While ski and snowboard trips are extremely exhilarating, the packing experience is quite daunting. And while you can pack your ski gear in your existing suitcase, you don’t want to forget to purchase the perfect ski travel bag or snowboard travel bag to take along with you.
Of course, you can rent boots and skis at the mountain, but there’s nothing better than skiing in the equipment you’re already familiar with. This is where having a ski or snowboard bag to keep your equipment safe throughout the airport journey comes in handy.
We’ve gathered 14 of our favorite ski and snowboard travel bags that include some of the more favorable features, such as bags with wheels, adjustable sizes and heavy-duty padding options to keep your gear safe.
Ski bags for travel
The Dakine Fall Line Ski Roller Travel Bag comes in 11 different colors and can hold up to two pairs of skis, one pair of boots, ski poles and additional outerwear. There are also two different sizes: 175 centimeters or 190 centimeters, depending on the length of your skis.
The bag features exterior pockets, which allow you to easily store your smaller ski items, such as winter gloves, hats and neck warmers. Storing your boots is also easy with a removable boot bag. The bag has a tow handle that can slide on a rolling luggage bag for one-handed navigation; however, there are no straps inside the bag to hold your skis in place.
For a no-frills padded ski bag, the Dakine Padded Ski Sleeve will protect your skis and comes at a much lower cost. There are two different size options — 175 centimeters and 190 centimeters — and eight different colors to pick from.
This bag can hold one pair of skis as well as ski clothes, but it doesn’t offer too much extra space if you’re looking to pack a helmet, boots or bulkier gear. One Amazon reviewer states, “Adequately padded, I traveled across the States with it and some airport lazy staff dragged it on the floor, but the bag handled it very well — not a tear!”
Offering two different sizes — 185 centimeters or 200 centimeters — the Dakine Boundary Ski Roller Bag can hold up to two pairs of skis, a pair of boots and poles. This roller bag offers 360-degree padding and compression straps to ensure your skis are always protected. There's also a YKK lockable zipper, oversized 9-centimeter urethane wheels and two exterior zippered pockets, and it allows for one-handed operation.
The bag also comes with a removable tarp-lined boot bag, allowing you to go straight from the mountains to the airport despite having wet boots.
The Thule RoundTrip Ski Roller Bag is perfect if you’re looking to pack everything in just one padded bag. With the large interior compartment, you can fit all your extra layers and ski gear together, but separate from your skis and poles. There’s also a pole-specific slot and straps to keep skis from moving around, which can fit up to two pairs of skis and poles. The bag features lockable zippers — although the locks aren’t included — if you’re looking for extra security. This can come in handy during transit or while storing your bag at a hotel’s ski valet. Depending on your ski length, you can purchase the bag in two different sizes — 175 centimeters or 192 centimeters.
And if don’t need the wheels to get around the airport, you can save some money by purchasing the Thule RoundTrip Ski Bag non-roller edition.
Db Equipment's The Djärv Light Snow Roller can fit one pair of skis, along with poles, boots, helmet and apparel. Or, if you're traveling with a friend, you can fit two pairs of skis without all the extra accessories. This ski bag also allows you to hook up a Db backpack, fully integrating the two.
With a foam insert on the top lid, two mid-body padded handles and wheels, going through the airport will be a breeze, all while keeping your skis safe. The bag also rolls up quite compact for ease of storage.
If you want the ultimate protection for your gear, the Sportube Series 2 will keep your skis as safe as possible from damage due to its hard-shell bag design. On the interior, you’ll also find padding on both ends and straps to secure your skis. The case is adjustable in length, from 122 centimeters to 212 centimeters. Unfortunately, the bag doesn’t collapse for easy storage and is quite heavy at 12 pounds. However, the ski case does come with a five-year manufacturer’s warranty.
Traveling with an entire family? If so, the Snowtube Series 3 Ski and Snowboard Case can fit up to three pairs of skis and poles or even two snowboards. This hard-shell bag is made from polyethylene plastic with interior padding on both ends. One Amazon review states that this bag offers the “best protection for your skis when flying.”
The case is adjustable, with an interior length between 107 centimeters and 183 centimeters, which allows skis of all sizes. There’s also a TSA-approved lock that comes with the case to further protect your gear. As an added feature, the case comes with a water-resistant Nic Nac Pack to carry all your accessories in the case, such as goggles, winter gloves and socks.
With all-terrain wheels, getting around the airport or the mountains with your skis in tow is easier than ever. This high-end bag will keep all your gear safe with internal straps for securing your poles and skis separately. With the four large interior pockets, you can also store all your apparel and accessories that you need on the mountain.
Unique to this bag is the length extender. The bag’s standard length is 195 centimeters, but when expanded, you can increase the length of the bag to a full 205 centimeters. For those with long skis, this extra length can come in very handy.
Snowboard bags for travel
When it comes to snowboarding, Burton is one of the best in the business. The Burton Wheelie Gig Bag is the perfect solution for a family or for expert snowboarders looking to take multiple boards with them on a trip. The bag can fit two — or possibly three (without bindings) — snowboards along with your extra gear.
The bag includes high-end skate wheels, which give you a smooth ride while maneuvering your bag throughout the airport and the mountain. The bag also features exterior pockets, padding and straps to keep your board in place.
If you don’t need anything fancy, the Burton Space Sack Snowboard Bag will still allow you to travel with your snowboards — although on your shoulder, as there are no wheels — at a significantly lower price point. The bag packs down small, so it’s out of the way when not in use. Although, while the bag is padded, it might not give you the same padding, and thus, protection, as some of the other bags on the list.
The bag comes in four different sizes — 146 centimeters, 156 centimeters, 166 centimeters and 181 centimeters — which allows you to purchase a bag that fits your snowboard like a glove. The bag is also big enough to fit two snowboards without bindings or one with bindings.
The Element Equipment Deluxe Padded Snowboard Bag offers two lengths — 157 centimeters and 165 centimeters — and can fit up one snowboard with bindings, plus boots and additional gear. There are exterior zipper pockets and 360-degree padding to keep your board protected. However, this bag doesn’t come with wheels. But the bag is extremely lightweight at less than 4 pounds, offers dual handles and packs down easily.
One reviewer states, “This bag is one of the best on the market! Firstly, it can fit all of my gear, board and bindings, boots, jacket, pants, helmet, etc. Secondly, it is padded and made out of durable materials, which make it the perfect travel bag!”
How to pick the best ski or snowboard bag
There are many things to consider when it comes to purchasing — and then packing — a ski or snowboard bag. You’ll first want to determine if you’ll be using the ski or snowboard bag for air travel or if your trip to the mountain is a simple road trip.
With air travel, you’ll most likely want a bag that provides enough padding to protect the edges, bindings, top sheets, tips and tails from dings and damage. There’s nothing worse than collecting your luggage at baggage claim to find broken gear. Bags that aren’t padded — or maybe not padded enough — are better suited for sitting in the trunk of the car while in transit.
You’ll also want to make sure you’re purchasing a bag that fits your skis or snowboard snugly. Having a bag that’s too big will create too much extra space, enabling your skis to move forward or backward in transit. You’ll want your skis and snowboards to be held down tightly, which is where interior straps come in handy. However, you can always pack clothes in the spare space — such as snow pants, neck warmers, sweatshirts and long underwear — to secure your skis and snowboards in place.
If traveling through an airport, you also might find a bag on wheels to come in handy. Your regular suitcase most likely rolls, so why shouldn’t your ski or snowboard bag do so as well? If using a roller bag, this is another reason you want to purchase a bag that isn’t much longer than your skis or snowboard. If the bag is too big, it will bend, which could damage your gear and will be harder to wheel around the airport.
If you prefer to pack everything in one bag, then you’ll want a bag that is large enough for all of the extras, in addition to your skis and poles or snowboard. This means you’ll want to look for a bag with separate compartments and zippered pockets. A waterproof casing is always best to ensure your clothes don’t get wet and ruined during transit.
While many bags will also allow you to store your ski or snowboard boots as well as a helmet, some prefer to bring these items on the plane in a separate boot bag. If your checked bag ends up not arriving at your destination, at least you’ll have your boots with you, which is a better situation for a trip to the mountains. You can then always rent skis or a snowboard and not miss any time on the slopes. You also want to be extra cautious with helmets, as bags get tossed around during transit and you don’t want the device to lose its integrity from a safety perspective.
Lastly, similar to regular suitcases, many ski and snowboard bags look extremely similar. This means that getting a unique color — or putting some sort of identifier on your bag — is helpful. And once your ski trip is over, you’ll want to make sure to dry off your skis or snowboard before putting them back in the bag, then dry out the bag fully when you get back home.