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Looking to see what ski gear you might want? How about ideas for the best ski accessories to improve your ski trips? How about ski accessories for gifts?
This is a guide to some of the essential ski gear and cool ski accessories I take on every trip. I’ll also share some tips on how I chose ski equipment and give you ideas for things that can improve your ski trip experience. The items mentioned here are things I bring on trips like skiing in Chamonix with the Ikon Pass.
Let’s go!
Ski gloves or ski mittens
You need good gloves or mittens to stay warm and dry out there. There are about 17 million different brands and styles! Seriously, look at how many there are on Amazon.
So what I’d recommend here is thinking about the basic requirements you have and what features you find essential. Here are a few things I consider:
- Ski glove leashes are essential so I don’t lose my gloves.
- Removable liners are a must-have. My hands sweat a lot. Removable liners allow for faster drying and easy washing.
- Do you want gloves, mittens, or those weird 3-finger gloves? I like the 3-finger ones.
- Do you want gauntlet-style gloves to help keep snow out of your sleeves? These are helpful for powder. But they’re bigger than regular gloves.
- How cold do your hands get? Do you want heated gloves or space for hand warmers?
There are tons of other options to consider like construction material, waterproofing, how much maintenance they require, physical support like wrist guards, etc. So, look through some of the available features and see which ones are important to you. With that list, you can narrow the sea of gloves to some that will work for you and shop smartly.
Based on my criteria, I settled with Hestra 3-Finger gloves. After almost 10 years, they’re still in good shape. I’m happy with my purchase. Consider that leather gloves like these Hestra ski gloves take a bit more care than synthetics.
Ski goggle socks
My friend introduced me to ski goggle socks, and I’m sold!
They’re a simple cloth cover for your goggles with elastic around the border. Their main benefit is that you can put the sock over your goggles without removing the goggles from your helmet.
That lets you have quick protection on lifts, buses, etc. without removing your goggles and putting them in a protective bag. They’re relatively cheap and come in tons of styles!
A ski boot dryer
Have you ever put your feet into a cold, wet, clammy pair of ski boots in the middle of a ski trip? Not a great way to start the day!
After doing this a couple of times, I said no more and went searching for a ski boot dryer that was portable enough to stick in my ski bag.
DRYGUY is a famous brand in this space. They make some units that can fit multiple pairs and are good for home. You’ll also find portable ski boot dryers that are small like the size of a sock or that fold up for travel.
I’ve used a Thermic boot dryer for many years and liked it. Note that some recent reviews on that model cite longevity issues.
Treat your feet and consider a boot dryer! Boot dryers also help stop boot funk (odors) by drying things out to limit bacterial growth. They can also be used for drying gloves, socks, etc. Our group usually shares 1-2 dryers by rotating them around boots every couple of hours. So not everyone needs to bring a ski boot dryer on our tips.
Basic ski tuning gear
Just like most gear, skis require general maintenance. I have a small kit of ski tuning equipment that I bring on all of my trips. That lets me do some at-home ski tuning to limit my need to visit ski shops while still having good ski performance.
My two most frequent downhill ski maintenance needs include ski waxing and ski edge sharpening. My ski tuning kit is focused on those two.
My kit includes a ski edge tuner, ski diamond stones, ski brake retainers, and portable & clean ski waxing equipment (more on that in a bit).
Ski edge tuner and ski diamond stones
For me, the side edges of my skis are the ones that most frequently need a bit of sharpening. I carry a ski edge tuner and ski diamond stones that fit it in my kit. They’re small and easy to use to sharpen ski edges when my ski edge grip falters.
There are many ski edge tuners on the market so you can find one that fits your needs.
NOTE Many edge tuners come with a metal file, not diamond stones. Those files are usually far too aggressive to use for regular maintenance. They take off way too much edge material. So look for some ski diamond stones for your ski edge tuning
Portable ski waxing gear
I’m a bit overly obsessed with having well-waxed skis. Having some gear with me to do a wax job without needing to visit a shop keeps me happy.
The typical full ski waxing setup of an iron, scrapers, brushes, etc. is bulky, hard to travel with, and makes a giant mess. Accommodations would not be happy with wax shavings all over the floor! So for my frequent wax touch-ups, I carry some lighter and neater gear.
A small ski wax brush is useful to clean bases and polish wax.
Ski brake retainers are needed to hold your brakes out of the way when working on your ski bases. They’re basically just big rubber bands. Those big ones from produce can work well without buying anything.
For waxing, I’ve started using a device called a Pro Glide along with a brick of ski wax. When I lived in MA I used to have my skis tuned at the shop that created that device. The owner knew his stuff so I decided to give it a shot and really like it!
To use it, you rub the dry wax brick on your ski bases, and rub the wax it in with the Pro Glide. That gives me good performance without the mess and fuss of hot waxing.
For wax, I grab some universal temp generic wax. If you have specific needs, you can use whatever you’d like.
Another option you can get is liquid or paste waxes like this one from Swix. My friend uses it for routine maintenance and likes it.
A ski vise for more serious tuning
If you’re getting more seriously into tuning, you may want a ski vise to hold everything in place. They’re helpful when you’ve got serious work to do like hot waxing, base repairs, or several sets of skis to work on. Vises also allow for a much more ergonomic workspace.
That said, I usually just work on the floor for my day-to-day touch-ups so I don’t have to pack a ski vise.
Note: Ensure you get a vise that’s wide enough for your skis! The specs will tell you how wide the vise opens so you can ensure those wide planks fit!
Skis & ski boots
Skis and ski boots are very personal choices and I have little expertise in the broad space. So, I won’t go to go into much detail here.
My main recommendation for skis is to consider the way(s) you like to ski. E.g. groomers, fast carving, racing, moguls, trees, off-piste, park & freestyle, etc. That will give you some characteristics that are generally good. Then, find a shop or others who ski like you where you can talk to someone to narrow down styles.
After that, rent demo skis for the models you’ve selected to try them out. You can also find “demo days” at resorts where a manufacturer or shop brings a bunch of skis to the mountain for people to try out. That’s a great way to try multiple pairs in a day. The demo cost is usually applied to a future purchase if you purchase skis from that shop.
Even early in my skiing journey, I was surprised by how strong my opinions were when demoing skis. After a single run, I knew that I hated skiing on a few pairs. Doing this, I’ve found two pairs that I really enjoy. My latest pair are Nordica Enforcer 104 frees, which I just love!
For ski boots, I’d suggest making an appointment with a well-regarded ski boot fitter. You’ll chat about how you ski, look at your feet, etc., and then try on some pairs. They’ll then make any adjustments to optimize comfort for you.
Ideally, also try to arrange your plans so you can return to the boot fitter shortly after your first couple of days skiing the new boots for further adjustments. I couldn’t believe how comfortable my new boots were after getting a good fit and adjustments!
And the rest
I haven’t touched on other items like ski jackets, ski pants, ski goggles, and ski helmets here because I don’t feel like I have enough insight into the huge space of offerings.
That said, I’d recommend going through the same process I mentioned with gloves. Figure out your required features and use those to narrow down the multitude of options.
For example, when buying my latest jacket I had the following requirements
- A hood that fits over a helmet
- Shells only for versatility
- GORE-TEX waterproofing
- Zip vents because I get overheated frequently (hence the sweaty hands in gloves)
- Pockets sufficient to carry all of my stuff: sandwich, water, extra gloves, etc.
With those, I found a great jacket at REI.
Where to buy ski gear?
You can find ski gear at many places online like Amazon, REI, evo.com, backcountry.com, and more. Some places sell used gear too, like UtahSkis which I’ve used. Tognar Toolworks is a great online resource for ski tuning supplies and knowledge.
In-person shops are also a fantastic resource. Most shops I’ve been in have knowledgeable people who are passionate about skiing and ready to help you make great choices.
Note Many links in this post are to Amazon because we earn affiliate revenue from them. Don’t think that’s the only place to find gear and great deals.
Wrapping up
So there are some of my best ski gear tips and choices. What must-have ski accessories did I miss? Where do you disagree with my choices or advice? Please tell me in the comments below!
Disclaimer: I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you when you make purchases via links on this site. Thanks for supporting me in creating content like this! See the privacy policy.
