Is the Lucky Bums Kids Basic Ski and Snowboard Pants worth buying?

Skip these — the low price isn’t worth the early retreat inside, and you’ll spend the savings on hot chocolate to compensate. After going through all of this, my honest advice is simple: spend your money on the waterproofing, not the insulation. You can always add a base layer. You cannot add waterproofing once the snow pants are already soaked through and you’re forty minutes from the car. Bib-style pants are almost universally better at keeping snow out at the waist, and reinforced knees are worth every penny if your kid sleds, crawls, or generally treats snow as a wrestling opponent. The Columbia Bugaboo and Obermeyer Snoverall are where I’d send most parents first, but honestly, any pair from this list with a ‘yes’ verdict will get you through a full snow day with a dry, happy kid. Maren has already informed me that next winter she wants to try ’the ones that light up.’ I told her snow pants don’t light up. She looked at me like I was the one who didn’t understand how any of this works. We’ll see. In the meantime, if you’ve found a pair that’s kept your kid out longer than expected, drop it in the comments — we’re always taking recommendations, and apparently I have a few more winters of gear testing ahead of me.

Note W000445. Filed.