Under Armour has traditionally provided skiers and snowboarders with top of the line base layers, now they are branching into outerwear for winter sports including fleece, down and Gore-Tex. This company has come a long way, starting in founder Kevin Planks grandmother’s basement and the trunk of his car to a present net worth of over $3 billion. Luckily for us as winter enthusiasts we are seeing another competitive brand with quality gear.
The Under Armour Storm Nimbus Shell Jacket is an eye catcher. The unique colour, trim and stylish cut have been well received by many in and around the ski industry. It is made of quality wind and waterproof materials comparable to Black Diamonds Mission Shell and comes with a similar price tag. Available with all features wanted in a shell jacket, the Storm Nimbus is a jacket that won’t let you down
Two Napoleon pockets sit in front of two breast vents, a unique venting system that makes venting accessibility easier when wearing a pack. As opposed to armpit venting which can be difficult to reach at times. One of the napoleon pockets is equipped with an elastic phone holder to help prevent you from dropping it in the snow. The other is accessible from both inside and out, with a media port and an attached goggle wipe. In combination with two hand warmer pockets you should have ample space for your belongings. All zippers are YKK with easy to reach tabs, and zipper garages.
The adjustable zipper hood shown below can provide additional space for a helmet. The helmet compatible hood can be unzipped for extra room and a draw cord will tighten around the crown to the beak.
The stylish cut cuffs are fitted with wrist gaskets to keep the snow out and Velcro to keep it tight. And a powder skirt can help keep snow from sneaking up past the hem adjustment.
Built in wrist gaskets are a must for a proper powder skiing jacket. A stylish cut to the cuff and Velcro adjustments doesn’t hurt either.
The left hand side napoleon pocket is accessible from both inside and out. You can see through the breast vent mesh that runs from the hood, down and under the napoleon pocket.
Under Armor Nimbus Jacket
- Loose fit
- UA Storm Tech is breathable and repels water
- Wind & waterproof
- Helmet compatible hood with zip-expander & draw cord
- Velcro cuffs with wrist gaskets
- Duel zip breast vents
- 2 Napoleon pockets
- 2 Hand warmer pockets
- 1 Internal media pocket
- Waterproof zippers
- Powder skirt
- Adjustable hem cord
- Recco avalanche rescue reflector
- YKK Zippers with zipper garages throughout
Under Armor Nimbus Pants
- Loose fit
- UA Storm Tech is breathable and repels water
- Wind & waterproof
- Elastic Boot Gaiters with 6” zip gussets, duel snaps & bootlace hook.
- Comfortable, adjustable shoulder straps on a high cut bib
- Size zip for easy top-loading/unloading or bathroom breaks
- Inner thigh vents with mesh backing
- Velcro waist adjustment with belt loops & D-ring
- Zipper fly with storm flap
- 6 pockets with YKK zippers and garages throughout
- Recco avalanche rescue reflector
The Under Armour Nimbus Shell Bib Pants are amazing and by far the best ski pants I have owned. They are roomy and comfortable, with a large bib that covers the chest and lower back, preventing snow from dampening your base layers. The suspenders are comfortable and adjustable to fit your torso to leg ratio. In addition to this are two Velcro waist adjustments and belt loops for additional support of a belt.
Comfortable shoulder straps suspend the pants from a large, roomy bib. You can adjust the Velcro around the waist and the length of the straps on the shoulders.
Getting in and out is easy with a side zipper and a front crotch zipper is present for standup bathroom breaks. There are two inner thigh vents to help cool down and six pockets on the front. The cuffs have an approximate 6” zipper for extra material around the boot and duel snaps to tighten it up. There is an elastic leg gasket that will hold tightly around the boot and prevent snow from creeping up the leg and into your boot top.
The side zipper makes entering and exiting the pants extremely easy.
Two inner thigh, mesh backed vents are long and effective on those uphill skin tracks.
Under Armour’s Nimbus Bib’s and Storm Shell Jacket are both top quality products from a company you can trust as they guarantee their product's performance. I would recommend these garments to anyone and am looking forward to seeing the evolution of the brands entry into this new skiing and riding field. These pieces are however very expensive. I am not a huge fan of the hood’s zipper adjustment and would like to see the thigh pockets on the bib pants converted to duel Velcro on the rear. But when all is said and done these garments will keep you comfortable and stylish in the ski resorts and side, slack or backcountry.
PROS:
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CONS:
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Under Armour Nimbus Jacket
Price: $599.99
Sizes: S/M/L/XL/XXL/3XL
Colour: Stealth Grey / Moccasin (Mustard)
Under Armour Nimbus Bib Pants
Price: $599.99
Sizes: S/M/L/XL/XXL/3XL
Colour: Stealth Grey
Fit/Mobility 2/2
Packability 1/2
Waterproof/Breathable 2/2
Features: 2/2
Quality/Price 1.5/2
Did we miss something? Are we totally out to lunch? Let us know what you think. People like/dislike gear for different reasons so chime in below and we'll get a well-rounded evaluation.
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