5 Finest Websites to Purchase Skis and Ski Gear

One other ski season is upon us, and to assist navigate the complicated on-line surroundings, we have put collectively a listing of our favourite web sites for getting ski gear. All of the websites under are respected corporations that we buy from ourselves. In creating the listing, we prioritized components like having all kinds of stock, an easy-to-use web site, free transport, and return coverage. Gross sales tax is usually a important issue on costly orders, so we have additionally included info on that subject. Lastly, we want to observe that whenever you make a purchase order by means of the hyperlinks under, we obtain a small fee, serving to us proceed to evaluate and write about ski gear. For our favourite picks in every class, see our detailed ski gear opinions.

Editor’s observe: We up to date this text on November 15, 2024, to make sure all info—together with hyperlinks, transport charges, and return insurance policies—was present on the time of publishing. We additionally included newer pictures from testing.
 

1. Evo.com

Transport: Free financial system floor (at $50+)
Return coverage: three hundred and sixty six days for brand new, unused objects
What we like: Nice collection of new and discounted gear; easy-to-use web site.
What we don’t: Returns are just for new, unused merchandise.

For snowboarding and snowboarding, Evo.com shortly has change into one of many prime websites on the Web for brand new gear and clearances. This Seattle-based firm has a fantastic on-line interface for selecting gear and inserting your order (we particularly just like the “promote out threat” that reveals precisely what number of of an merchandise are left), a superb collection of ski touring and downhill exhausting items and attire, and free floor transport within the U.S. on orders over $50. Plus, when you dwell close to one among their retail areas—Seattle; Portland; Denver; Whistler, B.C.; Salt Lake Metropolis; Snoqualmie Move, Washington; and shortly in Tahoe Metropolis, California—you’ll be able to order on-line and decide up your objects in retailer or make the most of store providers like boot fittings, mounts, and tunes.

Sizing is all the time a problem when buying on-line for ski gear and clothes, however Evo has probably the greatest and most complete sizing and shopping for information sections we’ve come throughout. Their articles supply useful ideas and canopy something from ski boot sizing to the varied matches and types of outerwear. As well as, they’ve an inexpensive return and trade coverage (so long as the product is unused), in addition to a powerful stock of discounted and used gear.
Go to Evo.com

2. Backcountry.com

Transport: Free normal (at $50+)
Return coverage: 90 days for unused objects in unique packaging (refund); 30 days for used, undamaged objects (retailer credit score)
What we like: Sturdy stock of high-end gear and attire.
What we don’t: Product specs are typically restricted and complicated to know.

Because the identify and Park Metropolis, Utah, headquarters point out, Backcountry has a robust deal with skilled and off-piste ski gear, with a fantastic stock of powder and alpine touring skis, boots, and bindings. We recognize their broad collection of colours and sizes in ski and snowboarding mushy items, they usually appear prepared to take an opportunity on some smaller, boutique manufacturers. Plus, they proceed to broaden their in-house collection of ski touring gear and attire. We’ve discovered their workers to be very educated, and also you’ll discover them providing their takes on merchandise and responding to buyer inquiries within the evaluate sections. Lastly, when you discover gear listed elsewhere for much less, Backcountry will beat the value by 5%—offered it’s in new situation and similar in measurement, shade, and 12 months—before you purchase or as much as 48 hours after you buy.

The Backcountry web site itself is user-friendly and simple to navigate, however we would favor a larger stage of element of their product specs. In consequence, we frequently discover ourselves wanting elsewhere (together with at Evo) for a extra intuitive web site expertise. General, nevertheless, Backcountry stays one among our favourite retailers with a constantly nice choice, wonderful customer support, and a strong return/trade coverage—although they lately swapped from a lifetime coverage for brand new, unused objects to 90 days.
Go to Backcountry.com

3. REI Co-op

Transport: Free normal for members (at $60+ for non-members)
Return coverage: 1 12 months for members, 90 days for non-members
What we like: Glorious return coverage and availability of fashionable ski merchandise.
What we don’t: General choice can’t match Evo or Backcountry.

The nation’s largest outside retailer is greatest identified for tenting and climbing gear, however they’re a robust participant within the winter months as properly. REI’s stock focus is on resort skiers with gear and attire to match, however they’ve a rising variety of alpine touring choices and carry fairly a number of high-end Arc’teryx, Patagonia, and The North Face merchandise. Whereas now solely out there to members, the one-year return coverage stays probably the greatest—it’s based mostly in your satisfaction with the merchandise, so when you attempt it and don’t prefer it, you’ll be able to return it. As a result of REI operates brick and mortar shops in 43 states and the District of Columbia, it’s turning into tougher to keep away from paying gross sales tax on on-line orders. The plus aspect is when you order on-line and have a neighborhood retailer, you’ll be able to all the time decide up or return merchandise there and keep away from transport prices. As well as, their ski outlets can mount your bindings (for a price) and carry out yearly upkeep.

The co-op construction of REI implies that they aren’t as inclined to supply reductions through the season. In case you are a member (it prices $30 for a lifetime membership), you get 10% again on recurrently priced objects as a dividend, which quantities to a continuing sale of kinds. Members additionally get entry to a used gear trade-in program, 20% off snow providers (together with tuning, waxing, mounting, and restore), and important reductions on rental gear. We’d wish to see slightly extra selection in measurement and shade choice—for instance, lots of their ski boot listings are just for a single shade and a restricted vary of sizes—however their web site is clear and simple to navigate.
Go to REI.com

4. The Home

Transport: Free financial system floor (at $99+)
Return coverage: 90 days for brand new, unused objects
What we like: Nice gross sales and reductions and useful product info.
What we don’t: Web site is much less polished and tougher to navigate than the retailers above.

If low cost buying is your aim, The Home is the place to go. Their web site will not be as easy-to-navigate as REI or Evo, however they constantly supply flash sale-style offers, reduced-price outlet objects, and seasonal gross sales. It’s place to attain reductions on each present and past-season objects in your equipment, together with skis, boots, bindings, helmets, and extra. It might take a bit of labor to search out precisely what you want, however their product descriptions and specs are descriptive and properly sorted. All instructed, when you’re prepared to place in slightly added effort, you’re prone to discover a whole lot, whether or not you favor lapping the resort or incomes your turns within the backcountry.

We actually recognize The Home’s useful sizing and shopping for guides, together with detailed breakdowns of skis (from versatile all-mountain fashions to specialised cross-country designs) and different snow tools. And when you occur to be close to St. Paul, Minnesota, a go to to their important showroom is well worth the time—along with ski tools, it’s full of gear for different outside sports activities from biking to skateboarding. The Home’s return window is pretty brief at 90 days from the date of buy (vs. 366 for Evo and a 12 months for REI members), and their clothes stock lacks the sheer variety of manufacturers and colorways supplied by Evo and Backcountry, however most skiers ought to have the ability to discover what they want. And if one other on-line retailer carries a product for much less (third-party sellers like Amazon are excluded), The Home will match the value so long as it’s similar and in inventory.
Go to The-Home.com

5. Amazon.com

Transport: Varies, however usually free two-day
Return coverage: 30 days for brand new, unopened objects (some third party-seller return insurance policies fluctuate)
What we like: Worth pricing on attire and different mushy items.
What we don’t: Much less entry to high-end gear and product information.

Amazon will not be the primary retailer that involves thoughts for ski gear, however they’re a rising presence available in the market. Presently, they’ve a extra restricted choice in contrast with the retailers above, notably for the big-ticket objects like skis. Their sturdy go well with—and the explanation they made our listing—is worth. You’ll constantly discover the bottom costs on smaller objects like goggles, helmets, gloves, and socks. The web retail large additionally has a straightforward return coverage and no-nonsense customer support—to not point out good transport offers when you’re a Prime member. 

Don’t go to Amazon in search of nice detailing on sizing or hands-on worker opinions, however their excessive volumes of gross sales make person opinions considerably useful. We are likely to look to Amazon for objects that retail for lower than $200, and we frequently discover that if they’re stocking the product, it’ll be at the very best worth. Plus, they usually have past-season fashions and colorways in inventory for longer than different retailers, which might quantity to a large financial savings when you don’t want the most recent design.
Go to Amazon.com

Rating Standards

Platform

As everyone knows, on-line buying might be difficult. While you aren’t in a position to truly see and contact the merchandise, loads can get misplaced in translation from a pc display to utilizing the gear in deep snow and freezing temperatures. As such, we give numerous credit score to retailers that go the additional mile with the data they supply. Most listing the essential info (weight, supplies, scores), that are handed alongside from the producers. Different websites like Evo and The Home do a very nice job of transferring past these specs with intensive libraries of shopping for recommendation and sizing guides. Backcountry and REI even have wonderful “learn how to” articles and movies that reply widespread questions. Bridging that hole within the on-line surroundings is tremendously useful, and we worth the businesses that make an effort.

Ski Gear (Arduous Items)

This class contains your main ski gear: skis, bindings, and boots. All retailers on this listing carry the favored all-mountain skis from prime manufacturers, however transferring exterior of these objects reveals some variation. In rating the retailers, we positioned an emphasis on consistency of inventory in addition to carrying assortment of merchandise. Backcountry excels within the high-end market, together with ski tools for alpine touring and deep powder, whereas REI has a big inventory of resort gear. Specialised snowsports retailers like Evo have the widest choice overlaying almost each class, together with skis for kids and park and pipe.
 

Ski Clothes (Delicate Items)

Delicate items cowl clothes objects like insulating and outer layers along with equipment like goggles, gloves and helmets. We all the time recognize a big selection of colorways for attire and outerwear, and we’ve taken this under consideration with our rankings above. Additionally, ski gear varies fairly a bit relying on the realm of the nation you reside in, snow and climate circumstances, and the kind of snowboarding you’re into (resort or backcountry), which suggests we gave excessive marks for having a complete inventory of clothes and niknaks.
 

Transport

There are a variety of commonalities in transport offers. Free transport has change into the norm for ski gear—even together with cumbersome skis. For those who want an merchandise shortly, it’s exhausting to beat the free two-day transport with Amazon Prime. The remainder of the retailers on our listing nonetheless have free transport gives when you clear $50 to $60 (or $99 within the case of The Home), nevertheless it’s normal or financial system transport that may take slightly longer. Understanding the place your product is transport from may help. For instance, Evo has their distribution middle within the Seattle space, so these within the West will get their objects fairly shortly. However this doesn’t maintain true for everybody. REI has distribution facilities on each coasts, and may the merchandise solely be in inventory within the one farthest from you, you will have to attend a short time longer. Throughout the holidays, and notably main as much as Christmas, most retailers supply expedited transport at no further value, which is an actual assist to the procrastinators on the market.
 

Worldwide Transport

For these exterior the U.S., worldwide transport is an added value however might be price it (when you dwell in a distant place or have ever traveled someplace like New Zealand and purchased gear there, the plight). Charges fluctuate by retailer, and never all merchandise might be shipped internationally. REI, for instance, has a flat price based mostly on the order worth that begins at $20. Nevertheless, outsized objects could also be additional, and never all manufacturers might be shipped exterior the U.S. Backcountry permits you to calculate worldwide transport prices by including the product to your cart and getting into your deal with (you aren’t obligated to purchase at this level), and Evo operates equally by basing the transport whole on the scale and weight of the bundle. The Home is the one retailer that doesn’t supply worldwide transport, whereas Amazon gives it on choose objects. To make sure, worldwide transport isn’t low cost however could also be offset by worth and availability. We advocate checking with the retailers above to search out probably the most cost-effective transport methodology in your location.

Return Coverage

Most retailers—together with Backcountry, Evo.com, and Amazon—require objects to be new and unused with the intention to be eligible for return. Backcountry additionally gives retailer credit score inside 30 days when you’ve used the merchandise, whereas REI is probably the most beneficiant of the bunch and permits members to return objects for a full refund inside a 12 months of buy—no questions requested (non-members get 90 days). Earlier than shopping for, our greatest recommendation is to do your analysis and guarantee when an merchandise should be returned with the intention to be eligible for a refund. It may be troublesome to find out sizing for skis and boots forward of time, however when you’re uncertain, discuss to your native ski store earlier than making a purchase order (as soon as bindings are mounted otherwise you’ve used the objects, you’ll be able to not return them to most websites).
 

Buyer Service

The standard of a web site’s customer support division can have a big effect in your total on-line expertise, particularly when you’re having a problem or must return one thing. The excellent news is that all the websites we’ve listed above have customer support groups that usually are speedy, useful, educated, and pleasant. We particularly just like the dwell chat function on REI, Backcountry, Evo, and The Home that permits you to chat with a consultant in actual time for these moments whenever you don’t really feel like calling or emailing. We’ve reached out extra occasions than we will depend for product specs and different info (by telephone, through e-mail, and by chat) and have had only a few unfavorable experiences thus far.

Gross sales Tax

Gross sales tax legal guidelines have gotten stricter in recent times, and the lengthy and in need of it’s that you would be able to count on to be charged gross sales tax on the overwhelming majority of on-line purchases. The entire quantity relies on the transport deal with you present, however discrepancies between states proceed to slim. This will make an enormous distinction as ski gear and clothes is costly stuff, so it’s necessary to issue the added value into your buy beforehand. For extra info on the topic, we’ve discovered this text from Massive Commerce to be useful and informative, together with breaking down necessities by state.
Again to the Prime Ski Gear Websites  Again to Our Rating Standards