VOORMI ¾ Length Thermal II Bottoms

WarmthVOORMI’s wool-blend tops have wowed us in the past with their insulating power, and the bottoms are no different. The brand uses wool with extra-crimped fibers from a breed of merino sheep raised in the Rockies: More kinks mean more pockets to trap warmth-boosting air (under shell pants), but also more room for heat to escape (when worn alone in balmier temps). One tester appreciated the range of comfort on a Canadian backcountry ski tour: “They felt equally good in 40-degree rain as they did skinning up a glacier in the sun with my pant vents unzipped,” she says.

Wicking “I never felt uncomfortably damp, even when sweating buckets,” reports a tester. The secret: A two-layer knitted construction that combines the best features of wool and synthetic fibers. A thin polyester liner pulls moisture off the skin and into the thicker wool outer, where it dissipates and eventually dries.

Options They also come in a full-length version for the same price, which is not cheap. m’s S-XXL, w’s XS-XL