The Manual Snow Sports Awards 2023: The absolute best ski and snowboard gear we tested this season
First, some bad news: the 2022-2023 snow sports season is officially over. Though some spots still have skiable snow, warmer temperatures mean rocks and dirt now dominate our slopes. As we reflect on monumental snowfall in the West, it’s also time to take a look at the best gear we came across this season.
And that’s the good news: we tested some absolutely stellar gear this year. We rode some amazing boards, strapped into some incredible boots, stepped onto world-class bindings (you know we’re about that Step-On life, snowboarders!), and enjoyed the best apps, goggles, helmets, mittens, outerwear, and more.
Much of the gear we tested this season will be available next year, too. And hey, a pro tip: now is a great time to purchase the gear on this list. Off-season sales are happening now, and a lot of the products on our list are available. We test, and you save — what could be better?
Be sure to click links in product descriptions, too. We’ve embedded our product reviews to give you a full view of what you’ll be buying.
Enjoy!
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Best snowboard
Burton Custom X
Why is the Burton Custom X our choice for best snowboard? *Gestures broadly at everything.* This board is a go (almost) anywhere quiver-killer that begs you to be adventurous and aggressive with your riding. We can’t say enough good things about it, but you should read our full review for a more complete breakdown.
Best powder snowboard
Jones Mind Expander
Starting with the obvious, the Mind Expander looks incredible. It might be minimalist in design, but this board fully expands your opportunities in deep powder. You ride high over the deep stuff, and the Mind Expander surfs through trees and deeps, but this is a powder board you can still drive hard conditions call for it.
Best beginners snowboard
Burton Ripcord
Flat, flexible, and all-around fun, the Burton Ripcord is a board built for progression that comes in at a beginner-friendly price point. Burton has ripped up the mold that says beginners have to be contained to the bunny slopes. Pull the Ripcord and explore the whole mountain with turns that are dialed in and controlled.
Best intermediate snowboard
Lib Tech Terrain Wrecker 2023
If there’s a better intermediate snowboard to take with you anywhere in the world, we’re yet to see it. The Terrain Wrecker has its roots in the park, but it can’t be contained to one element. It bites hard in the ice, cruises through the soft and deep, and spins and tweaks with ease. Unleash the Terrain Wrecker and watch your riding elevate.
Best snowboard bindings
Burton Step-On
We’re firm believers that Step-On is the future. Some still love strapping in, but once you go strapless, you’ll never go back — but you could go backless if you get some Step-On lowbacks! The feel of snapping into place and carving the hills is uniquely sublime. We love Step-Ons and think you will too, if you’re not already using ’em!
Best snowboard boots
Burton Step-On Photon
Step-On bindings require dedicated boots, and the Photon is the best we’ve tested. It’s comfortable, and the boot’s ankle strap has strap-in vibes for those missing that feel. The Photon has a BOA lacing system and heat-moldable liner that conforms to your foot. It’s a stellar boot, and easily our go-to pick for a Step-On boot.
Best snowboard boots (honorable mention)
Thirty-Two
Choosing between boots from Thirty-Two is like picking your favorite powder run on a knee-deep day. Slightly stiffer than the Shifty, but slightly mellower than the TM-Two, the Lashed is a mainstay, mid-flex boot in the Thirty-Two range. The double boa just about cinches it over the traditional lacing for quick micro-adjustments on the fly.
Best snowboard binding tech
Nidecker Supermatic
While the world of bindings goes step-on, Nidecker has reinvented step-in so you can keep wearing your favorite snowboard boots. As you step in and put pressure on the heel plate, the high-back clips into place, ready to ride. To release, flick the lever and step out. All of this with the adjustment of traditional buckles.
Best outerwear
Burton AK 2L
The Burton AK 2L jacket and pants topped our list of snowboard clothing we were excited for this winter, and it remains on top. Insulation where you need it, vents where you want to breathe, unrestricted movement, full GORE-TEX construction, and stunning minimalist design. This is the snowboarding shell you should be wearing, period.
Best bib outerwear
Oyuki Goshiki Yamapro 3L
We’re not huge “bib” riders here at The Manual, but Oyuki’s set might have converted some of us. It’s a 3L GORE-TEX shell, and the upper part of the bib is stretchy to accommodate movement. It’s got plenty of pockets, and the fit is just right. Pair with the Goshiki 3L jacket to complete the look and get some of the best protection around.
Best jacket
DaKine Sender Stretch 3L
You were expecting us to say Burton, weren’t you?! We do love our Burton gear, but the DaKine Sender Stretch is that jacket we often reach for when we’re not sure what conditions will be like. It’s comfortable, protective, and we just love its thoughtful design elements (like how the pockets are angled for easy entry).
Best base layers
Tie: Burton and Outdoor Vitals
Synthetic or wool? The dilemma all skiers and snowboarders face. Both have their pros and cons, and both perform just about equally. Burton makes the best synthetic base layers we’ve tested this year, while Outdoor Vitals has the best all-wool clothing we’ve ever put on. So if you’re team synthetic, go Burton. Team wool? Hit up Outdoor Vitals.
Best goggles
Smith I/O MAG Imprint 3D
We’ve tested a LOT of great goggles at The Manual, but the Smith I/O Mag Imprint 3D is impossible to beat. The frame is literally customized to your face via an app that 3D scans your face. Smith also has a robust array of lenses for the 3D Imprint, and a really nice case to store the goggles in. This is the goggle you should buy.
Best intermediate goggle
Dragon RVX Mag OTG
The Dragon RVX Mag OTG look so good it’s hard to imagine that their performance matches up, but somehow it manages it. With tough anti-fog, easy magnetic lens swap, and uninhibited vision on the mountain, Dragon has absolutely nailed it with these. Check out our full review for all the details and first-hand performance.
Best beginner goggle
Spy Marauder
Spy makes great goggles at affordable prices, and our favorites are the Marauder. With such a vast selection of lenses, frames, and band colors to choose from, the hardest thing with the Marauder goggles is deciding which set you want. This lets you create a setup for your local resort with a quick-change spare for when you need it.
Best helmet
Smith Nexus
Two words: BOA and MIPS. The Nexus has both — AND a smart breathability system to keep your head cool, dry, and safe all day long. It’s a touch bigger than others, but that’s because there’s just a lot of tech packed in there. BOA keeps the fit right, and MIPS keeps your brain protected — and we will never compromise on that.
Best Helmet (Honorable Mention)
Anon Logan
We always love new tech, especially when it makes your ride safer and more comfortable. Wave Technology inside Anon helmets reduce rotational forces by flexing, crumpling, and then gliding to reduce forces and redirect energy elsewhere. Then there’s the Anon MFi Fleece hood, with magnets to connect to compatible Anon goggles for a no-gap fit.
Best accessory under $20
Crab Grab Board Thorns
So grippy you might just forget you’ve not strapped — or stepped — into your bindings. Two separate pads that fit across your board without hiding that sick top sheet graphic you bought it for. This will let you cruise lift-to-lift without having to strap in every time, and it might even stop your skier buddies from complaining for five minutes.
Best snowboard bag
DaKine High Roller
You know what’s just a lot of fun? Taking a trip just to go snowboarding. You know what bag gets your stuff there in style — and safely? The DaKine High Roller. It’s lightweight (so you don’t incur extra charges), carries just about everything (we packed ALL of our gear into one bag), and folds up for storage. Incredible.
Best gear bag
DaKine Boot Locker
Fun fact: When DaKine asked us to review their Boot Locker, we thought “…okay…why?” But we’re glad we did. As gear bags go, DaKine’s Boot Locker is about as perfect as we can imagine. Boots on the bottom, everything else up top. Load it up, toss it in the car, grab a coffee, head to the mountain. Rinse, repeat.
Best snowboard wax
Purl Eco Wax
Keeps you cruising without costing the earth. Purl goes beyond not using harsh chemicals like fluorines — which are dangerous to humans and end up in water sources — in their waxes by making them fully biodegradable. Don’t worry, though, Purl hasn’t compromised on quality, so you can ride better than ever while feeling great about your choices.
Best Pow Skis
Season Pass
Building from the success of the all-mountain Nexus, the crew at Season has successfully put together a ski for those creative powder hounds among us. Lightweight for those backcountry climbs but still stout and playful on the downs, all on a timeless black top sheet. Inbounds or outbounds, it’s all the same to the Season Pass.
Best All Mountain Skis
Elan Ripstick 96
Perhaps the best daily driver you can clip yourself into, the Elan Ripsticks really do rip in all conditions. These skis are burly enough for big hitters while staying lightweight and nimble for skiers with a more precise approach, from carving fresh cord to slashing the soft and creamy, with everything between.
Best Alpine Ski Boots
Atomic Hawx Prime 110
The Atomic Hawx Prime 110 is your go-to resort boot for every day of the season. Molding boot liners is nothing new, but the Mimic Gold Liner gets you an even closer fit than ever before for a pair of ski boots you won’t want to remove. The adaptable forward tilt lets you switch it up between fast and furious and chilled cruising.
Best Backcountry Ski Boots
K2 Mindbender
What happens when you take one of the most popular freeride ski boots on the market and add a boa system? The K2 Mindbender Boa is fully designed to keep you out on the mountain longer. K2 has jam-packed these boots with new tech that makes climbing easier and descending even more dialed in. Check out our full review for the down low.
Best Ski Bindings
Armada Shift 13
One binding to rule them all? Well, Armada — along with Salomon and Atomic — believe so, and we’re on board with it. The Shift fits your touring boot pins for the climb, but switch to alpine mode, and you get a fully locked-in feel and the security of knowing you’ll release. Built for every rider, everywhere.
Best All-round app
Slopes
Are you really hitting the hill if you don’t have Slopes on your phone? Seriously, there might be more to skiing than bragging rights, but don’t you want to be that guy at the end of the season with the most vert and for everyone to know it? Prove your prowess and record your runs every time you hit the snow.
Best Weather Service
OpenSnow
OpenSnow has been consistently the most reliable weather forecasting app we’ve found, no matter what country we’ve been in. Sure, you get accurate snow forecasts and up-to-date information from the resorts, but the best part is their on-the-ground reporters who tell you how it really is and takes the guesswork out of your day.
Best Store
evo
evo isn’t the biggest name in the game, but it’s the best retailer for your winter sports needs. Tons of gear in-store, incredible customer service, a rewards program, board and ski tuning, and fast shipping on items you find online – what’s not to love? We’ve turned to evo all winter long, and it’s become our go-to for all of our outdoors gear.
MEET The Judges
Nate is General Manager for all not-Digital-Trends properties at DTMG, including The Manual, Digital Trends en Espanol (DTES), 21Oak, NewFolks, The Angle, PawTracks, HappySprout, ToughJobs, and BlissMark. He was previously an Editor at Dice Insights, The Next Web, SlashGear, and Android Authority.
A former chef, lifelong snowboarder, documentary fiend, and avid traveler, Nate eats well, learns constantly, and falls down a lot of snowy mountains.
A London-born outdoor enthusiast, Tom took the first ticket out of suburban life. What followed was a twelve-year career as an adventure sports guide. This took Tom on cross-Scotland canoe trips, white water adventures in Nepal, sea kayaking in Norwegian fjords, mountain running in the Alps, and many more adventures. Tom is currently living back in the Scottish Highlands, spending as much time as possible exploring the endless rivers and ridgelines that make the country so special to him.