Share

Outerwear

Patagonia Untracked Snowboard Jacket and Bib Pant 2023-2024 Review

Tested and selected for our top 100 snowboard products of the year: the Patagonia Untracked Snowboard Jacket and Bib Pant

  • Price Jacket: £630 / €700
  • Price Pants: £580 / €650
  • Waterproof/Breathability: GORE-TEX ePE
  • Category: Backcountry
  • Sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL

Why We Chose The Patagonia Untracked Snowboard Jacket and Bib Pant: A more backcountry-friendly option than most.

For more than 30 years, Patagonia has been one of the best outerwear makers in the business. ‘Best’ not just because of the quality of their jackets and pants, which are second to none, but also because of their mantra of doing “no unnecessary harm” to the planet. This drove them to pioneer more environmentally-friendly materials and lower-impact production processes years before Greta Thunberg was born.

““If you’re serious about reducing the impact that your snowboarding habit has on the planet, Patagonia should be on your shortlist”

Last year, the company’s founder Yvon Chouinard went one step further by giving his family’s controlling stake in Patagonia to a trust that’s legally-bound to spend all its profits on preserving the planet. “Nature is now our only shareholder,” the company proudly proclaims. If you’re looking for the latest fashions, or the cheapest products, look elsewhere. But if you’re looking at new outerwear and you’re actually serious about reducing the impact that your snowboarding habit has on the planet, Patagonia should be on your shortlist.

Who Are The Patagonia Untracked For?

Patagonia snowboard kit tends to skew towards powder-loving backcountry riders, and the top of the range Untracked Jacket and Bib Pants are more backcountry-friendly than most. If — like our tester — you’re planning on going splitboarding, or spending a lot of time off piste, you’ll appreciate the high tech fabric and features here.

MORE INFO:
PATAGONIA.COM

 

Shape, Profile and Sidecut

The Untracked Jacket and Bib Pants are made using the brand new 3-Layer GORE-TEX ePE material, which Patagonia worked closely with the fabric maker to develop. It’s the first GORE-TEX ever to feature a waterproof membrane that’s entirely free from PFCs, harmful chemicals which can leach into water sources when a jacket gets wet or is washed.

With an 80 denier rating, GORE-TEX ePE, made from recycled nylon, is tough, highly waterproof and highly breathable. When Patagonia and GORE-TEX set out the brief, their mission was to eliminate PFCs without compromising on performance at all.

“It’s the first GORE-TEX ever to feature a waterproof membrane that’s entirely free from PFCs—harmful chemicals which can leach into water sources when a jacket gets wet or is washed”

Construction and Materials

There are men’s and women’s versions of this jacket and pants set up available, with slightly different cuts for each. As always, Patagonia has decided to produce these in a limited number of classic colours that won’t go out of fashion. They’re all about making products that will last.

With pit zips for ventilation, watertight zippers, an adjustable powder skirt which fits neatly onto the trousers and a concealed Recco reflector, which helps the wearer be found in an avalanche burial situation, the jacket has everything you’d expect from a high-end backcountry model. There’s also a two-way adjustable hood which fits easily over a helmet, and plenty of pockets, including one on the forearm to hold your lift pass.

The Patagonia Untracked pants feature an above-the-waist half bib, as opposed to one that covers your chest, which helps air and moisture escape. They have a second Recco reflector, gaiters with scuff guards to stop the bottoms of your pants from ripping, and two large pockets, including one with an internal stretch mesh pocket for your phone or GPS nav unit. Patagonia’s fits are never too baggy, but there’s plenty of space for movement, making splitboarding kick turns easy.

“Simply put, if you’re into backcountry riding, these are very hard to beat”

Roundup

There’s no escaping the fact that these are pretty pricey—Patagonia doesn’t get nicknamed Patagucci for nothing—but they’re pricey for a reason. They’re built tough, so they’ll last you for years, if not decades, and Patagonia’s pioneering repair program means you can always take them to any participating shop and have rips stitched up.

They’re also top of the range when it comes to performance. Incredibly waterproof and breathable, they can keep you dry no matter how heavy the snow, or how hard you sweat on the skin track. Add to that the fact that their impact on the planet is minimal, and you can start to see why it’s worth paying a premium. Simply put, if you’re into backcountry riding, these are very hard to beat.

Pros:

  • The GORE-TEX ePE fabric is genuinely revolutionary—all the performance of high-end GORE-TEX with the environmental downsides much reduced. In terms of form, these are comfy and good-looking. In terms of function, they’re second-to-none.
  • Cons:

    • They’re pricey—if you’re not going to be venturing off-piste, or using them for high-energy activities like bootpacking or splitboarding into lines, this kind of fabric is arguably overkill.

Share

Newsletter Terms & Conditions

Please enter your email so we can keep you updated with news, features and the latest offers. If you are not interested you can unsubscribe at any time. We will never sell your data and you'll only get messages from us and our partners whose products and services we think you'll enjoy.

Read our full Privacy Policy as well as Terms & Conditions.

production