Reliable clothing for skiers and snowboarders in every layer
One day on the slopes, many situations
On the slopes, your body's own heat production changes constantly between active runs and calmer moments. On the way down, your body produces heat and you sweat, while speed, wind and snow increase the protection your clothing needs to give. On the lift, you are less active and your body starts to cool quickly, especially if moisture has stayed on your skin or in your clothes. Good layering keeps you comfortable from the first runs to the last lift ride of the day.
That is why we have put together a ready-made, practical set on this page: one trusted garment for each layer. With these garments, dressing is easy, whether you are an experienced skier or snowboarder or heading to the slopes for the first time. You do not need to compare dozens of options or guess whether the garments work together. Here is a set in which every layer is designed to work with the next.
Every layer has its own job
The Zero Layer moves moisture away from your skin, the Base Layer evens out warmth, the Mid Layer adds insulation for frost and the Shell Layer protects you from wind and snow. Merino and Airbase take care of moisture and warmth, so you can focus on your next run.
Four layers, one set that works
Layering is the answer to dressing for skiing and snowboarding. We chose one trusted garment for each layer that works at both extremes of a day on the slopes: a chilly lift ride and a fast run. Together they form the Svala AIR System™ layering system: four layers, each doing its own job, from the Zero Layer to the Shell Layer. You do not always need all four. Fewer are enough in mild spring weather, and in hard frost you wear the full system.
Zero Layer – Next-to-skin performance
You sweat more on the slopes than you might think: moving between lifts and runs, handling your gear and skiing hard all warm your body up, even when it is well below freezing. Worn next to your skin, the Airbase mesh shirt and mesh bottoms keep you dry: Airbase is 100% polypropylene, which does not absorb moisture but moves sweat away from your skin to the next layer. So you do not get cold on the lift, where you sit still in the wind and blowing snow.
The loops of the 120 g/m² 3D mesh knit breathe and trap air, forming a thin layer against your skin: on runs and on the move it cools you, and on the lift it insulates. Airbase is thin and stretchy, so it moves with your body and does not restrict your stance. Silver-ion treatment keeps the shirt fresh, so the same shirt lasts for many days on the slopes.
Men's Original Airbase 120 mesh set
Women's Original Airbase 120 mesh set
“What I value most in Svala's products is how versatile they are all year round. The same trusted garments come with me from one activity and season to the next – I wear Airbase for snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and downhill skiing in winter, and for hiking in summer and autumn.”
Base Layer – Temperature regulation
When you slow down for the lift ride or the queue, your body no longer produces enough heat on its own, and you need a layer that keeps you warm. Over Airbase, you wear the Merino Extreme base layer top and bottoms. Merino regulates temperature in both directions, so it does not feel stuffy on the way down and does not let you get cold on the lift. It also keeps you warm when it is damp from sweat or snow.
Together, Airbase and Merino Extreme make a layer pair that works for a day on the slopes: the mesh layer moves moisture away from your skin and merino brings warmth that holds up even when damp. Together they keep you dry and warm all day on the slopes.
Men's Merino Extreme 200 base layer set
Women's Merino Extreme 200 base layer set
Mid Layer – Thermal insulation
When the frost bites harder or active skiing gives way to a calmer moment, you need an insulating layer over Airbase and Merino Extreme. Over the merino, you wear a warming mid-layer that holds in the heat your body produces when it no longer produces enough on its own.
Which mid-layer to choose depends on the weather. In spring sunshine and mild weather, the Svala Polartec Alpha™ hoodie works well. Polartec Alpha™ is a technical material developed to adapt to changes in your body temperature, both when you are moving hard and in calmer moments.
For winter frost, we recommend Polartec Power Stretch Pro™ garments. Breathable and with an excellent warmth-to-weight ratio, they are made to withstand hard use.
Men's Polartec Alpha 90 hoodie
Women's Polartec Alpha 90 hoodie
Shell Layer – Weather protection
Your layering is completed by a weather-protecting shell: a ski jacket and ski trousers. On the slopes, the shell's main job is to protect you from wind and moisture from outside and to support the layers beneath in changing conditions. Protection alone is not enough, though: the shell must also breathe, so the moisture you build up on a run does not get trapped and soak your layers from the inside.
Choose a ski jacket and ski trousers with enough room to go over your other layers, as the air between the layers keeps the warmth in. Svala's own shell layer, Ventile, is designed for the moments away from the slopes.
Men's Ventile 200 jacket
Women's Ventile 200 jacket
You do not need everything at once – start here
The system works best when you wear all the layers to suit the weather and your activity level, but you do not need to buy everything at once or replace your whole wardrobe. The AIR System™ also works with the clothes you already have. If you are starting from scratch, start with the layer next to your skin: it is the most important part of the whole system. The most reliable foundation for a day on the slopes is Airbase mesh knit next to your skin with Merino Extreme on top. Over these, add an insulating layer and a shell to suit the weather.
If you already have a layer that works, just get what is missing:
- Do you already have merino wool base layers? Complement them with Airbase: wear the mesh layer next to your skin under the merino, so you stay drier on your runs and do not get cold on the lift.
- Are your next-to-skin and warming layers sorted? For lift rides and mild spring days, add the lightweight Polartec Alpha™ hoodie. For winter frost, add Polartec Power Stretch™ Pro mid-layers.
- Do you already have a ski suit or a shell jacket? There is no need to replace it. Make sure it breathes and that your other layers fit loosely underneath.
This way, you can build a system that works at your own pace. Although we put these layers together for the slopes, they will not sit unused in the wardrobe: the same layers also work for other winter outdoor activities and change seasons with you.
Four layers, one effective system
Layer: Zero Layer - next-to-skin performance
