I much prefer simple ski straps to the big shoulder carriers. I just want something that keeps my skis together so I can throw them over my shoulder and get on with it.
That said, I’ve accumulated both types over the years. The bigger carriers are definitely useful for longer walks, or when you’ve already got your hands full with boots, poles and everything else.
If you already know which style you want, these are my top picks for each. I’ve compared all four in more detail below.
🏆 My Quick Picks
The Swix Ski Straps are my favourite of the simple straps. They're solid, straightforward and all I really need most of the time.
If you want a full carrier, I'd go for the Sklon Ski Strap & Pole Carrier. It's much better suited to longer walks when you want your skis and poles carried together.
The Ski Straps & Carriers I Recommend
I’ve split these into simple straps and full carriers. The straps are what I’d choose for everyday use; the carriers make more sense if you’ve got a longer walk or just hate juggling skis and poles.
Simple Ski Straps
1. Swix Ski Straps
- My favourite of the simple ski straps
- Rubber-backed and noticeably more substantial than the Fat Cookie straps
- Simple, secure and easy to throw in a pocket when you're skiing
- My favourite simple ski straps
- Rubber-backed and nicely substantial
- Easy to stash in a pocket
The Swix straps are my favourite of the simple options. There’s not much to them, which is kind of the point. Wrap one around each end of your skis, pull the Velcro tight and they’re not going anywhere.
What I like about the Swix straps is how substantial they feel. There’s a thick rubber section on the inside that sits between the skis, keeping the bases apart and stopping the edges from rubbing against each other. The Velcro is strong too, and there’s enough length to get them around a fairly chunky pair of skis without a fight.
Just one at the tip and one at the tail. That keeps the skis together for carrying, but it’s also handy when they’re being thrown into a roof box or the back of a car. Once I’m skiing, the straps are small enough to disappear into my jacket pocket.
And yes, those are my toddler’s skis. Trying to photograph a pair of 180cm skis on my kitchen floor wasn’t working!
The Swix are a little heavier and bulkier than the Fat Cookie straps below, but I actually prefer that. The rubber section gives them a more solid feel and does a better job of keeping the skis separated.
For most people who just want something to keep their skis together, this is the type of strap I’d buy rather than a full shoulder carrier.
2. Fat Cookie Ski Straps
- Lighter and less bulky than the Swix straps
- Soft EVA padding sits between the skis
- Long enough to wrap around your skis and poles together
- Lighter and less bulky than the Swix
- Soft EVA padding between the skis
- Can wrap around skis and poles together
The Fat Cookie straps are a lighter take on the traditional ski strap. They use a soft EVA foam pad between the skis and a long Velcro strap that gives you plenty of room to wrap around wider skis or include your poles too.
They’re also really light. Once you’ve taken them off, they fold down to almost nothing and are easy to shove in a jacket pocket for the rest of the day. If you’re trying to carry as little as possible, that’s probably their biggest advantage.
Put them next to the Swix though, and there’s quite a difference in how they’re built. The Swix has that chunky rubber section between the skis, while the Fat Cookie uses much thinner EVA foam. The Swix feels considerably more substantial. The Fat Cookie feels lighter and more flexible.
I prefer the Swix overall. I like the thicker rubber separator and generally just want my straps to hold the skis together. But the Fat Cookie is arguably the more versatile of the two. The extra length makes it easier to bundle your poles in as well, and it takes up less space in your pocket afterwards.
If weight and bulk matter more to you than having the more substantial strap, I’d go Fat Cookie.
But if you want something that actually helps carry your skis rather than just holding them together, the next two options are a completely different beast.
Ski Carrier Straps
1. Sklon Ski Strap & Pole Carrier
- My pick if you want a full ski carrier
- Padded shoulder strap makes longer walks much easier
- Carries your skis and poles together
- My pick of the full ski carriers
- Padded shoulder strap
- Carries skis and poles together
The Sklon is a completely different setup to the simple straps above. Instead of just holding your skis together, it gives you a proper shoulder strap and carries your poles at the same time.
There are two wide straps that wrap around the skis, with separate loops on top for the poles. Once everything is secured, the adjustable shoulder strap clips onto either end and you can sling the whole lot over your shoulder. It takes a little longer to set up than a pair of basic straps, but it’s much easier if you’ve got any distance to walk.
The shoulder section is properly padded, which makes more of a difference than you might expect once you’ve got the weight of your skis hanging from it. There’s also a grippy lining to help stop everything moving around while you walk.
I also like how the poles are handled. They sit in their own loops above the skis rather than just being bundled into the same strap, and the loops use both Velcro and press studs to keep them closed. It’s a small detail, but the whole thing feels well thought out.
The downside is pretty obvious… It’s bulkier than the Swix or Fat Cookie straps, which is the main reason I still prefer those for normal resort days.
But if you’ve got a decent walk from the car, you’re carrying kids’ gear as well as your own, or you just want your skis and poles out of your hands, the Sklon makes a lot more sense. Of the full carriers I’ve tried, this is the one I’d choose.
2. Kapstrom Ski Strap & Pole Carrier
- Full shoulder carrier for your skis and poles
- Adjustable shoulder strap with a grippy shoulder section
- A cheaper alternative to the Sklon
- Carries your skis and poles together
- Adjustable shoulder strap
- Cheaper alternative to the Sklon
The Kapstrom is very similar to the Sklon. In fact, on paper there’s barely anything separating them. You get the same basic setup: two straps for the skis, separate Velcro and press-stud loops for your poles, and an adjustable shoulder strap connecting the lot.
And it works. Once everything is strapped in, you’ve got your skis and poles together and can carry the whole setup over your shoulder.
The difference becomes much more obvious when you have the two carriers in front of you.
The Sklon feels like the better-quality product. The straps and hardware feel more substantial, the stitching and finishing are better, and even the packaging and branding feel a step up. None of that changes what the carrier actually does, but there’s a noticeable difference when you’re handling them side by side.
The biggest practical difference is the shoulder section.
The Sklon has a thick padded section, while the Kapstrom has very little actual cushioning. Kapstrom does use a rubbery, grippy material underneath, which helps keep it on your shoulder, but I’d rather have the extra padding if I’m carrying skis any real distance.
Otherwise, the features are remarkably similar. Both have dedicated pole loops secured with Velcro and press studs, and both work in essentially the same way. This isn’t a case of the Kapstrom missing loads of features – the Sklon just feels like a nicer version of the same idea.
That makes the decision pretty simple for me. If the Kapstrom is significantly cheaper, it’ll do the job. But if the prices are close, I’d buy the Sklon.
Ski Straps or a Ski Carrier?
For most ski days, I still prefer simple straps. They keep the skis together in the car or roof box, make them less annoying to carry, and disappear into a pocket once you’re skiing.
The carriers make more sense when the walk is more significant. Skiing on your own is easy enough. Add kids, extra skis, poles, boots, helmets and whatever else you’ve somehow volunteered to carry, and suddenly being able to throw your skis and poles over one shoulder is pretty useful.
I’ve also found my kids will carry their own skis when they have straps (without skis separating and being dropped every few yards).
The downside is that you’ve then got a bulkier carrier to do something with all day. That’s why I mostly stick with simple straps unless I know I’ve got a decent walk ahead of me.
Do You Actually Need a Ski Carrier?
Probably not.
I managed perfectly well without one for many years. They’re more of a convenience than something I’d call essential, and I wouldn’t buy one just because you landed on this article.
But they’re one of those things that become more useful as the amount of crap you’re carrying increases. Ten years ago I wouldn’t have bothered. With kids in tow, I get it.
How I Ended Up With All These Ski Straps
There wasn’t exactly a grand testing plan here.
Like quite a lot of my ski gear, these have accumulated through attrition. I’ve bought some, been sent others, travelled with them, lost them in bags and eventually ended up with enough to have fairly strong opinions about what is basically a strip of Velcro.
Having the Sklon and Kapstrom at the same time was particularly useful. If I’d only had one, I’d probably have thought it was perfectly good and moved on. Put them next to each other and the difference in quality is more obvious.
Final Thoughts
After all that, I still mostly use the simplest option here. The Swix straps are my favourite for everyday use. They’re solid, quick to throw on and then disappear into a pocket once I’m skiing. There’s really not much more I need from a ski strap.
The Fat Cookies are lighter and less bulky, but I prefer the more substantial feel of the Swix. You can’t really go wrong with either though.
If I wanted a full carrier, I’d get the Sklon. The Kapstrom works and has essentially the same features, but side by side the Sklon is just better made.
Not the most exciting conclusion I’ve ever reached about ski gear, but there we are.
Hope that helps, and see you on the mountain!
– Mike
