Ski trips are fun, but they can be even better with the right gear.

This will be the third ski season affected by the global coronavirus pandemic, and with what we now know, most experts agree that being outdoors is a much better bet than indoor alternatives. So, whether skiers end up traveling internationally, flying across the country or simply sticking to cars and staying closer to home, skiing and snowboarding are expected to be extremely popular this season.

For great ski and snowboard travel ideas, check out these recent stories on why an All-Inclusive Ski Vacation might be your best bet - regardless of budget or level of luxury - and the 5 Best Ski Trips for a Unique Winter Vacation.

But wherever you go, you should have great gear to make your experience better and safer, and these are some top picks for clothing and accessories.

Sweet Protection's Trooper 2Vi MIPS Helmet has won the top industry awards and is lighter with more ... [+] safety features than its acclaimed predecessors.

A Better, Safer Helmet: Norway’s Sweet Protection has long been the global leader in protective active gear technology and cutting-edge helmets, and the brand has been my choice for years. But Sweet Protection now has its best model yet, significantly lighter thanks to carbon fiber, but with more security and the must-have feature in any bike or ski helmet, MIPS, a third-party licensed technology that helps reduce impact force. But while other brands offer MIPS, the Trooper 2Vi MIPS Helmet also adds two other layers of defense, a variable elasticity shell and shock absorbing structure, along with excellent comfort and ventilation, and is available in a whopping seven colors. The Trooper 2Vi was named one of the Best Helmets for 2022 by both Ski Magazine and Freeride.com, and most importantly, won the industry’s coveted Gear of the Year Award from Outside Magazine ($300).

Skiing's most advanced wearable, Carv is an invisible digital ski instructor you take with you on ... [+] the slopes.

Digital Ski Instruction: Instruction has long been invaluable to skiers, but in the age of Covid-19 when minimizing interpersonal contact, especially outside your “pod,” is desirable, Carv is the perfect solution (and was great in pre-coronavirus times as well!).  Carv is the world’s most advanced ski wearable, a footbed and sensor that is fully compatible with your existing custom or molded orthotics. The ultra-thin footbeds contains 72 pressure sensors, and the control unit has an accelerometer, gyroscope and magnetometer that captures 9-axis 3D motion. All of this analyzes the way you ski and give you corrective data for improvement. For instance, one of the most common faults is skiers who sit back too far, and if you can’t tell this on your own, Carv can. It rates your balance (forward and backwards weight) throughout the turn, your edge effectiveness, rotary precision (parallel movement of skis) and pressure (getting weight on the outside ski) and compares these against target zones for all abilities. Carv is an invisible ski instructor that gives instant, precise feedback through the app and is for intermediates through racers. The units are waterproof, designed to take the abuse of crashes, and run three days on a single charge. The hardware is just $149 and requires a subscription that is $149-$199 a year.

There are good reasons why Smartwool has long been the top choice for performance ski socks

Better Socks: Every person who skis need socks, and the most common complaints in the sport are cold toes and uncomfortable feet. Some of this is your boots, and you should absolutely have boots fitted and customized for better comfort and performance, but beyond that, socks are the most important issue. Wrinkles are to be avoided at all costs, and thin is preferable, but you still want warmth and comfort in a small package. That’s why you want high quality merino wool, the warmest and most comfy (and durable) sock material ounce for ounce, with targeted cushioning only where you need it. For years Smartwool has dominated this space and is the choice of just about everyone in the know, including the world’s best skier, Mikaela Shiffrin.  The top two choices are the Athlete Edition Ski Race (Shiffrin’s choice) with shin cushioning, and the Athlete Edition Freeski, with shin and ankle cushioning (my choice). Both are made in the USA and feature Smartwool’s leading technologies, 4-Degree Elite Fit and Indestructawool construction ($31).

Vermont-based Skida makes the world's most recognizable ski hats, lined and unlined, for women and ... [+] men, in dozens of eye catching patterns.

Ultimate Winter Hats: A hat is usually just a hat, but a Skida hat is signature statement. Founded by a former Vermont ski racer, Skida has quickly become one of the most beloved and recognizable outdoor brands, and you will see their distinctive hats at every ski resort in the world. The product line has expanded into everything from cashmere to headbands, neck warmers, balaclavas and even Covid masks, but the signature close fitting, colorful, lightweight hats that can be worn under a helmet are the main event, in both unlined (Nordic) and lined (Alpine) versions depending how much extra warmth you need. With a helmet the Nordic may be your best bet (even for alpine skiing), while the lined models are ideal for après and other cold weather outdoor activities (alpine). Both come in dozens of colors and patterns (my wife has several) for men and women, and they also make hats for kids ($32-$36).

The Super Couloir Gloves from Outdoor Research are extremely warm, extremely durable, comfy and ... [+] totally waterproof. That's all you need.

Warm Hands: Gloves are one of the most indispensable - and overlooked - pieces of your ski kit. If your hands are cold or wet - or cold and wet - life gets miserable fast. One great solution is heated rechargeable electric gloves, but these run several hundreds and sometimes over five hundred bucks, a lot of for a pair of gloves. If you do decide to go this route, I strongly recommend the Chaval SuperNova glove or mitt, both with features no other brand has ($425). But when it comes to old school unheated gloves, renowned mountaineering gear company Outdoor Research (OR) cannot be beat. I’ve skied in their gloves for twenty-plus years and if I hadn’t lost one along the way, it would probably be the same pair because they are bulletproof and packed with features. The Revolution gloves are a great value, waterproof and well insulated for just $75. The new RadiantX Gloves have a reflective interior treatment that reflects body heat back without affecting breathability and makes them warmer without added insulation, so you get maximum dexterity in the fingers ($115). But my choice is the Super Couloir Gloves, an ultra-warm, super high-end ski glove for a very reasonable $165. These are the warmest, most durable ski gloves in the OR line. They are completely waterproof GORE-TEX but designed with a strategically placed stretch side panel that facilitates amazing movement and dexterity, while Pittards goat leather palms provide exceptional grip and are virtually indestructible. They use a heavy dose of OR’s proprietary VerticalX insulation plus a soft interior polyester fleece lining the inside palm, while the index finger and thumb are touchscreen compatible. They come in dedicated models for men and women, and all three of these OR ski gloves feature an extra-long gauntlet cuff so no snow every gets in your wrists (important!),

Mountain Hardwear's GORE-TEX Boundary Bib is this season's top choice in ski pants.

Better Ski Pants: For men, bibs have always been a better choice, fully protecting the midsection from incoming snow during falls, and preventing pants from creeping down, inevitable even with a belt in non-bibs. Warmer, better protection, more pockets, better fit, there is no reason to ski without bibs, but for women, limited choices and extra pit stop (bathroom) inconvenience kept many from bibs until recently. Fortunately, fit, technology and range of choices for women have greatly improved, and bibs are now ideal for every skier. This season’s top choice is from venerable gear manufacturer Mountain Hardware, with everything you could want in a high-end, high-performance version that is reasonably priced. The Boundary Ridge GORE-TEX Bib comes in both men’s and women’s models, was an Outside Magazine Best of 2022 top pick, and is great for both resort and backcountry skiing. It uses top shelf 3-layer GORE-TEX (more breathable, lighter and more expensive than the more common 2-layer) which is truly, fully water and windproof for the harshest condition, but still easy to move in, with articulated knees and a stretch back panel for greater range of motion. These are durable and heavy duty, with reinforced cuff areas, an integrated hook and loop fabric belt system for perfect fit adjustment at the waist, and great multiple pockets, including a large zippered chest one in the very warmest part of the body, perfect for your phone and electronics where both battery life (killed by cold) and accessibility are vital. The bibs include an integrated RECCO avalanche rescue reflector and use bluesign approved fabrics. Both men’s and women’s models have a drop seat feature for bathroom breaks ($400).

Helly Hansen's iconic Alpha 3.0 ski jacket is now better than ever.

Comfy Jacket: Most top-rated ski jackets are “hard-shells” using the most waterproof, breathable materials, but for the vast majority of skiers this is overkill, since you will rarely ski in a deluge or downpour, and neither regular snowfall, mist or falling down requires the highest level of “waterproof,” a relative concept in industry definitions. You can still get waterproof fabrics in stretchy, softshell versions that are less stiff, more comfortable, easier to move in, and make less noise. For hiking, where rain is a major concern, I always go hard-shell for jackets, and when taking abuse is important, like in ski pants (the above Boundary Ridge bibs) it is also a good idea, but for a jacket I think you will be happier in something stretchy.

One of my all-time favorite outdoor and ski clothing brands is Helly Hansen, with along history of cutting-edge innovation (among other things, Helly Hansen gave use both fleece and the entire concept of winter layering) and it is hard to beat their bestselling men’s Alpha 3.0. It uses extremely breathable, waterproof, Helly Tech Professional fabric with 4-way stretch, just a touch of insulation where it counts (top shelf PrimaLoft, using body mapping technology) and a stunning array of attention to detail features like stretch powder skirt, stretch wrist gaiters with thumb holes, and detachable helmet compatible hood. One of Helly Hansen’s signature technologies is the best venting system on the market, adjustable H2Flow, to keep you from overheating even during the most exertion on warm spring skiing days. The Alpha has been a top pick for years but to make it even better, Helly Hansen just added its latest innovation, the Life Pocket, a special spot for your phone to keep it working longer in even the coldest weather using a special insulation developed for NASA’s deep space electronics ($475). For a women’s pick, check out the Odin Mountain Softshell ($325).

There is no ski goggle that can do more in one slick package than Smith's 4D Mag outfitted with a ... [+] photochromatic lens.

Do It All Goggles: Yes, the quick-change lens systems on leading goggles have gotten much better using magnets and other tech that allows for fast, easy, one-handed lens swaps in different light conditions, But it can still be annoying to carry extra lenses for changing light, especially on intermittent days when it’s not just a matter of the sun going down in the afternoon, but rather constantly changing conditions. A lot of skiers I know don’t want to be bothered, and the simplest solution is a high-quality photochromatic lens, one that automatically changes tint level to match ambient light conditions, and the best of these change quickly and cover a broad range. For a pure one-piece photochromatic goggle there are some standout brands like Julbo, but you can have the best of both worlds with Smith, which offers a couple of topnotch photochromatic lenses in its industry leading 4D Mag lineup, along with many other non-photochromatic options for every light condition, including mirrored lenses. The Mag technology uses magnets for fast lens swaps, the lenses all have Smith’s proprietary ChromaPop to enhance contrast, the frameless design gives you a vast field of view, and when you put in the photochromatic lens you get the option of hassle-free skiing without carrying spares. Each goggle comes with choice of two lenses ($320).