The ultimate guide to buying women's ski pants

Time to hit the slopes? There are a lot of different aspects of ski pants to understand if you want to make the right choice, so let's take a look at your options.

Insulated ski pant: These are your all-around standard pant that offer a decent mix of warmth and protection for most common skiing scenarios.

Stretch ski pants: These are also a great option for women because they're very snug and on-trend.

Shell-style ski pants: This style is not insulated, so they have to be combined with an inner layer for warmth, but they provide the most protection available from water, wind and other elements. They're also quite a bit lighter than other ski pants for women.

Soft shell ski pants: They're more stretchy and light than insulated pants, but they don't offer much protection from the cold, so they're for warmer days and women who get hot easily.

Three-in-one ski pants: These include several zippered layers that you can add or remove, depending on conditions.

• Your personal level of comfort and range of motion, as well as trends and your style will help determine the best type of ski pants for you.
• You obviously have to make sure you feel physically comfortable in any pair of ski pants you're considering, and though the trend is toward slimmer fits these days, you also have to balance that with the need for a full range of motion.
• The best way to know is to just try them on. Some people feel more comfy in a snugger design while others want to feel completely unfettered while on the hill.

The conditions in the region you plan to ski in should have a big impact on what ski pants you choose.

• You want to pick pants that are warm enough to keep you comfy, but not so warm that you'll be sweating constantly on the hill.
• Likewise, you need a solid level of waterproofing, and the warmer the climate, the more wet you'll end up getting.
• In all of this you also need to ensure a good level of breathability because skiing is, after all, a high energy activity.