Top 10 Ski Bags

While gear is a necessity on any ski trip, most skiers don’t like transporting it from their homes to the ski center. It’s true that choosing which gear you want to bring, then packing/organizing everything and carrying your heavy equipment, can be quite tiring. However, this experience can become much better if you have a comfortable and spacious ski bag.

Also, after spending quite a lot of money on your new skis, you must protect them properly. In this article, I am going to talk about padding, capacity, maximum length, materials, and other important features of ski cases and bags. Also, I’ll review the best models of the year, so you can choose the one that best fits your skiing equipment.

Take a look at other articles to find the best ski pants, gloves, hats, backpacks, ski boot bags, action cams, snowshoes, and jackets.

THE 10 BEST SKI BAGS

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THULE ROUNDTRIP ROLLER

The Thule Roundtrip Roller is a super-spacious bag that can hold two pairs of skis and a pair of ski poles up to 192 cm long. This model includes a padded divider to separate the skis, several compression straps to keep everything in place, grip handles, and wheels for easy transport. It’s a bit bulky and heavy, but that’s because it has a resistant, solid construction.

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DAKINE FALL LINE

The Dakine Fall Line has a roomy design, so you can store up to two pairs of skis, two pairs of poles, some extra layers, and even a pair of boots. It all depends on how you organize and pack, but it’s a very spacious bag. This model includes a helpful exterior pocket in which you can keep a pair of gloves or a beanie. It’s built with high-density polyester and reinforced with a thick inner padding. In addition, it has wheels, which makes the bag easy to transport.

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DAKINE BOUNDARY ROLLER

If you need a little more room, you should take a look at the Dakine Boundary Roller. This model has a spacious interior of 13.5 x 11.5 x 78” and includes a special bag for your ski boots as well as an organizer bag for your clothes. The maximum length of the skis is 185 cm.

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SPORTUBE SERIES 1

The Sportube Series 1 is a hard case made from high-density polyethylene that includes padded tips for added protection. It has room for a pair of skis with bindings and a pair of poles. Its adjustable, telescopic design can accommodate skis from 122 cm to 210 cm and it can be locked with a TSA-approved lock. This is a great option for transporting your equipment to your next winter destination, whether you travel by plane, bus, train, or car (it can be tied down on the roof rack).

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SPORTUBE SERIES 2

The Sportube Series 2 has basically the same design as the previous case but is adapted to store two pairs of skis. Due to its larger size, it’s slightly heavier and less maneuverable. However, if you are looking for a resistant hard case in which to carry two pairs of skis on a plane or the roof of your car, this could be your best option.

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BLACK CREVICE

The Black Crevice is a great option for carrying a pair of skis, a pair of poles, and some extra accessories. This model is built with sturdy materials and includes a continuous double zip for easy access, as well as padded handles. You should not overload it, as it has no wheels.

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SALOMON EXTEND 2P

The Salomon Extend has an extendable design that accommodates various sizes of skis, a waterproof shell that keeps your gear dry, and padded shoulder straps for easy transport. Overall, it’s a great mid-range model with the guarantee of a consolidated brand like Salomon.

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ATHLETICO

This model features a resistant, waterproof, and well-padded design, all at a very attractive price. It includes two helpful compression straps so that your gear stays secure, and two shoulder straps for transport.

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AMAZONBASICS

The AmazonBasics is another good option for those who want a padded, resistant model without spending a lot of money. It’s made from high-density polyester for greater resistance and includes a waterproof backing so that the bag doesn’t drip on your way home. It’s not as durable as top-end bags, but it does the job and comes at an unbeatable price.

THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND BEFORE CHOOSING YOUR SKI BAG

SHELL MATERIAL

The most commonly used materials for ski bags are polyethylene, polyester, and nylon. Polyethylene is generally used to manufacture hard cases, as it’s solid, durable, and relatively lightweight.

Soft bags are usually made from polyester or nylon. High-end models feature fabrics with a high Denier value—for instance, 600 Denier or higher.

The Denier value indicates the fiber density of the fabric. the higher the value, the stronger the bag will be. You must pay attention to this value because a reliable ski bag should be resistant, even when overloaded.

In addition to looking for sturdy materials, make sure your model has high-quality seams. No matter how strong the fabric is, if the seams are bad, the bag will eventually break. Avoid low-quality models that cost $15 dollars and things like that.

WATER RESISTANCE

Although it will depend on the composition, quality, Denier value, and other characteristics of the used materials, most ski bags are either water-resistant or totally waterproof.

This is an important feature, as many skiers use the extra room to store clothes and other belongings that shouldn’t get wet. A waterproof bag will keep all your gear dry if you get caught in the rain.

CONSTRUCTION

Soft bags

Soft bags are usually flexible, lightweight, and versatile. These models offer more storage options for other parts of your winter gear, while they tend to be cheaper (although some high-end models can be as expensive as hard cases).

Generally, they don’t offer as much impact resistance as hard cases, but they can be folded and packed quite small, which makes them easy to store.

Hard cases

Hard cases cannot be folded, and they aren’t as easy to maneuver as soft bags. However, they offer higher impact protection and durability. These bags are the perfect option for skiers who regularly take planes during their ski trips. Hard cases are generally heavier than soft bags, but most of them have wheels for easy carrying.

SINGLE BAGS AND DOUBLE BAGS

Single bags are designed to store one pair of skis, while double bags can accommodate up to two pairs. These are the two most common types of bags, although some models can store three or more pairs of skis.

Everything will come down to how many skis you want to transport, as well as how much gear you need to pack. For instance, many skiers use a double bag to carry only one pair of skis, then use the remaining space to store other pieces of equipment, such as jackets, pants, gloves, etc.

If you aren’t carrying many clothes and know how to pack smart, you may be able to pack all your ski gear in one bag.

SKI LENGTH

Skis come in different lengths, so make sure your bag is long enough for them. Some models are available in various sizes, which can be expressed in centimeters or inches, depending on the manufacturer. Keep in mind that many bags are not very stretchy, so if you are debating between two sizes, you should choose the longer one.

PADDING

Some basic models are poorly padded or not padded at all. Basically, they are nylon bags that you can use to transport your skis. If you don’t want to spend much money, this could be a solution. However, your skis could get scratched easily.

I recommend that you look for highly padded ski bags (some models can be quite inexpensive), so your skis will be better protected from impacts. If you need a bag that accommodates two pairs of skis, look for a model with a padded divider to separate the skis. This way, you’ll keep all your gear well-organized and protected.

CAPACITY

Some models have room for plenty of gear, like a jacket, a pair of pants, a beanie, a helmet, a pair of goggles, and even your ski boots. Actually, these models look more like big duffel bags or cargo bags.

Although it’s great to keep all your gear in the same place, this will inevitably increase the chances that your gear will get scratched. If you are going to keep all your equipment in the same bag, I recommend that you use packing cubes to store some parts of your equipment (like your ski boots) separately.

EXTRA COMPARTMENTS

Even the most basic of models include a few extra compartments for storing a cleaning cloth, a bar of ski wax, a pair of spare socks, and other small belongings. These compartments are usually small zippered pockets, which can be easily accessed from inside or outside the bag.

WHEELS

If you need to transport a lot of gear, you should look for a wheeled bag, especially if you need to travel long distances or if you are flying. The main drawback is that wheel systems make bags even heavier and sometimes more difficult to maneuver (for instance, when you want to pack your bag inside your car).

If you are going for a wheeled model, make sure it features a solid structure so that the bag doesn’t flex when you are dragging it.

TRAVELING WITH YOUR SKI BAG

By car

If you are planning to pack your bag inside your car, you should choose a soft bag, as it will be easier to move and maneuver. You won’t need a highly resistant bag because it won’t suffer strong impacts once it’s inside the vehicle. If you are going to tie it down on a roof rack, I recommend that you use a hard case for added protection.

By plane

Although some highly padded soft models can be OK for air travel, nothing can beat the impact protection of a hard case. Some airport operators are not particularly careful with the luggage, so it’s best to avoid risks.

By the way, most airlines will allow you to travel with a ski bag (except, sometimes, light aircraft). Just keep in mind that you’ll have to pay for extra luggage. To give you an idea, you may face fees of $50 to $150 depending on the airline and distance to cover.