Advnture Verdict
Among thermal underwear for frigid expeditions, these leggings are a cut above. Despite the midweight designation, they're easily light enough to layer under hiking or ski pants, stretchy enough for an apres-ski yoga class, warm enough for the coldest days of lapping chairs and whisk away sweat when you're backcountry touring.
Pros
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Super stretchy and comfortable
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Reflective thermal lining adds warmth without weight
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Great wicking properties
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Super fast drying
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Easy to layer
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Good anti-odoer treatment
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Well-priced
Cons
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No recycled materials used
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Columbia Omni-Heat Midweight Baselayer Tights: first impressions
From the outside, this pair of thermal underwear just looks like your average pair of stretchy leggings, but check the lining and you'll see they possess a secret superpower. Covered with tiny silver dots otherwise known as Columbia's Omni-Heat technology, these leggings act just like an emergency blanket, reflecting your body heat back to you during those chilly lift rides or winter camps.
If you're working up a sweat skinning uphill or snowshoeing, the Omni-Wick fabric construction allows for truly excellent breathability and in our field tests, we found these leggings delivered amazing sweat-wicking properties and dried in a flash once we stopped moving.
• List price: $55 / £50
• Gender specification: Men's and women's sizing available
• Sizes available: Men's S - XXL, Women's XS - XXL
• Weight (size Women's S): 4.6 oz / 130 grams
• Materials: 85% polyester / 15% elastane Omni-Heat Reflective Anytime Stretch Jersey
• Colors: Black, Fig, Nocturnal
• Best use: Winter sports
The polyester fabric is also treated to manage bacterial growth, and we've worn them for multiple hikes and ski tours without needing to wash them, which suggests they'll last longer. With a comfortable, wide waistband and tons of four-way stretch, they're also perfect for yoga which means we can pack light for ski trips.
The super-light fabric is also really easy to layer over when you're donning ski pants or hiking pants. The price on these is great, especially since they're so versatile, and the only thing we'd like to see in the future is some recycled materials used for sustainability.
Columbia Omni-Heat Midweight Baselayer Tights: in the field
I've had these thermal leggings for nearly five months, and been testing them alongside the Columbia Omni-Heat Midweight Baselayer Crew. I initially got them for a hut trip in the Swiss Alps in the fall, but it wasn't actually very cold, however I did wear them for a chilly sunrise yoga session. Since then, I've worn them for a few frigid winter hikes in Scotland and the Lake District, and more recently got to give them a proper test drive in Verbier where I was alpine skiing and ski touring.
Here's how they performed:
Sizing, fit and comfort
I tested a small, which is my usual size, and they're perfect, exactly as you'd expect leggings to fit. The shiny lining doesn't look like it's going to feel good against the skin, but there's really nothing tin foil about these leggings which are surprisingly soft. They're comfortable in a "barely-there" way like my favorite yoga pants and I never have to stop and hike them up.
Speaking of yoga pants, they are stretchy as you get, and I've worn them for yoga several times including on an alpine deck on a chilly morning. I love that they can double up, because it meant that I could pack light and still have everything I needed for skiing and stretching without checking a bag.
Temperature regulation and moisture management
Obviously, the most important thing I expect from a pair of thermal underwear is warmth, and these deliver that by the ladle. If you've never tried any of Columbia's Omni-Heat garments, it isn't a gimmick – I really do feel instantly warmer wearing these, and I love that that warmth isn't provided by thick fabric or itchy wool.
On my last day in Verbier, I decided to rent an AT set up and go on an 8k ski tour up the mountain. The first half was mellow, followed by some fairly steep climbing through untouched powder. I was a little overdressed, because I hadn't planned or packed for touring, and it wasn't the coldest day (in fact, it was raining in the village). So, I was expecting to be too warm and nearly didn't wear these. I'm glad I did, though.
In action, these pants do exactly what they claim, which is to wick sweat even under fairly warm conditions. I never felt too warm or remotely chilly during my adventure, and when I met my colleagues for lunch, they dried out almost instantly, which meant I could then sit outside on a cool, sunny deck without feeling cold.
Durability and odor control
These leggings are described as medium weight, but they feel really thin and light, which would normally make me wonder about their durability, but there's nothing flimsy about them. As I said, I've been testing them out for nearly five months and they still look brand new.
That's in part because I've barely had to wash them. They have an antimicrobial treatment that wards off odors and even after sweating uphill in them, they don't really need a wash (though I'm going to wash them, I promise) so I can see them lasting longer than other synthetic garments that can get really smelly.
Columbia Omni-Heat Midweight Baselayer Tights: the bottom line
I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that these are currently my favorite thermals for winter adventures. They're light, stretchy and can handle sweat like a boss. They also double as yoga pants which is super compelling for me, and they come at a good price considering their built with NASA-inspired technology.
All of my other thermals are made from merino wool, so it's hard to compare them, but if you prefer the magical powers of merino then I suggest you look no further than the Smartwool Intraknit Merino 200 bottoms.
