Looking for New Skis To Hit the Slopes With This Winter? This Amazing Model Is the Best We Tested

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investing in new gear is always a rush, and should be a fresh motivator to log more days in the mountains this year (as if you needed an excuse). When it comes to skis, having a high-end pair you truly love—and that really suits the kind of skiing you do—can radically alter your performance on the slopes, and up your safety.

To help you find the best of the best, we tested dozens of options in all kinds of conditions and spent a long time stewing over our seasonal favorites. In the end, we picked the 2026 Salomon QST 106 as the best pair of skis overall. It’s reliable, forgiving, and versatile from powder to piste—the ultimate one-ski quiver for skiers who want to master all-mountain conditions.

Want the lowdown on more great snow sports gear? Check out the rest of Men's Journal 2025-2026 Ski Awards, where we’ve tested everything from outerwear to après-ski gear to bring you the best of every category—jackets, pants, bindings, and more.

Best Ski of 2025-26: Salomon QST 106

The Salomon QST 106 is still the one-ski quiver to beat. It’s playful, damp, stable, and strong—a shapeshifter that moves from soft snow to hardpack without hesitation. It’s not your top pick for bulletproof boilerplate, but for everything else? From mid-winter glades to spring mashed potatoes, this ski just gets along with everyone.

Now in its fifth generation, Salomon’s taken what worked and made it better. The carbon/flax layer is gone, replaced with basalt fibers woven into the fiberglass matrix. That swap adds pop without twitch. Sidewalls have been simplified—no more dual-wall construction—which makes the ski feel a little less overbuilt at low speeds and more fluid overall. The updated poplar core gives it a smooth, consistent flex.

It also shed about 100 grams, and while that doesn’t sound like much, testers felt the difference—especially on the skintrack or when banging out late-day laps. The cork tip and tail dampening has been extended into the rocker zones, which keeps the ski composed at high speeds and eerily quiet in firm conditions. Says one tester who has skied on every continent, and just returned to France from some turns in Australia and New Zealand, “When having to choose only one ski to travel with, the QST 106 is an obvious choice. Wide enough to handle various snow conditions; quick turning on steeps and in narrow couloirs; lightweight enough for short tours and holds well at speed. It’s a versatile ski for all but bulletproof or super-deep powder. I don't need to overthink this ski, just stay centered and enjoy the ride.”

For 181cm:

• Lengths: 157, 165, 173, 181, 189cm
• Sidecut: 139-106-126mm
• Turn Radius: 19.5m
• Weight: 4,000 grams (per pair)

Why You Should Trust Us

Our team of nine testers knows how to do their homework. Collectively, we’ll rack up more than 1,000 on-snow days in a given season just testing out skis and gear to see if they live up to their promise. Most of us have been testing skis for over 20 ski seasons. We’ve skied New England and Eastern Canadian hardpack, Whistler powder, Pacific Northwest cement, and everything in between, including months in the French, Italian, and Swiss Alps.

Our testers have visited more than two dozen ski resorts in every condition imaginable, and skied plenty of peaks, steep slopes, and couloirs. We offer a combined ski history of more than 100 years of high-level race and big-mountain experience racked up from Japan to North America to the Alps.

We love reviewing skis, and have tested more than 300 pairs of them. We harnessed not only ambition, but wisdom and experience, with testers from their early 20s to seasoned vets. We also tested some skis on less experienced legs to assess how they performed for beginner and intermediate skiers. It's never easy putting so many great skis through their paces before whittling them down to our favorite dozen pairs of top performers—but it's always a ton of fun.