What To Wear On The Slopes This Winter

Ski gear expert Rob Stewart takes a look at some of the latest kit to use and wear this season.

Fashion and technology has always been part of the winter sports experience. Fortunately, today, we have moved on a long way from Tweed jackets and cable bindings on wooden skis with no edges.

Both looking good and having kit that performs makes a huge difference to the whole experience of skiing or snowboarding in the mountains during the winter.

I’ve been skiing for forty years and my first ski suit was a classic C&A jacket and salopettes, purchased by my parents from the London Ski Show in Earls Court. There are still some fantastic retailers out there both with high street shops and online and you can often buy kit from the brands directly too. See links below.

Let’s take a look at a list of essential skiing clothing and kit for the 2024-25 winter season, focused on some of the newest launches and some of the best trusted brands out there.

Ski Jacket and Trousers – Helly Hansen Kvitfjell Race Insulated Ski Jacket

Norwegian brand Helly Hansen sponsors both the Canadian and Norwegian Alpine Ski Teams and now you can ski in the same jacket that World Cup and Olympic athletes train in when they need to stay super warm. The PrimaLoft® insulation and the HELLY TECH® Professional outer fabric is the top of the range material in HH’s collection. There are both men’s and women’s versions available and there’s a number of styles that include full-on sponsor badges, so you can really look like one of the Norwegian Team (go on, you know you really want to), and more subtle versions with just a couple of logos. Don’t want to stand out too much? Then go for a non-logo version and just get all the cool technology without the worry about how your turns look down the blue run.

BUY: Helly Hansen – RRP: £530

Buy a Helly Hansen jacket or pants this season and get a free day’s skiing in one of their partner resorts.

Mid layer – Montane Protium Lite Hooded Fleece Jacket

The brand Montane is known for its outdoor and mountaineering clothing but they are venturing more into the world of snowsports this winter with a launch of a ski touring jacket and trousers called the Nordes Hoodie. But this fleece is designed to be 35% lighter than before and is super warm and highly breathable. On cold days, especially underneath a shell jacket, a fleece like this is essential. But if you’re the sort of person that really feels the cold then wear it under an insulated jacket too, or just look super smart at the bar for a bit of après later on too. It’s available in both men’s and women’s versions.

BUY: Montane – RRP: £90

Baselayer – UYN Nation 3.0 Turtleneck

A baselayer is an absolute must for any skier or snowboarder hitting the slopes as it helps regulate temperature and wick moisture away from the skin. Italian brand UYN (Unleash Your Nature), pronounced win, has been making technical sportswear for other brands for years but has now launched a range under its own name. These technical baselayers include a British Team edition, where 7.5% of the sales will go to GB Snowsport, helping British athletes compete towards the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan-Cortina. There’s plenty of high-tech fabrics involved in production and the seamless design helps transfer moisture from the skin and keeps the body warm.

BUY: Ski Exchange – RRP: £139

Gloves – Savior Heated Ski Gloves 2.0

Technology means that you never have to have cold fingers again. Some people don’t feel the cold with ordinary gloves, even super low temperatures but personally when it gets really cold, like below minus ten, which might be pretty rare, but it can happen, I like the backup of a battery pack that produces some extra heat. These gloves by Savior are snazzy, look great and will keep your hands warm even without the aid of its Bluetooth controlled heating system. Just turn up that dial via your phone and feel instant warmth breath through the whole glove – lovely.

BUY: Savior Heat – RRP: £130

Socks – Jimmy Chin ultra-light wool snow sock

It’s a shame these ski socks from Stance will be mostly hidden inside ski boots because they look absolutely amazing – but they also feel great too. Stance specialises in socks so they do them really well and these ultra-light merino wool blend versions provide a great mix of performance and warmth. They would suit skiers that really want to feel maximum control through the feet to the ski, but keeping the comfort levels high too. They have a nice stretchy feel to them and their Infiknit™ technology has a lifetime guarantee.

BUY: Stance – RRP: £26.99

Helmet – Salomon Brigade Index Helmet

There’s not a huge amount of debate around helmet use anymore, most people realise they do more good than anything else, but of course, it’s still possible to choose not to wear one on the slopes. My advice is to wear one though and Salomon, who makes a huge range of clothing and equipment for skiers, has just launched a fully recyclable ski helmet that uses previously used plastic in its construction. Once it gets to the end of its life, give it back to Salomon and they recycle it through their partner Paprec, turning into something else, like a plastic pot, or even a fence. The lightweight design is just as tough as any other ski helmet in its category and it comes with a custom dial ensuring the fit is precise, plus it keeps your head warm too.

BUY: Ellis Brigham – RRP: £110

Goggles – Panda Optics Dual Vision Polarised

British ski goggle manufacturer Panda Optics launched in 2015 and have continued to improve its high quality collection of products, loved by skiers such as Olympian Chemmy Alcott who is rarely seen out on the slopes without them. The new Dual Vision goggle has a polarised lens and comes in a women’s and men’s colour style, but just take your pick either way. Magnetic lenses can be interchanged quickly between the Polarised or Cylindrical type and this new model comes with improved vision of 20% more due to the 2mm gap (instead of 10MM) between lens and frame. Look cool and see better with these fun, but highly technical, googles.

BUY: Panda Optics – RRP: £160

Backpack – Osprey Firn 18 and 28

Ski backpacks can come in very useful but many are designed for backcountry and ski touring, with straps to carry skis and compartments for avalanche safety equipment. The new Firn range from backpack specialist Osprey is designed exactly for that but with two sizes, the smaller 18 litre and the larger 28 litre, you could choose to just carry spare gloves and a sandwich for lunch, especially with the smaller model, although with all the technology packed into these bags, the price is there to match that so you might want to get full use out of it. The Firn looks like another excellent freeride and touring backpack from Osprey and I’m definitely looking forward to testing it out this season.

BUY: Osprey – RRP: £140 (18) and £165 (28)

Skis – Blizzard Anomaly 88

Austrian brand Blizzard know a thing or two about designing skis, they have been doing it for almost 80 years, but the huge changes in ski technology over the past 10 to 15 years haven’t caught them out, the company is at the forefront of all mountain riding. The Brahma was one of my favourite skis and when they dropped them from the range in 2024 and replaced them with the new Anomaly, my heart sunk. That was until I got to try them myself last winter before they hit the shops. There’s four sizes available but the 88 version hits the spot for versatile on and off piste adventures and it’s the one that would suit a huge range of skiers – those looking to hot both the groomed slopes but also get into some of the side country and maybe a bit of powder snow now and again. The solid feel comes from two titanal plates and the Trueblend wood core, with a larger tip Rocker that makes turn initiation easier and floatation in deeper snow a lot of fun.

BUY: Ellis Brigham – RRP: £660 (without bindings)

Ski Boots – Lange XT3 Free 130 LV

In a recent report by the Ski Club of Great Britain, 91% of retailer Snow + Rock customers say they own their own ski boots. And whilst more than half of UK skiers likely rent their skis, the vast majority feel that having their own boots makes all the difference, plus you can throw them in normal check in luggage rather than pay additional costs for ski carriage. My personal choice of ski boot brand over the past 30 years has been Lange, but let’s not forget, ski boot fit is very personal and what works for one might not work for another. Still, I’ve got my eye on the new XT3 Free 130 LV freeride touring boot that packs race performance with a low volume (97mm) last with touring capabilities.

BUY: Dynastar-Lange – £630 but I would recommend going to a specialist ski retailer to purchase them for a proper fit.

Avalanche transceiver – ORTOVOX Diract

If you’re considering heading off-piste this season, with or without a guide, then it’s essential to have the right avalanche safety kit. The must three holy trinity includes a snow shovel, a probe and an avalanche transceiver. This kit is designed to rescue companions in the event they are buried under the snow. It’s important to recognise that an avalanche transceiver is not a RECCO. A transceiver both sends out a signal and can also pick one up too. They all work on the same frequency (457 KHz) so it doesn’t matter if your friend has a different brand. The new Diract model from safety specialist ORTOVOX is probably the easiest to use on the market. Finding anyone buried in the snow within 15 minutes is crucial and there’s a 90% chance of survival if found in that window. After that, it goes down rapidly. If you train with a transceiver it’s possible to locate someone and dig them out within that time frame. The most important addition to that is to become as educated as possible in snow safety, learning how to prevent getting caught in the first place. Organisations such as Henry’s Avalanche Talk run courses online and around the UK.

BUY: Ellis Brigham – RRP: £300

Rob is Ski Gear Editor for InTheSnow Magazine and National Geographic Traveller Magazine’s regular ski gear reviewer.

What To Wear On The Slopes This Winter: A Summary

This guide highlights essential winter sports equipment for the 2024-25 season, emphasizing the fusion of style and cutting-edge technology. From insulated ski jackets by Helly Hansen to lightweight Montane fleeces, technical UYN base layers, and heated gloves by Savior, the focus is on functionality and comfort. Accessories such as the recyclable Salomon Brigade helmet, Panda Optics goggles, and Osprey Firn backpacks combine performance with innovation. For skiing, Blizzard Anomaly 88 skis and Lange XT3 Free 130 boots offer versatility and precision. Safety is also key, with the ORTOVOX Diract avalanche transceiver recommended for off-piste adventures. With advice from a seasoned expert, skiers can find gear to enhance both their style and mountain experience.