The 10 Best Holiday Gifts For Skiers

Mountain Flow Infrared Wax Machine

At-home ski tuning has never been easier with Mountain Flow Eco-Wax’s new Infrared Wax Machine. While some of you might consider it therapeutic, there’s no denying that scraping wax off your skis creates a huge mess–not to mention that it isn’t exactly the most efficient use of wax to begin with. Mountain Flow’s IR Waxer removes the scraping step from the whole process, meaning all you have to do for faster skis is rub on some wax tip to tail, pass the handheld IR wax machine over your skis, and brush the bases. Here’s a full review and rundown on how the Mountain Flow IR Waxer works. Hey, maybe whoever you’re gifting this to will return the favor and you’ll have freshly waxed skis all season long.

Surefoot Liners and Bootfitting

There’s been one name synonymous with comfortable boots for a very long time, and that’s Surefoot. The unfortunate reality is that ski boots are pretty hard to make comfortable right out of the box, but the good news is that there’s plenty that can be done to customize them to your feet. Bring your boots to one of 29 Surefoot locations worldwide, and let them take care of your feet. After learning about you as a skier, Surefoot will scan your feet, ankles, and calves, create a fully-customized foam-injected liner and footbed to perfect your boot’s fit and boost its performance.

Whether you’re looking to get extra performance out of your favorite ski boots, or someone special in your life is just sick of their feet hurting but doesn’t want to give up skiing, we’re convinced this is the best custom-fit process out there. New this year is a wrap-style liner option that’s designed to fit skiers with larger calves and lower legs. As another plus, all Surefoot liners now have built-in electric heaters.

Silverton Mountain Single Heli Drop

Southwestern Colorado’s Silverton Mountain is already known for its aggressive terrain, bottomless powder skiing, and simple, rugged vibe–but did you know that it’s also the only place in the lower 48 where you can purchase a single heli drop? Silverton makes it pretty darn easy to add a $199 single drop to your daily guided lift ticket, and we’re convinced this might be the best gift to get someone (yourself included) who’s already planning a trip to Silverton this season. It’s the next best thing to skiing in Alaska–earn your turns for part of the day, then hop in the heli for a bump to somewhere extra spicy and get the best backcountry lap in Colorado. Need more inspiration? Check out a recent feature story on the magic of skiing in Silverton.

Dakine Fall Line Roller Ski Bag

Getting to know a new place through skiing can be one of the most transformative experiences in anyone's life, but dragging skis through an airport or a foreign city can be transformative in a different way. With Dakine’s Fall Line Roller Ski Bag, skip the hassle and pack all your stuff in an extremely durable, easy-to-move piece of ski luggage. Over the years, POWDER testers have done a lot of international ski travel, testing a ton of ski bags, and Dakine’s Fall Line still happens to be one of our all-time favorites. 

It’s big enough for two pairs of skis, poles, and features a removable internal boots compartment and an external accessory pocket–great for stashing all your wet stuff from that early lap you had to get in before heading back to the airport. The handle clips to most rolling duffle bags, making it even easier to get around the airport with all your stuff.

Minus 33 Expedition Gloves

Best known for their merino wool base layers and clothing, Minus 33 has added expedition-weight gloves to their lineup this year. These gloves feature a super-warm wool liner and a classic leather palm and exterior construction with PFAS-free waterproofing. Extra details include removable elastic wrist straps, touchscreen-compatible finger pads and a large gauntlet-style cuff. They’re available as gloves, mittens, or in a three-finger lobster setup, all with the same liner and construction–perfect for whatever winter application you throw at them.

Smith Squad MAG Goggles

Smith has long made some of our favorite goggles, and the tester and athlete-approved Smith Squad is now available with Smith’s MAG lens swap technology. The stylish and low-profile cylindrical lens Squad hasn’t changed shape, but the new magnetic lens continues to be upgraded with Smith’s best lens technology and anti-fog venting. For 2025, they are available in various lens tints, from completely clear to blacked-out hi-light lenses, all with Smith’s color and contrast-boosting ChromaPop tech. These feature an oversized strap that stays put on your helmet or hat, and integrate cleanly with most brands of helmets.

SaunaBox

Post-ski recovery is hard work, but there’s no denying that a quick sesh in the sauna will make your tired legs and body feel ready to rip again the next day. There’s that famous study from Finland (the sauna capital of the world) that made the rounds in recent years touting the health benefits of a good sweat. While it might be pretty easy to find a sauna in your hotel or at the ski resort when you're on vacation, trouble is, it’s not that easy to get a sauna in your home. 

SaunaBox is a new recovery tool that’s essentially the world’s most accessible sauna–a refrigerator-sized heat tent that you can set up in your own home that’s powered by a small electrically-powered heat and steam generator. It sets up in 10 minutes, heats up in another 15, and lets you step inside, sit down, and enjoy a good sauna sesh in the comfort of your own home.

Arcade Belt

Leather belts are for the office. Arcade Belts are for the mountains. These stretchy, durable, and stylish belts are the ultimate ski accessory. Keep your pants on and show off a little style with something like a zillion different color options from Arcade. We’ve loved and trusted these for years–plus, brands started and run by pro skiers (Cody Townsend) always get a bonus in our book.

Booster Straps

If your ski boots are already plenty comfortable, but you’re looking to squeeze out that extra bit of performance, there’s a simple way to do that–a $50 elastic strap that replaces your boot’s power strap. Considered the gold standard among pro skiers, competitive athletes, and resort rippers all over the world, Booster Straps are super-simple boot hack that make your boot feel both stiffer and more comfortable at the same time, by tightening the top of the liner and shell closer around your shin. That reduces shin bang, and gives your booth a smoother, more responsive flex. They’re easy to install at home, and make the perfect gift for someone who wants to add some extra performance to their boots.

Yardsale P2 Ski Poles

Turns out you can actually make a better ski pole that works well in the resort and in the backcountry. We were already impressed with Yardsale’s P1 resort poles, but the new Yardsale P2 Backcountry Poles take that same design philosophy to create a better touring pole. With the same magnetic pairing system as the P1, plus extended grips, adjustable length, powder baskets, easily removable straps, and burly construction, these will make any backcountry skier happy.