8 Best Cross-Country Skis For All Levels

Cross-country or nordic skiing is where skiing began. While you don’t get top speed and lift-assisted help, it’s a great workout and a beautiful way to get in touch with winter nature. Choosing the wrong skis, however, can leave your muscles sore and lead to foot pain.

In this guide, we’ll go over the details of cross-country skis and how they differ from regular skis. Then, we’ll list out the best skis you can find, along with a buying guide to help you on your journey. If you’ve ever been curious about cross-country, this article is for you.

My Review process

Coming from a proud Scandinavian background, it was a common sight to see my parents and grandparents on cross-country skis. In many arctic regions, it's the prime mode of transportation. I’ve been to races, skied recreationally and developed a well-rounded understanding of the discipline.

The best cross-country skis will offer glide, grip and support on long journeys. There are many nordic skis that allow for an easier transition into the sport. Remember to check out our buying guide to unpack the technical details and considerations that go into cross-country ski design.

With those things in mind, let’s check out my top ski picks.

What Are Cross-country And Nordic Skis?

Nordic skiing, also known as cross-country skiing, is a fun winter activity and a fantastic workout. Cross-country skis are much narrower than normal skis and belong to a few categories, namely, skate skiing and classic nordic skiing.

In all cross-country skis, you have specialized boots that attach to specialized bindings (SNS or NNN). Although there has been a push for more interchangeable bindings pairs, many are highly specialized. Make sure to match bindings and boots.

Compared to regular skis, nordic skis are longer, thinner and have a taller sidecut. The boots and bindings are also generally smaller than downhill skiing varieties and rely on different attachment configurations.

Cross-Country Skis Buying Guide

If you're a recreational skier or ski racer looking to get into cross-country skiing, take a look at some of the points below. While nordic and downhill skiing share some characteristics, it's the differences that will determine the pair of cross-country skis you choose.

Price

Like downhill skis, the prices for cross-country skis vary. You can find great beginner nordic skis for between $200 and $500. Once you get into the sport and want performance-level skis, you could pay anywhere from $700 to over $1,000.

Length

Nordic ski length, like regular ski length, is a prime consideration. In general, with classic nordic skis, you want to measure your height in cm and add 15-20cm. That should get you the ideal ski length. Once you’ve made that calculation, consider your weight.

Check your weight with regional or national averages. If you consider yourself a heavier skier, you should add another 5cm to the length. If you’re a lighter skier, it may help to subtract 5cm from the overall length. Like regular skis, longer is better for sustained improvement over time, but shorter is easier to handle for beginners.

Width

Classic nordic skis are very narrow and rely on preset or maintained cross-country ski tracks to guide movement. In contrast, general all-purpose touring and backcountry skis can be much wider to handle variable conditions.

If you plan to use a nordic center, where cross-country ski tracks are laid out and maintained, you’ll never want a ski width wider than roughly 68mm. 68mm is the maximum width of nearly all groomed tracks. If you want to try skate-skiing, you’ll want something even narrower (41-45mm).

For backcountry terrain explorers, cross-country skiing without a groomed track means you need wider skis. Wider skis operate better in deeper snow and rugged terrain. These metal-edged skis resemble a lot of backcountry skis and can run from 68mm to over 100mm wide.

Camber

Camber is part of a skis profile, or how it looks from the side when it's lying on a flat surface. Downhill and backcountry skiers often rely on a combination of traditional camber (an upward bend underfoot) and rocker (an upward bend at the tip and/or tail). Nordic and cross-country skis are all about camber.

Skate skis usually work with a single camber, where the ski is elevated underfoot, flat at the tail, and has an upward-pointed tip. The tip shape is similar across all nordic skis and allows you to stride out without the tips getting stuck in the snow.

Classic nordic skis take it a bit further and use a double camber. A double camber doesn't mean two instances of camber; it means the camber arch is much more defined. A taller camber means you can rely on the tip and tail portions to glide when the ski is weighed evenly. On the uphill, the ski will bend down enough to engage the textured pattern to grip the snow.

Ski Flex

For most, ski flex is not a huge issue. If you are into competitive cross-country skiing or are a long-time veteran, there are some subtle differences. A stiffer flex, like what’s found in a double-camber ski, is better on hard-packed snow. A softer flex (think single camber) will allow for more comfortable skiing in soft snow.

Waxable Or Waxless Base

To go uphill, you need grip. Classic nordic skis accomplish this by manufacturing a textured pattern (sometimes called a fish-scale pattern) under the center of the ski or using wax. Skate skis rely on metal edges to grip on uphill climbs.

Waxless skis are popular because little maintenance is involved. If you split the length of the ski into thirds, the third closest to the tail and tip are smooth and glide like regular skis. The textured pattern (in lieu of wax) is the middle third, located under the bindings.

Waxable classic skis require a bit of maintenance but are more performance-oriented. You apply rub-on wax to the central third of the ski before strapping in. For temperature consistent days, this is the superior option providing both grip and excellent glide.

Despite the name, in both cases, cross-country skis need a coat of wax on the tip and tail to increase glide proficiency. It should be noted that there are multiple wax types: grip wax for uphill and glide wax for downhill.

Bindings And Boots

Cross-country skiers use specialized bindings that always leave the heel free. This allows you to stride out and adopt a good rhythm when you want to move faster or ascend uphill. However, binding type matters.

Traditionally there were two types for both bindings and boots, NNN (New Nordic Norm) and SNS (Salomon Nordic System). The annoying part was that they weren’t compatible.

Now, you can choose from Prolink, NIS, NNN and Turnamic bindings, which are all compatible with NNN cross-country ski boots. SNS is off on its own so keep that in mind when shopping. NNN boots do not fit on SNS bindings and vice versa.

Other Considerations

Once you have your skis, bindings and appropriate ski boots, think about other cross-country ski gear and conditions. Most cross-country skis handle flat terrain well, but wider models are much better for deep snow. Additionally, classic touring skis can go far on groomed terrain, but skate skis put more emphasis on speed.

If you want downhill performance, backcountry skis won't be the best choice. Look for waxable or double-camber skis that can handle steeper terrain. A full or partial metal edge will allow for more uphill grip but makes it easier to catch an edge and fall. Beginner and intermediate skiers will want something that delivers more balance and support.

As for gear, know that nordic poles are usually much longer than regular ski poles. There are also nordic specific uniforms and clothing options that can help you manage your workouts or race speed. The nordic world also includes specialized sunglasses, gloves, wax options and specific maintenance processes.

Make sure you round out your nordic purchases to get the most effective setup possible.

Summary

If you’re interested in cross-country skiing, I highly recommend the Rossignol EVO OT 65 XC. For Nordic classic skiing, it’s hard to pass up on the Fischer Spider 62s. Skate skiers gravitate towards the durable and versatile Atomic Redster S9 Gen S ski.

For waxless nordic touring skis, the Fischer Twin Skin Cruisers are easy to love. Value shoppers will love the Salomon Snowscape 7, and backcountry-oriented skiers should check out the Transnordic 66 easy skin xtralite.