Guides · Ski and outdoor gear

When ski gear goes on sale: a month-by-month guide

Updated October 26, 2026 · 6 min read

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Ski gear follows the same cycle every year. New models arrive in late summer and fall at full price, prices hold through the middle of winter, and discounts get deeper as the season winds down. Once you know the cycle, you can decide what to buy now and what to wait for.

Why new skis cost the same at every store

Most ski brands set a minimum advertised price for their current-season models. Stores can't advertise a lower price, so in the fall the same ski usually shows the same price at evo, REI and Backcountry, give or take a few dollars. Shopping around for a new model in November rarely saves much.

Those limits usually relax in late winter, often around late February, and that's when current-season skis start showing real discounts. Last season's leftovers tend to have more room to move, which is why most of the deals you see in the fall are on last year's models.

Many models carry over from one year to the next with little more than new graphics. If you don't care about this year's top sheet, last season's version of the same ski is often the best value of the year.

The year at a glance

What to buy when

Skis

For the newest model, you have two good options: buy early for the widest choice of lengths, or wait for late February through April for a real discount. For the lowest price, look at last season's version in the fall. Waiting does carry a risk: by April, the most popular lengths are often gone.

Boots

Fit matters far more than price. A boot that fits at 30% off beats a cheaper one that doesn't. Get fitted first, write down the exact model and size, and then watch for that boot. If your size is sold out, a back-in-stock alert will tell you when it comes back.

Jackets, pants and layers

Outerwear colors change every season, so last year's color is usually the one on sale. If you don't mind the color, filter the store's sale page to your size and let an alert tell you when the price drops far enough.

Kids' gear

Kids outgrow skis and boots quickly, so full price rarely makes sense. Fall ski swaps and end-of-season sales are the best times to buy, and a sale alert on a kids' ski sale page filtered to the right length saves checking it every week.

How to watch for the drop without checking every day

1. Open the store's sale page for what you want and use its filters: length, size, gender or brand.
2. Copy the link from your browser and add it to On Sale Alerts as a sale tracker.
3. Pick a minimum discount. 30% is a good start for skis and outerwear, and 40% or more makes sense in March and April.
4. Choose how often to check. Every 12 hours is fine most of the year. During a holiday sale or the end of the season, check more often.

You'll get an alert when anything on that page reaches your discount, and another if its price drops at least 5% more. If the item you want is sold out in your size, set up a back-in-stock alert instead. For more on picking the page and settings, see how to set up a sale alert for skis, boots or a jacket.

Ski sale pages to start from