When to Buy Skis to Save Money
Going on a ski vacation can be thrilling and a ton of fun, but it can also be costly. If you have started to really enjoy going skiing, you may be wondering when is it time to buy your own skis?
Most people that go on ski vacations will rent their skis at the resort, but those rental fees do start to add up. Let’s dive into when it makes sense to buy vs rent, the best month to buy skis, and some tips to save money!
When does it make sense to buy skis?
In order to truly understand when it is time to buy your own skis and to stop renting skis and ski equipment, we need to look at our habits. Some people only go on a ski trip once a year, where others may go a couple of times a year. This can make a huge difference in the possible cost savings.
Here are things to consider when determining if there is a savings:
- Amount of use (how many times you go skiing in an average year)– more than likely if you only go skiing once or twice a year, then the possible savings of buying skis and ski equipment will be less. If you go multiple times every year, then there may be some money savings by buying your own equipment.
- Cost of rental for year vs cost of buying – some skiers will go to the same resort over and over again, and others will try different resorts for each trip. If you look back at your rental fees from each resort, you will see that some resorts are more expensive than others. Some resorts even give discounts if you are renting equipment for more than 4 days at a time. So, if you typically only rent skis for 2 days you will pay more than if you rented over a longer period of time.
- Average length that ski equipment lasts – Just like any other equipment, skis and ski equipment do have a life span. Typically, skis will last 8 years when purchased new. Other equipment like boots will typically last for 50-200 days of use. Smaller items like gloves and coats can last for many years.
- Growth as a person and in skill – in order for ski equipment to last for the longest amount of time it needs to be paired up to a person based on their skill level and their sizing. So, if you have a teenager and you buy skis that fit at age 13, by the time the skis are 8 years old they may not work for a bigger and taller 21-year-old. Also, odds are good that the teenager’s skill level will increase significantly over the span of 8 years.
If we take into account these 4 pain factors of buying skis, it seems like it will be a better option to buy skis for adults and if they will use them more than 4 times a year.
Best Month to Buy Skis
The absolute best time to buy skis to save money, will be to buy at the end of Ski Season. This means that you should buy skis from late February to April to get the best deals.
There are many ski shops and online stores that offer skis year-round, but they are more likely to offer deals and sales towards the end of ski season when the snow is melting. During summertime, a lot of ski shops will offer last year’s models at discounts, so you could score huge savings.
I am a huge fan of letting the sales come to me, so I encourage you to sign up for email newsletters from a few different ski shops. This way you will get an alert for when different sales are happening.
You can also sign up for Google Price Alerts if you know a very specific brand and type of equipment. Not only will it tell you if the price is going up or down, but it can also predict pricing trends to come.
The absolute worst time to buy skis will be when ski season is just about to start or when it is at its peak. This is also when each ski maker will put out their newest models. Ski and ski equipment will be at its highest price because the demand is also super high. Avoid buying skis and ski equipment from November to January.
Tips to Save Money on Skis
Buying skis and ski equipment can be a fairly large investment. You are not just buying one piece of equipment; you are buying multiple pieces that all interlock and work together. Depending on the type of skiing that you love, you may end up buying extra accessories specific to certain snow conditions.
Here are 3 Tips to save money on Skis:
- Growth/ Sizes: We already know that the main piece of equipment for skiing, the skis typically last for about 8 years of use. Our bodies do change over time, and in a decade, they can change a lot. If you are someone who’s size has typically stayed the same for decade, then this will not impact you much. Typically speaking, someone who weighs less will want shorter skis. If you weigh more, you will want longer skis. If your weight tends to swing a lot, you may be better off just renting skis in order to make sure your skis are situated to your weight. Ski length can make a huge difference in your skiing experience.
- Shelf life – Back to the 8-year equipment life, are you prepared to use only the same skis for the next 8 years? Ski manufacturers aren’t really changing the way skis are made every year but they do tend to make adjustments. I would make sure that you love the skis you buy and that they are specific to conditions that you will be using for the next 8 years. If you tend to go to lots of different ski resorts for every trip, it may end up being better to rent skis based on the conditions at each location. Not every ski is made for every snow condition.
- Short or Long Term Hobby– As we grow older and wiser, our tastes also tend to change as well. Just because we love skiing today, we may not want to ski for the next 8-10 years. We may want to change to snowboarding or to warmer sport. We need to keep this in mind before buying skis. Are we still going to want to go skiing 4+ times a year for the next decade?
Now you may be wondering how these 3 tips are going to save you money. Well these are 3 questions, that people typically ignore when buying skis. All you need to do is check out Facebook marketplace, and you will see lots of “almost” new skis for sale.
Pro Tip: you can sometimes find great deals on used skis, almost new gear, and new gear from last season by checking the Facebook marketplace. You may want to wait on buying used skis and used gear for your 2nd purchase, so you have a better idea of what to look for and what to avoid.
Sometimes we get a little too excited about a fun hobby or sport, and we deep dive into it with all brand-new equipment. Unfortunately, things do happen, and a lot of people find themselves regretting the purchase after a few years.
The average cost of a full set of ski equipment for one person can range anywhere from $600 to $1500. Now if you have a family of 4, you could easily spend $6000 for all the equipment.
This is just the equipment and not including ski gear like ski suits, gloves, and jackets. For most average recreational skiers, the savings of buying skis is probably not very much when you divide the cost over the number of times you will use it for the next 8 years.
Renting vs Purchasing Skis
Renting anything is usually a drain on your finances. Generally speaking, I rarely recommend renting an item that you will use more than once. Skiing is one of the few times that renting usually makes more sense than buying.
On the other hand, ski equipment can actually be similar to a car. Every person is looking for different perks in their equipment. Unless you have tested a ton of ski equipment, it will be very difficult to know which skis you like best.
Have you ever seen someone buy a car without test driving it? I actually know someone who bought a Mustang Convertible from a dealership without test driving it first. The salesperson could care less about whether this person actually took a test a drive, they just wanted the commission for the sale.
It turns out the Mustang was actually for my friend’s wife, and it was to be a Christmas present. She had always loved the look of the car and it was on her wish list.
Unfortunately, my friend’s wife is just barely 5 feet tall, and the Mustang was not really suitable for a shorter person. No matter how she adjusted the seat and the steering wheel, the car was just not very comfortable to drive, and she actually had a lot of blind spots.
They ended up selling the car 6 months later and ended up losing money on the car. Can you imagine this same scenario with skis?
Just because you like the way the skis look, doesn’t mean that they will work for your body frame or your style of skiing.
This is one of the reasons that I love renting skis. I can try numerous brands, styles, and if I start with one pair and I don’t like it, I can change skis in the middle of my day at no additional charge.
Other things to consider about renting vs buying skis:
- Ski Storage– Do you have space to store your skis while you are not skiing? Since ski season lasts from November to April, you will need to store your skis for approximately half the year. Skis can get kind of tall, so you will need a dedicated space like in a closet to keep them. Lots of people like to store their skis in attics or garages, but these places can get very hot in the summertime. Excessive heat can actually damage skis and snowboards, so make sure you have a place picked out that is inside the house like a hallway storage area or a coat closet.
- Travelling with Skis– Depending on how you get to your favorite skiing destination, you will have to find ways to travel with skis. The two most common ways are to fly or to drive. If you fly to your ski vacation, your skis and other equipment like ski boots will need to be checked in with baggage. Your skis will also count as a checked bag, so you may end up paying extra fees to make sure your clothing and equipment make it to your destination. If you are driving and don’t have a van or large vehicle, you will need to look into buying a roof rack to hold your skis. You can buy a decent ski rack for your car for about $100, but you will need to make sure it is installed correctly. Ski racks are also going to expose your skis to weather and skis tend to get very dirty on top of a car. These extra baggage fees and travelling accessories can add to your total ski equipment cost.
- Maintenance and Repairs– If your bindings break, or your ski gets a deep groove, you will have to consider where you will get your maintenance and repairs done. Is there a shop local to your home that can repair your skis? Skis are typically waxed once a year, and you will save time by getting them waxed near home. Your other option is to wait on a ski shop at the resort to wax them which could waste a few days of your vacation. Where I live in GA, there is one ski shop that is about 3 hours away from me that I can use for maintenance and repairs. This is not really convenient and needs to be added into the cost of buying skis.
Example of Cost to Own vs Cost to rent Skis
Let’s do so quick math on a family of 4 skiiers that typically go skiing 4 times a year. Each trip is typically 5 days for a total of 20 days a year they will be using the skis.
For this example, we will use average costs associated with each item.
| Owning Skis for 1 year | Renting Skis for 1 year |
| Total Equipment for 4 people: ($1050 x4) = $4200.00 | Equipment Rental for 4 people: avg of $40 per person per day (40 x 4 ppl x 20 days)=$3200.00 |
| Cost of Ski Rack $100 (one time fee) | no ski rack needed |
| Cost of extra checked baggage ($50 per person both ways x 4 trips) = $1600 | no extra checked bag fees |
| Cost of yearly maintenance & tune-ups on skis ($60 per person x 4 ppl) = $240 | no yearly maintenance and repairs. |
| Total for 1 year of ski ownership: $6140.00 | Total Cost of 1 year of ski rental: $3200.00 |
| Cost over next 7 years: ($1840 x 7) = $12,880 | Total cost over next 7 years: (3200 x 7) = $22,400 |
| Total cost for 8 years = $19,020 | Total cost for 8 years = $25,600 |
Most people only compare the total cost of equipment ($4200) and the total cost of rental ($3200), and assume that the cost to own skis is cheaper in the long run.
They don’t consider the cost of actually owning, storing, travelling, and caring for skis. At the end of 8 years, it is cheaper to buy your own skis………but 8 years from now are you still going to be taking the same number of trips, still be the same size, and the same skill level? Plus, if your bindings break or your skis get damaged, you will have to foot that bill too.
Keep in mind that with ski rental, you no longer have to store them, travel with them, care for them, or repair them. So overall it may cost you an extra $5000 to rent, but if you take into account what goes into ski ownership you may still come out ahead. In fact, you can even look into ways to save money on rental fees too!
Over the years, I have noticed that employees that work in the ski rental shops at resorts are extremely friendly and helpful when picking out equipment. They will give you tips and tricks to make the most of your ski day at the resort.
On the other hand, most ski shops that sell skis just want to make a sale, and most salespeople make commissions on purchases that are made. This makes salespeople less likely to want to help you make the best purchase, and more likely to just want to make a sale. I find that they tend to gloss over what goes into ski storage, travelling with skis, and ski maintenance.
If you are seriously looking into buying skis, I would make a list of all the individual costs that come with owning skis. This needs to include how often you ski, if your skill level will greatly improve with time, will you still enjoy skiing after a few years, and also the storage and travelling with skis.
You may find that when comparing the cost of buying skis and renting skis the price comes out better, but over time the long-term costs will make renting a better investment.
For more helpful tips to save money on vacations, check out “How far in advance should I book a hotel?“
