The bold, brash and baggy stylings of the snowboarder can sometimes contrast starkly to the more muted, streamlined and smart skier. Are the stylings behind ski and snowboarding gear all down to aesthetics, or are there performance benefits beneath the water-resistant outer fabrics? Surely you can wear your ski pants while snowboarding, your snowboarding jacket while skiing, and vice versa?
To answer these questions and more, we asked one of our winter sports experts to look into the similarities and differences. So, when it comes to ski vs snowboard jackets and pants, what should you consider?
Snowboard vs ski gear: what's the difference?
Lots of winter sport gear today is simply billed as snow gear, which may make you think there's not much difference between the ski clothing and snowboarding clothing. However, certain qualities make gear more suited to one or the other.
In general, skiing gear tends to be more streamlined, low key in terms of style and with reinforcements at the ankles where pants come into contact with skis and boot bindings.
Snowboarding gear is typically baggier, providing additional freedom for dynamic movement. It tends to be more colourful, with more flair, and features reinforcements at the bum and knees.
For more on all of this, keep reading.
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Ski clothing | Snowboarding clothing |
| Jackets fit | Movements in skiing are generally less dynamic than in snowboarding, so a streamlined cut will keep you warmer. | Clothing tends to be baggier to allow the greater freedom of movement needed. |
| Jackets length | Jacket don't need to be as long as you don't spend too much time on your bum. | Jackets tend to be longer as snowboarders often find themselves sitting down. |
| Pants fit | Tend to be slimmer fitting to suit the aerodynamics of skiing | Baggier pants with a low crotch enable you to keep a wider stance, bend knees and comfortably bend down. |
| Pants reinforcements | Reinforcements around the ankles protect against abrasion from the edges of your skis and ski boot buckles | Reinforcements at the bum and knees, where snowboarders tend to take the majority of falls |
| Style | More low key | Tends to have more colour, bold patterns and flair |
Meet the expert
Julia spent many years living in Vail, Colorado, where she developed a love for the American outdoors and a penchant for snow sports. Now back in her native Scotland, she has the majestic Scottish Highlands as her cross-country oyster.
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The similarities
Though some companies will bill their garments as specific to a certain sport, for example the DC Snowboarding Collective Shell Bib Pant geared towards boarders or Arc’teryx Shashka Stretch Pant intended for backcountry skiing, lots of gear out there today is simply billed as snow gear, which definitely might make you think that there’s really no difference between the two. There’s certainly a lot of overlap and any jacket or pair of trousers for skiing or snowboarding should always have the following features:
- Water resistance
- Insulation
- Pockets
- Reinforced panels
- Some stretch and adjustment to support range of motion
So, you definitely can wear a jacket or pair of pants meant for a different winter sport and get away with it. However, there are subtle differences beyond fashion that might have you picking one tailored to your chosen activity. Let’s take a look at the primary differences between a snowboard jacket and pants versus those meant for skiing in more detail...
Jackets fit and length
- Snowboarding jackets are longer, baggier and provide more freedom of movement
- Ski jackets are more streamlined, holding the heat in
A dedicated snowboarding jacket is likely to be a bit baggier and longer than a ski jacket of the same size, which will have a snugger, more streamlined fit and usually come to mid-hip compared to upper thigh. This is down to the biomechanics of each sport. In skiing, your movements in your upper body are a bit more uniform and less dynamic, so the streamlined cut will keep you warmer while still allowing you to make turns.
In snowboarding, however, you’re going to be moving a lot more dynamically, holding your arms out, touching the snow, and using more of your body to carve, so you need a bit more room in your jacket to do so. The good news is that the effort of snowboarding likely has you working up more of a sweat, so you can afford to lose a little of that heat that a ski jacket traps closer to your body.
In snowboarding, you also spend a fair amount of time sitting in the snow, whether you’re fastening your bindings at the top of the chairlift, taking a break or, let’s face it, falling down. For that reason, you’ll be glad of the extra insulation a longer jacket provides around your bum, but as a skier, you don’t really need it, especially with chairlifts getting more high-tech and cushier with each passing season.
Pants fit and reinforcements
- Snowboarding pants are baggier and reinforced at the bum and knees
- Ski pants are streamlined and reinforced around the ankles
When it comes to your pants, once again the technique of skiing vs snowboarding will determine the ideal fit. Snowboarding requires you to be able to keep a wider stance and bend your knees more, plus you need to be able to comfortably bend down to unfasten before riding the chair, so baggier pants with a low crotch aren’t just about style, they’ll actually help you move on the slopes. Meanwhile, a good pair of snowboarding pants will have reinforcements on your bum and your knees – you know, the areas where you usually take the brunt of your falls. This means that you’ll have a little extra padding on those bony areas, and your pants will last for lots of seasons to come.
Similar to your jacket, your ski pants will have a more slim fit, which better suits the aerodynamics of skiing (no flappy pants when you’re zooming down groomers) and these will again keep you a little warmer. They do need to provide enough stretch for you get your boots on though, so don't go nuts on the slim look. Ski pants often have reinforcements around the ankles to protect them from the edges of your skis and the buckles on your ski boots too, where they’ll see the most wear and tear.
Style
- Snowboarding gear tends to have a little more flair
Lastly, there’s one other difference between most ski and snowboard clothing that has nothing to do with function and that’s style. Snowboarding gear often has more, shall we say, flair? Think bright colors and bold patterns, whereas ski gear tends to be a little more low key. Of course, you might simply be drawn more to one aesthetic than the other, and you could get away with skiing in snowboarding gear and vice versa, but it’s probably best to shop around for something that works for you practically as well as fashion-wise. Columbia Kick Turner pants for skiers still have a super fun print if you like to get a little wild, for example, while the DC Liberate Snowboarding Jacket comes in demure shades of khaki and camo for the subtler snowboarder.
If you've decided skiing gear is for you, our guides to the best ski jackets for men and ski jackets for women are full of great options
