Outdoor Research Women’s Carbide Bibs-Plus Review: Technical, Non-Insulated Bibs for Bigger Bodies

As a plus-size snow athlete, it’s no surprise I loved the Women’s Carbide Bibs-Plus from Outdoor Research. The brand has been a serious contender for inclusive sizes in outdoor apparel for several winter seasons. In fall 2021, OR launched its first line of extended sizes across the most popular products.

While some brands choose to reduce the quality or features of their plus-size offerings, OR has maintained an unwavering commitment to excellence throughout its entire size range, including the extended and plus size products.

I have a solid pulse on the movement, as the first-ever plus-size and Latina founder of a plus-size outdoor apparel brand: Alpine Parrot. My company offered a size run of 14 through 30, plus two silhouettes for different body shapes. (Founded in 2019, Alpine Parrot closed in December 2024.)

With the introduction of the Carbide Bibs in plus sizes — 1X through 4X — adventurers in bigger bodies finally got a non-insulated option for cold-weather activities. In my experience as a plus-size tester, it’s tough to simply find well-crafted snow bottoms that fit — but they’re also nearly always insulated. And it’s very rare (if not impossible) to find snow bibs in plus sizes.

Given the plethora of barriers, the Carbide Bibs are a welcome addition to my gear closet! And thanks to this creation, I’ll be learning how to backcountry ski this season, too.

In short: Made for the resort and backcountry, the Outdoor Research Women’s Carbide Bibs-Plus ($329) for plus-size skiers, snowboarders, and other snow athletes is a technical, non-insulated snow bib that provides all the same benchmarks for folks in larger bodies. These durable, waterproof, and breathable bibs have just enough stretch, feel fairly lightweight, and the suspenders are comfortable.

There are external leg zippers for ventilation, an extended side zipper that enables a drop seat for bathroom breaks, and a pocket built to carry an avalanche beacon for backcountry travelers. Take a peek at our review for the Carbide Jacket, which complements these bibs very well.

Read the full review or see how this snow bib compares to other options in the Best Plus-Size Ski and Snow Gear for Women buyer’s guide and the Best Women’s Ski Bibs buyer’s guide.

Outdoor Research Carbide Bibs-Plus Review

Though I’ve worn other snow bibs, as well as the OR Snowcrew Snow Pants, this was my first time testing the Outdoor Research Women’s Carbide Bibs, which I wore in a plus size.

I wore these ski bibs on ski resort outings in the Sierra Mountains north of Lake Tahoe — at Palisades Tahoe and Heavenly Ski Resort — for a few weeks at the start of the 2024-2025 ski season.

Equipped with a lightweight set of women’s base layers underneath, I zoomed along on blue groomers around the resort and didn’t miss a beat: I was comfortable and felt ease of movement in these bibs.

Fabric

These women’s plus-size ski bibs are shockingly lightweight for how durable and well-made they are, undoubtedly thanks to the fabric.

The Pertex Shield 3L fabric is waterproof, made with super-durable 100% nylon 40D, and backed with tricot knit fabric that enables just a little bit of mechanical stretch. This all means that the bibs move with you throughout your activity and won’t fall apart or get wet when you really push it on the slopes.

Without insulation to help keep you warm, it’s important to add the correct base layers and midlayers beneath to keep yourself warm as needed. This might be less ideal at the ski resort on an exceptionally cold day — but for days in the backcountry, having non-insulated outerwear is a godsend.

Pockets & Vents

The women’s Carbide Bibs have three generously sized main pockets. There’s one on the chest plus a hand pocket near each hip. All three of these options could easily hold my phone and snacks.

The right hip pocket also houses an interior stretch hammock and a clip for an avalanche beacon, which is a good option to carry your beacon if you head into the backcountry. While I was not able to specifically test this feature, I can attest to the design detail.

There are dual side vents — one along the outside of each leg — to help with temperature control. They’re quite long, with double-ended zippers running from just above the knee to just below the hip. The extended zipper on the right side goes all the way up to the top edge of the bib, near the underarm.

With it completely zipped open, I found it was easier to get in and out of the garment, but the zipper also serves the purpose of creating a drop seat to enable bathroom breaks without needing to peel down the bibs. While I wasn’t very well practiced, the design worked!

Critiques

Fit

Bigger bodies have more pronounced differences in body shape, which means that finding just the right fit is even more challenging in the plus-size range. Fortunately, bibs in general are a bit forgiving, since the suspenders help keep the waist up without depending on waist-to-hip ratios.

As a pear-shaped tester, I found that the sizing was suited to a pear-shaped body (compared to an apple-shaped body), as exhibited by a snug hip but relatively relaxed upper portion.

Inseam Length

I also really would have preferred a short inseam option rather than the regular length, as the legs were just a bit too long to be comfortable. While some color schemes are available with a short inseam, there are no long inseam options at the time of this review.

Gaiter

While I appreciated the power strap openings in the gaiter at the cuffs, the gaiters were just big enough to go around my wide-calf ski boots. I suggest that snowboarders test the gaiters with their snowboard boots on before taking the tags off, just in case the gaiters don’t make it all the way around.

Conclusion

For many of us in bigger bodies, entire activities have felt out of reach simply because there weren’t clothes available to keep us safe and comfortable doing those activities. Some of us can get away with “good enough” clothing — but we can literally put ourselves at risk of exposure to the elements by wearing something that is too big or small, not waterproof, or poorly constructed.

Fortunately, when I stepped outside this winter to ski in the Outdoor Research Women’s Carbide Bibs-Plus, I realized they were the missing piece for my snowy dreams. Whether I was downhill skiing laps at a resort or snowshoeing across a meadow — or skinning in the backcountry, which I’ll learn to do this winter — I was very pleased with the stretch, weight, waterproofness, fit, and breathability of these bibs.

As long as you remember to regulate your body heat with your own layering system beneath these light bibs, you can take advantage of this lightweight, durable outerwear that’s made specifically for bigger bodies like mine.

Finally, there’s snow outerwear that isn’t just good enough — it’s just right.