General product questions

How do I choose the right size of ski wear?

Sometimes it is difficult to choose the right size of your ski clothing online. We will try our best to help you out.

If you are not sure about the size of your ski jacket of ski pants you need, it is sometimes worth trying on a few jackets or pants as every brand fits differently. Some brands may come up smaller than others in the same size as styles may vary.

You usually want your ski jacket to be relatively fitted with enough space for movement of your arms and at your waist with your base layer on. So before you try on your ski jacket, remember to put on a base layer first. 

In case of an insulated ski jacket, you will not need much room for layers as this kind of jacket should be warm enough. If you choose a thinner shell jacket, you may consider more space underneath for more layers to keep you warm.

If you look for well-fitting ski pants, it is important that your pants have enough space for your base layer and offer you enough comfort when bending, twisting or just sitting. Also, the length is important. Most ski pants are longer than your regular pants. They have extra length to cover up your ski boots. Some brands, like Spyder, Icepeak or Maier Sports offer short and long lengths for short or tall people.  

On our product page we indicate how an item fits and we provide the measurements of our models and sizes of the items they wear. If it says that the item fits 'normal', you can just order your normal size. If it says that the item fits bigger, then you might consider ordering one size down.

There are also general size charts available for many brands. This allows you to compare your own body measurements with the ones in the size charts. You can find some size charts.

How do I maintain my ski clothing?

Taking good care of your ski clothing helps it last for years. Proper washing, drying, maintenance and storage lengthens the life of fabrics and leaves it ready for your next skiing adventure. 

How to wash your ski wear?

  • Read the care instructions on the label! You can ususally use mashine wash at 30°.
  • Carefully remove fur from the jacket and the belt if your jacket has one.
  • Wash the garments like base layers inside out.
  • Fasten all zippers and velcro.
  • Use a mild special detergent without softener, which is suitable for this kind of clothing, for example Nikwax Tech Wash, then Nikwax TX.Direct Wash-In for ski jackets and pants or Nikwax Base Wash for base layers.
  • You can add a colour fast wipe for clothes with a strong colour contrast.
  • An extra rinse is recommendable to make sure that all remaining detergents are removed (they can reduce water repellency).
  • Take your clothes out of the washing machine immediately after the cycle is finished.
  • Follow the drying instructions on the care label. 
  • If the label allows, you can iron some items at a low temperature.
  • Store your ski jacket on a hanger and the pants either flat or on a hanger.
  • Do not store your ski wear in bright light for a long time.
  • You can use a reproofing detergent to prolong the performance of your jacket and pants, for example Softshell Proof. Follow the instructions on the bottle to get the best results. 
  • If you have a down jacket, use a down-specific agent, like Nikwax Down Wash Direct.
  • We usually recommend to dry down jackets in a dryer on low heat with a few tennis balls which break up wet feather clumps and make the jacket dry faster.  

Click here for all maintenance products.

Do you want some more tips about the storing and maintaining of skiwear? Find our blogpost here!

How do I maintain my skis or snowboard?

It is important to take good care of your skis. You can have your equipment maintained by someone else, but you can also wax and sharpen your skis yourself. There are a number of steps for this, for which you need different products.

Step 1: sharpen the steel edges for good grip and steering.

Step 2: grinding and cleaning the base.

Step 3: waxing the skis, so that your skis glide better..

 

(Minimum) requirements:

  • Ski clamps
  • Wax
  • Brushes (synthetic, horsehair and copper)
  • Edge sharpener and scraper/scraper
  • Smart waxer/iron

Make sure you maintain your skis or snowboard before and after the winter sports holiday. Explanation and videos about the maintenance of your skis can be found here.

What is a water column?

The water column is often indicated in the description of a garment. This indicates the water resistance of the material. The higher the water column value, the more water pressure the garment can handle. To get more insights on the water column, take a look at our blog post!

To find out what the water column of a certain type of material is, we look at how many millimeters of water are needed before the material starts leaking. The amount of water puts pressure on the material, causing it to leak over time. When a garment has a water column of 5,000 mm, this means that the material can withstand a maximum pressure of 5 meters of water.

To get an indication of the water resistance, an overview is given below:

0 mm The ski jacket or ski pants are not waterproof.
0 mm - 1,000 mm The ski jacket or ski pants are water-repellent, but not waterproof.
1,000 mm - 5,000 mm The ski jacket or ski pants are waterproof against rain or snow, but not resistant to any form of pressure. When you sit in the snow or get kicked in, the material will most likely leak through.
5,000 mm – 15,000 mm You can assume that the ski jacket or ski pants are waterproof. The material can withstand rain or snow well and is also resistant to many forms of pressure. Only when you are in the snow for a long time, there is a chance of leaks.
15,000 mm – 30,000 mm Even under the most extreme pressure, you can assume that your ski jacket or ski pants are waterproof. Making angels in the snow is no problem with this water column!
30,000 mm and more  When the material has a water column of 30,000 mm or more, it is completely waterproof. When you fall through the ice with this, you stay as good as dry! (Just remember that water can still get in at the openings of the garments).

 

What does breathability mean?

When you are active, condensation can easily form on the inside of the fabric. The breathability indicates the extent to which the material can transport moisture (sweat) from the inside to the outside: the water vapor permeability. This is usually indicated in MVTR (Moisture Vapor Transmission Rate) and RET (Resistance Evaporation Transmission).

MVTR indicates the amount of water vapor (in grams) that passes through the fabric per square meter in 24 hours. The higher the MVTR value, the greater the breathability.

RET indicates the water barrier resistance of a substance. The lower the RET value, the greater the breathability.

We wrote a more extensive blogpost about the breathability of ski wear. 

Check out our blog post about breathability here!

What kind of ski goggle lenses are there?

You have various lenses for ski goggles. Some glasses have interchangeable loose lenses. Others have a lens that adapts to the light and dark weather conditions.

Lens type Light transmittance Weather type
Category 0 80-100% Suitable for heavy clouds
Category 1 43-80% Suitable for cloud cover and snow
Category 2 18-43% Suitable for light clouds
Category 3 8-18% Suitable for sunny weather conditions
Category 4 3-8% Suitable for very sunny weather conditions


Polarizing: A polarizing lens blocks the bright light from reflections of water or snow. As a result, you cannot be blinded by the light and you maintain good vision.

Photochromatic: A photochromatic lens changes with the light intensity. This allows you to maintain good visibility, despite the fact that the weather can change strongly.

Spherical lens: The spherical lens is curved in four directions (left, right and up and down). This gives you excellent optical visual quality without distortions. The horizontal and vertical arc ensures that you have a wide field of view.

Cylindrical lens: This lens is curved in two directions (left and right). This gives you a panoramic view of the slopes. In addition, this lens has a more vintage-like appearance than the spherical lens.

Anti-fog: An anti-fog treatment prevents your lens from fogging up on the inside.

Single lens: With a single lens there is a chance of condensation. These lenses are often treated with an anti-fog coating, but this does not guarantee that condensation really does not form.

Double lens: Do you want to prevent as much condensation as possible in your ski goggles? Then it is useful to purchase ski goggles with a double lens. This gives you a layer of air between the two lenses that prevents condensation.

Are there skigoggles/visors for over your normal glasses?

Yes, you can recognize them by the word OTG in the title. OTG means Over The Glasses. In that case, the ski goggles and the visor of a helmet can be worn over the normal glasses. These OTG ski goggles and visors have more space between the goggle and the face, allowing any normal goggle to fit under the goggle.

How do I keep my ski goggles clean?

It is nice to always have clean ski goggles for the best view. However, you can seriously damage your ski goggles or visor if you don't work properly. Therefore, make sure that you always clean your ski goggles or visor with a special glasses cleaning cloth.

How do I increase my chances of buying well-fitting ski goggles?

Because everyone has a different head shape, it is difficult for brands to design suitable glasses for everyone. Fortunately, there are brands that try to take this into account by applying additional techniques. Ski goggles can therefore be suitable for everyone! For example, one has a very narrow head and the other a small nose bridge (the part of your nose where the ski goggles rest). To increase the guarantee of a well-fitting ski goggles, some brands use double and triple foam layers. This increases the chance that the ski goggles fit well on your nose and face. The more layers, the smoother it will conform to your face shape.

What types of ski helmets are there?

At SkiWebShop you can find three types of ski helmets.

Hardshell ski helmet: With the hardshell ski helmet, the hard outer shell is fitted separately from the soft foam layer (as opposed to in-mould). The disadvantage of this ski helmet is that it is a bit heavier. However, it protects better against branches and other sharp objects. The hardshell ski helmet is mainly suitable for people who go off-piste or like freestyle.

Hybrid ski helmet: A hybrid ski helmet is a combination of hardshell and in-mold. Hardshell is used in places where the risk of intrusion is greatest. In-mold is used where comfort is most important. In this way, the ski helmet is lighter in weight than a hardshell ski helmet, but protects better than an in-mold ski helmet. The hybrid ski helmet is the best choice for the all-round skier.

In-mold ski helmet: An in-mold ski helmet is the lightest variant of helmet. This makes it a lot more comfortable. The in-mold (hard outer layer) is fused to a foam layer (often EPS liner). Because the ski helmet is very light, it is also less strong. You get dents faster and you are less protected against sharp objects. The in-mold ski helmet is suitable on-piste and for the recreational skier.

To get a better insight into our types of ski helmuts, take a look at our blog post here!

What is the difference between sheepskin and goatskin ski gloves?

The ski gloves that SkiWebShop sells regularly contain sheep or goat leather. But what is the difference actually?

Sheep leather is naturally soft and supple. Due to the good breathability, it is excellent to use for ski gloves. The appearance is elegant and the wearing comfort is experienced as very nice. Sheepskin gloves are ideal for rainy and cold weather.

Goat leather is a somewhat thicker, firmer type of leather. The relief gives the ski gloves a cool look. Goat leather is very durable due to its sturdiness. The longer you wear goat leather gloves, the more beautiful the leather will look. Goatskin gloves are ideal for wet and cold weather.

If you want to know more about the difference, check out our blog post here!

What kind of wax do I need for my skis/snowboard?

  • Alphamix (yellow)
    • Greasy wax for skiing on warmer surfaces.
    • Suitable for soft, fresh snow.
    • For a snow temperature between 0° and -4° degrees Celsius.
  • Beta mix (red):
    • Base wax.
    • Suitable for all snow types.
    • For a snow temperature between -4° and -14° degrees Celsius.
  • Natural Ski wax (white):
    • All-round base wax.
    • Suitable for all snow types and temperatures.
  • Ultra mix (blue):
    • Harder wax, also called glacier wax, for icy surfaces.
    • For a snow temperature between -8° and -20° degrees Celsius.

Which brush do I need to maintain my skis/snowboard?

Step 1: Steel or Bronze Brush. For cleaning the ski and adding structure.

Step 2: Horsehair Brush. For removing the excess wax.

Step 3: Nylon Brush. For polishing the ski.

What is the difference between a hardshell and softshell jacket?

Softshell jacket does not offer an insulating layer, that is why it is not suitable for use in very cold weather conditions. Unless you wear a warm thermal layer or and a sweater underneath. Softshell jackets are designed for outdoor use as a part of the layering system, but they can also be used alone in light weather conditions if they are water-repellent and highly breathable. They are very stretchy so they give you a lot of freedom of movement. 

A hardshell jacket is a waterproof jacket. It is not insulated, either. It is a thin jacket which is designed to provide a lightweight, durable and waterproof breathable protection in rain or snow. The fabric is not very stretchy and it is very durable. It is used as an outer layer in rainy or snowy weather. It is advisable to wear a warm (insulating) layer for more warmth. 

 

Leaving SkiWebShop? You can save your shopping cart for later!