 Poster: A snowHead
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Hey all,
Which shops have the largest and widest range of ski wear in the UK?
Thanks in advance.
thescornwall
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Does it matter?
And what kind of reply are you after? Do you really expect someone to list all the shops in the UK that have a good selection?
Why don’t you be a bit more specific about what you’re after and I’m sure the folk here will help out.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@thescornwall, the internet
Welcome to Snowheads
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Wow. What a welcome. So warm and fuzzy.
Does it matter? What a strange question.
No, not expecting a list of all the shops. Just that perhaps people with more experience in the ski world than me would know of a good shop or 2 (ideally of the chain variety that has stores nationwide) that has a wide range of skiwear from different brands and for different budgets.
Looking for the basics of a good all-round ski jacket and ski trousers and it is nice to only have to visit a couple of shops rather than having to visit multiple ones.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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where do you live/where would you travel to in order to find ski shops?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Ellis Brigham carries a very wide range of ski brands and good UK coverage (20+ outlets). The one at Braehead in Glasgow is impressive. Not the cheapest but good customer service in my experience.
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| thescornwall wrote: |
Wow. What a welcome. So warm and fuzzy.
Does it matter? What a strange question.
No, not expecting a list of all the shops. Just that perhaps people with more experience in the ski world than me would know of a good shop or 2 (ideally of the chain variety that has stores nationwide) that has a wide range of skiwear from different brands and for different budgets.
Looking for the basics of a good all-round ski jacket and ski trousers and it is nice to only have to visit a couple of shops rather than having to visit multiple ones. |
all-round? check decathlon. Good - specialised shops depending on where you live. Ski gear can be quite technical, it looks like you are only discovering what that means. You will see that almost an identically looking ski jacket from the same manufacturer will differ in price x2 depending whether it is goretex fabric or not. There are many 'but' and 'if' when choosing from many models ...
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Try Surfanic. They have a few shops but mostly on line.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@thescornwall,Welcome to snowheads.
In my experience Ellis Brigham and Snow and Rock (sometimes known as Slush and Rubble) seem to have the widest selection of mid - high end brands (e.g. Columbia, Peak Performance, Schoffel, The North Face etc..). Also Cotswold Outdoors tend to have a smaller range of mid - high end brands (lots of Jack Wolfskin and Salomon stuff).
Decathlon and Sports Direct tend to have a limited range of budget - mid range (e.g. Dare 2 Be, Surfanic, Trespass, We'dze)
You could try TKMaxx for end-of-line reductions. Usually Surfanic but you may occasionally pick up a bargain for a higher-end brand although it is a bit of a lottery.
On-line only retailers such as Sport Pursuit can also do good deals on good brands.
An outlet village may have North Face, Oakley, Tog 24, Mountain Warehouse shops.
For really cheap I have seen Primark own brand stuff but it looks and feels like it would fall apart after a couple of light tumbles and it is not water/snow-proof.
If your username is indicative of where you live then I'd be surprised to find EB or SnR in Cornwall (I haven't looked) but there may very well be a TK Maxx and Sports Direct in the larger towns.
I think you'd be better off searching on line and most of the retailers take on-line orders
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ps if you are in Cornwall the nearest EB is Bristol and the nearest SnR is Exeter 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@thescornwall, Welcome to Snowheads, quite a welcome you got there.......Snow and rock, ellis brigham and Cotswold Outdoors, also indepenedents like LD Mountain and Tiso. Without knowing where you live its hard to offer local shops but these 2 are the biggest and best stocked in UK. Plenty on the internet mant Germany based like Sport Conrad, Bittl, Bergzeit but it really does depend what you are after and budget, like most things you can buy cheap and expensive, like a Ford KA vs a Ferrari I guess.
Also try your local TK Maxx, but do some research, they also sell duff ski gear as well as bargains (in my view anyway).
Good luck, let us know if you need any assistance.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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I live in Cornwall very close to Plymouth and there ain't nuffink in the way of ski shops. S&R in Exeter if you want top end stuff and pay through the nose. Admitidly only S&R shop I've been in was in Covent Garden. I didn't know wether to laugh or cry at the prices of the jackets that my wife was looking at.
I buy online and do as much research as I can before hand.
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Sportpursuit...online only.
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You know it makes sense.
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Sport Pursuit online does have some good flash sales but do research as some tend to be out of date lines and often the prices aren't as good as they look! That said I have picked up a couple of great bargains.
Snow & Rock have some really good stuff - I bought boots and skis with incredibly good service and actually fairly decent prices as I did it during the summer! I wouldn't be able to afford to buy everything from them though!!
I got back into skiing recently for the first time in many years and, as I took my wife and two kids, I had a lot of stuff to buy! We spent a couple of hours in Decathlon and managed to find most things we needed all in one go for incredibly good prices. Their own brand - Wed'Ze - is actually pretty good and you will see it worn by a few locals in France! They make the process of choosing very simple - base layer, mid layer, outer layers / entry level, mid level, higher level and, i found most of the stuff did me and the family really well.
Other option is Trespass but I really wasn't impressed with their service and found the Wed'ze stuff just as good but at a lower price!!
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Absolute Snow & Ekosport are my go to options online. Ellis Brigham if I want to get hands on.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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My haunts would be
TK Maxx, especially online
Sports-Outlet
Sport Pursuit
Sports Direct
Outlet shops, from the likes of Trespass.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I didn't know TK Maxx, were available online. Every day is a school day
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| biddpyat wrote: |
| I didn't know TK Maxx, were available online. Every day is a school day |
By far the best choice is there...but you've got to know your stuff, as they often give very little detail. eg. If buying Goggles, it can take a bit of creative googling to figure out what the spec of the lens might be.
It is also worth noting, that if the item isn't suitable, you can return it to your nearest store for a full refund.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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helle hansen discount outlet in macarthur glen south wales can mean you can very good bargains. Advantage of travelling there there is also a S&R discount outlet, Trespass, and I think a TOG24 so quite a few outdoor shhops very close together
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@thescornwall,
A warm welcome to snow heads
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Surfdome does decent deals from time to time, have got a few things from them and service is pretty good.
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