Of course, it's important to make sure your ski clothes are decent quality and will keep you warm and safe on the slopes. With a little time and effort, you can find good brands at discounted prices. You'll come to find out that "cheap" doesn't have to mean poor quality. Here's how, and where, to find cheap ski jackets and pants and discounted ski gear.
- Scour local "discount designer" stores. Did you know that stores like T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, Loehmann's, Nordstrom Rack, and Ross offer brand-name athletic gear at super-discounted prices? During the fall, check out your local store for winter sports gear. There's a good chance you'll find high-quality ski jackets, pants and even gloves and gaiters for cheap.
- Check out the online market places. Amazon.com can be a great source for discounts, and Overstock.com offers good deals on brand-name ski clothing for both adults and children. At other online outlets, like 6pm.com, you can sometimes find ski accessories (like high-quality ski socks, for example) and kids' ski clothing on sale, too.
- Do some bidding. eBay is a good place to find used, and sometimes even new, name-brand ski clothing (including ski pants, jackets, and even ski boots and skis) at surprisingly low prices.
- Search online ski outlets. Many online snow sports retailers will sell last season's goods at clearance prices. Some websites are even dedicated to outlet retail. Check out Evo.com's outlet, The House's clearance store, Peter Glenn's sale rack and Skiers Outlet for discounted ski clothing and apparel. Also, Sierra Trading Post offers savings of 35-70% each day.
- Consider renting ski clothes. Some ski resorts and ski shops offer clothing rental so you don't have to worry about bringing your own. If you're planning a ski vacation, search your resort's website and the surrounding ski stores to see if renting is an option. Mountain Threads is a company in Colorado that offers ski clothing and gear for rent at reasonable prices.
- Don't forget about department stores. Department stores like Macy's, Lord & Taylor, Dillard's, Sears, JC Penney, Kohl's and the like often sell middle-of-the-line winter sports gear. As department stores are known for their great sales and coupons, you can usually find decent winter jackets, fleeces and sometimes even snow pants at discounted rates.
- Try a ski swap or ski sale. See if your community has an annual winter sports gear swap or sale - you may be surprised by what you find! If you search online, there's web-based swaps too, like at EpicSki.com.
- Get back to the basic brands. If you're an occasional skier, you really don't need high-tech, top-of-the-line ski gear. Instead, consider buying multi-purpose winter clothes that work for various occasions - skiing, sledding, ice skating, even just running errands - rather than ski-specific gear.
Some good places to find basic winter clothing that will work on the slopes are L.L Bean, Lands' End and Columbia. All of these brands offer good quality winter jackets and pants that will serve you well on the slopes without breaking the bank.
