KÜHL Frost™ Softshell Tight

Review by Erin Trail

The KÜHL Frost™ Softshell Tight is weather resistant on the outside, fleecy goodness on the inside, and stretchy all around, making this a great cold weather active legging.

Details

• Stretchy, wind and water-resistant softshell
• Premium bonded microfleece inner layer
• Four-way stretch and compression
• Two drop-in thigh pockets
• Wicking mesh gusset lining with Polygiene® (antibacterial and odor-resistant)
• Regular inseam in this pant is 28.5″ and is meant to hit at the ankle

Detailed Review

The KÜHL Frost™ Softshell Tight is one of the more interesting pieces of winter gear that I received for testing this winter.  It’s as if snow pants were combined with your favorite stretchy fleece tights.  The result?  Soft, warm, stretchy tights that keep the weather out.

Fit

I am a women’s size 8 on the KÜHL size guide.  I opted to size up to a women’s size 10 for the KÜHL Frost™ Softshell Tight because I wanted the option to wear a cycling chamois underneath for fat biking. Due to terrible snow conditions, I have yet to wear them fat biking (the irony), but I have been able to wear them while running and and Nordic skiing. The fit is generally good, but the crotch does drop down a small bit and there is a little extra fabric around the knees.  Thankfully, the tights don’t migrate downwards during activities, so I’m happy with my decision to size up.

Function

I’ve had other weatherproof tights that were fairly stiff and presented a challenge when putting them on.  The KÜHL Frost™ Softshell Tights are stretchy and pliable, making them easy to put on and easy to move in.  They are lightly compressive and feel more like thick tights rather than something that can protect you from the elements.

The fit of the KÜHL Frost™ Softshell Tights is really great.  The waistband is a generous yoga style that hits me right at the navel. The legs, with a 28.5″ inseam worked well for both running and skiing. The two side drop-in tight pockets are a great place to securely stash my phone and a snack. The also look more like activewear tights, making them a stealth cold weather item for those who like a more body conscious outer layer.

The KÜHL Frost™ Softshell Tights are WARM. Shockingly warm. So warm that I’ve had to re-think my use cases for testing. I run year round and last spring, I was diagnosed with exercise induced urticaria – basically a welty, whole body rash. Dots started connecting in my head and I soon figured out that the red, angry skin that always appeared after a cold run was tied to this diagnosis. It has not been very cold in Denver this winter, but I did manage one run while wearing the KÜHL Frost™ Softshell Tights.  Temperatures were 25-28 degrees.  I wore a ultralight base layer, the KÜHL Reactiv™ Grid Full Zip Hoody as a jacket, and a running vest. My upper body was great, but my lower body was a touch warmer than I prefer. Because I run with a pack, my back tends to be extra sweaty.  The result of warm legs + a sweaty back + weather proof tights meant that I had a pretty impressive sweat stain on my backside.  The sweat came out of the seams because the fabric weather proofing is THAT good – the sweat had no where else to escape except at the seams.  I thought this was funny, but if you don’t want a sweat stained booty, get the black colorway over the olive one.  It really hasn’t been cold in Denver since, so I haven’t had the opportunity for more testing in colder temperatures.  My guess is that they would be awesome in temperatures around 15 degrees F.

My most successful test of the KÜHL Frost™ Softshell Tights was cross country skiing. These tights are absolute PERFECTION for this sport. I was taking a lesson, and the morning was a combination of standing around, slower movement to build technique, occasional falls onto the snow, and some aerobic efforts as they set me loose on the course.

Temperatures were in the low 20s with light snow and wind.  I wore ONLY the KÜHL Frost™ Softshell Tights on my lower half for this lesson (no base layer) and I was the PERFECT temperature the entire time. I had full range of motion and never felt like my ability to move was inhibited by too much compression or bulky fabric. I never got too sweaty, and conversely, never felt too cold.

Later on, we hit the tubing hill, with blowing winds and dropping temperatures.  I wore the KÜHL Frost™ Softshell Tights as a base layer beneath a pair of ski shell pants.  Again, I was impressed with how well the tights moved as I crouched and stood up.  I haven’t used them for alpine skiing, but I’m betting they would make a great base layer under shell pants or bibs.

Closing Thoughts

The KÜHL Frost™ Softshell Tights are a really well designed winter active legging that is suitable for a wide variety of activities. They are warm, weather proof, but also give activewear vibes, for those that don’t want bulk during winter activities.  They are priced at $119, which I think is a really great value, for how well made they are.

The KÜHL Frost™ Softshell Tights are available in black and olive and are in women’s sizes ranging from 0 to 14.

Erin Trail

Trail Boss of Stoke

Erin Trail on her mountain bike at the World Tri Cross Triathlon World Championship race

Erin Trail on her running at the World Tri Cross Triathlon World Championship race