Last updated on December 4th, 2019 at 03:31 pm
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If you’ve got skis, you need a ski bag!
A ski bag is an absolute necessity if you take your skis with you on a bus, train, or plane. And it is essential when you put away your skis for storage at the end of the season.
But not all ski bags are created equally.
Some ski bags you need to carry in your hands. Others come with wheels and work a roller suitcase.
Some ski bags are padded while others are not. Padded ski bags adds extra protection, which is really important if you plan to bring your skis on a flight.
Some ski bags will only fit a pair of skis. Other bags will fit two pairs of skis together with a helmet, clothes, and even boots.
Before we take a look at some recommended ski bags, just some words of advice: in my experience, it is rarely a good idea to put in skis, which will barely fit in the bag. Even though it might technically be possible, often it stretches the zipper and fabric which will eventually lead to tearing. If I had 200 cm skis, I would go with a ski bag of at least 205 cm.
Whether or not your skis can fit in the bag will depend on the specifications from the manufacturer (how true to size is the bag?) and the wording from the seller (do they stretch the truth a bit?). It is always a good idea to read some reviews if you’ve got skis which can barely fit the length of the bag.
Also remember, that wet skis in a bag can cause the metal (like the edges and on the bindings) on the skis to rust. So it is always best to put your skis in a ski bag when they are dry.
With that out of the way, let’s take a look at some great options in ski bags.
Best single ski bags
The Athletico Diamond Trail Padded Ski Bag is an affordable padded ski bag of good quality.
The top and sides of the bag are made from durable water-resistant polyester fabric. The bottom is made from tarpaulin for extra protection against water and added durability. The bag also has air vents for ventilation, which will help reduce moisture building in the bag from wet skis.
The bag is available in two different sizes:
- For skis up to 185 cm you should get the 75 x 7 x 7 inches (192 x 18 x 17 cm) version.
- For skis up to 170 cm you should get the 70 x 7 x 7 inches (177 x 18 x 17 cm) version.
The bag comes fully padded, and also has padded carrying handles for further comfort. Inside you’ll find double compression straps to secure your skis and poles.
This bag is a padded bag of good quality which provides excellent value for the money for a single pair of skis.
The High Sierra Single Ski Bag is a nice looking simple ski bag of good quality. It comes in different cool looking designs.
The bag has a u-shaped opening on the top for easy access for stowing and reaching your gear.
It doesn’t come with a shoulder strap, but instead has extra long handles with padded comfort, which can double as such.
The compression straps on the outside are with a quick-release system and will keep your gear in place.
The bag is made from durable Duralite polyester and has
The bag measures 73 x 8 x 7 inches (185 x 20 x 17.8 cm) and will fit a pair of skis up to 180 cm (I wouldn’t recommend putting in 185 cm skis, as the specs read).
If you’re looking for a high-quality ski bag at an affordable price, you should take a look at the Thule RoundTrip Ski Bag.
This ski bag comes packed with a lot of great details.
- Decent padding on all sides. Good padding on the ends.
- Two padded ski sleeves will help to protect your ski tips.
- There’s a separate integrated pole storage compartment that adds extra protection for your ski poles and keeps everything organized.
- The S-shaped zipper will let the bag stay open and make it simple to stow and retrieve your gear
- Compression straps to keep your gear from shifting
- Removable, padded shoulder strap and convenient grab handles for easy transport
- Lockable Zippers
The bag is made from high-quality fabric with sturdy seams and durable zippers.
The bag measures 80.7 x 14.8 x 6.3 inches (205 x 37.6 x 16 cm) and will fit a single pair of alpine skis up to 192 cm.
Thule is known for high-quality well-thought-out gear, and this bag meets those standards. I do wish, that it had a foldable end for shorter skis though.
Best affordable ski bag and boot bag combos
If you just need a basic ski bag and boot bag for storage and for carrying your skis and boots from your car to the hotel, you should take a look at the inexpensive High Sierra Ski Bag and Boot Bag Combo.
This combo is made from durable water-resistant Duralite fabric and has self-repairing nylon coil zippers.
The ski bag measures 79.5 x 14 inches (201.9 x 35.5 cm) and will fit most skis up to 78.5 inches (200 cm). It has 3/4 length zipper, and one end can be shortened by folding it to fit shorter skis.
The ski boot bag measures 15.25 x 16 x 10 inches (38.7 x 40.6 x 25.4 cm) and will hold ski boots up to size 13 (US)/47 (EU)/12.5 (UK & AUS).
This is a basic set of ski bag and boot bag of decent quality which provides good value for the money. It is good for storing your skis in a dry room at the end of the season. It is also great if you want to keep your gear neatly bundled together when you drive to and from the ski resort in your car, and for carrying your skis and boots to and from the hotel, apartment or ski chalet.
This set is NOT padded. So if you’re going to take your skis on a plane or stuff it in the luggage compartment of a bus or a train, I would definitely not recommend this set.
The Athletico Adventure Two-Piece Padded Ski and Boot Bag Combo is an inexpensive ski bag and boot bag combo is made from water-resistant polyester. Both bags have a 5mm foam padding.
The ski bag measures 80 x 13.75 inches (203 x 35 cm). And just like the High-Sierra version above, it comes with 3/4 length zipper for easy gear loading. The specs state, that it will fit 200 cm skis, but I wouldn’t put skis longer than 190 cm in this one. If you got shorter skis it will roll together in one end to fit shorter skis.
Likewise, the boot bag is intended to fit boots up to size 13 (US)/47 (EU)/12.5 (UK & AUS). However, because of the padding, I wouldn’t recommend going above a size 10 (US)/44.5 (EU)/9.5 (UK & AUS).
Even though the bags run small compared to their stated specifications, this combo is still an affordable choice of good quality, which provides excellent value for the money. You can easily use this when traveling by plane or bus.
If the ski bag had wheels at one end, I think this would be the perfect ski bag and boot bag combo within this price range.
Best padded single ski bags on wheels
The Doucebag Slim Jim Ski Bag is the lightest wheeled bag in the world. As is the case with all Doucebags (no pun intended!) the Slim Jim is a high-quality ski bag with lots of cool features.
The bag can be fully folded and made into a handy-sized portable unit.
The outer shell, as well as the inner lining, are both made from high-quality polyester.
The ski bag measures 10.2 x 5.1 x 85 inches (26 x 13 x 216 cm). Through a clever buckle design, the bag can be fitted to several different ski lengths up to 210 cm, while staying rigid at the same time.
The wheels are of the sturdy in-liner style, which I always prefer over poor quality plastic wheels. (I have the same type of wheels on my bags for my heavy lighting and film gear).
This bag is a high-end product for the quality conscious skier, who wants to take skis on a plane or a bus and still have good protection.
Best padded double ski bags on wheels
If you want to easily fit two pairs of skis and poles in your bag to take with you on a plane, you’ll want to have a padded double ski bag on wheels due to the weight.
The Transpack Ski Vault Double Pro Wheeled Ski Bag is a high-quality ski bag that won’t break the bank.
The shell is made from durable and water-resistant ballistic nylon, with a tarpaulin bottom for extra protection. The shell has industrial strength compression straps for size adjustment.
The bag comes with nice padded handles – top and front – for comfortable handling when you’re rolling the bag.
Inside the padding is made from thick memory foam inside a nylon lining. You’ll also find internal adjustable web strap, and a zipper pocket for personal items.
The bag can be adjusted for three different lengths: 165 cm, 180 cm, and 195 cm.
Transpack is mostly known for their ski boot bags, which are highly regarded. And this wheeled double ski bag delivers the same high-quality, that we’re used to. And it’s very reasonably priced.
The Thule RoundTrip Ski Roller Bag is the same high-quality bag as the single version without wheels further up the list.
The difference is, that this bag will easily fit two pairs of skis with poles, and it comes with wheels. It also has structural reinforcement at the top of the bottom so it won’t bend or sack.
The inside of the bag is padded, and the skis are separated by a removable, padded divider which also doubles as a standing pad. Inside you’ll also find a zippered storage pocket.
The bag also comes with good-quality wheels.
The bag is available in two different lengths – one for 175 cm skis and one for 192 cm skis. Height x Width dimensions for both lengths are 18.1 x 7.5 inches (46 x 19 cm).
This is a high-quality no-nonsense bag that delivers great protection for your skis and poles – even if you’re traveling to the ski resort by plane, train or bus.
The Douchebag is an award-winning snow roller from the Norwegian company named douchebags. It is packed with a lot of cool features. It is made from the same high-quality materials as the single version mentioned earlier.
Instead of the traditional foam padding for protection, The Douchebag features a Rib Cage construction which is composed of strong and lightweight ribs that are foldable.
The bag is very lightweight. And when you add weight it is distributed towards the wheels. This takes the stress of your shoulders. You can even attach a douchebag backpack too. The backpack is placed at the bottom of The Douchebag near the wheels too, which again takes the weight off your shoulders.
The Douchebag features the same buckled length adjustment system as the single carrier mentioned above. This means you can fully compress it into a small bundle for easy storage.
The bag measures 82.7 x 15 x 7.3 inches (205 x 15 x 7.3 cm) when fully extended. It will easily fit two pairs of skis and poles or one pair of skis and poles, together with boots, helmet, and other gear.
This is a high-end product, and it isn’t exactly cheap. But it’s reasonably priced when you consider the quality and flexibility of this bag.