Ebony Tech Specs

By ALM Ranked #199 - Women's Ski Pants January 18, 2010

Ok, first off I'll say that I haven't actually used these pants yet for anything. Actually, I haven't decided if I'm going to keep them. This is not a technical review - purely to try and clear up what I can about the rather confusing set of reviews, pictures, and tech specs about this product.

I wanted a pant with a full side zip, waterproof, preferably with a gaiter, primarily for ski touring. These pants were on sale in the Ebony colour, and they looked perfect.

I read the reviews, I examined the pictures in detail, I looked at the tech specs, I looked at the Norrona website, and I couldn't figure out what features these pants had. The pictures seemed to depend on colour, the tech specs didn't match the reviews, and the Norrona website wasn't very helpful. I chatted to a gear guru who assured me that the pants definitely had side zips, since that was the main thing I couldn't tell from the pictures of the Ebony colour. I ordered the pants.

Fast-forward a week. The pants I received look exactly like the picture of the pants in Ebony. They're grey, with pink zippers. They have 1 pocket in the back, 1 thigh slash pocket, and 1 front hip pocket. They have inseam vents with mesh backing. They have gaiters. They have some kind of tough cut-guard on the inside of the pant at the bottom (not visible from the outside, but I can feel it). They have a side zip, the zipper pull for which you can see at the bottom of the pant in the pictures. But the zipper only goes up to just above the ankle. No full side zip.

So those are the features that the Ebony colour has. I can't speak for Caviar/Blue or Biking Red.

As for sizing, I am 5'2", ~30" waist, ~39-40" hips, and I usually go for a 28" inseam. According to the size chart, I need an XS for length and a M for everything else. I got a small. They're about an inch too long, roomy but not too baggy in the legs and butt, and kind of big in the waist, but I can cinch them down and tuck in layers and make them work.

Without having used them yet, these pants look great. Material is nice, contrasting zippers are nice, they appear to be very well put together and great quality, sizing is close enough...but they don't have one of the main things I was looking for in a touring pant.

View Details: Norrøna Narvik Gore-Tex Performance Shell Pant - Women's

Helpful Votes: 1 Yes