Must-Have Ski Gear For 2025: The Best Winter Clothing And Accessories

Skiing has been red hot in recent years, and the last two winters were the busiest and fifth busiest ever in this country. Moreover, in the travel world, we’ve seen growing interest from American skiers in traveling further afield, especially Europe and Japan. I love skiing, it’s a great sport that is fun for couples, friends, families, pairs great with travel, and can be enjoyed for most of our lives. So, to make your season even better, I have curated the must-have ski gear for 2025, the best winter clothing and accessories.

If you are interested in ski travel, make sure to check out my recent extremely extensive feature here at Forbes on why you should consider skiing in Europe this year. Many readers are surprised to learn how much cheaper it is (much!), even at the luxury level, for lift tickets (think 75% off or more), lessons (50-70%) and even rentals (as much as 80% off), plus the food is better, the towns are charming, the resorts are much bigger (like ten times), the pre-and-post ski extensions are better, there are great lodging options you cannot equal in the U.S., and the dollar is very strong right now.

People who love skiing do not need much convincing to hit the slopes, but what they do need is the best gear to let them enjoy the sport. Skis themselves are very personalized and vary greatly by ability, geographic location, preferred terrain and skiing style, so I am not going to cover that here (but you can read my recent in-depth look at Head’s ski lineup at Forbes, one of the best in the sport with especially distinct offerings for men and women).

But boots are a much different story…

Surefoot Custom Ski Boots

If you are going to make one sizable investment in ski gear this year, it should be ski boots.

There is probably no piece of gear in any major sport that has more impact on our enjoyment. Get them right and you’ll be physically more comfortable, warmer, have more endurance and best of all, you will actually ski better. Get them wrong and it will hamper every single turn you try to make, burn out your legs hours prematurely, leave you with frozen toes, and have you wishing you could take the torture machines off as soon as possible. The solution is not about brand, it’s about fit.

Today’s skis are more responsive than ever to very slight changes in edge pressure, and when you put any pressure on the inside edge, the ski turns in that direction. The problem is most people pronate, or have low arches, so they actually put pressure on both inside edges and turn the skis towards each other, all the time. Our brains are too smart to let this happen because we’d crash immediately, so the brain enlists the big muscles of the upper leg to turn away from each other and fight our stance. This wastes a lot of energy and muscle power, and quickly exhausts our legs, while making turns much less efficient and responsive. That all comes from the way we naturally stand. If you are among the minority of people who supinate, you have the same problem in reverse, turning the skis away from each other. If you are among the rarest folks, those with “average” feet, congrats, off the rack boots might just work for you. But I know very few people for whom this has been the case.

Then there is the actual fit of the boot around your foot and lower leg, which directly affects both comfort and warmth. And construction of blood flow makes your toes cold, and imperfect fit hurts. You can solve all of these problems in one quick stop by popping into any one of nearly 30 retail stores operated by Surefoot, the top custom boot fitter in the country—by far. These include most major Western ski resorts (Vail, Aspen, Mammoth, Jackson, Park City, Big Sky, Whistler, etc.), Vermont’s Killington and Stowe in the East, major cities (New York, London, Vancouver) and top European resorts (Val d’Isere, Verbier, etc.)

There are two keys to Surefoot: first is proprietary technology that maps the bottom of your foot and mills a precise custom footbed to put you in a neutral (i.e. “flat”) position and eliminate your pronation/supination. Part two is an entirely new inner boot or liner, the removable insulated soft part inside the hard plastic shell. Surefoot makes its own proprietary liners which are injected with foam in the store to order and custom formed around your foot, ankle, toes and calves for ultra-precise true custom fit from top to bottom. To make it even more enticing, the Surefoot liners have built-in battery-operated heaters (with remote control) to offer even more warmth. If you suffer from cold toes you will kick yourself for not getting these sooner. Once you do, if you ever need any adjustments or repairs, you can pop into any Surefoot store.

Because they are a huge retailer, selling more ski boots than just about anyone else, they carry the best models for men and women from all the top brands, Lange, Salomon, Head, Technica, etc., and their experts will help you select the right shell for you style, ability and foot shape, but then replace the stock liner. I’ve been skiing Surefoot for two decades, through several evolutions of their fitting and liner technology, and they just keep getting better. Everyone I have suggested them to has thanked me, and for many skiers it’s an instant game changer that can bump up of the quality of your turns immediately, in addition to the comfort. If you are going to ski more than a handful of days each year, there is no better upgrade, period. Not everyone needs an orthotic and not everyone wants heat, but a complete setup of top shelf ski boot, custom liner, orthotic and heater will typically run about $1,750.

Mammut Sender Insulated Jacket for Men and Women

Green, eco-friendly materials have become increasingly important in purchasing decisions for many consumers, especially those who are active and love the outdoors. No company has consistently pushed technology and innovation boundaries more than Switzerland’s venerable high-tech mountaineering company Mammut, a leader in the very best quality outdoor gear, the kind you’d use to summit Everest. Mammut’s latest innovation is Loopinsulation, made by recycling synthetic climbing ropes, fiber by fiber, turning it into an extremely efficient insulation that maintains its warmth properties even when wet (very much unlike down), works great in humid conditions, and repurposes otherwise unwanted polyester, making it a win for comfort, weight and Mother Nature.

Not everyone likes to ski in an insulated jacket, but if you do, or if you get cold and want one, this is it, especially in frigid or subzero conditions. The Sender hooded jacket, made in fits for both men and women, combines Loopinsulation with a wind and water repellent outer fabric that is PFC-Free, and a tight baffle grid pattern keeps the soft fluffy insulation where it is supposed to be, without clumping, and also looks really cool. The jacket has near best performance across the board: warmth, durability, weight, warmth to weight ratio, and is quick drying and highly windproof, while being made not “with” recycled materials, but from 100% recycled materials. For pricey Mammut, it’s also a bargain at $260.

Arc’teryx Sabre Gore-Tex Shell Jacket & Bibs

Many skiers prefer layering with an uninsulated shell jacket and warmer layers underneath. The keys for this vital outer layer are durability, breathability, especially for a highly aerobic sport like skiing (or snowboarding), and waterproof and windproof protection, No jacket on the market this year does that better than the Sabre from Canada’s beloved high-tech outdoor clothing producer Arc’teryx.

That is why the Sabre was just rated the Best Resort Shell Jacket on the market for 2024-2025 for skiing or snowboarding by Ski Magazine. One of my favorite reviews sites, OutdoorGearLab.com, picked it as their favorite shell jacket period, with a 5-star rating. They wrote, “The Arc’teryx Sabre is our favorite shell jacket, providing excellent weather resistance and thoughtful, durable construction to keep you dry and happy on the gnarliest days. This jacket is expensive, but in our experience, it lasts many years without showing wear. The style is refined and classy without making too much of a statement. It’s a very comfortable jacket, with a fine fleece feel to the shell’s inside… Overall, this jacket is a big hit, earning our top award. If you’re looking for the best ski shell on the market for resort use, look no further.”

The Sabre jacket is made of the newest chemical free ePE smart fabric from waterproof/breathable technology leader Gore-Tex that is also PFAS-free. Features include a built in RECCO avalanche reflector, articulated joints for extra mobility, a highly adjustable helmet compatible hood, zippered hand pockets, zippered wrist pocket for lift pass, zippered internal security pocket and two large open inside pockets for water bottle, accessories, etc. It also has an internal waist snow gaiter/powder skirt ($750).

The Sabre also comes in matching bib pants ($700) that are excellent, have RECCO and are made from the same Gore-Tex ePE. I only use bibs and don’t understand why anyone would go without the suspenders, extra pockets and waistline protection from snow and cold they offer, but for those who just love belts, these also have loops. If you don’t want to look too put together, you can mix and match colors.

Garmin fenix 8 GPS Adventure Smartwatch

I just wrote up a very detailed feature about the fenix 8 GPS smartwatch here at Forbes, and you should read that before you drop $999 or more on one. But the bottom line is that I have never seen a sports and fitness GPS watch that does so many things so well, from advanced health tracking (VO2 Max, EPOC, ECG, pulse oxygen and more) to fitness (workout routines, training plans, training assessment, recovery), all the expected smartwatch functions (messaging, emails, bill pay, music), best in class GPS/GNSS, and more than 90 fitness and sport specific functions, form a full-blown Scuba dive computer to fully-featured golf watch that does more than most dedicated golf watches to a triathlon training coach.

But when it comes to skiing or snowboarding, the fenix 8 really excels, taking advantage of Garmin’s industry leading GPS and mapping technologies. Besides accurately tracking every metric you could imagine on the slopes, number of runs, vertical, speed, mileage, etc., plus accompanying physiological data such as heartrate, it can display ski resort maps, trails and your position on the large, colorful AMOLED touchscreen display. And unlike competitors such as Appel Watch, it does this without requiring third party apps (or requiring you to buy other hardware from the same brand just to make the watch work). Every day since I started wearing my fenix 8 I’ve grown more and more attached to it and all it can do—and the battery life is mindboggling. One quick charge will take you to a week of skiing in Japan and back.

Smith I/O Mag Goggles (Pro Photochromic)

Goggles are one of the most important but underrated pieces of gear for skiing. There are a lot of jackets that can keep you warm and a lot of gloves that will work, but you can’t afford to have “just okay” goggles. Seeing clearly is fundamental to skiing or snowboarding well—and safely. There are several keys to good goggles: they have to have optically high-quality lenses, lenses with colors that let you see under all sorts of weather conditions, designs that don’t fog, and perhaps most overlooked, goggles that fit. This is especially true now that elements have become almost ubiquitous in winter sports. Before helmets almost any size or shape goggles worked, but with helmet this is far from the case. You want goggles that line up precisely with the top of the helmet. Too little and you create a line of frostbite exposure, too much and you get overlap and fogging. When I upgraded last season to a best-in-class Smith Vantage MIPS helmet last year, my go-to goggles no longer cut it, and I strongly recommend pairing your helmet and goggle brand, especially when it comes to Smith, which has long been a leader in both categories.

The I/O Mag is the Rolls Royce of the ski goggle world, and each pair comes with two interchangeable ultra-high-quality lenses available in many color and finish permutations. Thanks to Smith’s proven magnetic system (that’s the Mag) they are super easy to swap, making frozen fingers and finicky plastic switches during lens change a thing of the past. Any of the I/O Mag models are great, but I am personally a big fan of photochromic lens, which change color/f darkness automatically while you ski based on light conditions, which is even faster and more dialed in then swapping lenses. Choose the I/O Mag package with Smith’s next generation ChromaPop Pro PhotoChromic lenses, which react to changing light conditions faster than ever, and you’ll get the best of both worlds. On most days, especially clear days, the lenses change with the light and give you exactly what you need, but if things get dramatic, like dense fog, super flat light or end of day darkening, you can quickly swap lenses to something appropriate for extreme conditions. These are a one goggle quiver ($305).

Smith Vantage MIPS Helmet

I’ve tried helmets from other major companies and have always come back to Smith, because their earpiece don’t fall out, their straps and buckle don’t malfunction and the fit, comfort, warmth, and ventilation is first class. But as mentioned above, it is ideal for your helmet and goggle brands to match so they fit together seamlessly, and no company does both helmets and goggles better than Smith.

MIPS is a licensed third-party safety technology that reduces force in impacts to the head, and you should simply never, ever buy a cycling, skiing, or snowboarding helmet without MIPS. You can save a few dollars by risking brain injury, but that’s no bargain. Many manufacturers make a model and offer it with or without MIPS, which would be like buying a car without airbags or ABS, but on Smith’s bestselling Vantage MIPS is standard, as it should be. It also has 21 adjustable vents for all weather conditions, a Boa dial fit system for precise comfort, audio compatible ear pads, and seven color options (from $245). The Vantage comes in both men’s and women’s versions.

The Coolest (And Warmest) Après Ski Boots & Shoes

The Metis one of three recognized aboriginal peoples in Canada, and indigenous people with a unique culture. A metis entrepreneur launched Manitobah Mukluks in 1997 to produce and market modernized version of their traditional winter footwear while creating jobs and benefitting their community. Today, Manitobah Mukluks does just that, and is a certified B Corporation.

But most importantly, they make really cool, really warm footwear for men and women at very reasonable prices,. They make a big variety of low, mid and high shoes and boots that are variously perfect for après ski, general winter wear or indoor comfort. The lineup is broad and ranges from casual denim shoes and slippers, some fleece lined, to the more mainstay lineup of suede and leather. There are moccasins and slippers, shoes and boots, and of course the namesake mukluks, fur and leather traditional winter