Touring Skis: How to Choose Width and Length for the Climb and the Descent
A touring ski has two jobs: climbing all morning and skiing whatever you find on the way down. Here's how width and length trade those jobs off.
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A touring ski has two jobs: it has to climb on skins all morning, then ski whatever you find on the way down. Almost every choice trades one job against the other. A lighter, narrower ski saves energy on the climb, while a wider, heavier one floats better and feels steadier on the descent. Here is how touring skis compare by width and length.
Where the widths fall
Among 193 touring skis, 117 were available as of 4 Nov 2026, US shops, in-stock offers.
| Waist width | Touring skis in stock at US shops |
| Under 80 mm | 3 |
| 80–89 mm | 16 |
| 90–99 mm | 37 |
| 100–109 mm | 41 |
| 110 mm or wider | 14 |
| Width not published | 6 |
| Total | 117 |
Two thirds of them, 78 of the 117, sit between 90 and 109 mm. That's where most touring skiers land: wide enough for soft snow, narrow enough to stay manageable on a long climb. Here's how the bands tend to work in practice:
- Under 90 mm: long days, spring snow and firm conditions, where low weight and edge grip matter more than float.
- 90–99 mm: the all-rounder for mixed snow and most days out.
- 100–109 mm: more soft snow, and for skiers who care more about the descent than about the climb.
- 110 mm or wider: deep snow, usually with shorter climbs. Our powder ski guide covers this end of the range.
A touring ski isn't always built purely for climbing. Of the 117, 32 are also intended for freeride, 29 for powder and 27 for all-mountain skiing, and some suit several uses. Many of these are resort-capable skis that also suit touring, and they often weigh more than dedicated touring models.
That makes weight the spec to check, and it's the one touring skiers ask about first. Look up the maker's weight figure and compare the same length.
Six models to compare
Lengths are what the maker lists, not what every shop has in stock. Shop counts and prices cover all sizes.
| Ski (2027) | Waist | Lengths, cm | US shops | Price range |
| Völkl Blaze 94 Black | 94 mm | 151–186 | 13 | $749.99 |
| Black Crows Camox Freebird | 96 mm | 164–183 | 7 | $639.95–$949.00 |
| Blizzard Zero G 96 | 96 mm | 164–185 | 7 | $849.95–$849.99 |
| Atomic Backland 101 W | 101 mm | 156–172 | 8 | $749.95–$970.00 |
| Atomic Backland 102 | 102 mm | 164–186 | 9 | $749.99–$970.00 |
| Black Crows Navis Freebird | 102 mm | 169–189 | 8 | $837.99–$999.00 |
We haven't skied these for this guide.
- Blaze 94 Black: aimed at all-mountain, touring and freeride, for intermediate through expert skiers. It has the longest size run of the six, starting at 151 cm, and prices are the same across shops here.
- Camox Freebird: the same 96 mm waist as the Zero G, but aimed at all-mountain, touring and powder, with the widest spread of prices here.
- Zero G 96: aimed at touring alone, like the Backland 101 W, and at advanced skiers. On paper, these two are the most focused on touring of the six.
- Backland 102 and Navis Freebird: both 102 mm and aimed at advanced and expert skiers. The Backland starts shorter, at 164 cm, while the Navis runs longer, up to 189 cm.
- Backland 101 W: the women's model of the group, in 156, 164 and 172 cm.
Of the 117 touring skis in stock, 92 are unisex, 14 women's, 9 men's and 2 kids'. So many women end up choosing among unisex models, and length usually decides. Our guide on how women's skis differ has more on that.
Choosing a length
Many tourers go at or a little below the length they ski at the resort. A shorter ski weighs less and is easier to manage in kick turns on a steep climb. If you mostly chase deep snow and don't climb far, stay closer to your usual length or go longer. Our guide on how to choose skis covers length in general.
The rest of the setup
A touring ski is only part of the kit, and the other parts can narrow your choice:
- Bindings. Touring bindings differ from alpine ones, and some need a boot made for them, so choose the binding and boot together. Our ski binding guide explains the options. Check the brake too: it has to be at least as wide as the ski's waist.
- Skins. They need to match the ski's width and length, so buy them for the ski you end up with.
- Avalanche gear. If your tours cross avalanche terrain, budget for a beacon, shovel and probe, and take a course. See our avalanche safety page.
Browse every ski on our skis page.