A Complete Guide to the Best Ski Brands of All Time

August 26, 2023

Skiing and snowboarding are pretty expensive sports, especially when you add in all the extra gear you need, along with your lift tickets. For example, you need gloves, helmets, poles, boots, snow pants, a jacket, etc. Thus, things add up pretty quickly. Which is why I wrote this post, to help you find the best ski brands, with products that will actually last you for years.

I have been skiing my whole life and I’ve also instructed, so I’ve learned A LOT about different ski brands and which are the best for you and your ski level. For example, if you are just learning, the products that I recommend are COMPLETELY different than ones for more advanced skiers. Also, with that being said, I am definitely a ski expert but NOT a snowboard expert. I can help with recommending great clothing brands and helmets/goggles, but not for different snowboards. Thus, this article really is mostly for skiers.

Anyways, with all that being said, here is what you will learn in this article, the best ski brands of all time, best ski brand clothing, best ski brands for all mountain, best ski brands jackets, for beginners, intermediates, experts, and more.

This article is all about the best ski brands.

Best Ski Brands:

Best Ski Brands : Clothing

Again, when skiing, you need a lot of equipment, specifically, clothing. When skiing, I like to layer my clothing, starting with a base layer. I recommend Patagonia clothing always, they have great stuff that will LAST a long time. However, it is one of the more expensive brands, so if you are just learning, and still don’t know if you like skiing, I wouldn’t invest in Patagonia just yet. Kari Traa is also a very popular brand, she uses merino wool for all her base layers.

I will say her products are expensive as well, but they do last, so I would recommend her clothing. Obermeyer and Burton also have great base layers, which are a little less expensive. Jack Wolfskin has great base layers too, that are much more affordable than the other brands. All of the these brands have great second layers too when it comes to skiing. For example, they’ll have great sweaters and sweatpants to put over your base layer. Overall, below are my favorite base layer clothing brands, ranking from best and most expensive to least expensive.

  1. Patagonia
  2. Kari Traa
  3. Burton
  4. Obermeyer
  5. Duluth
  6. Jack Wolfskin
  7. REI

Best Ski Brands : Jackets & Snow Pants

Okay, there are A LOT of different ski jackets to choose from on the market, thus it can be really hard to pick which one is good enough for you, especially if you’re just starting out. When you’re only learning you don’t know if you’re ready to make the investment into a good jacket yet or not. Thus, here are some ski jacket brands (they also sell snow pants) that are great for beginners.

  1. Columbia
  2. Obermeyer

Okay, if you are ready for the investment, here are the brands I highly recommend even though they are pricey.

  1. Patagonia
  2. Helly Hansen
  3. Spyder
  4. Outdoor Research
  5. Arc’teryx

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Best Ski Brands : Socks & Gloves

Even if you are just starting out, you want WARM socks and gloves. Although, as a beginner you don’t have to break the bank for these products. However, when you start venturing to different parts of the mountain, especially the top, and start staying out longer, you will DEFINITELY want the appropriate socks and gloves to keep your extremities warm. I wear and highly recommend wearing socks that are made with merino wool. For socks I really only recommend Darn Tough, they are great. Here are some less expensive glove brands I recommend.

  1. Scotts
  2. Columbia

Now, when you’re ready for an investment, I recommend these glove brands, and personally I wear mittens. But it is totally your preference. I think mittens are warmer but other people say gloves are more convenient, so again, it’s whatever you prefer to have.

  1. Hestra
  2. Helly Hansen
  3. Salomon

Best Ski Brands : Helmets & Goggles

Okay, another piece of equipment to get, helmets and goggles. See how everything adds up when skiing, there’s SO MUCH gear! So, when it comes to helmets and goggles, if you’re just learning, I would rent these at the mountain. But again, once you’ve decided your committed to this sport, these are the brands I recommend for helmets and goggles.

  1. Smith
  2. Salomon
  3. POC (less expensive)
  4. Giro (less expensive)
  5. Head
  6. Oakley (for goggles)

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Best Ski Brands : Boots & Boot Bag

Alright, onto one of the necessities, ski boots. Before we talk about boots, it is helpful to have something to carry all your gear in, like a boot bag. Some boot bag brands I recommend are Dakine, Transpack, Backcountry, and Thule.

Alright, now onto boots. If you are a beginner, I recommend renting boots at the mountain. Almost all ski mountains, will have a package deal where you can rent boots, skis, poles, and a helmet. That being said, here are my favorite boot brands, again, when you’re ready to buy your own. Also, I HIGHLY recommend going to a local ski shop to TRY ON the boots before you buy them, because you need a very specific fit for ski boots. You don’t want them too big or too small, you literally need them just right. These boot brands below are some of the boots I recommend you try and that I really like.

  1. Tecnica
  2. Salomon (they also sell bindings for your skis)
  3. Rossignol
  4. Atomic (they also sell bindings too)
  5. K2
  6. Lange
  7. Nordica
  8. Dalbello Panterra

Best Ski Brands : Skis

Finally, onto the best ski brands for skis! There are a lot of different skis to choose from out there, but this list will help you decide which ones are best for you based on your ski level. I will have a couple different lists in this section first with the best skis for beginners and intermediates.

  1. Elan

Now, here are the best skis for all mountain terrain and advanced/expert skiers. I will say, skis can be like boots, and you will learn, that you want a specific ski. For example, I don’t like really stiff skis, like racers usually have. I like softer more flexible skis that I can take ALL over the mountain with, especially in the glades. The skis below are more flexible skis for all mountain use for advanced/expert skiers.

  1. Salomon
  2. Faction (sell bindings too)
  3. Blizzard
  4. Rossignol
  5. K2
  6. Nordica

Now, if you prefer stiffer, more premium, like racing skis, for advanced/expert skiers these are the brands for you.

  1. Atomic
  2. Head
  3. Volkl

Finally, here are the best powder and backcountry skis again, for advanced/expert skiers.

  1. Faction (great for free style skiers too)
  2. Black Crows
  3. Icelantic
  4. Dps skis
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Best Ski Brands of All Time

Okay, to wrap everything up, I wanted to conclude the best ski brands overall in my opinion. This is based on gear and everything they sell overall and quality. In my opinion, these brands that I’m going to list, anything you get from them is pretty high quality and I would trust. They are Salomon, Faction, Rossignol, Blizzard, Patagonia, and Black Crow. They offer pretty much everything when it comes to skiing (apart from Patagonia, just clothing). However, if you want more high end ski brands, Atomic, Head, Dps skis, and Volkl, are all pretty premium brands.

And that wraps up the best ski brands in the industry. I hope you learned where to get amazing, high quality products that will last you a long time, so you can spend less money on equipment and more time on the slopes. Thank you so much for reading and take care!

In this article, you read about the best ski brands of all time, best ski brand clothing, best ski brands for all mountain, best ski brands jackets, for beginners, intermediates, experts, and more.

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