The 2017 Swash Pant does not have fleece in the Butt and knees which is a pretty big disappointment. It’s still a great pant but now it’s more of a tossup between this and the Cyclic Pant.

Size: Medium
James’ Specs:
Height: 5’10”,
Weight: 200 lbs,
Waist: 33”
Hips: 42”
Inseam 30”
Upper Thigh 24.5”
Middle Thigh 22”
Calves 17”

2016 Burton AK Swash Pant Review

2015 Burton AK 2L Swash Pant Review

Size Tried: Medium
James’ Specs:
Height: 5’10”,
Weight: 195 lbs,
Waist 33”
Hips 42”
Inseam 30”
Upper Thigh 24.5”
Middle Thigh 22”
Calves 17”
Turn On’s: Size M pants that fit well around my thighs, Riding with Friends, Open Roads, new gear and especially my wife.
Turn Off’s: M Pants that I can’t get up over my thighs, traffic and people who can’t park inside the lines.

Fit: The fit of the Swash changed a little bit. The pant articulates to the natural flex of your legs this year and it makes it much more comfortable. The material is thinner and lighter this year too. Last year (2014) was the first year I didn’t wear the Stagger pant because the fit was just too tight around my somewhat bigger thighs. I like the tighter fit put out these days but I still want to feel like I have range of movement and my keys won’t rack my balls. The 2015 Burton AK Swash Pant is just as tight (not skin tight) as last year but it fits much better around your leg and has nice articulation at the knees.

Construction: There are two types of pant materials here.  There is a thicker material that feels like Gore-Tex mated with denim and a thinner material that feels a little more like the Burton AK Cyclic Pant with mapped fleece and more pockets. All models are very well made and I’m all giddey to have these pants again this year. Most people with medium to larger legs will for sure enjoy the new cut of the Swash vs. the older version called the Stagger.  I will say that the thinner material had a little more wear after 1 season of riding but both fared pretty well.  I wouldn’t jib too much with these pants though as it would be a real shame to burn through the material if you stack n Slide.

Insulation/Warmth: The Burton AK Swash is also one of the only high end Gore-Tex pants with a little extra micro-fleece warmth in the butt and knees which always makes this a favorite for our crew for resort riding.It’s just better riding the chair with the fleece and it keeps you just a little bit more warm than your average shell pant while still being very breathable in the areas without the fleece. The thicker denim like materials are almost as warm as some lightly insulated pants and the thinner material pants like you see in the video of the black ones above is still pretty warm.

Waterproofing: Very waterproof only a little behind 3 layer AK pants.

Breathability: The Burton AK Swash Pant doesn’t feel that breathable compared to other AK pants but that might be because of the thicker material and fleece. I really appreciate the extra warmth so I’m ok with that.

Overall: The Burton AK Swash Pant s is one of our top choices for mountain riders that want upper tier waterproofing but also want some low profile warmth