We are stoked to share our favorite ideas for the skier or rider on your shopping list. We’ve included gifts priced as low as $21 along with our favorite ways to get ready for the season, top picks for essential gear, best ideas to stay warm, new ways to track your stats, upgrade your tech, and tools to recover.
These items were independently chosen by The Avant Ski Contributors. Avant Ski LLC may earn a commission on purchases through these links.
Get Stoked
100 Slopes of a Lifetime: The Worlds Ultimate Ski and Snowboard Destinations. Amp up the stoke and find breathtaking ski runs to inspire you. 100 Slopes of a Lifetime The World's Ultimate Ski and Snowboard Destinations follows 100 snow experiences for all levels. Complete with stunning National Geographic photography and practical travel advice, it's easy to be inspired. From classics in Colorado, to further afield in Hokkaido, Japan and wilds in Alaska. The forward is written by Olympic alpine skier, Lindsay Vonn.
Lego Ski City. Who does't love to get into the spirit of skiing by building your own lego ski resort? Lego now makes several ski scenes including a Lego City Ski and Climbing Center, a Friends Holiday Ski Shop and Cafe, and a Lego City Snow Groomer. Fun building for the whole family.
Hot Hands. For the really cold days, Hot Hands are our go to. Buy them in bulk now to avoid paying many multiples when you need them on the slopes. Pro tip - make sure to put them in before you start the day, for the best and warmest experience.
Weather The Storm
OpenSnow is an invaluable resource for anyone planning a ski trip or a day in the mountains. With extensive daily forecasts for different regions, real-time snow reporting, and a user friendly app, OpenSnow is our favorite planning tool. The All-Access app is $29.99/year, and provides full daily snow forecasts, 10-day forecasts, 5-day hourly forecasts, and a treasure trove of other info and features to help you chase the pow.
Protecting Your Extremities
Goggles. For the wildest field of view and sharpest optics, the Smith MAG + ChromaPop are hard to beat. The MAG lens change system uses magnets for the easiest way to swap lenses. Lenses and bands come in a variety of fun colors.
Helmet. For the ultimate combination of style, fit and function we recommend the Vantage Helmet, easily combinable with any of the MAG goggles. The Vantage is specially engineered for ladies too with a great color selection.
Performance Balaclavas. The Turtlefur Maxclava fits well, stays in place, and offers UPF 50+ protection. For the coldest times, try the Quattroclava, complete with a storm flap. Also available in youth sizes with fun and colorful patterns.
For more on balaclavas check out our new feature: What is a Balaclava: Ski Masks 101.
Mittens. Hestra makes some of our favorite mittens. Pricey, but durable. We’ve used the same pair for 5 seasons. These come in fun colors in women's and men's sizes. We've never had a bad day in these, even when it’s below 0º with winds 20 mph. For extra protection, try adding Hestra's rechargeable heated liners, available in gloves or mittens.
Staying Warm
The Warmest Jacket for the Coldest Days. Stand up to the elements with Helly Hansen's Alpha LIFALOFT (men's) and Aphelia LIFALOFT (women's) jackets. Helly Hansen has taken their most popular jackets (worn by the Swedish ski team) and added their Lifa Infinity insulation, making it even lighter and warmer than before. Extra features abound, including a RECCO Advanced Rescue System and a LIFE POCKET+™ to keep your phone battery alive in cold, a ski pass pocket and a goggle shammy.
Pants For Every Condition. Helly Hansen also makes some of the most "legendary" pants on the market – and we love us some bibs! These pants offer maximum protection from the elements, while remaining comfortable, lightweight, and breathable. The Women's and Men's Legendary Insulated Bib Ski Pants are top choice amongst skiers and riders.
Most versatile jacket. The Arc'teryx Atom Insulated Hoodie is warm, lightweight and breathable. Designed with Coreloft™ Compact 60 insulation this is the perfect jacket for all of your adventures. Wear it alone or layer on a cold day, you won't want to travel with anything else.
Comfy, Mid-Layers
Reversible Down Vest. The Patagonia Bivy Down Vest is warm, water-resistant, and stylish too. This retro vest will become dad's go-to for skiing, après ski, taking the kids to school and everything in between. It's a two for one!
Fleece Jacket. For the women in your life, the Lunar Dusk Fleece Jacket is super warm, comfortable jacket is made of 100% recycled polyester half pile fleece with zippered hand warmer pockets.
Comfy, warm base layer. Investing in your base layer will pay off in spades. Black Diamond base layers are specifically engineered for the mountains, featuring patented NuYarn stretch Merino Wool. This fabric is constructed by wrapping a nylon core with extra-fine merino fiber, resulting in a base layer that is warmer, more breathable, and quicker-drying than other wool products. Available in tops and bottoms for men and women.
Treat Your Feet
Ski socks. Start the season with fresh, lightweight socks. Thicker socks restrict mobility, impede your boot fit, and hold moisture that results in cold feet. Good circulation (being able to wiggle your toes!) is the key to keeping your feet warm. Smartwool, Darn Tough, and Le Bent are all highly rated and offer a range of options.
Heated Ski Socks. We started wearing the LENZ heated ski socks while touring the Powder Highway last February - total game changer! The slim socks fit like normal ski socks. They contain a slim, lithium battery that lasts up to 10 hours. With blue-tooth enabled technology, control the temperature from an app.
Upgrade your Sounds
Wireless Audio Speaker. The Smith x Aleck Nunchucks bring premium sound and handsfree communication to any ski helmet. The controls are glove friendly too.
Bone Conduction Wireless Headphones. The Shokz OpenRun (formerly known as AfterShokz Aeroplex) are the only headphones an athlete should own. They won't damage your hearing, allow you to have full awareness of your surroundings, never fall off and can even be controlled with gloves on. Total game-changer.
Level up your Tech
Fitness Tracking. The Garmin Fenix 6 is Garmin's more rugged model and comes loaded with maps for 2,000 ski resorts. This watch can record all the details of your skiing or riding based on movement and will automatically pause when you take a break, or a chairlift. It also seamlessly sinks with Strava, the leading social network for athletes, so you can share and inspire your friends and followers all winter.
Action Cameras. Everyone knows that if it's not on film, it didn't happen. Make sure you capture your sickest tricks, biggest lines, and silliest shenanigans with a portable action camera. GoPro is the long-standing industry leader, and their latest release, the Hero12 Black, offers 5.3K video and Emmy Award winning, HyperSmooth 6.0 image stabilization.
To get even more creative, consider the Insta360 X3. This handheld or helmet-mounted camera captures 5.7K video in an astounding 360, and features an enlarged touchscreen display to keep an eye on your shot.
Added comfort and flexibility
Backpacks. The Black Diamond Dawn Patrol Pack is a do-it-all backpack built for the slopes whether you are going on an all day tour or shredding in-bounds at the resort. Made for skiers and snowboarders alike, this pack has a spot for your camelback, shovel + probe, and everything in between. Pack sizes range from 15 to 32L, you can view all of them here.
Recover With a Hand Held Massage Gun
Theragun Mini. The Theragun Mini 2.0 is easy to travel with and the perfect antitode to a day on the slopes. Version 2.0 is 20% smaller and 30% lighter, making it even easier to take anywhere you are going. Shockingly powerful given its convenient size.
Theragun Sense Percussion. The Theragun Sense Percussion Massage Gun is the first Handheld Massage Gun designed for the mind and body. It is the quietest and most ergonomic version yet. With 4 different attachments, it can reach all of your sore spots. The rechargeable battery lasts up to 2 hours per charge. Great for speeding recovery from skiing along with running, hiking and biking.
Avant Ski Swag
Beanies, Buffs and Stickers. Support our new company and show that you are in the know with all new swag. Our beanie is wonderfully warm and eye-catching with a two-tone pom pom and hand-knit logo. Our Buffs are manufactured by Blackstrap, wick away moisture, dry quickly, have a UPF 50+ rating and are only $15.
Rentals Made Easy with Ski Butlers
Ski Butlers delivers top quality Rossignol ski and snowboard equipment through the safest, simplest and most convenient processes. Book through Avant Ski to save 10% (exclusions apply) on your next rentals. Head here to reserve for yourself or as a gift for someone else.
All prices quoted were checked shortly before publication, but prices are subject to change and may not match what is found online. Readers should also make sure to check in-stock and delivery status.
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My favorite snow outfit from yolosnowclub