Columbia Kick Turner women’s ski pants review: outstanding versatility

Not too baggy, not too slim, Columbia Kick Turner ski pants marry a good balance of warmth and breathability to provide amazing versatility

Columbia Kick Turner
(Image: © Columbia)

Advnture Verdict

A great all-rounder of a ski or snowboard pant, with a warm reflective lining and good breathability.

Pros

  • +

    Great design

  • +

    Reflective lining traps heat

  • +

    Breathable

Cons

  • -

    No bib or braces

You can trust Advnture Our expert reviewers spend days testing and comparing gear so you know how it will perform out in the real world. Find out more about how we test and compare products.

Columbia Kick Turner: first impressions

If you’re after a nice happy medium of a ski trouser, Columbia Kick Turner pants could suit you nicely – they’re not too skinny, nor are they super-baggy. 

These pants feature a comfy, warming high waist but they are a little baggier around the legs – great for all-day comfort and for popping over thicker thermal leggings. And, style wise, this design will suit both skiers and snowboarders. 

But how did they fare on the slopes under test conditions for our best women’s ski pants buying guide? Read on…

Specifications

RRP: $166 (US) / £125 (UK)
• Waterproofing: Omni-Tech waterproofed
• Insulation: Omni-Heat thermal reflective lining
• Sizes: XS / S / M / L / XL / XXL
• Colors: White / Black / Navy / Yellow
• Compatibility: A great all-rounder of a snow sports pant

Columbia Kick Turner: on the slopes

The Kick Turner pants feature less insulation than some ski pants, bibs and salopettes we tested out, but also they do have Columbia’s innovative reflective lining, designed to trap in body heat, so you still get welcome warmth with less bulk, ideal if you don’t like ski pants so bulky they make you look like the Michelin Man. 

A touch of stretchiness also helps the Kick Turners to feel close-fit in the right places without restricting your movement as you ride or ski (see also: How should ski pants fit? Size your trousers for performance).

Externally, Columbia’s own-brand Omni-Tech waterproofing should repel everything but the heaviest snow, and zipped legs make the Kick Turners easy to pop on and off. 

We also found them more breathable on test than most other ski pants, so they’re more versatile for various types of skiing in changeable weather, or for a spring snow sports holiday.

Last but not least, we like the eye-catching black and white graphic “Berg” print the Kick Turners are available in, which makes a welcome change from most neutrally-colored ski pants and salopettes available for women.

Sian Lewis

An award-winning travel and outdoors journalist, presenter and blogger, Sian regularly writes for The Independent, Evening Standard, BBC Countryfile, Coast, Outdoor Enthusiast and Sunday Times Travel. Life as a hiking, camping, wild-swimming adventure-writer has taken her around the world, exploring Bolivian jungles, kayaking in Greenland, diving with turtles in Australia, climbing mountains in Africa and, in Thailand, learning the hard way that peeing on a jellyfish sting doesn’t help. Her blog, thegirloutdoors.co.uk, champions accessible adventures.