kid needs depends on the activity.

General Guidelines:

• Little kids need 80-100 grams of insulation for snow play.
• Older kids need 60-100 grams of insulation for snow play.
• Kids doing intense aerobic activities such as skiing only need 40-60 grams of insulation.
• For activities which don’t involve much movement, such as snowmobiling, your child may need over 100 grams of insulation.

Bear in mind that our legs don’t need as much insulation as our torsos, so the snow pants will typically have a lower insulation amount than the jacket.  Too much insulation will restrict movement, so don’t get highly-insulated snow pants for very active kids.

 

Are Kid’s Snow Pants Waterproof?

Despite what many manufacturers claim, snow pants are not waterproof.  Rather, they are water-resistant.  This means that water won’t be able to easily pass through the material.  Water resistance is rated in millimeters (mm) and indicate how much pressure the water pressure the material can withstand before water seeps through it.

Most good snow pants for kids have a water resistant rating of 10,000mm.  This is enough to keep your kid dry during snowfalls.  It will also keep your kid dry when kneeling in frozen snow.

However, if your kid kneels in snow for a long time, the snow will start to melt from their body heat. The melted snow will seep through the snow pants and cause your child to get wet.  Likewise, most snow pants will not keep your child dry if they fall in slush.

 

Waterproof vs. Breathability

You might be tempted to get your kids the most waterproof snow pants you can find.  But you generally don’t want snow pants to be waterproof.  This is because waterproof materials are not breathable.  Your kid will quickly start to sweat in waterproof pants, causing them to get wet from the inside instead of the outside.

Good snow pants also list their breathability rating. This is a measurement of how well vapor can pass through the material.

 

Taped Seams

In addition to the waterproof rating of the snow pants, you also want to pay attention to whether the seams are sealed.  Good brands of snow pants will sew tape into the seams to prevent water from leaking through.

Fully-taped seams means that all the seams on the pants are sealed.  Critically-taped seams means that only certain seams (such as the ones at the knees or butt) are taped.  If your kid is going to be lying in the snow, such as making snow angels, then you want fully-taped seams.

 

Is There a Difference between Boys and Girls Snow Pants?

Aside from the colors and designs, there usually isn’t a difference between snow pants/bibs for girls or boys – especially in the little kids’ sizes.  Your son can wear girl’s snow pants and vice versa.

When you get into older kids’ sizes though, there sometimes actually are differences in the cut and fit of the snow pants. These differences are usually only found on really high-end brands of snow pants though which actually use articulated designs.

 

Features on Snow Pants

• Gaiter Cuffs: These are an extra layer of fabric found underneath the leg cuff. They help keep snow out of the pants and boots.
• Leg Zippers: This allows you to unzip the bottom part of the pant to access the gaiter cuff or your boots.
• Vents: Really good snow pants have vents. You can open the vents to allow heat to escape and stop sweating.  These are a must-have feature on snow pants for intense aerobic activities.

 

How Should Kids Wear Snow Pants – FAQs

What do you put under snow pants for kids?

Snow pants and bibs must be worn with a base layer.  The main purpose of the base layer is to wick sweat away from your child’s body so they don’t get cold from evaporative heat loss.  Good base layers should be made of synthetic materials or wool.

Pro Tip: If you are on a tight budget, it’s better to get cheap snow pants but good-quality base layers.  The base layers are what really matter when it comes to keeping your kids dry and comfy.  Plus, you’ll get more use out of them so it’s worth the investment.  Check out these good base layers for kids.

 

Do snow pants go inside or outside boots?

Snow pants should always go outside of the boots.  Otherwise snow will get inside the boots.  Good snow pants have a gaiter under the pant cuff. This gaiter hugs around or attaches to your boot as an extra layer of protection against snow getting into the boots.

 

Can you use rain pants instead of snow pants?

If you are on a tight budget, you can get away with using rain pants instead of snow pants. But, because rain pants are not insulated like snow pants, you will need to put an extra layer on your child.  That means your child will be wearing a base layer + insulating layer (such as fleece or wool pants) + the rain pants. The extra layer might mean the rain pants end up tight and restrict movement.

Another issue is that rain pants are not breathable like snow pants are, so your child could end up sweaty – so gets wet from the inside instead of out.    Also read: Best waterproof rain pants for kids

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Image credits:
“14. Forgotten beauty” (CC BY 2.0) by AnneCN,
“DSC00780.jpg” (CC BY 2.0) by Hello Turkey Toe