Short answer: Choose a gift for a skier according to how well you know their size. If you do not know it, reach for a hat, headband or neckwarmer, where you do not choose a size. If you know their foot size or the dimensions of their hand, take socks or gloves. Buy thermal underwear, a sweatshirt or a jacket only if you know their clothing size. The same approach will find you a gift for a mountain lover who does not ski.
What should you buy a skier for Christmas, depending on what you know about them?
With clothing gifts, size is the biggest problem, so we sort the ideas by how much you know about the skier. The table shows what in the NORDBLANC range fits which group.
| Gift | What you need to know about the skier | What is in the range |
|---|---|---|
| Hat, headband, neckwarmer | nothing, no size is chosen | mostly 100% acrylic, some hats with wool or merino |
| Socks | size range: 34–36, 37–41, 42–44 or 45–49 | compression sports, hiking and merino socks, ski knee-high socks |
| Gloves | height and width of the palm in cm | ski gloves with separate fingers and mittens, as well as fleece, knitted and softshell gloves |
| Thermal underwear | clothing size | winter, all-season, lightweight and merino, women’s and men’s |
| Sweatshirt, lightweight jacket | clothing size | powerfleece and fleece sweatshirts, lightweight sports jackets |
What should you buy a skier if you do not know their size?
The least risky choices are things where no size is chosen. Winter hats, winter headbands and winter neckwarmers are sold in a single variant, so you are not guessing. The product descriptions do not, however, give dimensions such as head circumference.
Hats and headbands are mostly 100% acrylic, some 50% acrylic and 50% wool or merino. Most of them list skiing among their activities. Among the hats you will find women’s, men’s and children’s models, as well as models with no gender in the name. There are fewer neckwarmers in the range than hats, and they are 100% acrylic.
Sunglasses and sports glasses, bags and a waist bag are also sold in a single variant. You will find more winter accessories in the collection winter accessories.
What gift should you choose for a skier if you know their foot or hand size?
Socks come in only four size ranges: 34–36, 37–41, 42–44 and 45–49. Each range covers several sizes, so you only need to know which one the recipient belongs to. The range includes compression sports and hiking socks, compression merino socks and compression ski knee-high socks, which are intended for ski boots. Graduated compression means that the sock is tighter at the ankle than at the top; the descriptions also mention a reinforced heel and toe. Hiking socks have 35% cotton and merino socks 15–30% merino wool. The composition, sizes and advice on choosing are summarised in the guide Compression socks for sport and hiking. These are sports socks; if you have health problems with your feet or legs, consult a doctor.
Gloves are numbered by the height and width of the palm in cm. The size chart has separate tables for men’s and women’s ski gloves, and the numbers differ between them. If you do not know the dimensions of their hand, ask someone who knows the skier well, or reach for a gift with no size. The collection ski gloves contains gloves with separate fingers and mittens with 100% polyester insulation, and the collection gloves also has fleece, powerfleece, knitted and softshell gloves. The difference between gloves and mittens is described in the guide Ski gloves or mittens.
What should you buy a skier if you know their clothing size?
Thermal underwear is worn under other clothing, so the skier can use it with any jacket and trousers. The winter range is 96% polyester and 4% elastane, and on most models skiing is listed among the activities, with cross-country skiing and snowboarding on some. The all-season range is thinner than the winter one, and the lightweight range is worn in warm weather and, during high-exertion sport, in the cold as well; on some models in both ranges cross-country skiing is listed among the activities. You can choose from the collections women’s ski thermal underwear and men’s ski thermal underwear. The differences between the ranges are described in the guide How to choose a baselayer.
Thermal underwear should fit close to the body, so do not guess the size. A size from their other clothes may not fit in the NORDBLANC brand, so check the measurements against the size charts. How to measure is explained in the guide How to measure jacket and ski trouser size.
Buy a sweatshirt or jacket only if you are sure of the size. The powerfleece sweatshirts from the powerfleece collection list skiing, cross-country skiing and hiking on the product page. For a skier who also goes cross-country skiing or running, there is the lightweight sports jacket described in the guide Lightweight sports jacket. If you do not know the size, choose the jacket together with the skier: you can try the jacket on in our stores.
What gift should you choose for a mountain lover who does not ski?
The approach is the same, just reach for things for hiking. Merino thermal underwear is 96–100% merino and, according to the details on the product, is intended for hiking, running and cycling. Merino keeps you warm even when damp and is softer on the skin than conventional wool, but it dries more slowly than synthetics, as the guide What is merino wool explains. You will find merino thermal underwear in the collection merino. Hiking is also listed on the product page for hiking and merino socks and for some gloves.
What should you find out before you buy a gift for a skier?
- Size. Find out discreetly what you can: their shoe size, the dimensions of their palm or their clothing size. Then choose the group from the table.
- Where they ski. On the piste a skier stands around and sits on the lift, and so needs warmer layers. Cross-country skiing warms you up through movement, and thinner layers are enough.
- Helmet. Ask whether they ski in a helmet. A headband or a thinner hat usually fits better under a helmet.
- What they already have. The guide What to wear skiing goes through the layers from head to toe, so you can see which layer is missing.
Frequently asked questions
What should I give a skier who already has everything?
Look for things that get swapped in the mountains: a second pair of gloves to change into when the first are wet, more thermal underwear and socks for a week’s stay.
What if the gift does not fit or is not liked?
Gifts with no choice of size carry the least risk. For socks and gloves, check the range or number; for clothing, the measurements against the size charts. You can try on the size and cut beforehand in NORDBLANC stores.
How does a gift for a female skier differ from one for a male skier?
Gloves and thermal underwear come in women’s and men’s versions. For gloves the numbers differ too: men’s ski size 7 corresponds to a palm height of 18–19.5 cm, women’s size 7 to a height of 17–18.5 cm. So do not carry a number over from one chart to the other; always compare the dimensions of the palm. Women’s clothing comes in sizes 34–48, men’s in XXS–XXXL.
What should I buy a skier who also goes cross-country skiing?
When cross-country skiing you warm up through movement, so thinner layers are enough than on the piste. Cross-country skiing is listed on the product page for some of the winter, all-season and lightweight thermal underwear, for a few gloves and for most lightweight sports jackets. What to wear for cross-country skiing as a whole is in the guide What to wear cross-country skiing.