The Best Holiday Gifts for Skiers in 2022
The Avant Ski Team has shared our favorite ideas for the skier or rider on your shopping list. We’ve included gifts priced as low as $20 along with our favorite ways to get stoked 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
Powder: The Greatest Ski Runs on the Plant. Amp up the stoke and find scenic ski runs to inspire you all year round. Powder. The Greatest Ski Runs on the Planet covers the most impressive, thrilling scenic runs around the world. From classics in Whistler, Jackson Hole and Chamonix to further afield in the Himalayas and Russia. Perfect for striking up a conversation, trip planning and discovering new resorts.
A jigsaw puzzle of your favorite ski resort. There’s no better way to become intimately familiar with the trail map while getting excited to make some turns. Collect them all with Park City, Vail, Killington, Mount Snow, Keystone, and Breckenridge. Or get in the spirit with Gray Malin's holiday ski scenes or White Mountain's logo collage.
Ski Carrier. Keep your hands free with Volk's sleek, easy strap and pole carrier. Seamlessly go from the slopes to après, to your lodging with jealous onlookers wondering where you got so lucky. These come in packs of two.
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.
Performance Balaclavas. The Turtlefur Active Performance Balaclava fits well, stays in place, and offers UPF 50+ protection. One size fits all adults. Also available in youth size!
Mittens. Hestra makes some of our favorite mittens. Pricey, but very 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
Do-It-All Jackets. Flylow has made big updates this season and introduced several new lines built specifically for each type of skiing. For pure versatility, we love the "Deeper" line - featuring jackets and pants made to crush days at the resort and beyond. Check out the Albert (men's) and Avery (women's) jackets. Both feature Flylow's new, proprietary Greenloft recycled insulation – warm enough for the harshest days, yet breathable enough to tackle a boot pack .
Pants For Every Condition. Flylow also makes some of the best pants on the market – and we love us some bibs! These pants offer maximum protection from the elements, while remaining comfortable, lightweight, and breathable. Plus you get an extra pocket or two, which is always handy! The Baker Bib (men's) and Foxy Bib (women's) are two cult favorites among skiers and riders alike.
The Warmest Jacket for the Coldest Days. Stand up to the elements with Helly Hansen's Alpha 3.0 (men's) and Verbier Infinity (women's) LifaLoft insulated jackets. Helly Hansen has taken their most popular jackets (worn by the Swedish ski team) and added their Lifa Infinity insulation, an innovative material offering maximum heat retention, though still lightweight and easy to pack. Extra features abound, including Air Force Ventilation and a LIFE POCKET+™ to keep your phone battery alive in cold, a ski pass pocket and a goggle shammy.
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
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!
For the women in your life, this super warm, comfortable jacket is made of 100% recycled polyester 1/2 pile fleece and insulated with 700 fill recycled down.
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.
Boots. The Sorrel Caribou Winter boots for women and men are functional, yet stylish, water-resistant boots. Plus, the felt liners are removable for easy drying.
Upgrade your Sounds
Wireless Audio Speaker. The Smith x Aleck 006 brings 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.
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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
Hero 11 Black, offers 5.3K video and incredible Hypersmooth 5.0 image stabilization. Big this year is the new mobile integration that makes automatically sharing vertical videos a breeze.
To get even more creative, consider the Insta 360 X3. This handheld or helmet-mounted camera captures 5.7K video in an astounding 360, and now 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, ice axe 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. The new Theragun Mini is easy to travel with and the perfect antitode to a day on the slopes. Shockingly powerful given its convenient size.
Hypervolt. The Hypervolt 2 Handheld Massage Gun is quieter, lighter and more ergonomic than it's predecessor. With 5 different attachments, it can reach all of your sore spots. The rechargeable battery lasts up to 3 hours per charge. Great for speeding recovery from skiing along with running, hiking and biking.
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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 Rossingnol 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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