Our Favorite New Ski Gear for Men and Women
Stay warm and comfortable—and have more fun
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Keeping warm never looked so cool. We handpicked the best base layers, socks, shells, helmets, and more to help you stay on the mountain for as long as you damn well please this winter. No frozen fingers (or head/shoulders/knees/toes) guaranteed.
Men’s
Fits Medium Ski OTC Socks ($26)
These hit the sweet spot. Thick merino wool prevents bruised shins and adds warmth, and thin nylon-polyester helps vent moisture from the calves. Toe cups and reinforced heels keep everything in place so the socks won’t bunch up in your boots.
Lange RX 130 LV Boots ($850)
The truly stiff RX 130 is basically Lange’s race boot with a grippier sole and a more comfortable, heat-moldable liner. The snug heel pocket locks you in for smooth, powerful flex. Heads up: LV stands for low volume—this version has a narrow 97-millimeter last.
Hestra Henrik Leather Pro Model Gloves ($185)
Hestra is known for its best-in-class leather gloves and mittens. The Pro Model features the brand’s famously soft and supple cowhide matched with synthetic Thermolite insulation, which keeps your paws toasty without adding too much bulk.
Black Diamond Razor Carbon Pro Ski Poles ($140)
These are backcountry-oriented poles, but we also use them on resort slopes. With aluminum upper pieces and carbon-fiber lower shafts, the Razor weighs in at just ten ounces per stick. The wrist straps release reliably under high tension so you won’t get hung up in tree branches.
Giro Range MIPS Helmet ($250)
Don’t look like a fathead. The minimalist Range is low profile yet has the requisite safety tech, plus a slick magnetic buckle, meaning you can always leave your gloves on.
Patagonia Capilene Midweight Bottoms ($59)
Prone to cold legs on the chair? This midweight polyester fabric will keep you warm, but it’s also feathery, with a brushed grid pattern that raises it off the skin to improve breathability when you get cooking on the downhill.
Giro Contact Goggles ($250)
These are our new go-to. The Contact offers subtle style, a wide field of vision, 27 different shades of Zeiss lenses to choose from, and a magnetic lens swap that’s as straightforward and effective as they come.
Dakine Reverb Hoodie ($175)
Wear it under a shell, and this puffy midlayer, with 100 grams of PrimaLoft insulation in the body and 80 grams in the sleeves, will keep you toasty. Bonus: It packs into a neck pillow for your flight home.
FlyLow Magnum 2.1 Pants ($325)
Consummate resortwear, these pants are constructed from a waterproof polyester-spandex blend that moves exceptionally well. A built-in belt, inner and outer thigh vents, and well-placed pockets round out the Magnum’s elegant design.
Burton AK Hover Jacket ($630)
The Hover, with three-layer Gore-Tex Pro, has all the bells and whistles you’d expect from a high-end technical shell—like superb waterproofing and breathability, plus fully taped seams—in a longer, baggier cut.
Women’s
Grass Sticks Original Custom Ski Poles ($89)
Choose your grip color, strap, basket, and length when ordering these poles, made from sustainable bamboo. Unlike aluminum, bamboo flexes and springs back into shape, so these poles won’t snap during a spill.
Strafe Alpha Direct Insulator Midlayer ($249)
This midlayer is tailor-made for conditions in the Rockies near Strafe’s Aspen headquarters. The face fabric is plenty breathable, and Polartec Alpha Direct insulation kept testers’ cores toasty but not overheated. Candy Crush colors add a nice pop.
Smartwool Merino 250 One-Piece Base Layer ($225)
You’ll be the warmest skier on the hill in this supremely soft wool onesie. The drop tail zips open in a flash for quick trips to the bathroom.
Smith Vantage MIPS Helmet ($260)
A thin layer of Koroyd (tiny honeycomb-shaped cylinders of rigid foam) under the Vantage’s sleek shell absorbs energy in a crash while also reducing weight. The Boa Fit System allows for fine-tuning, and thick lining adds comfort.
Seirus HeatTouch Hellfire Mitts ($425)
If you’re plagued by perpetually cold fingers, heated mitts are the cure. The Hellfire gauntlets have three settings, and slim rechargeable lithium-ion batteries hide in the cuffs. Leather and soft-shell exteriors cover waterproof-breathable inserts.
Arc’teryx Sentinel LT Jacket ($649)
This attractive shell is an investment in staying dry, with Gore-Tex Pro fabric, watertight zips, a helmet-compatible hood, and a layering-friendly cut.
Norrona Lofoten Gore-Tex Pro Pants ($749)
Norrona has operated in Norway’s chilly climes for four generations, and it shows. The smartly crafted Lofoten pants feature a zip-off bib so you can adjust your coverage to the snow depth. We also love the loose freeride fit.
Lange RX 110 W Boots ($750)
With a mix of rigid plastic where you need more responsiveness and soft plastic where comfort is key, the RX 110 W beats other boots in both performance and fit. The upright shape leads to less leg fatigue, and an asymmetric tongue snugly wraps the shin.
Smith Skyline Goggles ($170)
Bob Smith sold the first thermal-sealed goggles in the parking lots of ski resorts in the 1960s. The Skyline has the same incredible heat retention but with modern updates: a rimless design, ultrawide view, and contrast-enhancing ChromaPop lenses.
Wigwam Snow Altitude Pro Socks ($22)
Wigwam’s first socks were ribbed and made from unrefined wool. A century later, the Snow Altitude Pro socks are much less itchy, thanks to a stretchy merino-nylon combo and seamless toes.