Whether you're heading to your local mountain for the first time or planning a week in Niseko, what you wear snowboarding and skiing is the difference between a great day and a miserable one. Here's what you actually need - and how to layer it.
The base layer
Your base layer sits against your skin and manages moisture. Merino wool or synthetic technical fabric works best - merino for warmth and natural odour resistance, synthetic for faster drying. Avoid cotton entirely. It absorbs sweat and stays wet, which makes you cold fast.
Fit should be close but not restrictive. You don't want bunching under a mid-layer. We love these from Kunama.
The mid layer
On colder days or if you run cold, a fleece or lightweight insulating mid-layer between your base and your jacket makes a significant difference. A technical fleece zip-up works well - it moves with you and packs down if you warm up. On milder days or if you run warm, skip it. A good fitting hoodie does the job, too.
The outerwear jacket
Your jacket handles wind, snow, and moisture from the outside. The numbers that matter: waterproof rating (mm) and breathability (g/m²/24h).
20,000mm waterproof and 20,000g breathability is full-conditions technical spec. Anything below 15,000mm and you'll start to feel it in heavier snowfall or a wipeout.
For women who've spent years making do with jackets that pull across the bust, gap at the back when you sit, or force a choice between fitting your shoulders and your hips - our Anna Snow Jacket was built around the way women's bodies actually work. She's got bust gussets, a dropped back hem, hip gussets that expand the hem by up to 14cm, and two internal waist cinching tabs. AU6 to AU24 (US2 to US4X).
If you find you run warm, an uninsulated jacket or anorak will also work. Shell anoraks like our Sesi Snow Anorak is adjustable for your body shape and has an adjustable length option, too. Anoraks allow you layer up how you like depending on the weather, or if you run warm or plan to layer heavily with the same 20K/20K spec.
If you find you run warm, an uninsulated jacket or anorak will also work. Shell anoraks like our Sesi Snow Anorak is adjustable for your body shape and has an adjustable length option, too. Anoraks allow you layer up how you like depending on the weather, or if you run warm or plan to layer heavily with the same 20K/20K spec.
The outerwear pants
Snow pants face the same conditions from the waist down. Waterproof rating matters especially at the knee and seat, which have the most contact with snow.
The right cut depends on your body:
- Zali Snow Pant - wider hips and thighs with a shaping catering for smaller waists for hourglass and pear body shapes
- Beatrice Snow Pant - more room through the waist and mid-section, tapered leg, for those who carry through the middle with an apple body shape
- Mila Snow Pant - subtle curves with mild shaping through the hip and thigh, with an adjusted rise shaping for 'baby hourglass' or mildly curvy body shapes
All pants come in a range of SHORT, REGULAR, and TALL leg lengths. Head to our fit guide if you're between cuts.
Gloves or mittens
Your hands are the first thing to go when it's cold, and you'll use them constantly - every fall, every time you touch the snow to push yourself up. Getting this wrong means a cold and miserable day.
The core trade-off: mittens are warmer (your fingers share body heat), gloves give more dexterity. Snowboarders lean towards mittens because, unlike skiers, you don't need to hold poles - so you give up nothing meaningful by keeping your fingers together.
One detail worth looking for: a nose and goggle wipe panel on the thumb. It sounds minor. You'll use it on every run.
One detail worth looking for: a nose and goggle wipe panel on the thumb. It sounds minor. You'll use it on every run.
Goggles
UV intensity at altitude is much higher than at sea level, and snow reflects it back at you from below. Goggles are not optional.
Lens shape matters more than most people expect. Cylindrical lenses curve only left-to-right across your face - they're affordable and functional, but the vertical flatness creates more glare. Spherical lenses curve in both directions, which reduces distortion and glare and gives you better peripheral vision. If you're buying your first pair, cylindrical is a reasonable starting point. If you're buying your second pair, go spherical.
Look for double-layer lenses (standard on anything mid-price and above) and perimeter venting. Don't wipe the inside of the lens - the anti-fog coating lives on the inside surface and you'll damage it.
Look for double-layer lenses (standard on anything mid-price and above) and perimeter venting. Don't wipe the inside of the lens - the anti-fog coating lives on the inside surface and you'll damage it.
Helmet
Fit is the whole point: the helmet should sit level on your head with the front edge about two finger-widths above your eyebrows, with no rocking when you try to shift it. Check compatibility with your goggles before you buy - there should be no gap between the top of the goggle frame and your helmet brim.
If you're hiring at the mountain, hire the helmet. If you want the look and feel of a beanie, but with the safety of a world-class helmet, checkout Anti-Ordinary.
A note on layering
You will warm up once you're moving. Don't arrive at the mountain in every layer you own and wonder why you're sweating by your second run. Start with base + jacket + pants and adjust from there. Most outerwear has underarm vents for a reason.
Looking for everything in one outfit? Our outfit guide pairs jacket and pants by body shape and colourway, so you can visualise your full kit before you buy it.
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