CKX Elevation Zero One Piece Suit Review

Most outerwear manufacturers have one in their lineup, and for good reason. While some riders might wear one just for the fashion steeze, one piece suits are actually one of the more practical revivals in outerwear that have come along. CKX has been in the onesie game for a few years now, having produced a men’s Sidehill One Piece Suit and a women’s-specific Nieva One Piece Suit in the past. But their latest version for men is called Elevation. Here’s my CKX Elevation Zero review.

With the 2020 sled season swinging in late here on the Coast, we didn’t really have an early season. But in classic fashion, when mother nature finally kicked it into gear we were hammered with snow. Day after day it came down, and before we knew it there was a solid base. Our first days of riding were ridiculously deep pow shredding fun, with perfect weather for testing out CKX’s Elevation Zero suit.

Having rocked a few onesies over the years, and I have a fair and discerning mind for what I like in a suit. Number one is fit. A little baggy, but not too loose. Articulated elbows and knees. A comfortable suspender system—check, check, check. The Elevation is rocking it so far and I was just putting my boots on.

Without any insulation, the Zero doesn’t provide much warmth, but here in Whistler I don’t find I need much until it hits ten degrees below zero anyway. With just a base layer on, the rip up the trail can be a little chilly, but once I start riding, the suit is just right.

Having worn inexpensive gear before, the biggest problem is usually with the waterproofing. With a middle-of-the-pack 20K waterproof rating in the Elevation suit, I was a little worried as to how it would perform in wet, Whistler snow. But so far I haven’t had any issues, no soaking through on the deep pow days.

Coming off an injury and being a little out of sled shape those first few days had me sweating my ass off, but the breathability of the suit really impressed me. At the end of the day I was pretty much as dry inside as when I started out in the morning.

The CKX Elevation Zero One Piece features a large hood that stays out of the way while riding, but covers you up nicely when you’re chilling for a break in a snowstorm or in the wind.

While I am very impressed with the suit I did find a couple of cons. First, the weight of the suit feels to be on the heavier side. I’ve tried some other brands that feel lighter.

Secondly, the leg cuffs are wide—like really wide. Whenever I step off the sled into deep snow they push up and fill with snow and need to be constantly pushed down.

Overall, CKX has done a great job with the Elevation Zero One Piece Suit. It is priced very reasonably, and despite a few minor issues, in all the major ways that are important to me I am very impressed with the suit.

– Matthew