Burton Reserve Relaxed Snowboard Pants Review

Standing at the top of the park jumps, it was my turn to ride in front of the camera. I would be sending the big jump line at Crested Butte Mountain Resort on a spring day in February. The unusually warm temperatures had the extreme terrain riding poorly due to icy conditions. But the terrain park, on a sunnier aspect, was perfectly soft.

The local high school kids were out in force today, constantly putting down bigger tricks. At almost 30 years old, I have learned to approach the park a bit differently — no longer willing to take as many slams as my younger self. 

I pull the elastic jogger-style cuffs of the Burton Reserve 2L Relaxed Snowboard Pants above the BOA dials on my snowboard boots and tighten each one a few clicks. Then I quickly disassemble and stash my 360 camera in one thigh pocket and collapsible selfie stick in the other. My filmer was next to me, so I wouldn’t need to rely on the selfie stick to film myself, and didn’t want to hang onto it in the air.

After calming my nerves, I called my drop and quickly gained speed to the lip. Even with large objects in my pockets, the Reserve pants carried the weight well. The looser, relaxed fit inspired the confidence I needed. I looked backward and up in the sky as I popped blindly into oblivion. Soon I was able to see the ground again, spot my landing, feel my feet come back under me, and stomp my first backflip on the big line for the year. 

In short: The Burton Reserve 2L Relaxed Snowboard Pants ($210) are an affordable and vibrant option for freestyle riders who want a looser-fitting pant. This design allows for the mobility needed to send jumps in the park and has enough waterproofing to send fully on a powder day. The jogger-style elastic cuffs were a perfect companion for my step-on snowboard bindings, keeping the baggy fit from spilling down over my boots and snow from getting in.

Riding in the Reserve Relaxed snowboard pants was a dream thanks to the loose fit, plus the hand and thigh pockets that hold large items vertically against the outer quad. These features combined to create a pant that doesn’t limit movement even with weight. 

Check out how these snowboard pants compare to other top picks in our Best Snowboard Pants buyer’s guide.

The Men’s Burton Reserve 2L Relaxed Snowboard Pants are a looser-fitting version of the Burton Reserve Pants. This fit is more stylish for park riders and comes with enhanced mobility for layering options or freestyle riding.

Some key differences are the thigh pockets, cuffs, gaiters, a lack of leg lifters, and three unique color options. I tested these snowboard pants in conjunction with Burton’s Reserve 3-in-1 Jacket, which shares a jacket-to-pant interface. 

Fit: True and Baggy

I would rate the fit and mobility of these pants as an A. Burton describes the fit as relaxed for maximum range of movement, though I would describe them as stylish baggy with straight legs through the knee and excess fabric piling around my ankles. The elastic cuffs contain the baggy fabric, preventing it from spilling onto the ground, which makes the fit functional.

I am 5’9″, 150 pounds, with a 29-inch waist, and I wear a size small. I found this fit perfectly when worn at my waist in conjunction with a belt, though it does come with inner-waist Velcro adjustment straps. But for dynamic riding, a belt in the external belt loops is the better option.

These pants run true to size, if not slightly larger, so folks right on the cusp of sizes should size down. Unlike the regular relaxed fit, which offers three different inseam variations, the relaxed version of these pants only comes with one inseam. Though, this pant maintains several size options from XXS to XXL.

Getting the pants on or off, or using a bathroom, required unbuttoning the two waist buttons. These buttons are cumbersome to operate without gloved hands and very difficult with gloves. If these were snaps instead, they would be so much easier to operate.

When it comes to layering with these pants, a skin-tight base layer was preferred for mobility and warmth. On very cold days, near or below 0 degrees, I would add an additional insulation layer in the form of puffy pants. These pants hold plenty of space for easy layering, even with more bulky layers like insulated down pants. 

Cuffs: Jogger-Style, Functional, and Stylish

One major difference between the regular Reserve pants and the Relaxed Pants is the new cuff design. These Relaxed pants feature a jogger-style elastic cuff without an internal gaiter. Originally, I was skeptical that these cuffs would keep snow out during powder days or when postholing. But the elastic cuffs have a metal tab for securing to a boot strap, as well as a double-snap closure system.

This combo really lets the cuffs lock down to the snowboard boot and prevent the baggy excess fabric from spilling over the boot onto the ground. Though, in reality, I only used the extra snap closure during powder days.

Gaiter-Free: Positive for Step-in and Step-On Bindings

When using a step-in or step-on snowboard binding, traditional pant gaiters may block the heel cleat or interfere with the binding’s engagement mechanism. The jogger cuffs are considerably less fabric. You can easily pull the cuff higher on your boot (away from Burton’s step-on heel cleat). They are flexible and packable enough to comfortably fit under the heel strap when using a step-in or fast-entry binding.

As someone who uses BOA snowboard boots, at the chairlift, I like to pop or loosen my dials. When wearing Burton’s Relaxed pants, I can grab the dial through the pants and easily pop them with ski gloves on.

After a lift ride, I can pull the cuffs over the top of the dials, tighten down the BOA system, and pull the cuff back down over them. These jogger cuffs are significantly easier to do this process with compared to traditional cuffs.

The downside of these cuffs is that they don’t have any reinforcement or kick panels. So, I wouldn’t want to ski tour in these snowboard pants or use them with a snowmobile. But for resort-only riding, they are a fantastic option. 

Weather Protection

When I first received the Reserve Relaxed shell pants, they felt like more of a spring kit that’s best in warmer, drier temps. Boy, was I wrong.

These snowboard pants come with very high waterproofing and breathability ratings at 20K/20K — enough waterproofing for me to feel confident sending on a pow day (for me, knowing full well that a fall would be likely). The same goes for windy or stormy conditions: In thinner pants, you can really feel the wind and cold, while the two-layer fabric of these Reserve pants feels thick. I only lightly (or not at all) feel a cold ski chair under my butt on a long ride.

When things get warm, wet, and slushy — like for spring park laps — you can sit down in the snow without worrying about wetting out the backside.

But for me, weather protection isn’t just about the fabric. It’s also about not letting snow into the openings, both at the waist and cuffs. I normally wear bibs, as I very much dislike snow down the back of my pants. For some regular-fitting pants, when sitting down or bending, the fabric tightens and pulls down, exposing skin on my lower back (think plumber’s crack).

This Relaxed pant covers my entire behind and closes above my hips at the waist, even when sitting or bending over. Additionally, you can clip the powder skirt of the jacket to the pants, another component of the kit that keeps adverse weather on the outside. The cuffs, as mentioned above, function great for locking around the boot and keeping snow out. 

Pockets: Spacious, Secure, Movement-Oriented

When it comes to pockets, the Relaxed snowboard pants truly rival most bibs in the sheer amount of pockets. With five total, its not just pure storage space that make these pockets so good. It’s the closure type: zippers are on this upgraded Relaxed version compared to the previous hook-and-loop closures on the original Reserve pants. The orientation of the pocket is updated, too, so that items are parallel to your thighs — not perpendicular, which causes movement conflict. 

Near the waist, the pants have two large handwarmer pockets lined with a soft microfleece. Both of these pockets have zippers that you can grab with gloved hands and have a storm flap to keep excess snow from getting into them.

The left pocket features a key clip, and the right pocket has a small Velcro tool pocket. I found the tool pocket was perfectly sized to hold my car’s electric key fob, which I carry without an attached key ring.

Movement-Focused Pocket Design for Park Laps

Right below these pockets is a vertically oriented thigh pocket, which is zippered, on top of a diagonal thigh pocket. The orientation of the pocket means larger items like snack bars or selfie sticks sit parallel with your thigh, running from knee to hip. This design is focused on mobility, meaning you can charge hard, bend over, and move without the pocketed items interfering with movements.

The right thigh pocket features an internal mesh pocket to help secure a phone or action camera from sliding around. I loved keeping my action camera in this pocket when I wasn’t filming.

Lastly, the pants have one zippered back pocket. But I find this pocket less usable when riding chairlifts, as bulky items interfere with a comfortable lift ride. Overall, the pants offer large and highly functional pockets.

Conclusion

The Men’s Burton Reserve 2L Relaxed Snowboard Pants are well-rounded, resort-oriented snowboard pants at an affordable price. For $210, you get very good waterproofing and weather protection, plus a great selection of pockets. You get a loose fit that’s perfect for freestyle riding and park styling.

I really like the ultra-comfortable jogger style cuffs, and the eye-popping color options.

Yes, these pants aren’t perfect. The dual-snap waist closure sucks to operate, there are no kick panels or cuff reinforcements, and the venting isn’t adequate for backcountry use. Plus, the eye-popping color is a magnet for dirt.

But these feel like small gripes that are easy to stomach for the return you get on a long-lasting, high-quality, freeride-focused riding pant. No matter the conditions, I continually reached for these snowboard pants over and over again, because they function well. For a daily-driver snowboard pant, you won’t be disappointed.