ZONEMEL · Home Gym & Fitness
Canadian Red Cedar Sauna
The recovery gift that doubles as the reason people visit the ski house.
$1,000+
See Price →The Boyfriend Ski House · /ski-house-essentials/
The Boyfriend Ski House: what makes people come back
A ski house is judged on what happens after four o'clock. The skiing is a given; the reason people ask to come back is the drying room, the fire and the sauna.
So the list below is weighted towards the après end of the day, with one pair of skis that will handle whatever the mountain does after lunch.
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After four o'clock
Cedar, panoramic glass, and the most-saved item on the entire ski board for obvious reasons.
On the mountain
Eighty-two underfoot: the width that carves groomers and still survives a powder morning.
What gets worn indoors
Shearling slippers and snow boots for the walk from the car. The mountain gear is on the ski style page.
Moon Boot · Men's Outerwear
Moon Boot Icon Low Shearling Snow Boots
Real shearling in the low cut. The most luxurious thing the house makes.
$500–$1,000
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Duraflame · Men's Outerwear
Duraflame Freestanding Electric Fireplace Stove
A cast-iron-look stove with a 3D flame effect and real heat. No chimney, no logs, no arguments.
$250–$500
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Moon Boot · Men's Outerwear
Moon Boot Icon Faux Fur Snow Boots
Faux fur trim, which pushes it further into après than sport.
$250–$500
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Moon Boot · Men's Outerwear
Moon Boot Icon Nubuck Felt Snow Boots
Nubuck and felt, which is the grown-up version of the silhouette.
$250–$500
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Moon Boot · Men's Outerwear
Moon Boot Icon Low Pearly Plus Boots
The low cut, which is far easier to live in around a house.
$250–$500
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UGG · Men's Outerwear
UGG Men's Tasman Slipper
The slipper that leaves the house. Suede and shearling, and he will wear them daily from October.
$100–$250
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UGG · Men's Outerwear
UGG Men's Ascot Slipper
The closed-back version, for anyone who thinks the Tasman looks too much like a slipper.
$100–$250
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Sorel · Men's Outerwear
Sorel Men's Caribou Waterproof Snow Boot
Rated to minus forty. The boot for the walk from the car to the chalet, not the mountain.
$100–$250
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Sorel · Men's Outerwear
Sorel Men's Buxton Lace Waterproof Winter Boot
Less overtly technical than the Caribou. Works in a city that gets real winters.
$100–$250
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ORORO · Men's Outerwear
ORORO Men's Heated Vest with USB-C Battery
Four heating zones and a battery that lasts a day. Absurd until you have worn one.
$100–$250
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Duraflame · Men's Outerwear
Duraflame Electric Log Set with Infrared Heat
Drops into an existing fireplace that does not work. Heats a thousand square feet and looks the part.
$100–$250
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Minnetonka · Men's Outerwear
Minnetonka Sheepskin Ankle Boot Slipper
Closed ankle, so he can take the bins out in them. Which he will.
$100–$250
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Moon Boot · Men's Outerwear
Moon Boot Icon Nylon Insulated Snow Boots
The original 1970s silhouette. Nothing else looks like it.
$100–$250
See Price →
PEET · Men's Outerwear
PEET Original Electric Boot Dryer
Dry boots at eight the next morning. The single most appreciated thing in a ski house.
Under $100
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Legendary Whitetails · Men's Outerwear
Legendary Whitetails Berber-Lined Hooded Shirt Jacket
The shirt jacket that lives on a hook by the door and gets worn for the entire weekend.
Under $100
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Legendary Whitetails · Men's Outerwear
Legendary Whitetails Long Sleeve Fleece Button-Up
Fleece cut like a flannel. Warmer than it looks and softer than anything else in his wardrobe.
Under $100
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Bedsure · Men's Outerwear
Bedsure GentleSoft Sherpa Fleece Throw
Ninety-seven thousand people bought the same throw. Twenty dollars, and it never leaves the sofa.
Under $100
Buy This for Him →
UGG · Men's Outerwear
UGG Scuff Slipper, Sheepskin
Real sheepskin, open back, moulds to his foot within a week. The correct ski-house slipper.
Under $100
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Dearfoams · Men's Outerwear
Dearfoams Brixen Memory Foam Ankle Boot Slipper
A slipper that closes around the ankle, so it stays on going down stairs.
Under $100
Buy This for Him →
Woolrich · Men's Outerwear
Woolrich Luxury Quilted Throw
Woolrich have made cabin blankets since 1830. This is the one that lives on the sofa arm.
Under $100
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Ghirardelli · Men's Outerwear
Ghirardelli Premium Hot Cocoa Envelopes
Real chocolate rather than powder. The difference is obvious in the first cup.
Under $100
Get It Here →
Darn Tough · Men's Outerwear
Darn Tough Hiker Midweight Micro Crew Socks
Merino, made in Vermont, and guaranteed for life. They replace them when they wear out.
Under $100
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Darn Tough · Men's Outerwear
Darn Tough Light Hiker Micro Crew Socks
The lighter knit, for boots that already run warm.
Under $100
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Legendary Whitetails · Men's Outerwear
Legendary Whitetails Flannel Button-Down Shirt
Nineteen thousand ratings on a thirty-five-dollar flannel. Heavier than most.
Under $100
Get It Here →
Amazon Essentials · Men's Outerwear
Amazon Essentials Waffle Henley
Sixteen dollars for the layer that goes under everything from October onwards.
Under $100
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Ski House FAQ
What should every ski house have?
A boot dryer, somewhere to hang wet layers that is not the bathroom, a fireplace and a sauna. Everything else is decoration. The house is judged on how dry your gear is at eight the next morning.
Is an outdoor sauna practical in the snow?
It is the ideal setting for one — a cedar barrel unit heats in about forty minutes and the temperature contrast is the entire point. Site it within a short walk of a door.
What do people forget to buy for a ski house?
A boot dryer, every time. Wet liners overnight are the single most common complaint in a shared chalet, and a fifty-dollar dryer solves it for everyone in the house rather than one person.
How do you make a ski house feel warm without renovating?
Layer the soft things and add heat you can see. A heavy wool throw, a sheepskin slipper by each bed and an electric stove in the corner do more for how a room feels than turning the heating up.