Ski Kit
Intermediate
Progress from blues to blacks—and beyond—without breaking your budget.
Being an intermediate skier is exciting. The bunny slopes and green runs of your first days are in the rearview mirror, and now you’re making real turns and learning what types of terrain, snow, and ski style you like best. The products in our Intermediate Ski Kit will allow you to take the next step, with each pick designed to not only work the first time you use it on the hill, but also to shepherd you through lessons, lines, and conditions that might challenge you—but will nonetheless help you improve. Here are our picks, and we’ll see you on that black diamond you’ve been eyeing.
Atomic Hawx Prime 100 Boa ($520)
Rossignol Sender Soul 92 ($550)
Salomon Strive 12 GW ($240)
REI Co-op First Chair GTX ($319)
Helly Hansen Legendary Insulated ($205)
Glade Adapt 2 ($149)
Smith Method Pro MIPS ($185)
Outdoor Research Carbide Sensor ($130)
Ridge Merino Aspect ($80)
Smartwool Full Cushion OTC ($31)
Salomon Polar Ski Poles ($60)
This Goldilocks boot sits in the sweet spot for many skiers who are transitioning from blues to blacks and beyond. The Hawx Prime 100 (women's 85) is stiff enough for the responsiveness you need but not overpowering, and the medium-volume last takes comfort and precision into consideration.
Hardpack Performance
All-Mountain Performance
Comfort
Fit Customization
Build Quality & Durability
Sustainability
With a build and dimensions that play well both on-piste and off, the Sender Soul 92 is a Swiss Army tool that will help you explore more terrain. You won’t have to work too hard to drive it, though, and it’s not so wide or stiff that it’ll throw off your form.
The Strive 12 GW has enough heft and a high enough DIN to remain rock-solid for intermediate skiers who are trying to push their limits, as well as heavier folks cruising around the resort. It also won’t put as big a dent in your bank account as some other options.
It's almost impossible to snag Gore-Tex protection for less than $350, so the First Chair is somewhat of a pow-slaying unicorn. It's a smart pick for value-oriented skiers who still need top-notch protection for storm days and wet weather.
Weather Protection
Warmth
Comfort
Breathability
Durability
Sustainability
The Legendary just makes sense: the insulated pant is warm enough, waterproof enough, and stylish enough for most resort-goers. It’s also priced right, although skiers who are particularly hard on their gear may want to consider a more durable alternative.
Weather Protection
Warmth
Comfort
Breathability
Durability
Sustainability
You already have enough to think about over the course of a ski day, so let this goggle simplify your life a little. The Adapt 2’s photochromic lens provides a set-and-forget solution to shifting light conditions, and it comes with a price tag that undercuts most of the competition.
Optical Quality
Field of View
Lens-Change System
Comfort
Ventilation
Sustainability
A double shot of protective tech makes the Method Pro MIPS one of the safest helmets on the market—and one that costs a heck of a lot less than comparably armored competitors. Just be aware that its fixed vents and mediocre durability are more in line with its price tag.
Comfort
Warmth
Ventilation
Weight & Bulk
Durability
Sustainability
The Carbide Sensor is a comprehensive mitten, with full waterproofing, a durable leather and stretch-woven nylon shell, and enough insulation for most resort weather. It slides on easily and offers a fair amount of dexterity, which is a breath of fresh air compared to bulkier, warmer mitts.
Warmth
Waterproofing
Dexterity
Comfort
Durability
Sustainability
The Aspect is a high-quality merino base layer that’s more affordable than much of the competition. Well-designed thumb loops and a drop hem contribute to a classy vibe, and the addition of nylon helps with durability, structure, and dry time.
Warmth
Breathability
Durability
Comfort
Odor Resistance
Sustainability
You may notice that this is the same sock we featured in our Beginner Ski Kit. We’re not just being lazy: The Over the Calf is about as good as a ski sock gets, at a price that’s only a few dollars higher than less impressive competitors.
No need to get fancy here. The Polar is a functional, sturdy aluminum pole that doesn’t have any moving parts to freeze up or break. Its 6061 aluminum is a bit more durable than the 5083 variety in our beginner pole, the Evo Merge, thus the slight jump in price.
How We Built the Intermediate Ski Kit
Compared to our beginner and freeride ski kits, our Intermediate Ski Kit required a bit more thought to put together. We couldn’t simply pick products with budget-friendly prices and low skill barriers; it also needed more nuance than the freeride version, which basically comes down to “what’s the best ski gear on the market?” Instead, intermediate gear occupies an interesting niche. We designed this kit to feature products that neither the skier nor the weather will overpower, but that also won’t completely drain your finances—after all, you might still be figuring out whether you’re going all-in on this sport or not. Finding value in versatile products that might fly under the radar of the “expensive is best” crowd was also a priority.
Because being an intermediate skier can be looked at as a transitional phase, we sought to highlight gear that won’t stonewall your progress—you won’t find any mega-fat skis or crazy stiff boots here. But we also wanted to stick with options that won’t hold you back as your skiing improves.
Let’s start with the fun stuff. A quality pair of skis can accompany you as you transition from sliding turns and slow speeds to getting on edge and picking up the pace. As mentioned above, you don’t want to overshoot here with an overly wide and overly stiff model, which could be counterproductive to progress. Instead, aim for the middle: a ski with a medium width (roughly 85 to 95mm), moderate stiffness (avoid features like two layers of Titanal, which are hallmarks of a rigid, expert-level ski), and a mid-level price. Unlike beginner skis, bindings aren’t typically included (more on bindings below), but you can expect to pay around $400 to $600 for a full-price intermediate-level ski.
Case in point: The Rossignol Sender Soul 92 ($550), the chosen steed for our theoretical skier who’s graduated from greens but is still perfecting their form. In keeping with our versatility mandate, this is a do-it-all ski that’s relatively quick edge-to-edge thanks to its 92-millimeter-wide waist, but has enough surface area that you won’t feel overmatched off-piste. (It’s much wider than our beginner ski pick, the 78mm underfoot Rossignol Arcade.) The Sender Soul’s light, springy paulownia core helps with quick turns—good news for intermediate skiers getting into glade skiing or bumps, and something they’ll continue to take advantage of as they gain confidence in challenging terrain.
The Atomic Hawx Prime 100 GW offers a step up in stiffness from beginner boots that have flex ratings from about 70 to 90. Like the Sender Soul, though, it’s an approachable piece of gear that won’t make a skier feel like they're in over their head as they graduate to blue runs. We’ve tested the other boots in the Hawx series and have found that they boast reliable flex ratings and natural power transmission from skier to boot to ski. You won’t fight this boot to make turns, but it also has enough backbone to keep you from feeling like a newborn deer when you encounter chop and mank off-piste. (Heavier intermediate skiers can go up in stiffness to a Hawx Prime 110 GW if they need to.)
The Hawx Prime also has a widely appealing mid-volume last. It’s 100 millimeters wide, which will provide a skier with more precision than our beginner boot pick, the K2 BFC (which has a 103mm last), and offers better all-day comfort than a narrower boot like the performance-oriented Tecnica Mach1 LV (98mm wide). If you have a wider foot, you can always go up in volume to the Hawx Magna (103mm), or accommodate a narrower foot with the Hawx Ultra (98mm).
Bindings are an important safety item, and this’ll likely be your first time buying a dedicated set (beginner skis often come with bindings attached). The good news is that there aren’t nearly as many options as the dizzying array of skis on the market. DIN, or the release value of the bindings, is the key piece of the puzzle. You’ll see two DIN numbers listed in a range for all major ski bindings: the lowest setting will be the easiest possible release threshold for the binding, while the highest represents the maximum retention rating of the binding.
The highest DIN number is the most important, and beginner-level bindings usually max out at around 10, while expert models are 15+. Given that an intermediate skier isn’t leaning super hard into their skis or launching off any cliffs (hopefully), it’s fine to get a binding with a mid-range DIN value (a max of 12 should work for most intermediates). This’ll save you some money, as cost correlates with max DIN. Your body weight also comes into play, with heavier skiers needing a higher release threshold to avoid accidental pre-release. If you’re unsure, consulting a chart like this one from the Evo can help finalize your search.
Next, select the brake width that matches the waist width of your skis. The brakes need to fit around the sides of the skis to function, so you want to size up slightly. For the Rossignol Sender Soul 92, getting a brake width of 95 or 100 millimeters is perfect. As for our recommended binding? The Salomon Strive 12 GW is burly enough for this kit’s target audience, the 100-millimeter brake size pairs great with the Sender Soul 92, and it also works with the Hawx Prime’s GripWalk sole. Just like we planned it!
Before we get into the rest of the kit, a quick note on a mistake we sometimes see intermediate skiers make. We get it: You’re improving quickly, stoked on your newfound skills, and looking to push your limits on the hill. However, getting the stiffest boots and the widest, most powerful skis available can potentially hinder your progress, rather than help it. If you make the jump to ski boots designed for advanced and expert skiers, you may not yet be able to generate enough power to flex them properly. That’ll result in you fighting the boots at every turn and landing in the back seat, which will hamper your form and potentially put you at risk of injury.
In that vein, buying a wide, heavy ski that’s meant for powering through anything the mountain throws at you can backfire as well. Those models take more effort to neatly shape a turn, with some requiring exceptionally solid form to pilot correctly. You might get frustrated that the ski is driving you rather than vice versa, and remember—skiing is supposed to be fun! Better to master carving perfect arcs into the slope with a comparatively narrower, less burly ski. It’s not a cop-out, it’s simply using your ski smarts and making sure you keep learning with your form intact.
To understand our approach to intermediate ski apparel, let’s first differentiate between budget gear and bargain gear. We consider the former’s appeal to be primarily financial; we’ll never recommend that our readers buy something that doesn’t work, but it’s fine to accept some performance compromises in the budget category in the name of saving money. That’s why we filled our Beginner Ski Kit with budget apparel: There’s a good chance novice skiers are building their gear closet from scratch, and keeping costs low is important. It’s also likely that newer skiers won’t be getting out more than a few times per year, so affordable gear makes more sense on a cost-per-lap basis.
Intermediate skiers, however, should be all in on chasing bargains. In our minds, bargain gear holds its own on the mountain, but might be priced lower than premium options because it’s not chock-full of name-brand tech or is perhaps from a manufacturer that churns out a lot of products. Our jacket pick, the REI Co-op First Chair GTX, encapsulates the bargain mindset perfectly. REI is the big-box store of the outdoor world, and so it can price the First Chair competitively—at $319, it costs far less than most Gore-Tex shells on the market. It’s not a perfect ski jacket—the hanging liner isn’t great for breathability, and the styling isn’t our favorite—but it’s a great find for skiers who want top-of-the-line waterproofing without paying for a jacket with an Arc’teryx or Patagonia logo. In that same vein, the Ridge Merino Aspect is made from one of the best thermoregulating and odor-fighting materials nature has to offer, but only costs $80. Why did Ridge price this base layer so low? We’re not sure! But it’s been a team favorite in our testing and we’re more than happy to recommend it as a suitable alternative to base layers $20 to $50 more expensive..
The Helly Hansen Legendary Insulated Pant similarly doesn’t occupy the absolute lowest price tier of the models we’ve tested—that would be the Columbia Bugaboo V Insulated ($120) and the REI Co-op Powderbound Insulated ($159)—but on the other hand it’s certainly not Helly Hansen’s flagship ski pant. And yet, it’s a bargain! It’s warm enough and waterproof enough for you to wear on most ski days that don’t see temps in the low teens or extended heavy, wet snow (no Gore-Tex here, but it has Helly’s 2-layer proprietary Helly Performance membrane), and pretty dang comfortable to boot. Like the other pieces in this kit, the Legendary proves that you don’t have to spend big to get gear that won’t let you down on the hill.
That goes for our mitten pick as well. The Outdoor Research Carbide Sensor is built with a Gore-Tex insert, but it’s not a full leather mitten and so costs less than options from brands like Hestra, Swany, and Gordini. (Only some of those mittens are fully waterproof, though.) Nobody—especially you, avid and knowledgeable Better Trail reader—will mistake the Carbide Sensor for an award-winning piece of gear, but it’s easy to take on and off, comes with wrist leashes (that’s a biggie for us), and its 200-gram insulation is warm enough for your average resort outing. All of that and only $130? That is, indeed, a bargain.
Because intermediate skiers are going to be stepping out into steeper terrain and perhaps going faster than when they were sticking to greens, we decided to up the tech level from the helmet and goggles we recommended in the Beginner Ski Kit. In addition to MIPS, which has become the helmet industry standard for protecting against glancing blows to the head, our recommended helmet, the Smith Method Pro MIPS, also features Smith’s Koroyd material at the back and sides. Koroyd, which is a light, honeycomb-like material, works as a crumple zone that will absorb energy (instead of your cranium doing the absorbing) in the event of a crash.
Similarly, the Glade Adapt 2 is quite a bit advanced compared to the goggles that we’d recommend for beginners. Its photochromic lens adapts to changing light conditions, becoming darker in sunlight and lighter when shadows move in, so the wearer can focus on the line in front of them instead of stopping to change lenses. (Keep in mind that on particularly dark days or in flat light, a photochromic lens won’t work as well as a dedicated low-light lens.) The Adapt 2 still costs more than $100 less than photochromic goggles from Smith and Julbo, though, so it falls neatly into our bargain-hunting paradigm.
And finally, we’ll briefly contradict ourselves by saying that the Salomon Polar poles aren’t anything special. But that’s the point; with their dependable aluminum construction and a lack of moving parts (lever locks, telescoping shafts, things of that nature), they’ll last nigh forever, and let you save your money for the expert skis and boots you’ll want when you reach the next level of your ski journey.
Can’t find your size in one of our picks for this kit? Don’t like the color scheme? Think that we’ve gone off our collective rocker? Here are some tried-and-true alternatives that we also recommend:
- Boots: Salomon S/Pro Supra 100
- Skis: K2 Mindbender 90C
- Bindings: Look SPX 12 GW
- Jacket: Trew Gear Jefferson
- Pants: The North Face Freedom Insulated
- Goggle: Anon Sync MFI
- Helmet: Pret Cynic X2
- Glove: Dakine Titan Gore-Tex
Is the Intermediate Ski Kit for You?
The gear in our Intermediate Ski Kit is designed for skiers who want to take the next step. If you’re still mastering the art of the turn—and, let’s be real, that can take a lifetime—but want to push yourself in steeper terrain, at higher speeds, and with new confidence, these products can help turn you into the skier you want to be. Just remember: Don’t sit in the back seat, and don’t let vanity cause you to choose gear that might hold you back. (We’re mostly talking about skis and boots.)
If you’re just getting into skiing—welcome!—or perhaps sticking to a stricter budget, take a look at our Beginner Ski Kit. Seasoned shredders who are looking for the gear that will shepherd them smoothly and safely through all of the chutes, powder, and cliff drops they can dream of should head over to our Freeride and Backcountry Kits.
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