Purchasing Skis for Children

Selecting the proper skis for your children is crucial for their development and enjoyment in skiing. Opt for skis that are on-piste suitable, as that's where your child can effortlessly learn and enhance their skills, unless they are already focused on a particular skiing discipline. It's essential to pick skis that match the child's experience level, as beginner skis are softer and more forgiving than those for advanced skiers.

While renting remains an option, owning a pair can help your kids grow accustomed to the skis and build confidence. Furthermore, this saves you from the rush at rental places during holiday peaks!

PISTE SKIS - Ideal for Staying on the Piste

Piste skis are perfect for your child to enjoy practising the basics or refining their technique. These skis are designed narrowly to offer optimal grip and control on snow-covered pistes.

ALL MOUNTAIN SKIS - Top Choice for Versatile Usage

All Mountain skis are also suitable for those starting out as they are forgiving. They are designed to enable adventurous children to tackle light off-piste conditions, ensuring simpler manoeuvres in challenging snow.

Browse Children's Skis

For those young skiers who are experienced and wish to explore different types of skiing, such as Park, Racing, or Freeride, we offer specialised skis. Should this pique your interest, consult our Guide for Experienced Skiers, where we delve deeper into these ski types.

Opt for the Correct Ski Length

Ensuring that the skis match your child's size and skill level will speed up their learning and make the experience more fun. Height plays the most significant role and for many children, who are often height-weight proportionate, a ski length which reaches between the chest and eyebrows is suitable.

Beginners should opt for skis nearer to their chest, while more sophisticated young skiers should have skis approaching eyebrow height.

The image shows the ski length for a novice (your height less 35 cm)

	Child's skis
Complete novice	Your height minus 40 cm
Beginner	Your height minus 35 cm
Intermediate	Your height minus 30 cm
Advanced	Your height minus 15 cm
Expert	Your height minus 5 cm

Skis With or Without Bindings?

Children's skis might come equipped with or without bindings. We typically suggest selecting skis with bindings for they are easily adaptable while providing good skiing performance. This is suitable for all skiing levels, especially from beginners to intermediates.

Skis which do not come with bindings are generally found in Park, Freeride, and Touring specialisations, hence the need to buy bindings separately. For intermediate or advanced kids, choosing skis and bindings separately might be a good choice as it allows customisation. Further details on bindings can be viewed in our Buying Alpine Ski Bindings Guide.

Additional Ski Gear

Ski Boots

The significance of comfortable boots is vital as discomfort from rental boots can negatively impact a child's skiing journey. It's essential to choose the right size and type of boot when purchasing.

Boot sizes are measured in centimetres, based on the length from heel to toe. Effective measuring can be done using a ruler or tape measure. Generally, children's boots have a softer flex characteristic and come with between 1 to 4 fasteners.

Race boots exist for advanced young skiers focusing on racing and come with a significantly higher flex rating (60 to 90), but also a higher price.

Ski Poles

Ski poles aren't necessary for beginners. Poles can be introduced once basic skills are mastered and the child shows confidence in skiing.

Tip: Introducing your children to ski poles. Ensure that as they learn to use poles, they grasp them firmly, not dragging them or holding loosely to prevent adopting bad habits.

To determine the appropriate pole size, check out our Ski Pole Length Size Chart.

Helmet

Your child should certainly consider having this crucial piece of equipment. The potential for injury is equal, regardless of whether they are novices or seasoned experts. In addition to safeguarding the head, it offers added warmth and boosts your child's confidence, which are delightful supplementary benefits. Several countries enforce rules requiring children to wear helmets specifically for skiing. For more insights, feel free to explore How to wear your helmet or Lifespan of helmets.

To fully enjoy your experience on the slopes, goggles, gloves, and suitable clothing are among the other necessary items you should consider. You can find everything you need on our website: The ultimate ski and snowboard goggles guide.

Explore our selection of skiwear and snow clothing