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The perfect pair of ski bibs are a beautiful thing. They keep you warm, dry, hopefully offer plenty of pockets to store your snacks and lip balm with SPF, and let you look fly while ripping down those double black diamonds (or green runs. I’m still on the green runs…). But bibs have never been accused of being easy to pee in, especially for women. Enter the Burton x Gnara Stretch Bib Ski Pants, which offer a functional solution thanks to Gnara’s patented GoFly pee zipper technology.
But let’s talk about peeing in the snow for a sec. In the past, we’ve always insisted that, especially for women (a term we mean to encompass anyone who squats to pee), ski bibs with at least one side zipper are an absolute must. Otherwise, there’s no way you can go to the bathroom–whether in a ski lodge or in the backcountry–without totally disrobing. But even WITH a full drop seat, peeing outside when backcountry or frontcountry skiing or snowboarding (or even snowshoeing when it’s really cold out) can be miserable. You have to expose your whole rear to the cold!
Enter the Gnara x Burton collab bibs: Fully functionally and expertly designed snow bibs with Gnara’s patented GoFly technology AND leggings with overlapping fabric at the crotch for pull-to-the-side layering functionality. Yup. Gnara’s famous and functional pee zipper on Burton bibs. What’s not to love?
The bibs are ONLY available for pre-order right now, but if you order now, you’ll be automatically entered to win custom skis or a custom board, plus get free shipping on bibs! Plus you’ll be one of the first to get your pair when they officially launch in time for next season. So order now! Or read on for more reasons why you should.
Gnara Burton Ski Bib and Baselayer Features
The main features of these bibs are the fly, obviously, though the full bibs in Burton’s Reverse silhouette are bound to be killer (subscribe so you don’t miss our full review of the final product when they drop later this year). Basically, there’s a hidden zipper that runs from the front of the bibs all the way between the legs and most of the way up your bum. It’s hidden behind a flap of fabric so no one can tell it’s there. Like Gnara’s other pants and shorts, which we’ve reviewed, there’s also a fabric flap on the inside of the pants so you don’t feel the zipper. Honest to goodness, I couldn’t even tell it was there whether sitting on the ski lift, falling in the snow, or riding downhill.
But since most of us don’t ski or snowboard in bibs alone (baselayers are often a must), Gnara and Burton ALSO collaborated on compatible baselayer leggings. Especially important since these are more of a thick stretch shell bib than a fully insulated bib. The specially-designed baselayer bottoms feature a new flap design from Gnara. Instead of a zipper like on their GoFly leggings, which we reviewed, there are two layers of fabric in the crotch that overlap. This keeps you from accidentally exposing yourself if you’re walking around the lodge or kicking it on a friend’s couch for aprés ski snackage, but also lets you easily pull the flaps apart with one hand in order to urinate easily.
Together, the layers are as functional as I hoped. AND they’re both made of recycled materials (the base layers are also Bluesign approved).
Gnara Burton Ski Bibs Review
But what did I think of the bibs? First things first: I got my hands on a very early, exclusive sample. Meaning the bibs I’m wearing in these images are not the final product. They won’t be available in this color and pockets and design features will look slightly different (we’ll put a photo of what the final product will look like below). But what we WERE able to test was the functionality. So I layered up and hit the slopes with my snowboard.
And you know what? They worked! We’d expect nothing less from Gnara, a brand who’s functional clothing for women we’ve tested and reviewed many times. Even at a resort I found it easy to slide into the trees, unzip the hidden GoFly with my liner gloves on (mittens were a bit too bulky), squat, pee, and zip back up in less than a minute. I was able to easily pull the legging flaps open and simultaneously pull my underwear to the side and let it rip without peeing on myself, exposing myself to the cold, or wrestling with gear in the lodge bathroom.
I didn’t even unclip! That’s right, just by strategically squatting I was able to leave my snowboard fully attached to both feet, not pee on the board, zip back up, and go right on carving down the mountain. I even experimented with a few positions, including grabbing a tree and leaning back, unclipping one foot to offer a bit more board clearance, and leaning back onto a tree with my board wedged in the snow perpendicular to the slope. It worked! And I’ve never been happier to pee outside with all my snowboard gear on! The fly is also supremely functional in a bathroom stall and way easier than trying not to drop a seat flap in the toilet bowl.
Bottom Line: Burton Bibs Featuring Gnara’s GoFly Technology
While I didn’t get to test the final FINAL product, I was able to test the functionality of the design of the bibs with a pee zipper layered with compatible leggings. And I can highly recommend them to anyone who squats to pee. So pre-order your Gnara ski bibs now. Maybe at the same time you pre-pay for next season’s ski pass? Then be ready to rip by the first snowfall of the season.
