Overview:
Price: $430
Materials: 3-Layer hard shell
20K waterproof membrane
Pros:
Durable
Breathable
Ton of vents
Pockets
Cons:
Baggy fit (new cut is not as baggy as it once was)
Material:
Flylow is using Intuitive Fabrics waterproof membrane to achieve it's 20K waterproof rating. The face fabric is a burly 150-denier fabric that can surely stand the test of time.
Weather Protection:
With well over 400 days skiing in these bibs I have put them through it all. Rain, sleet, pow, wind, hit a tree, etc... I have taken good care of them and always washed with Nikwax. After 400 days of brutal use they are still 100% waterproof. These pants also do a great job at keeping you warm - they create a great microclimate for you on those cold days! I can't say they are quite as warm as some burly Gore-Tex jackets out there but they do the job and when it's warm, you'll be thankful you have a pair of Baker bib since they are more breathable than most waterproof bibs on the market and have incredibly large vents to dump heat if needed.
Features:
The Baker Bib has a massive zipper on the left side that makes these things a breeze to put on. They also have non-mesh (I hate mesh) vents on the inner AND outer side on the legs. This allows you to turn dump heat if you need to. I run warm (especially when I tour) and it's nice to be able to dump so much heat. I typically take pants over bibs for touring but with their ability to dump heat so well I would consider these if you don't want to get two pants to ski resort and backcountry in. They have a little chest pocket with an "anchor" that I store my beacon in which I like. The cuffs have a very burly reinforcement on them that is much more durable than lot's of other offerings out there.
Fit:
Like I mentioned in the cons (maybe not a con for most people) these pants are a bit more on the baggy side. The torso fits very well and the legs have a more relaxed fit. The newer versions of the pant are a little better fit but it isn't a "skinny" cut if that's what you're looking for.
Durability:
This is probably where these pants really excel. This is the main reason I love these pants so much. Take all the features mentioned above and put them on pants that aren't durable and it really doesn't matter. These pants have withstood the test of time. They are reinforced in all the right areas. Just a really well built, robust, burly bib. I stand by their durability 100%.
The Wrap-up: To wrap it all up- are the baker bibs worth it? Absolutely. These pants will outlast most all of your other equipment. Given the price point, features and how durable they are, I wouldn't look any further than a pair of Baker Bibs.
Will they work for the Average Joe? Yes, absolutely, 100%. I think these bibs are a killer value for what you get! And you aren't sacrificing anything at the price point!
Looking to buy? Snag them here: https://amzn.to/486oxuc
Comments