Best Powder Skis of 2025

One of the most important things to consider when shopping for a powder ski is your skiing style. Are you a more traditional, directional skier who wants to carve smooth arcs in fresh snow? Or are you a more playful, newschool skier who’s looking to slash every stash and pop off every feature, maybe even landing switch, channeling your inner Karl Fostvedt, Candide Thovex, or the like? Lucky for you, there are powder skis for every skiing style, but choosing a pair that really works well with your personality will make for an all-round better experience.

Call it a hot take, but we’ll say it: even more traditional directional skiers will appreciate playful powder skis. There's something about deep, fresh snow that makes looser, slashed turns and gentle airs so much more inviting. So, when in doubt, opt for a wider, more rockered and more tapered ski than you usually would when you're choosing a pow-specific ski.

Finally, there’s the question of weight. Lighter powder skis are easier to turn, and generally more playful. They’re also easier to tour and earn your turns on. But, when the snow gets chopped up and more variable, lighter skis are harder to drive, and start to get deflected easier. So it’s important to be realistic about your conditions. If you’re walking uphill to earn perfect untracked powder turns back down, you’ll be happier on a much lighter ski than someone who’s planning on skiing powder in the morning and soft chop in the afternoon, inbounds, on the same pair of skis. For an in-depth breakdown of ski weights, check out this article.

But no matter how you answer all of those questions, this truth remains: Powder skiing is fun. Powder skis, whether aspiration or realistic, are one of the biggest investments in good, clean fun you can make. So make your choices and pray for snow!

About Powder’s Editor's Picks

Our Editor's Picks lists are collections of the skis, boots, outerwear, and other gear that stood out to us while testing. If you want to learn more about how reviews work at Powder, we’re very transparent about our process.

These lists are constantly growing and evolving as we try new gear, all season long. If you’ve got a favorite piece of equipment that you think we should write about, let us know here. And, if you represent a brand or company and think your gear deserves a writeup, we’d love to get in touch. 

Salomon QST Blank - Best Resort Powder Ski

• Waist Width: 116 mm
• Weight (186 cm): 1900 g
• Best for: All-around powder skiing

Salomon’s newly-updated QST Blank is going to make a lot of skiers happy, particularly those who seek out bigger terrain and want to ski it fast, no matter the conditions. However, unlike some of the other options out there, it’s not the kind of ski that will have you wishing you spent more pre-season days in the gym–it’s got an easygoing character that comes out when you’re just cruising around. On top of that, Salomon addressed our one gripe about the original QST Blank–that it didn’t actually ski fresh powder particularly well.

It handles deep snow far better than the old version, taking that predictable and playful feel and really turning it up a notch. That’s where the ski’s huge sweet spot really stands out–it’s really easy to ski in powder, especially the weird kind you might find with warm storms that produce upside-down snow. A re-designed shape significantly boosts the float, and allows for surfy turns paired with the QST line’s trademark damping. 

If you see yourself seeking out technical terrain at a resort like Palisades, Jackson, Crystal, Big Sky, Alta, or anywhere with a good amount of snowfall, grab a pair of these as your daily driver. They’ll serve you well when it snows, and keep the smiles going days after a storm. 

Blizzard Rustler 11 - Best Powder Ski For Ex-Racers

• Waist Width: 113 mm
• Weight (186 cm): 2100 g
• Best for: Inbounds pow days, directional skiing

Updated for 2026, the Blizzard Rustler 11 takes that same crud-busting big-mountain performance and brings it into a slightly more accessible package for riding all over the resort. These welcome high speeds in unpredictable snow, providing a solid platform for stomping big airs, and can pivot and slash through the soft stuff. 

The new version is still burly, but not so burly that only CrossFit champions can handle it. At 113mm underfoot, there’s plenty of float, and paired with the aggressive tip and tail rocker lines, the new Rustler 11 is a blast to ride through deep snow no matter the slope angle, but rewards those with a traditional skiing style bred from bashing gates in their youth.

The Rustler 11 is a great tool for lift-access backcountry and inbounds big-mountain skiing. If you’re the type of skier chasing Hollywood lines under the chair, big cliffs and high speeds in steep, dicey terrain, these will not disappoint. The pronounced rocker lines make the ski feel relatively short, so don’t be afraid to size up.

Rossignol Sender Free 110 - Best Freeride Comp Powder Ski

• Waist Width: 110 mm
• Weight (186 cm): 2200 g
• Best for: Blasting through the leftovers

Rossignol’s updated Sender Free 110 is more than the little brother of the massive Sender Free 118 (formerly the Black Ops 118). The 118 is much more of a specialized powder tool than the 110, but for inbounds blasting, we think the 110 better bridges the gap between high-speed crud-busting performance, playfulness in powder, and edge grip, especially when snow conditions get nasty. Want a ski that behaves the same no matter the conditions? This is the one.

These are the sticks we'd take out on a resort day when the snow came in a little heavier and wetter than expected, or got tracked out faster than it should have. Powder fever, am I right? These are absolute tanks when it comes to ripping through deep snow, and will keep you entertained all day long, even when things get messy. Line up that big air, put the pedal to the metal, and stomp your way down the mountain.

Blackcrows Corvus - Best “Traditional” Freeride Ski

• Waist Width: 110 mm
• Weight (186 cm): 2200 g
• Best for: Hard-charging big mountain skiing

The Blackcrows Corvus was the now-iconic French brand’s Day 1 ski. Since 2007, it’s had many incarnations, but has largely stuck to the tune of being a heavy-metal freeride charger that’s won competitions, starred in movie segments, and been on the feet of aggressive skiers charging big lines all over the world. It’s a tool for those of us who want to go as fast as possible on open faces, big bowls, and anywhere the ski has some room to maneuver. 

The new Corvus still echoes these characteristics, marrying a “traditional” freeride mentality with a more modern shape that’s just as well suited to carving GS turns as it is slashing and blowing up pow stashes.

This is the ski for freeriders looking for a ski for lift-access backcountry skiing. Your perfect day might look like this: The mid-season hero pow day. It’s a stable bluebird February morning and you’re heading out the gates to your favorite sidecountry line. You stomp the air, rocket out the apron and head back inbounds to chase your friends, dropping cliffs, airing cat tracks and skiing as fast as possible. 

Nordica Unleashed 120 - Best For the Deepest, Heaviest Snow

• Waist Width: 120 mm
• Weight (186 cm): 2210 g
• Best for: The deepest day of your life

There’s powder days, and then there’s days so deep you need every tool in your arsenal to stay afloat. Nordica’s Unleashed 120 is the ski for those days. At 120 mm underfoot, it’s the widest ski we tested this year, and it blew our minds with how impossible it was to sink. We’re not talking in Titanic "unsinkable" terms here–the Unleashed 120 will stay afloat in the lightest, most blower powder, and has the guts to punch through dense and heavy snow as well. 

While these are truly massive, the Unleashed 120 actually possesses a surprisingly friendly character with easily-harnessable performance. Don’t take that to mean that the ski can’t handle huge lines, high speeds, and the deepest snow (it certainly can), but the finely-tuned flex and manageable weight won’t tire you out immediately. In reality, this won’t be a great daily driver, unless you live in Gnarnia, are a heli- or cat-skiing guide, have a lengthy Japan trip on the calendar, or you spend a ton of time in the backcountry with a snowmobile. 

In fact, it’s the kind of ski that’s best reserved for those 15+ inch days where the plan is to smash pillow lines, charge a big open face, or otherwise bounce around in bottomless pow. That doesn’t happen all that often for most of us, but we can dream, right?

Armada Whitewalker 116 - Best Freestyle Pow Ski

• Waist Width: 116 mm
• Weight (189 cm): 2200 g
• Best for: Skiing switch in pow, slashing everything in sight

As you can probably tell by now, not all powder skis are made the same, but Armada’s Whitewalker 116 really breaks the mold. These are Sammy Carlson’s personal project, and really exemplify the man’s one-of-a-kind approach to skiing. If you want a freestyle powder ski that is built for more than just backcountry booters (read: it can actually ski), this is your ticket. The Whitewalker 116 is the current incarnation of Armada’s innovative thinking in the brand’s Signature Series line, culminating in a design that uniquely blends a park ski with a powder ski, all while packaging it inside a touring ski. 

Sammy’s pro model offers one of the most singular ride feelings of any ski currently on the market. An extraordinary combination of shape, flex profile and weight makes these some of the loosest, floatiest and surfiest skis out there. Especially in deep snow, they never feel “locked in” to a turn and are almost automatic to get sideways and slash.

They’re definitely not for everyone, but it’s the kind of ski that you might just fall in love with and swear off anything else. It’s an excellent choice for freestyle-oriented skiers looking to chase powder in very technical terrain.

Atomic Maverick 115 CTi - Best Powder Touring Ski

• Waist Width: 115 mm
• Weight (193 cm): 2150 g
• Best for: Huge foot-powered days in deep snow

Atomic’s Maverick 115 CTi is a bit of a genre-bender when it comes to design and construction. It’s a FWT-capable ski (proven over and over again) that's light enough for touring. With a floaty 115mm waist width, it’s undoubtedly a powder ski, but the stout and seemingly directional shape hides a very freestyle-friendly character. In fact, the shape takes cues from both the twin-rocker Bent 120 and the old Backland 117 freetouring skis, with a flatter tail and long taper lines. However, the very forward mount point pairs with a short 18-meter turning radius and a medium-stiff and very round flex to make the ski feel loose and playful in pow, and an absolute charger on firmer snow. 

When it comes to performance in knee-deep backcountry powder, the ski’s unique combo of stability and agility stands out most. It can slither through tight trees, easily make technical turns and quick direction changes in consequential places, and still offer unmatched stability when rocketing down aprons or carving huge turns on open faces. 

While Atomic doesn’t expressly market it as a touring ski, we’ve found that the Maverick 115 CTi isn’t just a resort charger. It’s a remarkably good ski for backcountry touring when you want to take advantage of hero conditions and ride that remote line you’ve been eyeing all season that’s filled with airs and technical moves that just begs to be shredded at full tilt. Mount a pair of freeride touring bindings on it, go for a walk, and unleash the Maverick’s true potential.

K2 Reckoner 110 W - Best Women’s-Specific Pow Ski

• Waist Width: 110 mm
• Weight (186 cm): 1880 g
• Best for: Playful resort powder skiing

There’s hard-charging powder skis, and then there’s purely “fun” powder skis. K2’s women’s-specific Reckoner 110 W squarely falls into the latter category. We’ve all seen those people who use the mountain like a playground–every little piece of terrain is an opportunity to butter, jib, or surf around the snow–that’s exactly who the Reckoner 110 W is for. The soft flex, wide waist, and nimble twin-tip shape make these an absolute hoot on resort powder days–and still offer a solid ride when things get tracked out.

The best part? It comes in a full size run, all the way down to 156cm (which skis even shorter given the twin-rocker construction). Inside, these are identical to the men’s K2 Reckoner 110 skis, but are offered in smaller sizes.

Predictable, light, and endlessly playful, if you can find the full potential of this ski, you’ll never stop having fun on it. 

Völkl V-Werks Katana - The Spaceship

• Waist Width: 112 mm
• Weight (191 cm): 2000 g
• Best for: Skiers looking for the Lamborghini of pow skis

Most skis in this grouping are put together following similar design principles: laminate a wood core with fiberglass, perhaps slap a sheet of titanal in there–or some sort of other material like cork or graphite for its damping properties–add sidewalls, metal edges, and base material and you’ve yourself a powder ski. The German engineers at Völkl decided to completely think outside the box when it came to designing their highest-end powder ski, the all-carbon V-Werks Katana. It’s been around in its current incarnation since 2024, but it’s proven to be one of those “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” kind of skis. 

No doubt, it’s extremely expensive at nearly $1700 a pair, but this is truly a premium product that offers a ride unlike any other. It’s light enough for backcountry use, but offers the performance of a hard-charging and stiff resort freeride ski, with a quick pivoting shape that can handle high speeds and carving in firm snow.

That being said, the stiff flex and flat camber (almost full reverse-camber) construction require adept technique to fully take advantage of. This is the supercar of powder skis, can you handle it?

Ellis Meraki 112 - Best Indie Powder Ski

• Waist Width: 112 mm
• Weight (186 cm): 2200 g
• Best for: Skiers looking for something new and interesting

Fresh ski brands are hard to come by these days, but this small-batch operation out of Colorado has certainly raised some eyebrows among testers here at POWDER. Ellis Skis was born out of the desire to do things differently, and the expertise the lead ski engineer has gathered over the years certainly shows. These don’t feel like a garage project, they can hang with the big dogs on snow. 

The twin-rocker Meraki 112 wants to go fast! It handles the kind of snow you find in the resort on a powder day (blower for two laps, then quickly turning to crud) admirably, with plenty of damping and stability. The ski’s long and low tip rocker planes over choppy snow easily, and does not get tossed around when things get unpredictable. I found them to have a very large sweet spot, and feel quite forgiving, meaning you don’t have to worry about skiing them precisely all the time. That’s quite impressive for a new brand in my book, since it seems to often take larger brands a few years of a product cycle to figure that little detail out.

If you’re tired of the same old stuff from the same old brands, this a really good option for hard-charging resort skiers who want one ski to do it all off-piste. At 112mm underfoot, there’s enough float for powder days, and the stiff flex profile gives you plenty to push into when things get rowdy. In a sea of excellent freeride powder skis, it’s really cool to see a new brand emerge that’s catering towards core skiers who demand a no-compromise freeride ski.