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review

Pas Normal Studios Essential Thermal Long Tights – Women's

8
£240.00

VERDICT:

8
10
Great looks and high quality but their price isn't as appealing as their performance
Great-looking design
High, comfortable waist
DWR-coated fabric
Super-soft material
Very expensive
A little loose around chamois
Weight: 
250g

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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The Pas Normal Studios Women's Essential Thermal Long Tights hail from the style mecca of Copenhagen. The Danish brand has become well known for its beautiful cycling garments that come with a minimalist design ethic. But while those looks don't come cheap – this is Scandi style we're talking about – it can be worth investing in quality cycling garments, and if you're after good-looking, comfortable and warm cycling tights you can't go wrong with these. Save for their price...

> Buy now: Pas Normal Studios Women's Essential Thermal Tights for £240 from Pas Normal Studios

Pas Normal's Women's Essential Thermal Tights come in three colourways: black; blue and dark olive; and the new 'dark celeste' I tested. I had always thought celeste was a blueish colour, but having worn these I'd say they're essentially a shade of green.

The PNS branding, including the Essentials logo, is visible on the thigh and the rear of the tights, and the back of each leg also features a small reflective strip.

2023 Pas Normal Studios Women's Essential Thermal Long Tights - leg reflective.jpg

There's a small zipped pocket on the right thigh that would just about take my small smartphone, but bulkier items like keys felt quite uncomfortable against the top of my thigh while I was riding.

2023 Pas Normal Studios Women's Essential Thermal Long Tights - zipped pocket.jpg

Looks aside, the performance is what really matters. And PNS says it has made these for the 'demands of cycling in the colder months' – hence the added insulation and water repellency, with the main fabric featuring a DWR (durable water-repellent) finish.

2023 Pas Normal Studios Women's Essential Thermal Long Tights - cuff gripper.jpg

This M.I.T.I. SuperRoubaix fabric is sublimely soft, but I did find the overall fit and sizing a bit of a mixed bag. I tested size S, which is my go-to in PNS, and though the tights felt snug around my waist, they were a little loose around the chamois and ankles.

2023 Pas Normal Studios Women's Essential Thermal Long Tights - back detail.jpg

I'm 5ft 4in tall and these were a little long in the legs for me, though not disturbingly so. The ankles weren't the most snug, but were kept down by the silicone strips, and higher up, especially the engineered area around the knees, the tights were a nice fit against my legs.

2023 Pas Normal Studios Women's Essential Thermal Long Tights - leg logo.jpg

I could perhaps have gone down a size, but then again I did like the fit on the waist of these, with their wide waistband that didn't dig in, and I wouldn't want it any tighter. That said, I would praise PNS for offering such a wide range of sizes, from XXS to XXL.

2023 Pas Normal Studios Women's Essential Thermal Long Tights - waistband.jpg

The performance of these tights didn't disappoint. The DWR coating kept light road spray at bay, and it was very pleasing to see water beading on the material rather than making its way through to your legs. I also appreciated the tights' four-layer chamois, which is the same one that PNS uses on its more performance-oriented Mechanism line – and not at all bulky, yet it remained comfy over multi-hour rides.

2023 Pas Normal Studios Women's Essential Thermal Long Tights - chamois.jpg

The reason I'd often steer towards bib tights is that their straps ensure the tights stay in place and won't bulk up around the chamois. But strapless tights like these have the advantage when it comes to toilet breaks – you simply pull them down without having to take off your jersey or jacket first. And it's for just that reason I reached for these in winter, when I knew it was going out on a long and cold ride.

2023 Pas Normal Studios Women's Essential Thermal Long Tights - back.jpg

One of the problems that some winter tights suffer from is that they don't always come up high enough on your waist – but PNS has got that right with these and it wasn't an issue. So not only were they excellent for hard training rides in winter conditions, they were also a very good call for more casual rides when paired with a puffer jacket.

Value

There aren't that many direct comparisons for these. Anna tested the Rapha Women's All-Day Leggings that cost just £65, though unlike the PNS tights these have no padding.

But Rapha also makes the Classic Winter Tights With Pad that have very similar features to the PNS tights, and while they are expensive at £180, that's still a quarter cheaper than these.

Endura's Women's FS260-PRO Thermo Tights have a similar design but having worn these in the past, I know they are very long in the legs. These are less expensive still, though, coming in at £109.99.

So while I do think that the PNS tights perform very well and look great, I'm not convinced they do enough to justify their hefty £240 price tag. Okay, their crash-replacement policy means you get 50% off a new pair but there are no sustainable materials and the design isn't remarkably different.

Conclusion

I can't fault the performance or the looks of the Pas Normal Studios Women's Essential Thermal Long Tights, so on those fronts these come highly recommended indeed. But that £240 price tag isn't quite so appealing...

Verdict

Great looks and high quality but their price isn't as appealing as their performance

road.cc test report

Make and model: Pas Normal Studios Women's Essential Thermal Long Tights

Size tested: Small

Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

PNS says: The Women's Essential Thermal tights merges years of product development and testing in a feature-packed pair of tights.

Specifically made for the demands of cycling in the colder months. The bib tights are made from a soft DWR treated fabric, has reflective stripes at the back for visibility and Essential branding on the back. Finished with a pocket on the side of the tights for easy access to ride essentials.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

PNS lists:

M.I.T.I. SuperRoubaix fabric

DWR treated and anti-abrasive

Articulated knee construction

With the same 4-layer chamois used in the Mechanism line

Reflective stripes at the back for better visibility

Pocket on the side

Made in Italy

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
9/10
Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)
 
8/10
Rate the product for value:
 
4/10

Very expensive when compared to similar products.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

The tights performed well, offering warmth and comfort on colder rides regardless of the duration.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The style is great, they're easy to pull down on long rides, they have a comfortable chamois and a wide waistband.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Slightly loose around the chamois.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

There are a few similar products: Rapha makes its Classic Winter Tights With Pad that have similar features to the PNS tights. Endura makes its women's FS260-PRO Thermo Tights that are similar in design, but having ridden these are very long on the legs. Both the Rapha and Endura tights are quite a bit cheaper than the PNS pair, though, retailing for £180 and £109.99 respectively.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes – if heavily discounted

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes – if they're prepared for the cost

Use this box to explain your overall score

I cannot fault the performance or the quality of the Pas Normal Studios Women's Essential Thermal Long Tights, but I do find it hard to justify the high price tag. The fit, though good, might also be slightly difficult to get right.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 30  Height: 164cm  Weight: 52kg

I usually ride: Specialized Tarmac Sl6  My best bike is:

I've been riding for: 5-10 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: cyclo cross, commuting, touring, general fitness riding, mtb, Ultra-distances

Suvi joined F-At in 2022, first writing for off-road.cc and then road.cc and ebiketips too until August 2024. She contributed to all of the sites covering tech news, features, reviews and women's cycling content. A lover of long-distance cycling, Suvi is easily convinced to join any rides and events that cover over 100km, and ideally, plenty of cake and coffee stops. 

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