How to Buy Skis for Beginners and Renters
If you’re new to buying skis, it can be an overwhelming endeavor. The prices can be shocking, the amount of choices can be daunting, and it’s very understandable if you’re feeling unsure. We’re here to help! In this article, we’re going to provide advise and guidance for those new to buying skis. Maybe you’ve been renting in the past. Maybe you’ve been considering getting into the sport and you’ve decided you’d rather own your gear than deal with rentals (good choice). Maybe you haven’t bought skis in 20 years or more and the new shapes and lengths are confusing to you. Regardless of your situation, if you’re new to the process, this article is for you.
Before we get into the actual skis, we have a handful of general recommendations. In this article, we’ll be looking at our Complete Ski Packages, which include skis, boots, bindings, and poles, all the essential equipment for a day of skiing. In that light, part of this guide will also touch on boots!
To start, when shopping for skis and comparing your options, there are two criteria that will tell you a lot right away: ski width and price. Less expensive skis are generally going to be more appropriate for beginners. While that might seem simple, it can be counter-intuitive to some. With other purchases we’re used to making (cars, mountain bikes, phones, clothing, shoes, washing machines, etc...), the more money you spend, the better your experience is going to be. Interestingly, that’s not true with skis. As a beginner skier, if you go out and spend a lot of money on skis, you’re almost definitely going to struggle as more expensive skis generally require a certain level of technique and experience. There are exceptions to this, but not many. Don’t over think it. If you’re new to skiing, you don’t need to spend a lot to “upgrade” your gear, as it won’t actually be a benefit to you. The other criteria, ski width, is an indicator of what that ski is designed to do. The narrower the ski, the more it’s designed specifically for groomed snow. Most beginner skiers will be spending the majority of time on groomers, so sticking to narrower skis makes sense, but we’ll look at and talk through some wider alternatives and when to choose them too.
Think all beginner skis and boots are created equal? Think again! Beginner or not, this category offers plenty of different options and variables to choose from!
You should be familiar with at least a range of ski lengths that will work for you. We have a series of size guides found here, which will help you determine the correct length range. Generally, this is based of height, but a good rule of thumb is if you’re a heavier skier, lean towards the longer end of the length range. On the other hand, if you’re particularly lightweight, you may want to consider skis on the shorter end. In general, for most skiers, ski length will fall somewhere between your chin and your eyebrows.
You should also be familiar with your ski boot size. All the boots found in our Complete Ski Packages are designed for more comfortable fits, rather than an extremely tight boot that an expert would want. That means you don’t need to worry too much about width, which makes things easier. On our size guide page, you’ll see a chart to convert your shoe size to ski boot “mondo” size. Our best piece of advice here is if you wear different size shoes for different activities, you’ll want to go with the smaller of those sizes. For example, yours truly wears a US 8 casual shoe, but I prefer running in a 7.5. When converting to ski boot size, I would go off the 7.5 rather than the 8.
Ready to look at some ski options? We’re going to break this into three categories organized by price. As a reminder, these prices are a good overall indicator of the skier’s ability level who should be choosing them, although there’s one somewhat unique option in our first category.
First Price Tier:
The Complete Ski Packages in this first grouping are all $450 or less. That’s an incredible value when you consider you’re getting skis, boots, bindings, and poles all at once. For comparison, it can cost A LOT these days to rent skis. Here at our home mountain, Stowe Mountain Resort, the cost of renting skis at the mountain is about $100 per day. That means in just four days, you’ve spent the same amount as you would buying one of these packages and are left with nothing that’s actually yours. While renting can be convenient at times, it can also be a hassle if you’re at the mountain during a busy time of the season.
Two packages in this first group, the Blizzard Thunderbird SP 7.2 and the Experience 76 women’s skis, are great examples of the most affordable and most value oriented packages you’ll find. These are absolutely perfect for someone who’s brand new to skiing or for someone coming off rentals. The performance will be similar to what you’re used to receiving from a rental shop. While it might be tempting to spend more, if you’re in this category of skiers, these are great, and you really don’t need to overthink it.
The Blaze 82 from Volkl here, however, is an interesting option. It’s a little wider at 82 mm underfoot, which gives it slightly better performance in softer snow conditions. That said, the narrower skis will feel a little easier to control for those brand new to skiing. The Blaze 82 would be an excellent option if you already have experience on skis like the Experience 76 or Thunderbird 7.2 and have decided you would prefer a wider ski. Alternatively, if you live and ski in a location that receives frequent snowfall and has generally softer snow conditions, it would also be a great choice.
2024 Blizzard Thunderbird SP 7.2 Skis with Tecnica Machsport 70 HVS Boots and Poles
Price: $429.95 | Buy Now
2025 Rossignol Experience 76 Women's Skis with Nordica Cruise S Boots and Poles
Price: $449.95 | Buy Now
2024 Volkl Blaze 82 Skis with Dalbello Veloce Max GW 90 Boots and Poles
Price: $449.95 | Buy Now
Second Price Tier:
As we move into this second price tier, a few things happen. One, we get more technology and higher quality materials in the construction of the skis. Two, we get more variety in widths and shapes for different snow conditions. Three, we start to see some slightly stiffer boot options, although these boots should still all be considered very comfortable and very forgiving.
The Fischer RC Fire and Nordica Wild Belle are both similar widths as the first two options we talked about in the first price tier, but they use denser wood in their construction, which in turn gives the skis a stiffer flex and more composure at higher speeds when out on the slopes. While still perfectly appropriate for a new skier, these will be more accommodating for those who are starting to ski faster, starting to ski steeper terrain, and want a true performance increase over rental skis. Even if you haven’t been on those less expensive options and consider yourself a relatively athletic person, if it’s in your budget, these are worth considering.
While it’s not much wider, the M-Cross 78 from Dynastar start to use some more performance-driven shaping, is a little wider, and our package also comes with an 80 flex boot, which is just ever so slightly stiffer than everything we’ve looked at so far. This package steps up the performance and versatility another notch. On groomed slopes, there won’t be a huge difference between the RC Fire or Wild Belle, but in softer snow, similar to the Blaze 82, you’ll benefit from a wider tip, which is easier to control when your ski starts sinking into the snow a little bit.
The ARV 84 from Armada and the Atomic Maven 84 are the widest skis we’ve looked at so far, and are more suitable to more experienced skiers who are looking to venture off groomed slopes and into more challenging terrain. The ARV 84 is also an excellent example of a twin tip that can be used in the terrain park, on rails, can be skied backwards, and opens up a whole world of possibilities. These skis aren’t necessarily too wide for a true beginner, but they might not be necessary at all, and if that’s the case, could actually be a deterrent to progression. A wider ski is more difficult to get up on edge in a turn, just based off physics, so if you don’t need the extra width and you’re sticking to groomed slopes mostly, stick with the narrower skis for now.
2025 Fischer RC Fire Skis with Nordica Cruise Boots and Poles
Price: $599.00 | Buy Now
2025 Nordica Wild Belle 74 Women's Skis with Nordica Cruise S Boots and Poles
Price: $639.00 | Buy Now
2025 Dynastar M-Cross 78 Skis with Dalbello Veloce Max 80 GW Boots and Poles
Price: $689.00 | Buy Now
2024 Atomic Maven 84 Women's Skis with Dalbello Veloce Max 65 Boots and Poles
Price: $665.00 | Buy Now
2025 Armada ARV 84 R Skis with K2 Reverb Boots and Poles
Price: $639.95 | Buy Now
Third Price Tier:
Our final category in this article sees the prices for the Complete Ski Package rise to the mid-$700 range. While that can seem like a lot, these still offer some incredible value. With these packages, you’re getting a stiffer boot and skis with stiffer flex patterns and more technology. These packages are best for a more experienced skier. Even someone in the intermediate to advanced ability level could get on these skis and have an awesome day on the mountain. The Salomon Stance 80 is a ski that outperforms a lot of skis that actually cost more than it, and packaged with the Lange LX 85 for women and the LX 90 for men, you’re getting a really, really nice setup for the price. These skis also use metal in their construction as well as some carbon fiber. That gives them more trustworthy performance at speed, a smoother overall feel, and more edge grip in a carving turn. If your ability level is improving and you’re looking to take your skiing to the next level, these are excellent options.
The Bent 85 is a classic twin tip that shares a lot of design elements with wider Bent skis like the 90 and 100. This package is perfect for a young skier looking to start to explore in the terrain park. They are designed for durability and will sustain the abuse that park skiing can have on a ski. While not as technology driven as the Stance, they are still fantastic skis and a great stepping stone into the world of park skiing and freeride skiing.
2025 Atomic Bent 85 Skis with Dalbello Veloce Max 75 Boots and Poles
Price: $715.00 | Buy Now
2024 Salomon Stance 80 Women's Skis with Lange LX 85 HV Boots and Poles
Price: $739.00 | Buy Now
2025 Salomon Stance 80 Skis with Lange LX 90 HV Boots and Poles
Price: $739.00 | Buy Now
These are just a few examples of the many Complete Ski Packages you’ll find on SkiEssentials, but this knowledge should give you the tools to navigate all the options you’ll find. As a reminder, focus on the price and the ski width. Compare those things to the examples you see in this article, and you’re going to have a very accurate sense of the performance of that ski and whether or not it will be appropriate for you. Of course, if you still have questions, don’t hesitate to leave a comment on this article or contact our customer service team. We are happy to help!