Protect your dome with the best ski and snowboard helmets

It's 2023. It's time to trade your winter beanie for some proper, slope-friendly head protection.

By Nate Swanner and Mike Richard February 1, 2023

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Outdoors

Get the best snowboard boots for comfortable connection

These snowboard boots will keep you in control on the mountain all day long

person snowboarding down a mountain with a wake of snow behind them.

Your snowboard boots are a vital link in the chain that connects your body to your snowboard. But more than that, they're where your feet will be for hours at a time when you're on the slopes. If you've moved on from rental boots already, you will know that having your own boots not only keeps you more comfortable throughout a day of snowboarding but also keeps your feet warmer and drier and gives you much greater control over your snowboard.

But when picking your perfect snowboarding boots, there's more to it than just finding a pair that looks great and fits your feet. Different boots suit different snowboarders. If you're a hard-charging carver, you'll need a pair of boots to match. Likewise, if you love sending spins and tricks, you need a softer and more playful pair of snowboard boots. We've picked out the best boots for various snowboarders this winter, so you can spend more time on the mountain and less time finding the perfect snowboard gear.

Outdoors

The best ski and snowboard jackets for bombing the slopes in 2023

You want to stay warm, dry, and comfortable on the slopes this winter. The right ski jacket will help you do just that.

Smiling nan in a red ski jacket and helmet standing on a ski slope.

We’re in the thick of the 2023 ski and snowboard season right now. We’ll assume you’ve already upgraded your most essential gear — new skis, ski boots, and ski goggles. Maybe you even splurged on a new ski backpack. But what about your jacket? A good ski or snowboard jacket is just as important as the hardware you’re riding on. Because, if you’re not warm, dry, and comfortable on the slopes, how fun is that?

The bad news is that the very best ski and snowboard jackets don’t come cheap. Premium outerwear usually incorporates next-gen waterproofing, down or high-grade synthetic insulation, and other technology to ensure you’re ready for the worst mountain conditions. None of that comes cheap. The good news is that we’ve done most of the legwork for you. We’ve found quite a few ski jackets at prices that almost anyone can afford with a good mix of value, functionality, and quality. Here are our picks for the best ski and snowboard jackets for 2023.

Outdoors

Don’t let the season stop you: Our top picks for the best winter hiking gear

Keep hitting the trails this winter with the best winter hiking gear on offer

It can be tempting — when the snow is falling and outside temperatures drop sub-zero — to get yourself comfortable on the sofa with a good book or a new film. But the winter months provide some of the best outdoor experiences of the year. With spectacular sunrises and sunsets, snowy scenes and quieter trails, it's not just skiing and snowboarding that you can do in winter in the US.

But winter requires a whole different set of gear to stay safe and warm and to enjoy your days out on the trail. Along with knowing how to navigate on the trail in the winter, understanding the dangers of avalanches — if they apply to where you hike — or knowing what to do if you get caught out in a storm, having the right winter gear is a seasonal essential. This list of eleven items isn't a comprehensive winter packing list, but it does contain some winter essentials and a few items that will make your winter days that bit better.