The best women's climbing harness overall is the Petzl Luna, a women's-specific sit harness with adjustable leg loops, five gear loops and a 4.6 rating across 201 reviews. The Black Diamond Momentum takes gym and sport sessions, the Petzl Selena wins on soft low-bulk comfort, and the Ocun Twist Tech Eco Lady carries the most […]

The best womens ski jackets are the ones that keep snow out of your collar while letting heat escape on the chairlift, and after six weeks of comparing twelve models side by side, the MOERDENG Women's Ski Jacket came out ahead of the field. It is not the most technical shell in this group, but […]

What separates a good women's snowboard boot comes down to four things: the fit around your heel and ankle, how much the boot bends when you press, how the shell closes, and whether the liner can be heat-molded to your foot. A boot that nails all four keeps your feet warm and dry, transmits power […]

Most of the frustration women report about kayaking gear comes down to fit, not performance. Searching for the best womens kayaking gear usually returns the same shortlist: vests cut for a different torso shape, hats that ignore a ponytail, and a handful of accessories that work for everyone. I spent a season on flatwater, touring […]

Best women's life jackets are not a men's vest in a smaller size, and after a season of putting twelve of them through kayaks, SUP boards, wake boats and open water, that distinction is the whole ballgame. A vest that fits while you are standing in a garage is a completely different experience from one […]

Plus size hiking clothes are technical outdoor garments made in extended sizes, usually carried from 1X to 6X for women, which roughly maps to US sizes 12 through 36. The label is only half the story, though. What separates a hiking layer that works on the trail from one that ends your day early is […]

Most women's hiking shoes are built on a narrow, sculpted last, so if your feet are wide you spend every hike fighting your footwear instead of enjoying the trail. That is why we organized this roundup of the best womens hiking shoes wide around one criterion: every shoe below physically fits a wide foot, and […]

The best women's trail running shoes come down to three things: a last that holds your heel on the descent without squeezing your toes, lugs deep enough for the ground you actually run on, and a heel-to-toe drop your legs can adapt to. Here is my short answer up front, by category. Best overall: the […]

The best womens fleece jackets combine warmth, breathability and shape you can wear every day, ranging from lightweight technical midlayers to genuinely plush sherpa-lined coats. After comparing twelve of them over weeks of daily wear, walking, layering and washing, these are the ones worth your money in . Fleece is the highest warmth-per-weight midlayer you […]

Most of us own a jacket for one of two conditions: dry and cold, or wet and miserable. The gap in between is where a softshell lives, and it is the single most useful layer in an outdoor wardrobe. I have spent the last several months putting ten of them through cool trail mornings, wet […]