Over the last few years, there is one skiwear brand I’ve been noticing more and more all over the mountain. Montec, a relative newcomer from Sweden to the snow sports industry, has really carved out a place for itself. The brand was started with the core principle of user-driven design and is only available direct to consumer (eg. online only). With an eye-catching and good-looking design, Montec gear is easy to spot on the hill. They currently offer a broad range of styles of pants, bibs, and jackets. This review is of the Montec Arch Ski/Snowboard Pants insulated bibs designed for the all-mountain rider. Note: Montec labels their apparel as ski or snowboard specific, despite being the exact same thing. On their website, the Arch Ski Pants and Arch Snowboard Pants both exist and the only difference is they use pictures of skiers in one and snowboarders in the other.
Design and Fit: Comfort First
The Arch Ski Pants are made to be extremely comfortable, while maintaining a high level of performance and you get this feeling the moment you put them on. The cut is generous and ergonomic, designed to provide freedom of movement in all directions. I am cursed with an exceedingly long torso for my height and that leads me to having to size up bib pants from a properly fitting size large to an XL, just for the suspender length. Because of this, I was swimming a bit in the pants but I believe this would be considered a baggy fit, even if I went down a size. That said, I didn’t feel like they were **too** big in use, but it’s important to keep in mind, if you’re someone who prefers a more athletic (tighter) cut. I did have to roll up the legs a few folds in order for them to not drag, but this is not uncommon for my unusual proportions.
Because of the generous fit, I found the Arch Pants to be quite pleasant to put on in the morning, unlike some of my slim pants. On the resort, skiing a variety of terrain with everything from slalom turns to long super-g high speed runs, I never thought about the pants, which is what you want. Things are a bit different if you are looking to use the Montec Arch Pants for uphill pursuits. That generous fit starts to feel a bit bulky when high stepping your way up a backcountry skin track, though that’s also a result of the insulated fabric, as I prefer a lighter weight shell for skiing. I tend to like a tighter, sleeker design for long tours and these aren’t that. I’d say these are more suited to a side-country jaunt.
A high point of the design for me was the bibs. The Arch Pants have a good amount of height to the bibs without being too high, striking a great balance between keeping snow out and keeping your shoulders/arms free to move. The suspenders are soft and held together at the back in a way that prevents the dreaded sliding down the arm some bibs are prone to. My one nitpick is that the suspender strap has an adjustable end that doesn’t really have anywhere to go and just comes down and hangs. It would be nice to see it attached somehow.
The Arch Pants have a great range of pockets, including a bib pocket, two hip pockets, and two zippered cargo pockets. I prefer a lot of pockets on my resort pants and Montec didn’t disappoint here. Another good feature is the adjustable belt, for tightening up the fit on the fly.
Fabric: Light Insulation
When ordering the Montec Arch Pants, you can select between “shell” and “insulated” options. My review sample is the “insulated” version of the pants. In general, I almost never wear insulated pants, as I find them overly bulky and prefer to layer if needed. The Arch Pants have a liner to them that is a separate piece of fabric from the outer layer. This acts as a light insulator, adding some warmth to the pants compared to a shell.
Notes about Direct to Consumer Online Ordering
There are a couple things to keep in mind when purchasing from Montec. As an online-only manufacturer, there is obviously no local store to go try things on or ask questions of in person. Most online-only retailers go out of their way to reassure you about this process. Montec offers free shipping and free returns and they accept unworn, tags attached returns up to 30 days from delivery. However, I was a bit concerned to not be able to find any information on their warranty policy on their website. I reached out to Montec to ask for information on this and their answer was “We do not have a written warranty policy. Essentially, we try to make things right if there is a problem.” While I appreciate this sentiment, I find it a bit disconcerting that there is no clearly defined policy for a $239 pair of ski pants. I hope Montec addresses this in the future.
Montec Arch Ski/Snowboard Pants: Review Summary
The Montec Arch Ski/Snowboard Pants are a solid and reasonably priced option for the alpine resort skier. The pants are stylish and very comfortable, with a generous and mobile fit. The fabric provides good weather resistance and has a soft-feel that adds to the comfort. Practical features like a wide range of pockets and a built in belt make the Arch Pants easy to live with on the hill. At $239, the price is a pretty good value proposition for what you’re getting and I believe it contributes to the recent popularity of Montec at ski resorts near you. Visit https://www.montecwear.com to learn more.
