One of the many questions we ask ourselves when we go skiing is: To rent or buy skis?
When we start to get in touch with the skiing experience, the dilemma is to rent or buy skis or snowboards.
These tips will help you decide the best option for renting or buying ski and snowboard equipment.
4 possible situations:
Rent skis and snowboards for beginners. Should I buy them instead?
It is very important that the boots are the right size for you, that the skis are the right size, and above all, that they are a friendly model, that they facilitate turns, and that they are not fast.
It is not advisable to buy thewhen you are just starting to learn, as you don’t even know if you are going to enjoy this activity regularly.
If you ask a friend or acquaintance for the equipment, you run the risk of not getting the right boots and skis that are essential to start with.
The situation you may experience could not be very pleasant and make you give up this practice that is gaining so many followers every day.
Rental is the best option for beginners, and the best option is to hire skis from shops with professional staff.
When to buy skis or snowboards:
If you have already tried skiing or snowboarding, you like it, and you are going to practice it regularly, the purchase option may be the optimal choice.
If this is the case, then buy your ski or snowboard equipment.
There is a wide range of second-hand equipment on the market at very good prices and in very good condition that you can definitely get a lot of use out of.
Good mountain equipment can last a long time if you take good care of it, maintain it well and store it properly in the summer.
You don’t need to choose the most expensive model, because they will evolve with your practice, it will probably be a transition ski.
That’s why we recommend you take good care of them, then you will be able to sell them on the second-hand market to compensate for the price of new equipment, adapted to your evolution.
If you know how to ski and you have an advanced level, but you can’t go as much as you would like:
It is a difficult choice, but rent skis, even if it is not the cheapest option, is the most convenient.
Renting ski equipment for an intermediate skier usually costs between €25 and €30, approximately. Take an average of €25 per day, that’s €50 per weekend.
Top-of-the-range boots and skis, powerful all-mountain skis… for advanced skiers. An average piece of equipment costs 600€, and in this case, you should ski, 12 weekends to amortize them. Let’s not forget the boots, which are around 400€.
Renting will allow you to try out different models, and it will be like having new skis, every time. Today, most ski and snowboard rental shops have skis and boots for all levels in perfect condition.
I ski regularly, and I have my equipment, but I have to change it.
It is difficult to find product testing days at ski resorts where brands organise product tests. But it’s not impossible. Try to find the option to test equipment from different brands.
Ski equipment is an important investment, and, if we try on 30€ trousers, when we are going to buy them, it seems absurd not to try a product in which we can spend 1000€ or more.
The rental centres have a wide range of materials and novelties that will allow you to try on different models, and to be able to choose what you are going to like when you buy.
So are you a novice or an expert skier?