When skiing, it’s easy for your ski boots to get wet quite easily, even if you’re cautious.
Moist, sweat-soaked ski boots are not only odorous, but they shorten the life of your ski boot. Plus, they provide the perfect breeding ground for bacteria and mildew, so they’re also a threat to your health.
That said, many people are under the impression that they can simply use a hairdryer to dry their ski boots. Some are even tempted to put their ski boots near the fire.
While both methods work, to a certain extent, they’re catastrophic to your gear. Not only are you unable to control the temperature, but the intensity of the heat gradually degrades the material, delaminating the boots and reducing their lifespan.
These DIY high-heat methods can also lead to spot burning, heat deformation, and cracking, eventually ruining your boots.
Solution?
Consider the best ski boots dryers.
Ski boot dryers offer an effective way to dry out your ski boots and other gear after a long day in the snow.
The dryers, utilizing both the optimization of air distribution and air temperature, eliminate moisture and bacteria without compromising your ski boots’ integrity.
And depending on the type, some of the air dryers will get your ski boot dry in as short as one hour.
To help you choose the best ski boot dryers, we’ve prepared a detailed guide, reviewing some of the market’s best options. We also have a handy buying guide to help with the selection.
Table of Contents
Quick Comparison Table!
The Best Ski Boot Dryers For The Money
#1 DryGuy Force Dry Boot Dryer - EDITOR'S CHOICE
- Quality
- Price
- Our Rating
The DryGuy Force Dry Boot Dryer offers a great way to extend the life of your ski shoes. It’s a compact & lightweight, forced air shoe dryer that works well in drying your shoes safely and fast.
I’m a big fan of this shoe dryer for several reasons, but mostly because it extends the life of my running shoes.
Features and Benefits
Design
The DryGuy Force Dry Boot Dryer, like many other dryers, comes with two articulating arms so you can only dry a pair of boots at a time. Perfect for solo skiers.
The good news is the 180-degree blower posts can lay flat, making it possible to handle the heaviest ski boots. Plus, the drying posts can extend in length to handle ski boots up to 10 inches long.
Regarding weight, the DryGuy Force Dry Boot Dryer is fairly compact and weighs a measly 3 pounds, so we found it easy to stash the dryer into our backpack, hardly feeling its weight.
Versatile
Force Dry is a multi-purpose dryer, and beyond drying ski boots, we also found it quite handy for drying other of our wearables such as gloves, mitts, hats, and shoes.
It’s completely safe too, as it didn’t shrink or even damage our custom fir liners.
Performance
Like its name suggests, the Force Dry utilizes a combination of forced air and low heat (105 degrees) to remove the moisture that helps eliminate the development of bacteria.
The overall performance of Force Dry is fantastic, and it allowed us to dry our ski boots in just over an hour. However, depending on the level of wetness, the drying time might be just a little longer.
Another awesome benefit of the Force Dry performance is the quick dry time, taking as little as a third of the time compared to convection drying, so it won’t take much of your time.
Safe
A nice thing with the Force Dry is you can set the timer from 1 minute to 3 hours right before you go to bed and not give a second thought as it automatically shuts off once it completes its cycle.
Secondly, the dryer allows the heat to rise naturally without the use of a fan, and at 105 degrees, it’s less likely the dryer can cause any damage to your ski boots.
Easy to Use
Using the Force Dry is as simple as plugging the dryer, moving the arms into position, and twisting the timer dial to set the dryer time.
Typically, ski boots take 90 minutes, while gloves will take 60 minutes.
Pros
- Quick-dry times
- Fantastic airflow
- Easy to use
Cons
- Struggles drying gloves
#2 JobSite Original Shoe Boot Dryer - Best for Fighting Bacteria
- Quality
- Price
- Our Rating
Our runner up option is a fan-less dryer, utilizing electrical energy to warm and eliminate any form of moisture from your boots.
There’s plenty to love about this dryer, but the deodorization feature is what probably won our hearts. The JobSite Dryer deodorizes the mold and removes any mold formation for an odor-free experience.
Features and Benefits
Design
Like the Dry Guy Force, JobSite Dryer features two articulating arms to support a pair of boots. It’s the perfect option for solo skiers.
Unfortunately, the blower posts are rigid and can’t be adjusted to different angles like we saw on the Force Dry. It’s wasn’t a problem for us, though, because the posts are sturdy and accommodated even the heaviest of our ski boots without compromise.
Plus, the dryers feature a super-sturdy base, so it’s quite a stable dryer and is less likely to topple even on uneven grounds.
It’s not bulky either, and though it weighs a pound more than the Dry Guy Force, the weight and dimension are still within the acceptable limits. It’s easier to stash the dryer in your car trunk, though we would have hoped the blower posts were adjustable.
Versatile
The versatility of the JobSite is hard to beat.
Along with drying the ski boots, these dryers work equally well for other wearables including mitts, gloves, hats, and shoes.
Additionally, it feels at home in snowy mountains, as it does in the gardening fields, fishing expedition, and even job sites.
It can virtually be used anywhere and does a great job of eliminating mustiness, coldness, and dampness.
Performance
JobSite Dryer forces warm thermal air to rise inside the wet items, resulting in quick drying.
The good thing with the thermal warmth is it doesn’t cause over-drying or shrinking, so you don’t have to worry about your footwear’s shelf-life. Plus, the boots will be friendly to your feet and won’t cause chafing or irritation.
What’s more?
The boot dryer is designed to access the hard to get places where wetness can hide, including the toe of the boots and fingertips of gloves and mittens.
Deodorization
The deodorization capability of the JobSite Dryer helps the dryer to eliminate the smelly and damp perspiration.
This means fungal growth, odor, and bacterial manifestation is a thing of the past and that you won’t have to worry about your health.
Silent
With no moving motor or moving parts, the JobSite Dryer offers a silent operation and will let you take a nap or even read a book without distraction.
Simple to Use
Operating the JobSite Dryer is as easy as it gets.
All you need is do is simply plug the dryer and leave it to do its thing overnight.
For damp ski boots, you should give it at least 8 hours.
Pros
- Ultra-quiet
- Has deodorization properties
- Easy to use
Cons
- No automatic shutoff
#3 GearDryer Wall Mount - Best Commercial Use
- Quality
- Price
- Our Rating
If you’re looking for a commercial ski boot dryer with all the features to support heavy-duty use, you can’t go wrong with the GearDryer Wall Mount.
There’re numerous reasons to love this dryer, but the greatest draw is that it can support up to 6 pairs of boots, so an ideal option for family use.
Features and Benefits
Design
As its name suggests, the GearDryer Wall Mount is a wall-mounted dryer, the perfect addition to your workshop, ski home, or garage.
The dryer comes complete with hardware for direct wall mounting and can be fixated on your wall in a matter of minutes.
GearDryer’s wall-mount design makes it a worthy choice for users low on space, and want to invest in a compact and efficiently designed boot dryer. The perfect design is complemented by the high-quality dual fans placed intelligently to offer faster rate results.
Unfortunately, the dryer is quite a bulky option, and weighing 46 pounds, it’s not a dryer you can tag along with in your adventures.
Capacity
The GearDryer Wall Mount 12 Boot and Glove Dryer has-you guessed it-12 drying ports. It makes the most sense for users who need a huge capacity, such as a house, condo, or apartments where you’ve several people out skiing and bringing wet gear daily.
Versatile
GearDryer Wall Mount, like all the previously reviewed dryers, goes beyond ski boot drying.
The dryer is also a handy option for drying your family’s shoes, mitts, gloves, and so much more.
Performance
The drying performance of the GearDryer is equally fantastic, giving you the option to use either heated or ambient air.
The special self-regulating element on the GearDryers increases the temperatures by 35ºF above the ambient air temperatures, safe for most ski boots. Yet, it effectively speeds up the drying process.
Alternatively, you can choose to use the dual fans, which deliver more than 200 CM of forced airflow for even speedier cooling performance.
Either way, GearDryer will eliminate any moistness on your gear without causing drying or cracking your ski boots.
Easy to Use
Another reason we’ve included the GearDryer is the high level of customization.
A twist and lock design allow you to customize the port layout, so it’s easy to create the perfect shape for your boots and manage your space without deforming your shoes.
Plus, the dryer’s five pre-programmed dry cycle settings (15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, or 24 hours) allows you to set and forget.
Overall, the GearDryer Wall Mount can be an inspiring option for searching for a reliable dryer with better design and value for money.
Pros
- Support 6 pairs of ski boots
- Versatile
- Heavy duty
Cons
- Expensive
#4 DryGuy DX - Portable Option
- Quality
- Price
- Our Rating
Looking for an ultra-portable ski shoe dryer?
The DryGut Travel DX is a light and portable on-the-road solution for wet footwear.
Despite the compact size and lightness, it’s a practical dryer and will keep your footwear dry at all times.
Features and Benefits
Design
DryGuy Travel Dry DX is built with compactness in mind, so it only comes with a single articulating arm. It’s the perfect option for the solo skier as it only supports a single boot at a time.
Away from the capacity limitation, DryGuy Travel Dry DX is an ultra-lightweight and compact dryer.
Weighing a measly one pound and featuring a modest dimension, it’s easy to stash the dryer or even carry it in your backpack without fatigue.
Compact
DryGuy Travel Dry DX, a must-pack option for a traveler, easily fits in the boot and won’t add any volume or weight to your backpack.
It’s also a travel-friendly option since it supports both AC and DC power, so it’s possible to charge the dryer even in your car.
Performance
The Travel Dry DX works in a few simple steps, utilizing the warming power of hybrid forced air and convection systems.
First, it draws fresh air inside your boots, and once inside, the heating elements warm the fresh air up to 99 degrees helping with the circulation throughout the shoe.
The warm air sucks up the trapped moisture, escaping through the top of the shoe as it takes the sucked moisture with it.
From the reviews, the dryer’s performance is amazing and will leave your boots dry even after a full day in the mountains.
It also doesn’t take long, and depending on the wetness, it can take a minimum of 2 hours to get your boots dry.
Even better, the DryGuy Travel Dry DX’s drying effect isn’t accompanied by the drying or cracking of your footwear.
Alongside removing the moisture and wetness from your footwear, the dryer prevents bacteria, fungus, and mildew that cause odor and eventually leads to deterioration of materials.
Pros
- Travel-friendly
- Compact and lightweight
- Budget purchase
Cons
- Supports a single boot at a time
#5 PEET, Electric Dryer - Value Purchase
- Quality
- Price
- Our Rating
Our value purchase, the Peet Original Boot Dryer, is the perfect option for users who want to be assured that their boots are dry and free from bacteria and odor before use.
Sporting a fantastic design, perfect usability, and flawless performance, the Peet is an ideal option for those who are willing to invest money in a product that is compact and completely worth every penny.
Features and Benefits
Design
The first thing we fell in love with on the Peet is the design.
Unlike many ski shoe dryers, this option follows a simple and minimalist design, making it easier to use and maintain for almost every use.
Along with the design, the Peet is also a lightweight and compact option, so it’s easy to stash it into your car’s trunk. Weighing at approximately 3 pounds, it’s also easy to stash the dryer into your backpack, and you’ll hardly feel the weight.
Versatile
A truly multi-purpose ski dryer, the Peet functionality goes beyond ski boots and extends to other wearables, including gloves, mitts, and shoes.
Plus, the dryer safely and effectively dries various materials ranging from leather, vinyl, neoprene, synthetics, and more.
Performance
Performance for the Peet is simply on a whole new level, and we love the efficiency with which it draws and eliminates moisture and wetness from our shoes.
Plus, it has deodorization capabilities, so it effectively removes the sweat, odors, and bacteria that pose a health risk to your feet.
N more thing we loved about the performance of the Peet is its power efficiency. With the least power used for the drying process, it wouldn’t harm leaving this dryer switched on throughout the days without expecting a huge utility bill.
Ease of Use
Along with the design and performance, another thing that grabbed our attention was the ease of use.
Operating this dryer is a cinch, and all you’ve to do is drain off the excess water from the shoes and place them in the articulated arms. Switch on the tool, leave your shoes overnight, and you’ll wake up to warm and dry shoes in the morning.
Pros
- Energy efficient
- Compact
- Efficient drying
- Value for money
Cons
- Plastic construction feels flimsy
Best Ski Boot Dryers Buying Guide
With a huge selection of ski boot dryers, picking an option for your needs can feel a bit intimidating. But we’re here to help.
We shall share everything you should know about purchasing a ski boot dryer in the buying guide below.
Factors to Consider When Selecting a Ski Boot Dryer
Type of Heat
The two popular types of heat transfer on ski boot dryers are convection and forced-air drying system.
Forced-air dryers circulate air to dry your ski boot and work faster than convection dryers. On the other hand, convection dryers produce heat to dry your boots, and while they take longer, they’re much quieter.
Portability
If you’re in search of a backpacking dryer, it’s essential to consider portability.
Fortunately, most ski boot dryers are small enough to stash into your trunk when getting ready to drive towards the slopes.
There’re also ultra-portable dryers designed specifically for the traveling skier. These dryers fit neatly in your luggage instead of just your car’s trunk.
Construction
The best ski boot dryers should feature sturdy construction and should hold up over time.
Your focus should be on the tube, holding your boots. They should be reliable and sturdy enough to hold your ski boots’ weight and weather any dings, falls, and general outdoor ruggedness.
Capacity
A ski boot dryer’s capacity refers to the number of boots the dryers can dry at once.
Generally, most dryers hold a pair of boots at once, though some can hold even up to 3 pairs.
The best way to determine your dryer’s ideal capacity is to consider the size of your skiing party.
If you’re solo or with a partner, an average, one-pair capacity dryer is fine. However, if you’re on a family trip or skiing with a group of friends, consider an option that can dry multiple pairs at once.
Drying Time
The time it takes to dry your boots is determined by the type of heat, and we already saw the forced-air boot dryers are quicker.
Generally, expect to dry your boots in one to four hours, while the convection dryers will take longer, doing their job in three to eight hours.
Material Type
Since you’re likely to have multiple pieces of footwear designed from different materials, it’s always a good idea to settle on a dryer that works great on all material.
Your choice of ski boot dryer shouldn’t be limited to any material, but instead, should work with an array of options.
Versatility
It’s recommendable to choose a ski boot dryer that goes beyond drying boots.
To make your life more super convenient, opt for a dryer that can also dry other skiing gear such as mittens, boots, mitts, etc.
Safety/Protective Features
The heat from the ski boot dryers can burn your footwear, so it’s a good idea to pick an option with over-voltage/overheating protection to prevent such misfortunes.
Also, you should consider sanitization.
See, when you take your boots off and put them back on, you might feel some irritation even if the boots are dry. This is because the dryer didn’t disinfect them.
The best ski boot dryers should have sanitization capability, which is achieved either from chemical use or V light.
Either way, the dryer should eliminate any form of bacterial growth, removing any tingling sensation.
The sanitization also helps to reduce the odor of your boots.
Power Consumption
Dyers are designed to work for several hours, so you should always be mindful of the energy they consume.
If possible, pick an option with reasonable power consumption.
Ease of Use
Ease of use is a huge point for choosing a ski boot dryer.
You don’t want to get stuck with a tool that is difficult to use or takes forever to set up.
Your choice of the dryer should be easy to use, and operation should be effortless.
Wrap Up: Our Choice
It’s hard for a ski boot dryer to stand out, but we feel the DryGuy Dryer as slightly ahead of its peers.
Nothing groundbreaking, though, but it’s the small details that make this dryer stand out.
It’s a solid and inexpensive option with plenty of desirable features to make your skiing experience more fulfilling.
The dryer is also a versatile option, going beyond boot drying. The drying performance for these dryers is simply fantastic, not to mention it takes a third of what the traditional dryers take to eliminate the wetness from your boot.
However, we feel the auto-shut function is the biggest feature, allowing you to set the dryer and forget. It’s a safe option that guarantees that the safety of your ski boots is never compromised.
