Buying guide

What length skis do I actually need?

Stand the ski next to you. It should reach somewhere between your chin and the top of your head — and which end of that range depends on how well you ski.

If you've read our snowboard guide, this is the interesting part: skis size off your height, snowboards size off your weight. Same sport, same mountain, opposite starting point — and it isn't arbitrary.

A snowboard is one platform under both feet. You bend it to turn, so what matters most is how much weight you can put through it. Skis are two independent platforms, one under each foot, and each one pivots around your boot. What matters there is how much ski sticks out in front of and behind you — leverage. A ski that's too long is a lever you can't move, so turns feel like hard work. Too short and there's not enough of it to hold a line, so it skitters at speed. Leverage scales with your body, which is why height leads.

Start here

Find your height, then read across to how you'd honestly describe yourself. This is for groomed runs and an average build — terrain and weight come after.

Notice what the expert column is: the same number as your height. A 165 cm skier on a 165 cm ski. That's not a coincidence — it's the top of the range, and it's where people who ski hard end up.

Then adjust for where you ski

Powder: add 10 cm. Backcountry: add 12. Length is float. Longer skis spread your weight over more snow so you ride on top of it instead of ploughing through — the single biggest change on this page, and the one people under-do.

Park: take off 6 cm. Shorter skis spin faster and are far less likely to catch a tail on a rail. Landing switch is easier too, with less ski behind you.

Moguls: take off 2 cm. Bumps are about quick, tight turns in a small space.

Ice and hardpack: add 2 cm. More edge on the snow means more grip when there's barely any snow to grip.

Groomers: leave it. The chart is already set for you.

Why ability moves it so much

Shorter skis turn with less effort and forgive a turn you started badly, which is exactly what you want while you're learning. Longer skis are more stable the faster you go and hold their line through cut-up snow — but they ask more of you to get them round a turn.

That's a full 15–20 cm between a beginner and an expert of the same height, which is why ability sits in the chart rather than as an afterthought. If you're between two levels, size down. A ski that's slightly short is fun; one that's too long is work.

And a nudge for build

Height leads, but weight still matters — it's just the correction rather than the starting point. Take your height in centimetres, subtract 100, and compare that to your weight in kilos. Then add roughly 1 cm for every 5 kg you're over, or subtract for every 5 kg you're under.

So a 180 cm skier is compared against 80 kg. At 95 kg they'd add about 3 cm; at 65 kg they'd drop about 3. Since skis are sold in 5 cm steps, this only shifts you a size if you're a fair way from the middle — which is exactly how it should work.

Worked example

You're 5'11" (180 cm) and 175 lb (80 kg), you'd call yourself advanced, and you split your time between groomers and powder.

Look for a 180 — the same number as your height, which for an advanced skier splitting time with powder is exactly where you'd expect to land. If the model jumps 178 to 184, take the shorter one if you spend more days in trees or bumps, the longer one if you like opening it up.

Things the chart can't tell you

Waist width changes the ski more than 5 cm of length does. A narrow ski (around 70–85 mm underfoot) goes edge to edge quickly and grips hard snow. A wide one (100 mm+) floats in powder but is lazy coming onto its edge on a groomer. Pick the width for the snow you actually ski most, then apply the length.

Turn radius is on the spec sheet if you want it. A small number (12–15 m) leans towards short, quick turns; a big one (18 m+) towards long, fast arcs. Worth a glance, not worth losing sleep over — length and width will shape how the ski feels far more.

Women's skis aren't just shorter. They're usually lighter, with the mount point moved forward slightly. Plenty of people ski whichever suits them; the length maths on this page doesn't change either way.