Best Headphones for Skiing or Snowboarding: Hit the Slopes Hard

Looking to shred some powder while jamming to your favorite tunes?  Well, we’re about to show you some of the best sports headphones and audio helmets that will definitely energize your next run down the slopes.

In order to find the best skiing headphones and audio helmets to bring to the slopes we asked as many year in and year out skiers and snowboarders as we could find.  Oddly enough, most of them responded with the same few answers.

Here’s what they had to say…

Option #1: In-ear headphones or earbuds

Top 10 Ski/Snowboard Headphones

Rank	Picture	Name	Where to Buy
1		Skullcandy Smokin Buds 2	Amazon
2		Apple AirPods Pro	Amazon
3		Bose QuietComfort 20	Amazon
4		Bose SoundSport Free Truly Wireless	Amazon
5		Jaybird X4	Amazon
6		Koss KSC75 Portable Stereophone Headphones	Amazon
7		Bose SoundSport in-ear headphones	Amazon
8		Sony MDRXB510AS	Amazon
9		JBL Reflect Mini Bluetooth In-Ear Sport Headphones	Amazon
10		NuHeara Iqbuds	Amazon

I’ve been skiing for over 20 years, and this is personally the option I use…with a small twist. I only ski with one earbud in, so I can always be aware of my surroundings.

I also prefer something with in-line controls like the Bose Sound Sport. This way I can stick my phone in my pocket and just unzip my jacket a few inches to press the volume up/down or skip forward/back or even answer calls.

My gloves are dexterous enough that I can press the controls without any issues, but in the past I used Klipsch S5i Rugged because they had bigger controls specifically for times when wearing gloves.

Nowadays the controls are typically situated closer to the ear, which makes it even easier, since you don’t have to unzip your jacket to reach them.

One more quick tip is to buy something cheap. Skullcandy is always a good option because  of the low cost and (usually) multi-year warranty.

If you ski with headphones it’s most likely they’re going to break, or you’ll lose, or something else causing you to replace them. So, in less you’ve got some extra money try to stay with something on the less expensive end.

Option #2: Helmets or Beanies with Built-in Headphones

In the last few years this option has become the go to for most snowboarders and skiers. Even though I’m still a fan of just headphones, this option involves specific speakers or earphones that fit into your helmet (assuming you use one), or using beanies that have built in Bluetooth headsets.

The advantage to helmet or beanie speakers is they usually function by tapping the part that sits right over the ear. So, it’s easy access for helmets with ear pockets or ear flaps. Even easier if you’re just wearing a beanie.

Rank	Picture	Name	Type	Where to Buy
1		Outdoor Tech Chips 2.0	Helmet Speakers	Amazon
2		Uclear Digital Pulse Helmet Speakers	Helmet Speakers	Amazon
3		BCELIFE Bluetooth Beanie Hat	Beanie Headset	Amazon
4		Dreamruns Direct Connect Audio Kit	Helmet Speakers	Amazon
5		BE Headwear	Beanie Headset	Amazon
6		Qshell Bluetooth Headband with Wireless Headphone Headset	Headband Headset	Amazon

Option #3: Don’t wear headphones

It’s kind of ironic to write an article about the best skiing headphones and then give you an option not to wear headphones. But the truth is a lot of skiers hate that people wear headphones on the slope.

And to be perfectly honest, it can be unsafe in some situations.

1. You probably shouldn’t wear headphones on a super busy mountain like Keystone, Park City, etc. They’re best for slow days or smaller bowls like Arapahoe Basin.
2. If you’re going to wear something in-ear that occludes the entire canal (i.e. earbuds) consider just putting one earbud in. This allows you to stay aware of ambient sounds.

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