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Help Needed: Recommendation for snowsuit

Alpineglow

Diva in Training
Hi everyone! I’m new here :smile:

I just thought I would reach out here as you all seem like a really helpful group. Admittedly, I haven’t been skiing in quite some time but my boyfriend and I have been talking about getting into skiing again and realized I’m gonna need some better gear. It’s needed for some other stuff such as skating/tubing and even just for walking the dog too. I don’t have a great ski coat (my only real winter coat is too long) to pair with some snow pants/bibs, so I like the idea of just getting a one piece snowsuit.

Have any of you been in the same boat as me? I’ve searched high and low online and have while I’ve definitely found a few contenders, I expected a bit more of a selection! Even just a few good recommendations would be hugely appreciated.

For what it’s worth I’m 5’5” and usually wear around a US size 14 :smile:
 

Alpineglow

Diva in Training
Depends on what you want to spend, but I would suggest Columbia for now.
Thanks so much for your reply! I’m sorry for completely forgetting to mention my budget in my post. Cost is definitely a little bit of a factor - I’ve found a few in the $250-$300 range that I like from a website called “snowverb”, so I wouldn’t want to pay any more than that at all. Also - do you have a link by any chance for products from columbia??? Maybe it’s because I’m in north america but I actually don’t see any snowsuits on columbia’s website at all, oddly enough. That is a great recommendation though and if I do find some made by them I’ll be sure to take a closer look!
 

Jilly

Moderator
Staff member
If you're thinking "snowsuit" as a 1 piece item, those are hard to find anymore. Columbia is a large manufacturer based in Washington. They have stores all over.

https://www.columbia.com/c/sale/

Another is Mountain Wearhouse. I have a suit from them as does Jenny's DH. Don't confuse that with Mountain Hardware.
 

SallyCat

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
One-piece snowsuits seem as though they'd be hard to find and not very versatile, not to mention the logistics of trying to use the restroom in them.

My recommendation would be to get a good ski jacket and pants. That way you can wear a lighter jacket or top when its warm. Now is a great time to look, because there are a ton of sales going on. Check out Moosejaw.com, thehouse.com, Sierra Trading Post,Steep and Cheap, and also Facebook marketplace for used gear. Higher-end brands like Stio, Marmot, etc. are offering pretty big discounts as well.
 

Abbi

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
After listening to a client who I was skiing with shriek when she dropped a sleeve into the john a bunch of years ago I never wanted to try and deal with stripping out of a one piece suit to use the bathroom! I had a Columbia one and I think I wore it once. I am with @SallyCat on two pieces as a more versatile long term solution. You also might want to look into bibs rather than regular pants for the bottom half of the outfit. that way no gap if you bend over, fall in the snow and slide or whatever.
 

liquidfeet

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
People pretty much avoid one piece ski suits these days. They are not versatile for different temps, and then there's the bathroom issue.

Cover yourself up in layers so you can remove a layer when temps warm in the afternoons. If you are shocked at the prices and are on a budget, consider ebay. There are tons of ski clothes there, and they don't sell very fast. Make the seller an offer. Be sure you can return it if it doesn't fit, or ask the seller to measure widths before you buy. If you put things on a wishlist on ebay, often the seller will offer you a reduced price after a few days.

To get started, you'll need:

1. Ski Jacket
--(heavily insulated, lightly insulated, or a shell with no insulation)
--(pit zips in an insulated jacket allow cool air inside if overheated)

2. An insulated vest for under the jacket - if you get a shell jacket

3. Wicking tops for under your jacket
--(no cotton!!!)
--(tops come thick, thin, and in between)

4. Ski pants (or bibs that allow bathroom without lowering the top)
--(with insulation or shells without)
--(avoid vintage bibs as they are slippery on hard snow if you fall)

5. Pant liners
--(non-cotton tights for under the pants, from thick to thin)
--(on frigid days, you can wear two if ski pants are big enough)

6. Ski socks
--(no cotton!!!)
--(thin or thick; thin is best for boot fit reasons)
 
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snoWYmonkey

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
While quite expensive, one piece ice climbing suits with drop seats for bathroom breaks do exist and might be available used on ebay. Another thought is to look at snowboarding companies as they not only tend to have more affordable prices and have some really cool fun one piece suits, quite a few of them even have drop seats.
 

Jenny

Angel Diva
If you're thinking "snowsuit" as a 1 piece item, those are hard to find anymore. Columbia is a large manufacturer based in Washington. They have stores all over.

https://www.columbia.com/c/sale/

Another is Mountain Wearhouse. I have a suit from them as does Jenny's DH. Don't confuse that with Mountain Hardware.
No, his is just the jacket. But I don’t think I’ve seen one piece suits there anyway, at least not in the stores by us, which is too bad for the OP, because their prices sure are good.
 

newboots

Angel Diva
I second all recommendations above! Your jacket and pants don't have to match, just look smashing together. (Just kidding! Halfway decent is good enough!) Be sure to buy a new helmet, not a used one. You don't know how hard the used ones have smashed to the ground. I shopped TJMaxx, Marshall's, Sierra Trading Post, and eBay and found what I needed in time.

Anyhow, glad to have you here! We love to talk about all this, all the time!

:welcome:
 
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newboots

Angel Diva
While they are not usually ski-specific, many of us have found great technical pieces at good prices at Lands End, LL Bean, and Eddie Bauer. I have two Land's End jackets and they are both very well-made, have useful features, and durable. All of these retailers have major sales (Land's End before Christmas AND in February) with dramatic markdowns. I got both of mine in 40% off sales in season. Not the flashiest gear on the mountain, but very useful.

ETA: I just checked out the snowverb.com website. I confess to being suspicious when prices are so low and design is so "fast fashion." Other dives chime in if I'm wrong! If you've found outside reviews that are positive, go for it, but I do wonder about their quality.

Wildhorn Outfitters is a responsibly low-priced company, but they are sold out of everything, as far as I can tell! They designed a very limited number of items but gained a reputation for quality.
 
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Jilly

Moderator
Staff member
Never heard of snowverb, so took a look too. The jacket I called up for more info, did not state anywhere insulated or not, or what is used for insulation.

It kind of reminds me of Mountain Warehouse. Not the best quality, but good prices.
 

TNtoTaos

Angel Diva
I've mentioned this elsewhere, but if you have the patience to look (which I don't), I have friends who have found some really nice ski clothing at TJ Maxx!
 

Alpineglow

Diva in Training
Hiiiii again everyone, sorry for taking so long to finally give a reply! Life got in the way and boyfriend and I got sidetracked for a little bit.
Thank you SO much everyone for your replies! I can’t thank you all enough!
You all definitely made me think long and hard between snowsuit/jacket+pants options, but I think I still fancy myself a one-piece snowsuit girl even after considering the possible cons. They just seem like exactly what I want!
I’m pretty much ready to take the risk on this snowverb suit...

https://www.snowverb.com/products/w...MIwJzNhMCe7wIV0vDACh1vsw9tEAQYASABEgKljPD_BwE

but, I am still tentative on the quality (despite some admittedly good reviews) and especially the amount of insulation. I’m looking for something decently warm and insulated (I’ve been thinking like that same insulation you’d find in normal insulated snow bibs kind of warmth) and lots of people are saying it’s more of a full body windbreaker. I suppose I could layer up more inside... maybe this isn’t as much of an issue as I’m making it out to be? Just don’t want to be cold.

On the other hand... I found this suit on Etsy of all places...

https://www.etsy.com/listing/954487...-grey-decorated?ref=shop_home_active_16&pro=1

And I actually REALLY like the looks of it (looks super cozy and insulated, and also stylish!!) but I’m even MORE worried about quality since it has so few reviews/is a pretty small seller. Plus, the return policy doesn’t look forgiving in the event that it doesn’t fit right/isn’t what I expected. :doh:

So, I suppose I’m still not exactly sure what I will do, but figured I should post an update on my search for the perfect snow wear!
Anyways, I will update again for you all when I have finally made a decision! I think I’m just going to have to pick which one I like more and take the plunge despite my reservations! Thanks again, divas :smile:
 
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liquidfeet

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
That suit looks totally cool. It's got a contemporary look, so no one would ever think you arrived in a time machine from the 80s.

But it doesn't seem to have any insulation. It's essentially a shell, I think. Are you willing to layer up under it? It might cling or drape oddly. Not sure. But boy it does look good. All of their suits do.

If you are worried about quality, go to a trusted ski gear company. Burton makes these. You can trust Burton to do the insulation appropriately, I'd think.
https://www.backcountry.com/burton-loyle-one-piece-snow-suit-womens

Roxy too.
https://skipro.com/new-arrivals/formation-one-piece-suit-90w-432757-1.html
 
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