Ski - Men's - Softgoods (jackets, pants, gloves, hats) - Best Bang for the Buck - Greg McCandless
These are all products I would gladly wear myself that are either on sale, prior year models, or simply offer a great value with a low-to-mid-tier price tag!
Firefall Trifecta Jacket - Men's by Mountain Hardwear — A 3-in-1 jacket with an insulator layer that is actually wearable from a top manufacturer! Pit zips, plenty of pockets, a powder skirt, and an adjustable hood. Everything you need!
Front Line GTX Glove - Men's by Gordini — A quality Gore Tex ski glove on sale for less than half what gloves like this normally command!
Ridge Glove by Flylow — Stylish, DWR-coated pigskin gloves you see all the time in the park. Great bang for the buck with Greenloft insulation.
Titan GORE-TEX Glove - Men's by DAKINE — Dakine is the king of price-to-performance ratio and the Titan glove might be the best example of this (along with their roller bag for skis)!
Sogn Cargo Pant - Men's by Helly Hansen — A great pair of light/mid-insulation ski pants with an adjustable waist and relaxed fit. Ideal for most skiers, these pack plenty of features into a nice price!
Snowman Insulated Pant - Men's by Flylow — Stylish and thoughtfully designed insulated ski pants with 10k waterproofing/breathability ratings (the standard).
High Speed Socks by Rossignol — Feature rich merino/silk blend socks that aren't too bulky. Remember, thin socks counterintuitively yield warmer feet in ski boots!
Alpine Mid Poly Snow Sock by Stance — Stance is known for dress and casual socks, but their ski socks are also extremely comfortable and soft, yet include targeted cushioning and compression that is ski-specific (and all for a nice price)!
Chelonia 150 Fleece Double-Layer Headband by Turtle Fur — There's a reason Turtle Fur is the Kleenex of ski accessories. Quality is high, price is mid-low, and they've been doing it forever! Sometimes its best not to overthink it.
Chelonia 150 Fleece Double-Layer Neck Warmer by Turtle Fur — There's a reason Turtle Fur is the Kleenex of ski accessories. Quality is high, price is mid-low, and they've been doing it forever! Sometimes its best not to overthink it.
Chelonia 150 Fleece Beanie by Turtle Fur — There's a reason Turtle Fur is the Kleenex of ski accessories. Quality is high, price is mid-low, and they've been doing it forever! Sometimes its best not to overthink it.
Micro Fur Fleece MaxClava by Turtle Fur — There's a reason Turtle Fur is the Kleenex of ski accessories. Quality is high, price is mid-low, and they've been doing it forever! Sometimes its best not to overthink it.
Comfort Shell Totally Tubular Print Limited Edition Gaiter by Turtle Fur — There's a reason Turtle Fur is the Kleenex of ski accessories. Quality is high, price is mid-low, and they've been doing it forever! Sometimes its best not to overthink it.
Wharf Beanie - Cotopaxi Patch by Cotopaxi — Top quality hat on sale from a very stylish and forward-thinking brand
Town Square Beanie by Mountain Hardwear — My favorite - this is a great, warm ski hat that actually looks great off mountain, too!
Polartec 100 1/4-Zip Jacket - Men's by Outdoor Research — A Polartec fleece from a strong brand that has great bang for the buck whether it is on sale or not! The design is ideal as a midlayer underneath a shell.
Daybreaker Fleece Jacket - Men's by Helly Hansen — So nice I bought it twice! The softest, most comfortable, and versatile fleece I've owned. I use this to ski under a shell and wear it around town, too. Holds up great to the washing machine.
General's Down Sweater - Men's by Flylow — Stylish enough to be worn on its own, warm, and not too bulky to wear under a shell jacket skiing. All at a good price. Quality brand!
Lifa Active Pant - Men's by Helly Hansen — Soft, breathable, with a strong waistband. All you need!
Lifa Merino Midweight 1/2 Zip Top - Men's by Helly Hansen — A zip-up baselayer made of merino wool that costs less than most and actually looks good too!
Obermeyer Men's Cirque Insulated Jacket Blue XXL by Obermeyer — I love my Obermeyer jacket! This is a higher-quality 15k-15k waterproofing/breathability insulated jacket from the famed Austrian (who is still kickin' at over 100 years of age!) that is thoughtfully designed and durable. I still have mine from 10 years ago and it still looks great!
Obermeyer Men's Raze Jacket Blue S by Obermeyer — The first jacket I think of when I think of high price-to-performance ratio (and killer looks). This has 15k waterproofing and breathability ratings which is insane for this price. I love my own Obermeyer jacket!
686 Men's Geo Insulated Jacket Black L by 686 — Ever since my wife bought a 686 jacket, I've been recommending them as they outperform their pricepoint by a mile. Very comfortable and this jacket in particular has thoughtful insulation deployment so the body, sleeves, and hood each have different amounts of insulation to keep everything at a comfy temp.
686 Men's SMARTY 3-in-1 Form Jacket Green M by 686 — 3-in-1 jackets are always the best value but only if the removable insulator is worthy of being worn on its own (often they are hideous or just too plain). This is definitely a 3-in-1 that passes the insulator style test! Tons of features in the jacket, to boot, including a higher-than-most waterproofing/breathability rating of 20k. A very warm jacket with 160 g/m2 insulation (the most you typically see in a ski jacket)!
Obermeyer Men's Orion Snow Pants Red XXL by Obermeyer — I own these and find that the 40g insulation is just right - warm but not sweaty/hot!
Obermeyer Men's Force Snow Pants Blue XL by Obermeyer — These are the quintessential bang-for-the-buck snowpants in my opinion. 15k waterproofing/breathability is more than you need, and the 40g insulation level is right at medium or low/medium. Stretch fabric, scuff guards, and an adjustable waist round out the features of these classics.
Smartwool Ski Targeted Cushion Extra Stretch Over the Calf Socks Black XXL by Smartwool — The best ski socks you can buy on sale!
