Ski Size Chart: Best Ski Length by Height & Skill 2026

What ski length do you need? The chin, nose, and forehead rule

The rule for ski length is your height, minus a few centimetres — how many depends on how well you ski. For a skier of height H cm, beginner skis run H−15 to H−10 cm (about chin height), intermediate H−10 to H−5 cm (nose level), advanced H−5 to H+5 cm (forehead to the top of the head). Stand the ski upright next to you: if the tip reaches your chin, it is a beginner length; your nose, an intermediate length; your forehead, an advanced length. Shorter skis turn more easily and are easier to control — that is why beginners want them — and longer skis are faster and more stable at speed — that is why advanced skiers want them. Standard ski lengths are sold in 5 cm steps, so the calculator lists the standard sizes inside the recommended range. At the defaults — 175 cm tall, intermediate — the range is 165–170 cm and the standard sizes are 165, 170 cm. For the same height, a beginner wants 160–165 cm and an advanced skier wants 170–180 cm. The rule is the one the ski makers and the rental shops agree on, and it is the same rule behind every row of the table below.

At the defaults — height 175 cm, skill intermediate — the recommended range is 165–170 cm, the standard sizes are 165, 170 cm, the beginner range for the same height is 160–165 cm, and the advanced range is 170–180 cm. Check the identities: beginner = height −15 to height −10; intermediate = height −10 to height −5; advanced = height −5 to height +5; standard sizes are the 5 cm steps inside the range. The table covers 150 to 200 cm of height; the calculator works from 100 to 220 cm, and it says so when a height sits above the table’s 200 cm max row.

The worked example, line by line

Setup: height 175 cm, skill intermediate.

Line 1 — the intermediate range. 175 − 10 = 165 to 175 − 5 = 170: 165–170 cm.

Line 2 — the standard sizes. The 5 cm steps inside 165–170 cm are 165, 170 cm.

Line 3 — the beginner range for the same height. 175 − 15 = 160 to 175 − 10 = 165: 160–165 cm.

Line 4 — the advanced range for the same height. 175 − 5 = 170 to 175 + 5 = 180: 170–180 cm.

Line 5 — the chin, nose, and forehead check. A 165 cm ski reaches about the nose of a 175 cm skier; a 170 cm ski reaches about the forehead.

Reverse: the height range for a 170 cm ski (intermediate) is 175–180 cm — H−10 ≤ 170 ≤ H−5, so H is 175 to 180. The height range for a 160 cm ski (beginner) is 170–175 cm — H−15 ≤ 160 ≤ H−10. The height range for a 150 cm ski (advanced) is 145–155 cm — H−5 ≤ 150 ≤ H+5. The height range for a 180 cm ski (advanced) is 175–185 cm. At 175 cm tall, a 170 cm ski sits at the top of the intermediate range (165–170) and the bottom of the advanced range (170–180) — an intermediate skier sizing up or an advanced skier sizing down both land here.

Every row, checked

150 cm (4'11"): beginner 135–140, intermediate 140–145, advanced 145–155. The shortest row in the chart.

155 cm (5'1"): beginner 140–145, intermediate 145–150, advanced 150–160.

160 cm (5'3"): beginner 145–150, intermediate 150–155, advanced 155–165. A 160 cm beginner wants 145–150 cm skis — standard sizes 145, 150 cm.

165 cm (5'5"): beginner 150–155, intermediate 155–160, advanced 160–170.

170 cm (5'7"): beginner 155–160, intermediate 160–165, advanced 165–175. A 170 cm beginner wants 155–160 cm skis — standard sizes 155, 160 cm.

175 cm (5'9"): beginner 160–165, intermediate 165–170, advanced 170–180. The default row.

180 cm (5'11"): beginner 165–170, intermediate 170–175, advanced 175–185. A 180 cm advanced skier wants 175–185 cm skis — standard sizes 175, 180, 185 cm.

185 cm (6'1"): beginner 170–175, intermediate 175–180, advanced 180–190. A 185 cm intermediate wants 175–180 cm skis — standard sizes 175, 180 cm.

190 cm (6'3"): beginner 175–180, intermediate 180–185, advanced 185–195.

195 cm (6'5"): beginner 180–185, intermediate 185–190, advanced 190–200. A 195 cm advanced skier wants 190–200 cm skis — standard sizes 190, 195, 200 cm.

200 cm (6'7"): beginner 185–190, intermediate 190–195, advanced 195–205. The tallest row in the chart.

Reverse — the other way round: a 170 cm ski (intermediate) fits heights 175–180 cm; a 160 cm ski (beginner) fits heights 170–175 cm; a 150 cm ski (advanced) fits heights 145–155 cm; a 180 cm ski (advanced) fits heights 175–185 cm.

What the chart assumes

The chart assumes the standard height rule — beginner H−15 to H−10, intermediate H−10 to H−5, advanced H−5 to H+5 — and it assumes you ski on groomed runs, not powder or park. It leaves out your weight, the ski’s width and stiffness, and the snow conditions — heavier skiers and powder snow both want longer skis, and a stiff race ski skis longer than a soft all-mountain ski of the same length. A 140 cm beginner wants 125–130 cm skis. A 210 cm advanced skier wants 205–215 cm — above the 200 cm table max, so the page says so explicitly: no row in this chart covers a 210 cm skier, and the calculator still gives the range. With a height below 100 cm or above 220 cm the calculator shows an error, not a size, because the rule is a height rule and it needs a height in range. All lengths are in centimetres, and the standard sizes are the 5 cm steps inside the range.

Output · formula · meaning

Who uses this

• The first-time buyer renting skis for a week: they learn at 175 cm an intermediate skier wants 165–170 cm — so they know what length to ask the rental shop for, and they check the beginner row (160–165 cm) before taking a ski that is too long to turn.
• The intermediate skier buying their first pair: they learn the standard sizes are 165, 170 cm — so they know a 170 cm ski is the top of their range and the bottom of the advanced range, and they check the 170 cm reverse (175–180 cm heights) before buying a ski they will outgrow.
• The advanced skier going longer for speed: they learn at 180 cm an advanced skier wants 175–185 cm — so they know the 185 cm ski is the top of their range, and they check the 195 cm row (190–200 cm) before buying a ski longer than their height.
• The parent sizing skis for a child: they learn a 140 cm beginner wants 125–130 cm — so they know the chin rule works for children too, and they check the 150 cm row (135–140 cm beginner) before buying a ski the child cannot control.

Accuracy & limitations

The math is exact for the numbers you enter: beginner = height −15 to height −10; intermediate = height −10 to height −5; advanced = height −5 to height +5; standard sizes are the 5 cm steps inside the range. The rule is the one the ski makers and the rental shops agree on — chin height for beginners, nose level for intermediates, forehead for advanced. What the chart cannot do is know your weight: check it, because a heavier skier wants a longer ski at the same height — and check the snow, because powder snow wants longer skis than groomed runs. It assumes a groomed run, a standard all-mountain ski, and your height in centimetres. It leaves out the ski’s width, stiffness, and rocker, and whether you ski powder or park. It is a size reference, not a buying guide: for what size bike fits the same height, see the bicycle frame size chart; for what size shoes, see the shoe size chart.