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Arc'teryx Sabre Pant Review

The best ski pants on the market
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arc'teryx sabre pant ski pants review
The Arc'teryx Sabre Pant has a great fit with solid tailoring for an active stance.
Credit: Jeff Dobronyi
Price:  $600 List
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Manufacturer:   Arc'teryx
By Jeff Dobronyi ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  Jan 17, 2024
87
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#1 of 19
  • Weather Resistance - 25% 10.0
  • Fit and Comfort - 25% 9.0
  • Ventilation - 20% 8.0
  • Warmth - 10% 6.0
  • Features - 10% 7.0
  • Style - 10% 10.0

Our Verdict

The Arc'teryx Sabre Pant is the best all-around ski pant on the market. They fit perfectly on a variety of body types, are comfortable to wear, and provide immaculate weather protection. Plus, they're stylish and durable. While a bit short on features and warmth, these are not necessarily detractions since they allow custom layering underneath and lightweight, sleek performance. The main downside is the price. These pants are quite expensive, and you can find other pants that almost match the performance of the Sabre at a lower price. Still, frequent users and Arc'teryx loyalists will appreciate the refinement of these pants, and their durability makes them a safe investment for years of skiing. To see how the Sabre stacks up against the rest of the models we tested, head over to our review of the best ski pants.
REASONS TO BUY
Immaculate weather protection
Excellent fit
Fleecy lining
REASONS TO AVOID
Expensive
Light on features
Editor's Note: We updated this review on January 17, 2023, with information on the updated Sabre pant.

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arc'teryx sabre pant ski pants review
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Overall Score Sort Icon
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Star Rating
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Bottom Line Excellent ski pants in every regard, and you'll pay for itThe best bibs out there, these pants are comfortable and protectiveComfortable, flexible pants for ski touring and sunny days at the resortPlenty of performance for a low priceDecent ski bibs for an excellent price
Rating Categories Arc'teryx Sabre Pant Mammut Haldigrat HS... Outdoor Research Tr... Helly Hansen Legend... The North Face Free...
Weather Resistance (25%)
10.0
10.0
5.0
7.0
7.0
Fit and Comfort (25%)
9.0
10.0
9.0
8.0
7.0
Ventilation (20%)
8.0
8.0
9.0
5.0
5.0
Warmth (10%)
6.0
4.0
4.0
7.0
4.0
Features (10%)
7.0
6.0
10.0
7.0
6.0
Style (10%)
10.0
8.0
8.0
6.0
6.0
Specs Arc'teryx Sabre Pant Mammut Haldigrat HS... Outdoor Research Tr... Helly Hansen Legend... The North Face Free...
Main fabric Nylon Polyamide Nylon/Polyester/Spandex Polyester Recycled Nylon
Insulation None None None Polyester Recycled polyester
Waterproofing Gore-Tex Drytech Pro Ventia 3L Lower Legs Helly Tech DryVent 2L
Waistline construction Integrated belt Bibs Snap/zipper fly with adjustable tabs Snap/zipper fly with adjustable tabs Bibs
Weight (in pounds) 1.28 lbs 1.34 lbs 1.64 lbs 1.30 lbs 1.52 lbs
Weight (in grams) 581 g 608 g 744 g 590 g 689 g
# of Pockets 2 3 5 3 5
Vents Outer thigh zips Outer thigh zips Outer thigh zips Inner thigh zips Inner thigh zips
Ski-specific features Scuff guards, transceiver pocket, elastic gaiters, integrated belt Transceiver pocket, cell phone slot, elastic gaiters, scuff guards Elastic cuffs, scuff guard, transceiver pocket, gussetted ankle zipper Elastic Cuffs, Scuff Guards Elastic cuffs, scuff guards
Recco Yes No No No No

Our Analysis and Test Results

These pants offer excellent weather protection, top-notch comfort, and style, and they ventilate well.

Performance Comparison


arc'teryx sabre pant ski pants review - skiing in the arc'teryx sabre at the ski resort during early-season...
Skiing in the Arc'teryx Sabre at the ski resort during early-season testing.
Credit: Jeff Dobronyi

Weather Resistance


The Sabre is built with Gore-Tex in the shell for top-notch weather resistance. All seams are sealed, and the zippers are all waterproof. The sleek design of these pants means that there are no extra flaps of fabric that can catch snow or wind, and they easily shed all precipitation. Powder cuffs prevent snow from entering the legs of the pants, and the powder cuffs also feature two slits for the boot's power strap to be fastened over the powder cuff. This allows easy transitions for backcountry skiing.



The thick shell fabric easily protects against the wind, and the weather resistance of these pants is only surpassed by bibs. We reach for these pants for any day of the winter, from touring in the backcountry to deep days at the resort, confident that they will keep snow, wind, and rain out. They even have snap clips where a Sabre Jacket can clip to the pants to create a weatherproof full-body suit.

arc'teryx sabre pant ski pants review - waterproof zippers and burly gore-tex pro fabric complete the...
Waterproof zippers and burly Gore-Tex Pro fabric complete the watertight packing in the Arc'teryx Sabre Pant.
Credit: Jeff Dobronyi

Fit and Comfort


We have come to expect excellent tailoring from Arc'teryx, and the Sabre Pant upholds this reputation. These pants fit like a glove. They are perfectly cut through the hips and legs and allow a full range of motion.



They are also comfortable to wear. The interior of the shell fabric has a fleece-brushed liner, which prevents the fabric from feeling plasticky, as other 3-layer pants often do. In a testament to their comfort, we find the burly and resort-specific Sabre is also excellent for backcountry touring, as long as the pace isn't too fast or the weather too warm.

arc'teryx sabre pant ski pants review - the arc'teryx sabre pant has a great fit, thanks to expert tailoring...
The Arc'teryx Sabre Pant has a great fit, thanks to expert tailoring and not too much extra material, but enough to move around with ease.
Credit: Jeff Dobronyi

Ventilation


Ventilation in the Sabre Pant is provided by long external leg vents. These vents don't have mesh backing, which is great for maximizing airflow. The Gore-Tex fabric is somewhat breathable, but the brushed fleece lining will trap some heat and make the pants feel hotter. We took these pants into the backcountry, where the vents provided excellent airflow for hot uphill travel, but the thin fleece lining added some heat and made these pants feel a little more stuffy than we would have liked.


On warm uptracks and bootpacks, these pants aren't as breathable as we want them to be. They are suitable for 90% of days at the ski hill and 80% of days in the backcountry. But on the warmest days at the resort or warmer-than-average days on the skin tracks, their ventilation comes up short.

arc'teryx sabre pant ski pants review - the outer thigh zips on the sabre allow for fantastic airflow when...
The outer thigh zips on the Sabre allow for fantastic airflow when open.
Credit: Jeff Dobronyi

Warmth


These pants don't provide much in the way of warmth or insulation. We don't mind this, as we prefer shell pants that allow us to layer underneath as necessary. Our lower bodies aren't as sensitive to cold as our upper bodies, and as such, most skiers prefer shell-only pants for their lower legs.


These pants feature a brushed fleece lining, which provides a minimal amount of insulation power as warm air will be caught between the fleece fibers. On the coldest days of winter, layer properly, and these pants will keep you warm. However, if you don't know how to layer for the cold, we recommend an insulated ski pant.

arc'teryx sabre pant ski pants review - the sabre's inner liner is composed of brushed fleece, which adds a...
The Sabre's inner liner is composed of brushed fleece, which adds a degree of comfort and insulation.
Credit: Sam Willits

Features


The Sabre is decidedly light on features. These pants offer two zippered leg pockets, each located on the thigh. One pocket has a loop for attaching car keys or a transceiver leash, and the other has a mesh slot for a cell phone. These pockets are located in a great place on the thigh, not too far to the side and not too far to the middle. However, there are no waist pockets.



There are also powder cuffs that keep snow out of your ski boots and an integrated belt with a secure fastener so that you don't have to bring your own. Other than that, these pants are pretty bare-bones in terms of features. Most expert skiers we polled think this set of features is adequate for most days at the ski hill, but unless you have your pocket plan dialed, you might think these pants don't have enough of them.

arc'teryx sabre pant ski pants review - large, conveniently-placed thigh pockets allow for some storage, and...
Large, conveniently-placed thigh pockets allow for some storage, and are especially useful for holding avalanche transceivers, cell phones, wallets, and other personal items.
Credit: Jeff Dobronyi

Style


The Sabre pants have a neutral yet refined style. Their cut is perfectly articulated to match our body shapes when we are skiing, and this refined style is evident when our testers zipped past us on the slopes. The cut is form-fitting through the thighs, and they open up enough to fit easily over ski boots. The zippers are clean and discreet. We wish other pants would take style cues from these pants. We think these are among the best-looking ski pants on the market.


Style is subjective, and many people want their ski pants to be the least noticeable part of their ski kit. We understand this sentiment and must report that these pants don't stand out much at all. Rather, they offer slight style cues that suggest a sophisticated look. They aren't loud, but they are refined. They certainly cost a lot, but this price comes with great looks.

arc'teryx sabre pant ski pants review - when it comes to style, the sabre offers a well-refined classic look.
When it comes to style, the Sabre offers a well-refined classic look.
Credit: Jeff Dobronyi

Should You Buy the Arc'teryx Sabre?


These pants are not cheap. For the high performance and durability that Arc'teryx guarantees, the cost is worth it for the most hardcore and serious skiers. Many other pants on the market almost match the performance of the Sabre and cost a lot less. But for those who want an excellent pair of pants that will perform day in and day out through many winters, these are worth it.

arc'teryx sabre pant ski pants review - comfortable for any day at the resort, the arc'teryx sabre pant is...
Comfortable for any day at the resort, the Arc'teryx Sabre Pant is our favorite option on the market.
Credit: Jeff Dobronyi

What Other Ski Pants Should You Consider?


We love the performance of the Norrona Lofoten Gore-Tex, which is very similar to the Sabre and has more useful features, but its DWR treatment wears off faster. If you want good hardshell pants but don't want to spend a lot of money, the Flylow Chemical performs well enough for most days at the ski resort, but it doesn't lack the versatility for the backcountry. And if you're looking for a hardshell better suited for backcountry skiing, the Patagonia Stormstride is a great choice for users who spend most of their time away from the resort.

arc'teryx sabre pant ski pants review - the arc'teryx sabre pants during testing in the wyoming backcountry.
The Arc'teryx Sabre pants during testing in the Wyoming backcountry.
Credit: Tom Causley

Jeff Dobronyi