The Best All-Mountain Skis of 2024-2025

With all-mountain skis, versatility is the name of the game. Though the definition of “all-mountain” varies by retailer and brand, all of the skis on this list perform well across a broad range of skiing styles and snow conditions.

Our selections include the best all-around, the best for beginners, and the most playful. Fast, aggressive skiers might prefer a ski like the Dynastar M-Pro 100 Ti, while the Salomon QST 106 is suitable for skiers who want a playful, wide tool to charge everything but ice.

If you’d like to learn more about all-mountain skis and how they’re defined, read the Buyer’s Guide or jump to the Price & Value summary. Still weighing your options? Consult our Comparison Chart to see how skis stack up. Otherwise, take a look at our awarded goods for the 2024-2025 season.

Editor’s Note: We updated our All-Mountain Skis guide on November 12, 2024, to include the awarded Nordica Unleashed 114 and Elan Ripstick Black Edition 102, plus the Blizzard Anomaly and Renoun endurance 98. We also added educational sections and FAQs, including Maintenance, Sustainability, How to Mount Bindings, and Price & Value.

The Best All-Mountain Skis of 2024-2025

• Best Overall All-Mountain Skis: Völkl Mantra M7
• Best Budget All-Mountain Skis: Rossignol Experience 76 Skis + Xpress 10 GW Bindings
• Best Wide All-Mountain Skis: Salomon QST 106
• Best Sustainable All-Mountain Skis: Rossignol Sender 106 Open
• Most Playful All-Mountain Skis: Atomic Bent 110
• Best All-Mountain Skis for Powder: Nordica Unleashed 114
• Best All-Mountain Skis for Intermediate Skiers: Elan Ripstick 102 Black

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All-Mountain Skis Comparison Chart

Scroll right to view all of the columns: Price, Profile, Sidecut Radius, Best For, Waist Width, Sizes.

All-Mountain Skis	Price	Profile	Sidecut Radius	Best For	Waist Width	Sizes
Volkl M7 Mantra	$850	Camber underfoot, rocker in the tip and tail	19m (size 184)	Intermediate to expert	96	163, 170, 177, 184, 191
Salomon QST 106	$650	25% tip rocker / 58% camber / 17% tail rocker	19m (size 181)	Fast skiers	92, 98	167, 174, 181, 188
Atomic Bent 110	$750	Camber under foot, tip and tail rocker, convex HRZN tip and tail	18m (size 188)	Playful big mountain skiing on soft snow	120, 100, 90, 85	172, 180, 188
DPS Koala 111	$900	Camber underfoot, 20% rocker tip and 20% rocker tail	18m (size 168)	Freestyle skiers in powdery conditions	103, 118	168, 176, 184, 189
Icelantic Shaman 99	$849	Large rocker tip, camber underfoot, flat tail	15m (size 176)	All mountain skiers that love laying edges over	110	168, 176, 182
Blizzard Rustler 9	$750	Rocker-Camber-Rocker	14m, 15.5, 17, 18.5	Groomer-leaning all-mountain skiers looking for a stable ride	96	164, 172, 180, 188
Dynastar M-Pro 100 Ti	$900	Directional rocker, camber	15m (162), 16(170), 17(178), 18(186)	Long GS-style turns and fast skiing	98, 99, 100	162, 170, 178, 186
Line Optic 96	$700	Rocker-Camber-Rocker	18m (size 177)	Intermediate to expert skiers	96	163, 170, 177, 184
Rossignol Sender 106 Open	$900	Directional Rocker	21m (size 180)	The intermediate to expert all-mountain skier	104, 106, 108	180, 187, 194
Nordica Unleashed 114	$900	Camber underfoot, rocker in the tip and tail	20.4m (size 186)	Hard-charging powder-chasers	98, 108, 114	174, 180, 186, 191
Blizzard Anomaly 102 Skis	$800	Camber underfoot, rocker in the tip and tail	24m (size 188)	Hard-charging frontside skiers	84, 88, 94, 102	176, 182, 188, 192
Renoun Endurance 98 Skis	$949	Camber underfoot, rocker in the tip and tail	17m (size 184)	Intermediate to advanced frontside-first skiers	98	163, 170, 177, 184
Elan Ripstick 102 Black	$950	Camber underfoot, rocker in the tip and tail	18.2m (size 186)	looking for a playful daily driver for off-piste	88, 96, 106, 116	161, 168, 175, 182, 189
Rossignol Experience 76 Skis	$480	Rocker in the tail, mild camber underfoot	16m (size 176)	Beginners	N/A	152, 160, 168, 176

How We Tested the Best All-Mountain Skis

At GearJunkie, we have one goal, and that’s to provide you with the best advice we can to help you choose the gear that fits your skills, style, and budget. We work hard to learn everything we can, and then we share that information with you. It’s the same information we’d share with our friends on the chair lift, and we charge no premium. This is our best advice, period.

Our Expert Testers

Among our ski testers is custom ski builder Albert Kim. Over the years, he has worked in many ski shops, testing hundreds of pairs of skis. He eventually worked for Wagner Custom Skis in Telluride, molding desired ski attributes into one-of-a-kind skis for customers. He enjoys being the first one out on steep, tight terrain and skiing as fast as he can.

Contributor Justin Park tests and reviews gear from his home base in Breckenridge, Colorado, where he skis more than 100 days each season, split evenly between backcountry and resort days. From sub-zero January pow days to slushy June touring missions, he puts dozens of jackets, skis, boots, and pants through their paces at high elevation.

A leader tester season after season is Editorial Director Sean McCoy. He’s an aggressive skier with 40 years of experience. McCoy started skiing at 4 years old, slogging across snow-covered golf courses with his parents on ancient wooden cross-country skis. That was in the 1970s. He now tends to favor wider skis in his home mountains in Colorado. Since then, McCoy has skied literally hundreds of pairs of skis on four continents. As one of GearJunkie’s lead testers, he certainly considers himself an expert skier. But he’ll be the first to admit that there is a lot he doesn’t know, too — and is open to learning more.

Our Testing Grounds

Our testers are based in Colorado and Utah and ski a range of resorts across the West, as well as backcountry turns.

The GearJunkie team meets for an annual on-snow test week to grind out turns and swap notes, including two previous gatherings at Crested Butte Mountain Resort, which is known for its expert terrain.

Our Testing Process

While testing skis, we assess a range of factors including each design’s stiffness, maneuverability, and playfulness as well as the ski’s energy, damping, chatter, weight, shape, edge hold, and turn initiation. The base and edge tune also influence how a ski performs. We considered what type of skier and conditions are the best fit for each ski.

In addition to our team’s field experience, we consider the most popular, innovative, award-winning, and bestselling skis on the market as well as a broad range of price points and a variety of features and applications.

Finally, we meet with brands throughout the year to learn about top products. We carefully research these skis before selecting only the most promising for real-world testing.

The result of these hundreds of hours of work is the buyer’s guide you see before you. And we will update this guide multiple times each year to keep it timely and relevant to help you pick the best all-mountain skis for your needs.

How to Choose the Best All-Mountain Skis

All-mountain skis are designed to handle a broad range of skiing styles and snow conditions. If a single-quiver ski exists, it’s likely an all-mountain ski.

What Does ‘All-Mountain’ Mean?

While some skis are made for a specific purpose — racing or ripping through the terrain park, for example — all-mountain skis are much more versatile. With any of the excellent skis on this list, you’ll be free to roam around the resort as you please, from the trees to the groomers and back again.

There is no official set of traits and specs a ski must have to earn the all-mountain title. Many brands and retailers have their own unique all-mountain criteria. Generally, versatile skis that can serve as an effective quiver of one have a few key characteristics in common.

First, most men’s all-mountain skis have a waist width between 75 mm and 105 mm. This spectrum represents the middle ground between super-narrow and super-wide skis — which is perfect for all-mountain use. Though, some all-mountain skis are even wider, which we dive into below: check out “powder-leaning all-mountain skis.”

Second, most skis in this category have a relatively traditional profile. With camber underfoot and some degree of rocker at the tip and the tail, a traditional profile offers a high level of usability from the fresh powder to the hardpack.

Different Types of All-Mountain Skis

All of the skis on this list prioritize versatility and can readily venture onto all parts of the mountain. Still, “all-mountain” is ultimately a spectrum that contains multiple subcategories of skis. Many skiers like to explore the whole mountain and still maintain a preference for a certain style of skiing.

Additionally, depending on where you live, you may be dealing with certain types of snow conditions on a regular basis. In these cases, it’s very helpful to have an all-mountain ski with design elements that best support your specific personal or place-based needs.

Frontside (Groomer-Leaning) All-Mountain Skis

Skis in this category will perform at their best on groomed runs and firm snow conditions. Typically, groomer-leaning all-mountain skis have a relatively narrow waist width between 75 mm and 100 mm.

Skis in this category will also prioritize edge hold, stiffness, and high-speed stability. While groomer-leaning all-mountain skis tend to sacrifice some performance and float in the deep powder, they’re great for hard carving and speeding down firm runs with minimal chatter.

This category is especially worth considering for skiers in the Midwest and East Coast regions.

If you’re a more casual skier who prefers sticking to the marked runs, consider a softer frontside all-mountain ski such as the Atomic Bent 110 or 100. Softer skis are less demanding to ski for intermediates which lets more relaxed skiers stay out longer.

Backside All-Mountain Skis (All-Mountain Power Skis)

Backside (sometimes called off-piste or powder-leaning) all-mountain skis are the opposite of their narrower groomer-leaning counterparts. Generally, skis in this category have a waist width between 95 mm and 115 mm. If powder lines are your jam, these are the skis for you.

Wider skis used to be dedicated pow-day tools, but many Western skiers use fatter sticks all season long, and most backside all-mountain skis have enough side cut to permit serviceable carving on frontside groomed runs as well. Fatter platforms generally perform better in mixed off-piste conditions because they help you float and smear over and through soft snow, mixed chop, and even the dreaded breakable crust.

Skiers in regions with lots of snowfall should consider this category. For maximum floatation and a bit of added flex, check out powder-leaning all-mountain skis such as the Atomic Bent 110 or the DPS Koala. For a stiffer big mountain ski that still has great float, check out the Nordica Unleashed 114.

Freeride & Freestyle Skis

While all-mountain skis can be quite wide, freeride skis are another subset of design and they are all generally wider. That width is an asset for powder, ungroomed territory, and off-piste adventure. They also typically have an upturned tip for float and maneuverability.

What differentiates an all-mountain ski is that it thrives on groomers and also manages ungroomed terrain or powder. All-mountain skis are generally easier to control. Freeride skis excel more on ungroomed terrain and powder but can also be used on hardpack. The preference also comes down to a skier’s experience, style, and preference.

Freestyle skis are tailored for parks, tricks, half pipes, jumps, and jibs. Overall, you’ll see these designs are often shorter in length, symmetrical, lighter weight, poppy, and feature twin tips.

Waist Width

Waist width is the width of a ski at its narrowest point. All-mountain skis typically have a waist width between 75 mm and 105 mm, though Western pow-chasers can go even wider with all-mountain fat skis such as the Nordica Unleashed 114. Within the spectrum, narrower skis are generally better for carving on hard surfaces, while wider widths are better for floating through soft snow and powder.

Many ski models are available in multiple waist widths. For example, the Elan Ripstick 102 Black Editions are available in waist widths of 102 mm, 96 mm, and 94 mm. For each ski on this list, we’ve listed all the available waist widths.

The “all-mountain” category includes skis that range widely from as narrow as 75mm for groomer-focused carving all-mountain skis to 118mm for pow-first flotation in an all-mountain soft-snow model. We’ve divided this broad grouping of all-rounders into subcategories that can help you understand an appropriate width for your style of skiing.

• All-Mountain (Groomers): 75 to 90 mm
• All-Mountain (Midwest/East Coast): 80 to 95 mm
• All-Mountain (Western): 90 to 115 mm
• All-Mountain (Powder): 100 to 118 mm

Ski Length

Ski length is a major consideration, and most of the models on this list are available in multiple lengths. In the past, a skier’s height would determine their ideal ski length. These days, the process is significantly more complicated.

While skier height remains an important factor, there are many other considerations for identifying the proper ski length. Shorter skis are easier to handle, which makes them a good choice for beginners. Shorter skis are also more nimble for quick turns if you’re a tree hound or love bumps.

The “effective edge” of a ski can also make a ski feel longer or shorter depending on where the widest part of the ski is relative to the tip and tail ends of the ski. Skis with shorter effective edges relative to their length will feel shorter when turning than more traditional skis, whose effective edge often extends to nearly the end of the ski. This means that for skis with short effective edges relative to their length you may want to size up from your normal length. Likewise, skis with long effective edges can be skied in shorter lengths comfortably and may have length ranges that feature shorter options overall. For example, the Renoun Endurance 98 skis have fairly long effective edges and top out at 184 cm but also come in 177, 170, and 163 centimeter lengths.

Longer skis have more surface area, which means that they feel more stable at high speeds and float better in powder. The Blizzard Anomaly 102 skis are aimed at advanced skiers looking for stability at speed and they come in relatively longer lengths of 176, 182, 188, 192.

A skier’s weight may have an impact on a ski’s flex and power transfer. This sizing chart is an effective tool that will help you consider all of the relevant factors.

Ski Profile: Camber vs. Rocker

A ski’s profile is a major contributor to its overall performance. Today, the market is full of skis with all kinds of different profiles, from traditional to experimental and everything in between.

Skis with a more traditional camber profile are shaped like an upside-down letter “C” and rise up underneath the foot, making contact with the ground at the tip and the tail. While skiing, your body weight pushes the base of the ski against the snow.

During turns, the camber shape provides some lift and pop, which propels you into your next turn. For pure carving purposes, traditional camber is still the leading ski profile, and many skis on this list feature some variation on the traditional camber shape.

A rocker profile is the opposite and shaped like a banana — the tip and tail of the ski are lifted higher than the underfoot area. Rocker profiles are newer to the ski design world, but they have plenty of advantages.

When skiing in deep powder, a rocker profile offers extra float and creates a blissful surf-like experience. The downside of rocker profiles is they generally don’t hold an edge as well as traditional camber, so they aren’t ideal for precision carving on firm surfaces. But rocker (also called reverse camber) can be more forgiving while playing on snow and riding switch.

Many of the leading all-mountain skis have a hybrid profile that combines aspects of camber and rocker. To learn more about ski profiles and the nuanced differences between them, check out this handy video from snow sports retailer evo.

Stiffness & Flex

Ski stiffness is a major factor that seriously affects overall performance. On one end of the spectrum, soft skis are easier to maneuver, more playful, and best suited for beginner to intermediate skiers.

Freestyle skiers who love to hit boxes and rails may also want a relatively soft and flexible ski. One of the downsides of soft skis is they’re prone to be squirrelly and chatter at high speeds.

Stiff skis are preferred by intermediate, advanced, and expert skiers who crave speed and long, aggressive carves. Rigid designs offer more stability, which is essential for staying in control when skiing fast.

The downside of stiff skis is they require power and honed technique to steer properly. For this reason, we don’t recommend ultra-stiff skis to beginners.

Most all-mountain skis fall somewhere in the middle of the soft-to-stiff spectrum. Groomer-leaning skis are usually on the stiffer side to best support speed and stability.

Powder-leaning skis may be more flexible in order to maximize surfability and play. If you’re looking for a true do-everything ski, midrange flex is the way to go.

Sidecut & Turn Radius

The sidecut of a ski refers to the shape of the curve on either side of its length. To some degree, all skis have an hourglass shape, but the radius of these curves has a major effect on steering and stability.

Skis that are much wider at the tip and tail than at the waist will have a short turning radius. A shorter turning radius is perfect for quick and nimble movements.

When skiing tight trees or moguls, a short turning radius is a helpful feature that will help keep you in control. Anything less than 16 m can be considered a short turning radius.

Skis with a longer turning radius are generally preferred for riding fast and carving hard on wide-open groomers. While a long turning radius makes sudden nimble changes of direction difficult, it’s certainly an asset when laying down endless sweeping carves. Anything more than 20 m can be considered a long turning radius.

• 16 m or less: short turn radius, quick movement
• 16 to 20 m: moderate turn radius, many all-mountain skis
• 20 m: long turn radius, large carves

Many all-mountain skis have an all-around turning radius somewhere between 16 m and 20 m. While a ski’s sidecut does partially define its personality, it won’t tell you everything about how a ski will actually feel to use. Other factors — including profile and flex — combine with the shape of the sidecut to define the nuanced capabilities of any given ski.

Parts of a Ski

High-quality skis are complex tools that pack lots of technology into a streamlined package. The materials and construction that make up your skis will define your experience using them.

Though there are many different ingredients involved in crafting a ski, the most important ones to be aware of are the core, laminates, sidewalls, and base.

Core and Laminates

The core of a ski is the innermost material that defines the basic structure, flex, and shape. Most all-mountain skis feature a wood core made from poplar, aspen, beech, or a combination. Foam cores are commonly found in cheaper beginner-level skis.

Around the core, layers of metal, carbon fiber, and other materials are added to boost or reduce characteristics such as pop, rigidity, and dampness.

Sidewalls

The sidewall is the material along the edge of a ski. Generally, it’s a plastic that protects the sides of the sandwiched core layers. Or, the fiberglass and top sheet layer could be extended to conceal the edge. The sidewall could also be a hybrid construction.

Base

A ski’s base is the surface that comes in direct contact with the snow. There are two kinds of bases: extruded and sintered.

Generally, extruded bases are found on beginner skis due to their low maintenance requirements. Skis with extruded bases are increasingly rare, but if you’re looking to prioritize affordability and low maintenance, they’re a reasonable option.

Sintered bases are the norm for almost all high-quality skis on the market. Though these bases require frequent waxing and general maintenance, they’re the best option for consistent all-mountain performance.

Women’s Skis vs. Men’s Skis

While some manufacturers make unisex skis, many models are specifically designed for either men or women. In the current market, men’s skis tend to have a slightly higher overall weight, increased rigidity, and a slightly setback mounting point to account for the way men tend to balance on skis.

Meanwhile, women’s skis commonly feature a mildly setback stance and are lighter and flexier. Though a women’s ski with enough rigidity for pure hard charging is harder to find, there are some excellent options available. Many women’s skis now possess all of the hard-charging power of any ski on the market.

It’s important to remember all skiers can absolutely enjoy both men’s and women’s models. Ultimately, it comes down to preference. The differences between men’s and women’s models are often subtle, and we recommend prioritizing performance and comfort over a men’s or women’s label.

If you’d like to learn about more women’s all-mountain skis on the market, check out our gear guide that highlights our favorite pairs.

Boot & Binding Compatibility

Skis are only one part of your shredding setup, and your boots and binding are equally important components of the system. It’s crucial that all aspects of your setup work well together to provide the best performance possible.

A high-end pair of skis won’t be able to live up to its potential with low-quality boots or bindings. Generally, you want to match the strengths of your skis with boots and bindings with similar traits. For example, softer, more playful skis will work best with soft and playful boots and bindings.

Aside from this, most boots and bindings can be mounted successfully to most skis, regardless of brand. Still, we recommend checking with the manufacturer’s specs to be absolutely sure.

Sustainability

Skiing and ski resorts don’t have a great reputation for their environmental impact, but organizations such as Protect Our Winters have pushed resorts and ski brands to make sustainability a priority and, as a result, ski brands have started to introduce more sustainable materials and practices into their manufacturing.

French ski maker ZAG launched their ZAGREEN program in 2015 which aims to shorten their supply chains and swap in more sustainable materials such as bio-based raw materials such as flax and using recycled metals for edges.

Telluride’s custom ski maker Wagner has used avalanche debris and local wood sources in ski cores. Utah startup ski brand WNDR Alpine developed an algae-based oil to replace petroleum-based materials to build its skis. 

Where applicable, we’ve highlighted sustainable materials and features of the skis featured in this guide.

Maintenance

Even the best skis won’t perform if you don’t keep them in good working condition. Damage to the bases can slow you down if not fixed and edges get dulled and damaged with use and should be sharpened at least a couple of times a season if you ski regularly. The right type and amount of wax applied to your bases will keep skis sliding properly.

Major repairs are generally best left to the professionals if you have access to a quality ski shop, as they require specialized materials and equipment to return the skis to like-new condition.

Minor scratches can be repaired at home with sticks of P-Tex without too much skill, but deeper incursions, especially around your edges, demand a bit more finesse and won’t last if not done properly.

Likewise, waxing can be done at home to save on professional tunes with a simple ski waxing setup. If you ski a lot, DIY waxing makes a lot of sense. Racers will wax after every ski day, but recreational skiers can get away with waxing every 5 ski days or so.

If you’re an infrequent or vacation-only skier, it may be easier to bring your skis in for a tune before a ski trip and at the end of each season. To avoid your bases drying out in the off-season, you can leave a thicker coat of wax on them through the summer and scrape it off before your first day on snow.

Mounting Bindings

Your ski shop is your best resource for choosing alpine ski bindings that are compatible with both your boots and ability level. They can also discuss the mounting point of your bindings, which can have an outsized impact on how your skis perform.

Ski manufacturers recommend a mounting point for their skis, which optimizes the ski’s edging when carving and flotation in soft snow. This is your best bet unless you know from past experience that you prefer a different mounting setup. 

Most all-mountain skis are built to have more ski in front of the bindings and less length in the tails. Moving the mounting point back for a more center-mounted ski makes skis more maneuverable and may be preferred if you want to be able to turn more quickly or if you ski switch often. There are trade-offs for any changes you make to your mount point, so make sure to discuss these pros and cons with your ski tech before committing to a mount point, as you should only mount bindings 2-3 times, and ideally, you only do it once.

Price & Value

Skis aren’t cheap. Expect to spend at least $400 on a pair of new skis, and the price usually goes up as the waist width (and thus the total amount of material) increases.

Budget

Significant savings can be had by purchasing a pair of skis that come with bindings such as the Rossignol Experience 76 Skis + Xpress 10 GW Bindings highlighted above, but these skis will often be aimed at more beginner and intermediate skiers.

Buying used is another way to save big on sticker prices, but make sure to buy from a trusted online retailer such as evo, REI, or a good local ski shop to ensure the skis are in good condition and not a deal too good to be true.

Mid-Tier

The majority of our favorite skis fall in this middle zone for price. Options like the Atomic Bent 110 ($700) are not made with the lightest, strongest materials but offer plenty of durability, versatility, rebound, and dampening for the average skier.

The Volkl M7 Mantra ($850) starts to creep into the premium zone with upgrades that include the 4 Radius Drive design, an advanced development of the 3D Radius Sidecut. The intent is to maximize versatility for variable snow on groomers and off-piste, increase stability on solid surfaces, and improve performance on soft snow.

Premium

Higher-end skis from brands such as DPS can retail for more than $1,500 new. These higher-priced options usually include a higher percentage of premium materials such as carbon and may be worth the spend if your budget allows and you’re an experienced enough skier to notice the performance improvements.

One example from our guide is the Rossignol Sender 106 Open ($900), which is directional rocker built with lightweight material in the tips, sustainable wood in the core, and Titanal laminates, as well as carbon. Another option tipping the scale is the DPS Koala 111 ($900).

Frequently Asked Questions

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