Where to rent and buy ski equipment in Switzerland

If you are new to this, here’s what equipment you’ll need, how to save some money on it, and where to rent and buy ski gear in Switzerland, particularly near Zürich. Hope this helps.

Ski & snowboard gear essentials

For skiing, you need skis, ski boots and poles. For snowboarding, you need a snowboard and snowboard boots. Don’t worry if you don’t know what type of skis to rent/buy or how long they should be. The ski shops are very helpful in guiding you to the right equipment. 

For children, I recommend renting equipment because they will outgrow it every year. With rentals, you can usually swap out the equipment mid-season if your child has a growth spurt.

For adults that are just starting, I also recommend renting because ski equipment is different depending on your ski level and you will likely change your preferences as you improve.

Short-term rentals

Don’t rent your gear at the resort on the same day you are skiing. It wastes a lot of time on your ski day (plan about 1 hr to rent equipment including standing in line) and it’s typically more expensive than rental shops in Zürich or even in a village near the ski resort.

If you are renting for the weekend or a week-long holiday, you can pick them up the day before, usually after 12:00. So you don’t have to wait until the shop is open on Saturday to pick up your gear.

Reserve ahead

I recommend calling ahead to make sure they have the sizes you need and reserving if possible.

You could also go in a few days ahead, do the fitting, then pick up the gear on Friday before the trip. One time, we went late on Friday only to find they were sold out of our size and all the other shops were already closed.

Rental prices

For a day rental for skis, boots, and poles, expect to pay about CHF 20-25 for little kids, CHF 25-30 for juniors, and CHF 45 for adults. For adults, there are usually different categories of equipment, based on your ski level.

If you are a beginner or casual skier, you will usually get the least expensive level. Snowboard rental is slightly higher.

Don’t forget insurance, which is typically 10% of your rental price. This covers accidental damage or theft of your equipment. We always get it.

The big sports stores all offer short term and seasonal rentals, like Oschner Sport and Decathalon.

Seasonal rentals

If you plan to ski more than 9 times (I did the math), it pays to rent your equipment for the season. It also saves you time and the hassle going to the rental shop every week. Many places offer a small discount (like 10%) if you rent in October. So it pays to plan ahead.

If you wait too long, the rental shops might run out of used equipment to rent and will charge you a “new equipment rental” surcharge.

Some shops will let you buy the equipment at the end of the season for another surcharge. But kids grow so quickly, it’s probably not worth it.

I’ve rented from skirental-zueri and been quite happy (and they speak English).

Servicing ski equipment

If you buy used equipment, it’s best to service the equipment before using it. Some people service their own equipment every year, but I’m lazy and almost never do that.

You can take ski equipment to any ski shop and they can service the skis/board (sharpen the edges, smooth out scrapes) and fit the boots to the skis for a fee, usually about CHF 25-55.

It’s best to do this before the season starts because it can take a few days (some shops send your equipment to another location) and you don’t want to be stuck without equipment on a nice ski day.

Also shops can be super busy right before school holidays and might not have time to service your equipment.

Buying new

No surprise, but new ski and snowboard equipment is very expensive! Expect to pay about CHF 400+ for skis and another CHF 200+ for bindings.

Note that new skis and snowboards are often sold without bindings, which are purchased separately. So factor that into your purchase price. A ski shop may also charge you to install the bindings and fit them to your boots.

I have tried shopping in Konstanz, Germany for ski gear but I find the prices are not much better and the selection is not as good, presumably because Konstanz is not in a ski area.

Best to wait for after Christmas sales in January to pick up gear for next season. Some stuff goes on sale again at the end of the season in March, but the selection is small.

For kids skis, I would only consider buying new if you have multiple children and you can pass the equipment down to younger children. Then your cost is divided across the children. Otherwise, it is more affordable to rent.

When buying new and making a long-term commitment, it is very important to get the skis or board that fits your style of skiing. For example, some skis/boards are built for powder, speed, carving, etc. Some are easier or harder to control. If you don’t know much about equipment, it’s much better to rent some test equipment of different styles until you find one you like.

Of course, you can sell your equipment after the season to recoup some of your cost. Best to try a “ski börse,” secondhand exchange usually in October where people in the neighborhood bring their ski stuff to the community center to sell. You can some of the dates here.

Secondhand market

If you’re on a budget, you can save a lot by picking up used equipment at a ski shop, secondhand shop (Brockenhaus) or online forum (like Ricardo.ch). It’s best to do this in October as the equipment can go quickly. But I’ve also noticed that the shops sometimes have good inventory in January after people dump old equipment that was replaced by Christmas presents.

I’d start at a ski shop, because they will have the best quality. I’ve bought used boots at a ski shop for the past three years, ranging in price from CHF 35-55. Kid’s feet grow quick, so we usually need a new size every year, but I can pass the smaller boots down to my younger son, so it’s good value.

I bought skis for my kids for CHF 10 at Salvation Army and I’ve used them for two seasons because ski length doesn’t vary much for beginners. I’ve also bought cheap skis for myself (CHF 20) so I could help teach my kids to ski (I usually snowboard), but they were so old, heavy and poor quality, that it was difficult to ski on them.

The Fundsachenverkauf shop (Albisstrasse 54, CH-8038 Zürich) has things not claimed from the Lost & Found at Zürich airport and public transportation. You can often find some good quality things there, though the prices are higher than you might expect.

Many communities have a “ski börse” in late October. This is a secondhand exchange where people in the neighborhood bring their ski stuff to the community center to sell. You can get some really high quality gear at these exchanges, so watch your community notice boards to see when this happens. You can some of the dates here.

Ski Clothing

Here are the basics you’ll need.

• Waterproof ski pants and jacket
• Helmet
• Ski gloves – Water and wind resistant
• Ski socks
• Thermal base layer

Optional

• Fleece jacket
• Buff
• Ski mask
• Back protecter

For advice on what to buy and where to get it in Switzerland, see: 10 Must Haves for Kids Ski Clothing

Renting ski clothes

If your kids ski for less than 2 weeks each year, rental makes a lot more sense than buying – both financially and environmentally. Renting your clothing means that you don’t need to buy new outfits every season as your kids grow out of their old kit.

We recommend the Cirkel Supply Co., which rents ski clothing for adults and children from premium brands like Patagonia, Picture and Namuk.

Their easy-to-use service is available across Switzerland, delivering directly to your destination in the Swiss alps. A great option for your pocket, and the planet!