The Roxy Dynamite women's ski pant is affordable, stylish, comfortable, and an overall basic pant that will keep you warm at the resort. However, our tests showed that this pant has some critical waterproofing issues on its seams. The only other pant in this review with the same issue is the Columbia Women's Bugaboo, which actually leaked just a bit more than the Roxy model. Due to this flaw, the Roxy Dynamite women's ski pant is not as functional as the more weatherproof pants that we tested. This lightweight piece has only minimal features, but is fitted with a good ventilation system and 60 grams of insulation.
Roxy Dynamite Review
Our Verdict
The Roxy Dynamite women's ski pant is affordable, stylish, comfortable, and an overall basic pant that will keep you warm at the resort. However, our tests showed that this pant has some critical waterproofing issues on its seams. The only other pant in this review with the same issue is the Columbia Women's Bugaboo, which actually leaked just a bit more than the Roxy model. Due to this flaw, the Roxy Dynamite women's ski pant is not as functional as the more weatherproof pants that we tested. This lightweight piece has only minimal features, but is fitted with a good ventilation system and 60 grams of insulation.
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Roxy Dynamite women's ski pant is a simple, part-time, beginner pant for the fair weather skier. This pant is perfect for nice sunny days at the resort and it's insulated enough for cold days; however, if you need a technical pant to hold up during long work days or are a more hardcore winter athlete, we would point you toward one of our higher scoring pieces. This pant would also work as a back-up for shoveling snow or sledding with style to keep the wear and tear on other gear down.
Performance Comparison
Comfort & Fit
Our testers who usually wear a size 4-6 wore a size small in this pant comfortably. It has interior waist adjusters that help tailor the fit and a full fleece lined waist band. The Roxy Dynamite has a generally relaxed fit without being baggy and definitely holds a stylish shape. This is a simple pant that is warm and comfortable. Although it is not as technically sound as some of the others, it's a great option for beginners, fair weather skiers, or a back-up pant for use in mild conditions.
Weather Resistance
The Roxy Dynamite pant kept us warm during our three month test, but the waterproofing quality of this pant leaves much to be desired. Although it is coated with a DWR (Durable Water Resistant) laminate, it withstood some moisture initially, but the seam sealing was basically inadequate on soaked chairlifts and during wet storms. If you are a full-time skier/snowboarder or even a weekend warrior committed to every possible ski day, rain or shine, we suggest purchasing a piece of gear with a longer lasting laminate such as GORE-TEX. The Arc'teryx Sentinel Full Bib and Marmot Women's Freerider both us a GORE-TEX membrane, and are significantly more expensive. The Dynamite is insulated and held up well to high winds, although if you tend to be on the colder side, an insulated pant with a more burly outer laminate would be a more sensible choice.
Warmth
The Roxy Dynamite women's ski pant uses 60 grams of 3M Thinsulate insulation. This synthetic puff kept our testers warm on cold days at the resort, but wasn't quite as toasty as other insulated models like the Patagonia Insulated Snowbelle or Spyder Traveler. Interestingly, this pant scored on par warmth wise with The North Face Freedom LRBC, which is uninsulated. This is partially because the outer polyester shell of the Roxy pant is more delicate, less durable, and not as warm. The Dynamite is $50 less than the North Face Freedom pant; however, it may be worth the investment if you are looking for a pant that is designed to last longer. Both garments are comfortable and warm, so if you are looking for a low priced model with basic usage and not many technical benefits, the Roxy Dynamite makes a little more economic sense.
Features
A pass holder ring, zippered front pockets, and boot hooks on the gaiters are features that set this product apart from the others. Unfortunately, the tight entrance to the hand pockets makes them extremely hard to get into. This piece is also fitted with a fleece lined waistband, back pockets, mesh lined venting, boot gaiters, and an adjustable waist band. The wide leg fits nicely over snowboard boots and they have simple jacket attachments. This system is similar to the jacket loops on the Patagonia Snowbelle and The North Face Freedom; meanwhile, the Marmot Freerider pant has a full zip powder skirt, which provides extra warmth and weather protection.
Ventilation
The inner thigh vents on this model have a mesh lining and are situated several inches below the inseam. We found this system to be effective enough for warm days at the resort.
Style
With nothing special in the technical department, at least these pants are cute. They sport a long and lean look like the North Face Freedom Pant, but are more forgiving with a slightly more relaxed fit and looser waistband. They have back pockets that look a bit like denims. All in all, this pant is comfortable and the cut is flattering.
Best Application
This women's ski pant probably won't hold up to nasty weather or hardcore use. We only recommend this inexpensive pant for fair weather beginners and part time skiers/snowboarders, who, again, only ski in fair weather.
Value
The Roxy Dynamite is reasonably priced for the quality. Other products such as the North Face Freedom and the Patagonia Snowbelle, are slightly more expensive and unlike the Dynamite pant, will hold up in rainstorms for at least a season which is much more than we can say about the Dynamite. This garment is a great purchase for those adamant about a cheap deal, but you get what you pay for. They are a simple pant for light use such as shoveling, watching your kid's hockey games, or warm days at the resort.
Conclusion
A stylish and simple pant, the Roxy Dynamite is for light, part-time use. It is not technically sound in the way of waterproofing or durability and it's not necessarily made to last season after season of hardcore activity. However, if a warm, basic, chic garment is what you are looking for, this pant is very affordable.