Hiring ski jackets and trousers is a common choice for UK skiers, especially on a first trip. It saves packing space and it means you don't have to commit before you know you love it. But for a lot of women, hire kit is where the trip gets uncomfortable before you've even reached the lift.
If you're plus-size, shorter or taller than average, a mum whose body has changed, or organising a family trip, here's why buying your own is usually worth it.
1. Hire ranges thin out in bigger sizes
Hire shops stock what most people rent, so their ranges are deepest in the middle sizes. Even hire companies acknowledge there are limited options for anyone plus-size, taller or shorter than standard sizing. If you wear a UK 16 or above, there's a real chance the size you need is the one that's already out. Our plus-size ski wear runs UK 6 to 24 in every style.
2. One leg length doesn't fit everyone
Most hire trousers come in one length. If you're petite they bunch over your boots, and if you're tall they ride up the moment you bend your knees. Buying your own means you can choose Short, Regular or Tall, and petite skiers can start with our petite ski wear.
3. Hire kit isn't cut for curves
Hire kit is made to fit as many people as possible, which in practice means a straight cut. That's how you end up in trousers that fit your hips but gap at the waist, or a jacket that pulls across your chest every time you lift your arms. When we surveyed thousands of women, 69% had torn the crotch in their snow pants. Our trousers have an adjustable waistband and stretch panels at the hip, and the Anna Snow Jacket has bust and hip gussets. Our plus-size ski trousers guide explains which style suits which shape.
4. Half-term means picked-over stock
The February half-term is the busiest week of the UK ski calendar, and hire shops in resort feel it. Limited stock at peak times is one of the main drawbacks of renting. If you're travelling in the school holidays, buying early means your size is sorted before you leave.
5. Hire queues eat into your ski time
Queues for fittings are another well-known downside of hiring. On a week-long trip, that's time you'd rather spend on the snow, or in the café at the top of the lift. With your own kit, you put it on in the chalet and go.
6. The cost adds up over a few trips
Hiring looks cheaper for one week, but you pay again every trip. Looked after properly, a good pair of ski trousers should last five to ten seasons, so after a couple of trips you're usually ahead. Clothing packs into your suitcase too, so unlike skis there's no sports-bag fee to weigh up.
7. Your body has changed since last time
If you're skiing after having a baby, or your shape has changed since your last trip, hire kit gives you no room to adjust. Our adjustable inner waistband moves up or down a size, so your trousers can change with you rather than you buying again. And when you're the one packing for the kids, having your own kit ready to go is one less thing to sort out.
8. Family trips are easier with fewer hire bookings
Hiring makes sense for children, who grow out of everything each year. For the adults, owning your own means fewer hire bookings to manage and less time in the fitting queue with tired kids in tow. It also means you can get out on the first morning with everyone else.
9. You can practise in it before you go
If you're booking a lesson at an indoor or dry slope before your trip, you can wear your own kit for it. You'll know how it fits, how warm it is and how your layers work together before you're halfway up a mountain. Our guide to what to wear skiing covers layering from base layer to helmet.
10. Kit that fits lets you stop thinking about it
It's hard to relax on the slopes when you're tugging at your waistband or worrying about a seam giving way on the chairlift. When your jacket and trousers fit properly, you stop noticing them and start enjoying the skiing.
When hiring does make sense
Hiring is a good call if it's a one-off trip, if you genuinely don't know whether you'll go again, or for children who are still growing. If that's you, ask the hire shop what sizes and lengths they carry before you travel.
Try before you buy
If you'd like to try on before you buy, our UK stockists carry our ski trousers, salopettes and jackets. Or browse the full women's ski and snowboard outerwear range online, now delivered from within the UK.