Winter is still here in some parts of the world. Skiing, snowboarding or any other winter sport is an excellent option for escaping the everyday life routine. If you don’t do any of those sports frequently, most likely you won’t buy the ski’s, the boots or the snowboard but you should probably buy the right clothes. Otherwise you will be cold or wet, or both and the whole experience will be anything but excellent.

Remember: “You need wool to keep you warm, synthetic fabric to keep you light & dry. Avoid cotton.”
There are various brands you can choose your clothes from. Our biggest recommendation though is:

Buy second-hand!

As you will discover by searching a bit more about this type of clothing, it is very durable and usually comes with long or infinite warranties. So when people are reselling their stuff, they are probably bored of their style. Therefore, unless the items are damaged, it is a pity not to take advantage of such an offer, since these clothes are usually quite expensive as well!

Our second recommendation is: “Put sustainability in the picture when you buy such garments.”
There are a lot of brands which still do not do much in the field. Therefore why not rewarding the active ones and make them an example for the rest? You won’t lose on quality, price or style, so there isn’t any real excuse not to add this aspect in your buying criteria. Below you will see our selection of 10 sustainable clothing brands (in alphabetical order), which thrive in quality, style, price and are prioritizing the protection of the environment and the society much more than the rest.

Last but not least: if you don’t want to use any more the clothes you already have, re-sell them or in case they are damaged, give them back to any of the companies. Most of them (either they are in our list or not) repair or recycle used clothes so please, whatever you do, DO NOT throw them away.

For our list we checked the recommendations for the best ski/snowboard clothing brands* irrespective of their sustainability standards and actions AND then we checked their websites to search how active and outspoken each of them are regarding sustainability. If you don’t see a brand you favor in our list, don’t hesitate to ask us why we didn’t include it and let us know if you think we made any mistake. Here are our choices:

Mostly focused on snowboard apparel, this brand has an extensive sustainability policy and well communicated goals.

Extensive clothing lines not only in wintersports but also in other garments and shoes related to outdoor activities. The company is very transparent regarding its corporate responsibility practices, performance in various fields and related certifications.

A company that has pioneered the use of recycled and organic fabrics in the outdoor industry to date. The team specializes in sturdy men’s and women’s outdoor apparel, packs and gear. Check it.

The company specializes in pants, however it offers a wide variety of clothing and gear items for extreme winter sports. It is also certified by many organizations for various aspects of the way they operate, definitely one more brand to keep in mind.

A company that joined the battle for a better world and a cleaner environment, providing wider transparency related to its operations without compromising style, quality and prices.

A German company with a long standing history of commitment to the protection of the environment as well as to the quality of its products. Represented by athletes in various sports for mountains and winter, it’s definitely one of the brands worth of checking.

One of the most mainstream brands regarding its connection to environmental and social concerns. Closely related to high prices as well, however, prices might not differ as much if we compare them to the other brands in the category of winter sport clothing.  Buying new clothes for these sports is not cheap.

A relatively young company which has made sustainability and circularity an inherent part of its brand identity. Organic, Recycled & Bio-Sourced products for snowboarding, skiing, surfing and the outdoors, without losing the focus from quality and style.

A company with a broad line of clothes for almost all kinds of sports, claiming that choosing to join them means being a long-term steward of the outdoors. In their website, there is plenty of information about how they do that and they actually seem to be serious about it.

One of the most well established brands, guaranteeing a good buy. They joined the philosophy of being transparent regarding how they operate, how they source, what they measure and where they are heading.

*Sources for the best brands:
– The 9 Best Ski Clothing Brands to Buy in 2018
– The best ski clothing brands
– Best 27 Ski & Snowboard Brands for Clothing and Gear – How to Buy for Less
Sources for the sustainability criteria and prioritization: all websites of the companies mentioned in the lists above.
ATTENTION: This article is not sponsored. Responses to your comments are not monitored by any of the companies mentioned in the list, they are monitored completely by the Habits Team and are taken into consideration for any modification necessary to this article.

Writers:

Dora Kallipolitou
Find out more about the Habits team here

Last content update:

11 February 2018