10 Best Ski Boot Bags in 2018

Not all that glitters is gold and not everything that is good as gold costs an arm and a leg. The Element Equipment Boot Bag is a perfect example of what can be achieved when experienced designers put their minds to a task. Not only is the EE Boot Bag handsome and spacious, but it also boasts high-quality construction, first-rate materials and a price point that’s going to make the most die-hard skeptic smile.

The Element Equipment Boot Bag is everything a good ski boot bag should be. There’s plenty of room for all your peripherals, an exterior pocket to put things like goggles and ski sunglasses in and a large central well that will accommodate both of your boots and most of your collapsible accessories. There are also 3 discrete vents on each side that allow moisture to escape, which in turn prevents mold from taking root and stinking up your bag. The 600D polyester shell is tough as nails and water resistant. It also cleans up easily with just a damp cloth.

The Dakine Boot Bag is another deceptively compact bag for ski and snowboarding boots that’s easy on the eye, easy on the wallet and easy on the shoulders when you have it slung. The central boot pocket is large enough to accommodate the biggest men’s boots along with a fair amount of your flexible ski accessories. The zippered exterior pocket handles everything else (except the helmet). You can easily fit your boots, goggles, balaclava, gloves, extra compression socks, polypropylene glove liners, snacks and filtered water bottle in this bag and still have some room left over.

This ski travel bag is beautifully balanced and even when fully loaded feels lighter than it is. The exterior shell is fashioned from rugged 600 Denier water-resistant polyester and will stand up to the rigors of the winter season without flinching. It also cleans up with minimal effort both inside and out. The exterior pocket features a tough, snag-resistant zipper that isn’t going to fail you if some grime from the mountain gets on it and inside there’s plenty of room for peripherals as we mentioned.

With the Kulkea Boot Trekker Ski Boot Backpack you’re getting into serious pro-level boot bag territory. This bag is brimming with great features that make it a great gift for skiers, but it’s not just a show pony. It boasts a wealth of practical features and a thoughtful design that makes storing and retrieving your gear a snap. No more digging through your bag looking for your polypro balaclava. No more pulling your goggles from your bag all smeared and scratched. With the Kulkea Boot Backpack, there’s a place for everything.

The Boot Trekker features a tripartite design with your boots in separate opposing pockets. This setup serves a couple of purposes. First, it balances the load which makes the bag easier to carry, especially when it’s laden with gear. And second, it opens up the center of the bag for storage. That central storage well is several times larger than the standard exterior pocket you’ll find on more compact bags, but it’s not just a big equipment dump either. The interior space is broken up into a number of smaller compartments that allow you to isolate more fragile items. Each of these pockets has their own dedicated zippered opening.

We love the way this bag looks. But that by itself wouldn’t be enough to recommend it. As it turns out it’s also a hyper-efficient way to get your gear to the mountain come snow or shine. Like the Boot Trekker, the High Sierra Pro Series Deluxe Trapezoid Boot Bag (say that three times fast) features a three-compartment system with boots on the outside and a deep main storage compartment in the middle.

The boot compartments will accommodate any men’s boot up to size 13 (US) and have discrete venting at the bottom to allow moisture to escape so that your boots don’t become mold magnets. The central storage well is deep and well-padded to protect your more fragile items and the compartment can be accessed from both the top and the front so you don’t have to go digging through to find things.

The second Kulkea bag on our best ski boot bag list is the Thermal Trekker Heated Ski and Snowboard Bag. A bag like this is, without a doubt, a luxury and you’re going to pay for that luxury. But on the other hand, can you really put a price on pulling dry, warm waterproof boots over your cold, clammy feet before you hit the slopes? Of course not. Just to prove the company also knows a thing or two about the organization the Thermal Trekker also features a wealth of storage compartments for your goggles, gloves, hat, snacks, and tech; including your smartphone, hunting GPS, tactical flashlight and more.

When you hit the slopes with the Thermal Trekker Boot Bag from Kulkea you’re announcing your intention to take no prisoners. The bag is perfectly balanced, boasts a high degree of structural integrity (so it’s not flailing around on your back like soft ski bags can) and is fully waterproof and remarkably light for such a feature-rich bag. There’s an array of internal compartments, the shoulders straps are some of the most comfortable of any ski boot bag on the market and the zippers are all anti-snag, easy pull items.

The Transpack Isosceles Ski Boot Bag features an innovative design that points the toes of your boots toward each other at the outer edge of the pack. This makes for a much more stable load and a bag that’s far less likely to get snagged on tree branches, bushes or other obstacles than a blockier bag is. The triangular design still leaves plenty of room for gear between the boots, although it’s unlikely you’ll get your helmet in there if you’re already carrying a sweater, ski pants, gloves, goggles, and other accessories.

As we alluded to, the triangular construction makes the Isosceles perhaps the most stable boot bag on the market and there’s a lot to be said for that. In addition, the exterior shell is water resistant and comes in a dozen different and three stylish colors. So there’s bound to be one that tickles your fancy. It’s perhaps a bonus that such a functional ski travel bag also happens to look great but that’s just another reason to love the Isosceles.

The Trapezoid from High Sierra features a similar triangular design to the Transpack Isosceles but with a more subtle turn in toward the gravitational center. It’s a bag that aspires to attract both male and female skiers and much to its credit (and due its dozen or so different surface designs) it shouldn’t look out of place over anyone’s shoulders. The bag itself is well-balanced and comfortable. The padded backpack straps never dig into the shoulders and it manages to stay put against your back regardless of how much you’re moving around, which makes shouldering the load that much easier.

The boot pockets will easily accommodate a pair of size 13s and the zippers open and close with ease time and again regardless of weather. The bag itself is also remarkably light for such a solid-feeling bag. Though some of that can be attributed to the lack of dedicated internal pockets and the top carry handle which is little more than a bit of nylon webbing. And while we’re noting shortcomings, it’s hard to overlook the lack of moisture vents.

With its sleek, hybrid design and outstanding carry volume, the Thule Roundtrip Boot Backpack will catch your eye right off the bat. The only question is: “Does the bag itself deliver on the promise the design makes?” We’re more than happy to say “Yes. Absolutely.” This is a bag for the true die-hard; the trail junkie that comes prepared for any eventuality and wants to be sure all his or her gear gets where it’s needed in pristine condition.

Perhaps the most remarkable thing is how comfortable the Roundtrip is to carry long distances, even when it’s filled to capacity. In that respect, the designers have obviously learned a thing or two from backpack design for safe mountaineering and you’re better off for it. The Roundtrip even lets you strap your skis to the bag which is perfect for those April afternoons when you’re heading up into Tuckerman Ravine for some spring skiing.

The 5th Element Stealth Boot Bag boasts plenty of storage for all your slope-related gear and is one of the lightest bags on the market. Each of your ski or snowboarding boots has its own zippered pocket that is roomy enough for the biggest boots and ventilated at the base to allow moisture to escape. The exterior is crafted from tough 600 Denier water-resistant nylon that will stand up to the rigors of the season and clean up in just minutes once you get home.

We need to say that we’re not crazy about the way this bag looks, but the reason it made it onto our best ski boot bag list is that it delivers where it counts. It accommodates a wealth of gear, is comfortable to carry either at your side or on your back, is durable as all get-out and features high-quality materials from the zippers to the lining of the internal waterproof pocket for your smartphone or GPS device. The handles are robust, the double stitching firm, the vents numerous and effective and the top pocket large enough for goggles, sunglasses, snacks, an extra hat and more.

The last item on our list is anything but the least. It’s the Unisex Ski Boot and Helmet Bag from Atomic and it was an eye-opener. One of the many reasons this bag snuck onto our best ski boot bag list is right in the title: “helmet”. Too many boot bag makers leave you to fend for yourself when it comes to the helmet. But not Atomic. Their little bag dots all the “i”s and crosses all the “T”s. 

Inside the bag, your winter boots sit next to one another parallel to your back, which opens up space for the helmet to slide into the vacuum above the foot portion. While that would be enough to bring a smile to our face there is also surplus room for your compressible including your balaclava, gloves, spare socks scarf and more. There’s also a built-in goggle wipe, plenty of ventilation, a padded foundation and a tarpaulin lining that’s a breeze to clean at the end of the trip.