Sifting through the market looking for good skis and reputable brands can be a challenge. There are a lot of brands to choose from, and even more different types of skis out there. To help clear the waters, we’ve compiled a list of the top ski brands to consider when looking for a pair of skis.
Many of the names listed here are heritage brands that have been making skis for decades, while some are newer. It’s worth noting that this list is far from exhaustive; while these are some of the most notable names in the industry, there are many small brands out there making great skis, too.
When searching for a pair of skis, it’s helpful to know about the brands that make the hardgoods, where they're made, and what types of characteristics you can expect from a ski made by a certain brand. It’s also helpful to know your own personal preferences and preferred style of skiing-that will help you to distinguish which brands and models are best fits for you. This guide is here to help you understand all that a little better, while including information on brand history, sustainability initiatives, and more.
We selected the brands on this list based on their reputation and overall strong presence in the industry, including some of the oldest brands in the game. We also selected a few newer brands that are notable, whether for their popularity or their unique approach to making skis.
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At ProSkaters Place, we’re passionate about winter sports, and we understand the pivotal role that the right downhill skis play in defining your skiing experience. Alpine skiing, also known as downhill skiing, is a dynamic sport that requires precision, control, and speed.
Here are some of the best alpine ski brands in the industry:
Atomic
Overview: Atomic is a well-known brand in the ski industry, having been around for several decades, since 1955. The brand manufactures all of their skis in their factory in Austria.
Key Products: Atomic is known for its racing roots, with items like the Redster boot being a longtime standard performance boot in the industry. Outside of racing, the brand's line of freeride skis dubbed the Bent (short for Chris Bentchetler, the pro skier behind the skis’ designs) is a wildly popular ski for intermediate and advanced skiers alike.
Features to check out: Atomic uses a unique tip shape with many of their skis called HRZN Tech that helps to add floatation in powder.
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Best for: Atomic has a little bit of everything, from stiff racing skis to soft and fat powder skis, and even a decent range of touring models. Their skis are often fairly approachable and well-rounded-something a lot of skiers will like.
Sustainability and Ethics: In recent years, Atomic has dedicated resources to assessing their impact as a ski hardgoods manufacturer, releasing annual impact reports.
Salomon
Overview: Salomon is a household brand in the ski world, founded in the French Alps in 1947.
Key Products: Salomon is known for making approachable all-mountain skis, like their QST line, which has models that are fun for both low intermediates and expert skiers alike.
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Features to check out: The Salomon Shift binding was one of the first bindings to offer touring capabilities with a free heel and pins, while remaining a fully DIN-certified alpine binding for the downhill.
Best for: Salomon skis are most often ideal for all-mountain skiers who like versatility.
Sustainability and Ethics: Salomon is working to make 100% of their key products eco-designed or circular by 2030.
Quick Facts:
- Salomon was founded in Annecy, France in 1947.
- Like its sister company, Atomic, Salomon also makes all ski hardgoods, including skis, boots, bindings, poles, and more.
- They make snowboards, too!
- Salomon’s line of SX boots, starting with the SX90 that launched in the late 70s, were hallmarks in the industry. They now make a variety of boots from race to backcountry touring.
Volkl
Overview: Volkl is another household name in the industry, most often known for making stiff, hard charging skis geared more towards high intermediate and expert skiers. The German brand is one of the oldest in the game-they stepped into the ski industry in 1923.
Key Products: The Volkl Mantra has long been one of the most popular all-mountain skis, and for good reason. It’s also a winner in our guide to the Best Beginner All-Mountain Skis.
REASONS TO BUY:
- Unshakable edge hold and stability
- Virtually no speed limit
REASONS TO AVOID:
- Not a particularly playful ski
- Multi-radius sidecut has a learning curve
Who it is best for: The Volkl M7 Mantra once again lives up to its reputation, earning Editor's Choice for men's all-mountain skis another year running. These powerful skis offer unmatched stability, dampness, and versatility. Built for speed, the M7 Mantra scored a perfect 10 in our Stability at Speed metric, rewarding a confident, forward-driving skier.
The 4D-Radius Drive construction enables seamless adjustments mid-turn, delivering smooth, controlled performance across virtually any terrain and conditions. However, this multi-radius technology will be easier to unlock for experienced skiers, as it requires precise body positioning and turn initiation. The M7 Mantra offers intermediate to expert skiers a high-performance ride that can charge through just about anything.
Why we love it: The M7 Mantra is built to charge confidently through any terrain or snow conditions. Long known for stability at speed, the Mantra line delivers that unmistakable “glued to the mountain” feel our testers love.
The secret lies in the construction: full-length tailored titanal that runs edge to edge, sandwiched between the top sheet and sidewall for maximum dampness. Volkl makes subtle adjustments in each ski length to maintain the same overall character, such as reducing the size of the titanal plate in shorter skis and the thickness of carbon stringers in the tip. This overall design is highly effective in minimizing chatter at speed, smoothing the ride through rough snow conditions, and maintaining torsional stiffness. Even at high speeds on firm terrain, you can count on rock-solid edge hold and control from the M7 Mantra.
Should you buy it? If you're an intermediate to expert skier who likes a reliable ski that can go fast, there are few better choices. But the unavoidable consequence of the unshakeable stability is that this ski has a tough time letting loose. If you tend to surf and slash your way down the mountain, these skis won't be the playful ride you're looking for. The M7 Mantra can feel burly to muscle around all day, as the titanal sheets add weight, and it can punish you for poor form.
Blizzard
Overview: Blizzard has been making skis since 1945 and today they manufacture their skis in Mittersill, Austria. They make race, all-mountain, and freeride skis, as well as some notable ski touring models, like the Zero G.
Key Products: Blizzard’s Black Pearl skis are an incredibly popular women’s-specific all-mountain model that is great for a wide range of skiers. These skis are winners in our Best Beginner All-Mountain Skis story. The Rustler (men’s) and Sheeva (women’s) are also popular all mountain and big mountain skis.
Features to check out: Blizzard uses a Trueblend wood core, which melds together different types of wood to create the ideal flex pattern throughout the ski.
Best for: Blizzard skis are often best for more aggressive and directional skiers who like a damp and planted ride.
Sustainability and Ethics: Blizzard Tecnica has been working to recycle all parts of used ski boots through their Recycle Your Boots campaign.
Quick Facts: Blizzard made their first ski in 1945.
Nordica
Overview: Nordica is another prolific ski brand, both internationally and from coast to coast in the US.
Key Products: The Nordica Enforcer is a prolific all-mountain ski that appeals to a wide range of skiers. The women’s version, the Santa Ana, is also a very popular ski.
Features to check out: Nordica uses a TSM Pulse Core, which uses a layup combo of wood, elastomer, and metal to make skis that are both smooth and very stable.
Best for: Directional skiers who like a predictable ski on the stiff side.
Sustainability and Ethics: The Tecnica Group plans to include Nordica boots in their Recycle Your Boots program in the coming years.
Quick Facts:
- Nordica was founded in 1939 in Italy.
- Nordica is owned by the Tecnica Group, which is also the parent company of Blizzard skis.
- Nordica makes both skis and boots, though they are most well known for their skis.
REASONS TO BUY:
- Nimble yet stable
- Versatile performance
REASONS TO AVOID:
- Softer flex than previous iterations
- Can chatter at top speeds
Who it is best for: We don't throw around the phrase “quiver-killer” lightly, but in this case, it's warranted: The new, redesigned Nordica Santa Ana 97 can carve frontside groomers, float in powder, hop turn in the steeps, and finesse its way through moguls. This ski offers fun, compliant performance in a range of snow conditions, making it a great choice for female skiers from coast to coast.
“The new flex profile is slightly softer than previous iterations, but more approachable for a wider range of skiers,” our lead tester explained.
Why we love it: The updated Nordica Santa Ana 97 keeps everything we've always loved about this ski: confidence at speed, quick turns, and precise control in bumps, all while feeling fresher and livelier. “Our entire test team agrees this longtime favorite is better than ever,” noted one tester.
Though it carries the same name, the 2025 redesign essentially introduced a brand-new ski. Built around Nordica's new TSM (Terrain Specific Metal) Pulse Core - which pairs a tailored titanal sheet with an elastomer-infused wood core - the Santa Ana 97 gains a more energetic, playful ride without losing its signature stability. A refined rocker profile also enhances its agility, allowing for powerful carves, easy smears, and agile pivots.
Should you buy it? The Santa Ana 97 can handle any run on the mountain, in essentially any conditions. Its confidence-inspiring stability and energy, even in poor snow conditions, will appeal to most skiers - not to mention, it's super fun to ski. No matter the run or the snowfall that day, our team agrees: “The Santa Ana 97 sets a new benchmark for women's all-mountain skis.” Some expert skiers pushing their limits may find these to not be quite powerful enough for the highest speeds and deepest carves.