The Best Skis for Women (Aren't All Women's Skis)

Depending on the model, ski radius also changes depending on ski length, which can be something to take into consideration if you’re deciding between two different lengths in a ski. This also brings us to ski length–which is a time-honored debate that there’s really no right answer to. A great place to start is with skis that hit right about at your eyebrows, but newer skiers might want something shorter and more advanced skiers might want something longer. It’s really a preference at the end of the day. 

The last key piece of a ski’s shape is its rocker profile. If you look at a side from the side as it’s sitting on the snow, you can see that skis either have a cambered profile, a rockered profile, or some combination. Camber is when the ski is more of a concave shape underfoot and has contact points on either end of this arch. Generally, a cambered ski provides a longer effective edge which provides more edge grip in a turn and more stability. It also gives the ski a more poppy feeling–more on that later.

On the other end of the spectrum is reverse camber, or full-rocker skis, which have kind of a banana shape and have snow contact underfoot with more rise in the tips and tails. While about a decade ago, this was an extremely popular design, many ski brands have strayed away from offering true reverse camber skis. These types of skis are traditionally great for skiing in powder because they have less of that effective edge, and are often playful and slashy, but can be a slightly more advanced ski because the edges are harder to engage and less intuitive. Most importantly, the rocker shape also causes the ski to plane above the snow and “float.”

In recent years, many ski brands have also played with these combinations of camber and rocker to make shapes that have things like “all-mountain rocker,” where that camber is initiated closer to tails of the ski and the tips of the ski have more rocker. There’s also a common rocker-camber-rocker shape where the tips and tails of a ski have rocker and camber underfoot. This profile is one of the more versatile and performs well off-piste but still is able to carve well when needed due to the retained presence of the camber.

Ski Construction

Damping 

When it comes to ski construction, you’ve probably heard people talk a lot about how “damp” a ski is, and, no, that doesn’t refer to how wet the snow makes it. Damping refers more to how well a ski absorbs vibration. Think of it this way: “damp = de-amplify.” Think about the feeling of carving turns on some slightly choppy hardpack–the more your ski vibrates underfoot and rattles you around, the less damp it is, so generally damping is a good thing. However, it is possible for a ski to be too damp and feel lifeless.

There are several ways skis get damped via their construction, and one is not necessarily better than the other. Many skis, especially stiffer, more aggressive skis use metal like Titanal to dampen and stiffen the ski. Other skis that are trying to maintain lighter weights will use things like rubber and neoprene inserts in the tips, tails, and along the edges to absorb vibration. Some even use rock (rocks?! rocks!) stringers to dampen skis.

Lots of brands will come up with fancy marketing terms about these dampening systems, but know that when you see something that’s called like “Magical TriBlend SuperNeoprene Carbon Tech,” it just means that their ski designer came up with a cool new way to dampen the ski. It can be a bit tough to tell what a ski will feel like just by thinking about these materials so take it all with a grain of salt. 

Wood Cores

Most skis these days are made with a wood core, but not all woods are created equal. Different woods have different weights, response levels, and dampening effects. Maple and ash are both dense, stiff woods, known for being stable, strong, and having excellent power transmission for more advanced, aggressive skis. Aspen, poplar, bamboo, and paulownia (Karuba) are all known to be lightweight, poppy, and playful keeping skis lively while also offering solid dampening. Of course there’s more nuances beyond that, but I’d be writing a novel if I got into every single detail I could with ski construction. 

To Metal or Not to Metal?

Lots of women’s skis are built with no metal or less metal than a brand’s “male” counterpart ski because women are small and weak and can’t drive metal skis, right?

Wrong. Ya girl LOVES a metal ski. Honestly, the more the better. So don’t let a metal ski scare you away if you want an aggressive ski that is stable as heck. A 115lb skier like me might not be able to tail press a Blizzard Rustler 11 like a 180lb guy, but I’ll sure as heck have fun charging through whatever snow I want and auto-stomping any landing because the metal in that ski provides a stabilization I don’t have as a lighter skier. 

On the other hand, there are skis with no metal in them that I also love. Built right, a ski with no metal can be just as stable, damp, and often a bit more playful than one with. They can also be a bit more approachable and easy to ski than metal skis. Like all things, it's a preference, but there’s no reason women or lighter skiers can’t ski metal skis and no reason they need to either. 

Women's Specific Ski Recommendations

 I put together a little list of some of the women’s specific skis I loved while testing this year as well as some recommendations from other gear testers and gals in my network. Like all reviews, these are just the opinions of me and a few other folks, so read critically and take it all with a grain of salt. The best skis for you are the ones you have the most fun on. 

As a reference point: I’m about 5’5” and usually in the 120lbs range and ski between a 170cm and 180cm length ski. 

Nordica Santa Ana 102 

• Specs (179cm): 133-102-123 mm, 18m radius, 2160g per ski
• Sizes Available: 155, 161, 167, 173, 179

The Nordica Santa Ana 102 is a fantastic women’s ski that splits the difference between performance and playfulness. The Santa Ana 102 has a sidecut that sits in that middle all-mountain range and a super versatile 102 underfoot width. The ski has a cambered profile with a bit of tip rocker, allowing it to pivot really easily and stay afloat in deeper snow. However, most notably, the Santa Ana 102 is a women’s ski built with two sheets of Titanal that sandwich a wood and elastomer core, which like we mentioned in our women’s ski construction guide, dampens a ski and provides tons of stability. This Titanal layer does mean that the Santa Ana is a more aggressive ski, but hey, women can be aggressive skiers too, and we appreciate that it doesn’t leave anything out. If you’re an intermediate to advanced skier who wants a daily driver for anything from ripping groomer turns to leading your buds into gnarly resort and sidecountry terrain, the Santa Ana 102 could be a fantastic pick. 

Blizzard Black Pearl 88

• Specs (170cm): 127.5-88-109.5 mm, 15m radius, 1770g per ski
• Sizes Available: 146, 152, 158, 164, 170, 176

Not all women want a super aggressive, full-metal ski, but maybe they still want some metal in their ski. That’s where the Blizzard Black Pearl 88 (and rest of the Black Pearl line!) really shines as a women’s specific ski. The Black Pearl is the latest product of Blizzard’s Women 2 Women program, meaning it was designed, tested, redesigned, and perfected by female skiers. The Black Pearl uses Blizzard’s Trueblend wood core, fiberglass fleece layers, and sheets of Titanal along the edges with a sheet of fiberglass in between them with just a little offset to provide torsional flexion through the ski. This fiberglass piece makes the ski lighter and more flexible than some of Blizzard’s men’s skis, but without compromising on the ski’s dampness. Women’s specific, without compromise? We love it. Skiers who are looking for something sturdy but with a little give and lightness as a daily resort ski for a place like Killington should definitely consider the Black Pearl 88.

K2 Reckoner 110W

• Specs (170): 138-110-135 mm, 18m radius, 1880g per ski
• Sizes Available: 156, 163, 170, 177

The K2 Reckoner is one of K2’s women’s freeride skis. At 110mm underfoot, this ski leans more towards the soft snow & powder ski end of the spectrum but they hold an edge on hardpack deceptively well. An Aspen core paired with K2’s Carbon Boost Braid, Spectral Braid, and Triaxial Braided core (fancy words for carbon stringers braided throughout the ski to provide strength and stability torsionally and length-wise) also keep this ski surprisingly damp for how poppy and playful it is. The short of it is that the Reckoner 110W are fun. They’re for gals who want a lighter, softer ski that will play as hard as they do on the mountain. When I think about skiing the Reckoner 110W, I picture having a magical little ski buddy all the time, zipping around and stoking me up because that’s the energy those skis have.

More Women's Specific Skis

• Moment Bella 108
• Blizzard Sheeva 11*
• Line Pandora 106**
• 4FRNT MSP CC

*The Sheevas use a women’s specific construction until the 180cm size, where they adopt the Rustler construction
**The Pandora’s were previously women’s specific, but are now unisex.

Unisex/Men’s Ski Recommendations for Women

4FRNT Devastator 

• Specs (172cm): 137-108-131mm, 17.5m radius, 1780g per ski
• Sizes Available: 172, 179, 186

4FRNT doesn’t make any of their skis gender specific, except the MSP CC, but they do make many of their skis fairly aggressive and notably, they make many of their skis with a reverse cambered design. The Devastators are their 108mm underfoot freeride skis, making them right at the top end of that all-mountain waist size. They also use something called a multi-radius rocker along with that reverse cambered shape which means that even with the reverse camber shaped has been tweaked with multiple rocker points, allowing skiers to engage more effective edge, or carve more easily in firm and variable conditions than on a traditional reverse camber ski.

Additionally, the Devastators are made without any metal like many women’s specific skis which keeps them light, poppy, and maneuverable, but the Aspen/Maple construction keeps them stiffer than other full wood core skis. A neoprene rubber tip insert also keeps the Devastators nice and damp as well, so you’re not getting flung around in chopped up conditions. In short, they’re a light, playful ski that’s still aggressive. If you love smearing turns, hopping off sidehits, and skiing fast, the Devstators are definitely worth a look. Skiers especially in wetter climates like the PNW and British Columbia will appreciate the reverse camber in heavier snow. 

Salomon QST 100

• Specs (188cm): 135-100-123mm, 18.5m radius, 2000g per ski
• Sizes Available: 148, 156, 164, 172, 180, 188

Salomon has made exceptionally high quality women’s and unisex skis for many years now, but their 2025/26 QST line has really gone above and beyond. In years prior, Salomon had a women’s version of the QST 100 and 106 (the Lumen and Stella, respectively), but the French brand has now decided to simply offer the same ski with two topsheets. The new QST 100 specifically is an excellent all-mountain width and has a particularly playful tip and tail rocker as well as a generous camber, making them easy to turn and excellent for carving.

The 100s are made with a lightweight, responsive poplar wood core and to dampen the ski, Salomon uses a sci-fi cool combination of cork in the tip of the ski and superlight Basalt fibers. There is a piece of Titanal in them, but only underfoot as a binding reinforcement and for a little extra edge grip. The construction and shape of these skis mean they’re stable and easy to turn without being as aggressive as other full metal skis. They also come in sizes ranging from 148cm to 188cm. You’d be hard pressed to find someone who didn’t like the QST 100, but skiers who want a super reliable ski for wetter PNW conditions or hard charging in chalky snow on steep terrain at places like Jackson Hole but also enjoy a lazy day on a ski that turns super easily will love the QST 100.

Armada ARV 106 Ti

• Specs (172cm): 125-106-132mm, 18m radius, 1950g per ski
• Sizes Available: 164, 172, 180, 188

I’ve had a pair of Armada ARW UL 106s since the 2021/2022 ski season where they were my daily drivers. Despite them not being my everyday ski anymore and having definitely seen some abuse, I pull them out more than a few times each season and it feels like coming home to an old friend. With how much skis can change year to year, I was expecting to be disappointed with the ARV 106 Ti when I tried it this year if it felt much different than my old Armadas. To my great surprise and relief, the new ARV 106 Ti’s felt pretty similar to my old ones but far more stable. The 106mm waist and tip and tail rocker mean they’re a great every day ski for western resorts but don’t shy away from some fresh snow.

A Titanal band in the underfoot section of the ski means they’re stable and damp, especially at high speeds. But, true to Armada’s roots, they’re still super playful. If that sheet of Titanal isn’t your thing, the regular ARV 106 has a super similar profile but is lighter, softer-flexing, and even more playful. Skiers looking to break away from more traditional skis into a more freeride or park-style ski will appreciate that little bit of metal and the ARV 106 Ti’s  ability to hold an edge. They’re a pretty forgiving ski but don’t shy away from skiing big terrain either which also makes them an excellent choice for those looking to ski something that will grow with them.

More Unisex Skis

• Salomon Depart1.0
• Moment Deathwish
• Nordica Unleashed 98
• Faction Studio 2