The thrill of carving fresh powder draws snowboarders to the slopes year after year. But like fashion, the world of snowboarding accessories sees trends evolve to better satisfy consumers’ changing demands. From tech-savvy helmets to updated goggles, 2024 is the year to upgrade those store offerings. Business buyers can get ahead of the curve with these top five must-have snowboarding accessory trends that will have consumers stoked.
Table of Contents
A look at the snowboarding accessories market in 2024
4 awesome snowboarding accessories trends to look out for in 2024
In summary
A look at the snowboarding accessories market in 2024
The global snowboarding accessories market reached US$ 310 million in 2023. Forecasts suggest the market will readjust to US$ 455 million over the next ten years, growing at 3.9% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2023 to 2033. This market has enjoyed this demand boost due to the rising popularity of winter sports and the increasing number of upcoming snow sports athletes.
The report states that the North American snowboarding accessories market generated the most sales in 2023, giving them a significant share of the global industry. While experts predict the region will maintain this dominance over the forecast period, Asia Pacific (especially Japan) is also emerging as a popular snowboarding and ski location. Europe is also set to witness increased growth due to abundant snow and snowboarding resorts in countries like France, Austria, Italy, and Switzerland.
4 awesome snowboarding accessories trends to look out for in 2024
Heated gear
Although the technology is not entirely new, heated gear has seen a significant surge in popularity recently. The first electrically heated clothing emerged in the early 20th century and saw wider adoption in the 1980s and 90s. However, these old-school designs were often bulky, quite expensive, and had short battery lives.
The recent surge in demand for heated gear resulted from major improvements in battery technology, heating elements, and fabric integration during the last decade. These factors have evolved heated gear into lighter, more streamlined models with a more affordable price—-which also increased their accessibility. With more consumers seeking ways to extend their time in cold environments (like snowboarding resorts) comfortably, coupled with these innovative changes, the demand for heated gear has skyrocketed.
Although most heated gear now uses lighter, more powerful batteries, the exact life varies between products. So, businesses must consider how long their consumers will need warmth when choosing the perfect models to sell. Also, many types of snowboarding apparel have adopted the “heated gear” trend to offer consumers a more comfortable experience.
Heated gloves/mittens are the most popular heated accessories for snowboarders since their hands are highly exposed and prone to getting cold. Demand for this heated gear increased by 120% in winter, reaching 201,000 searches from 90,500 in 2023-2024 (based on Google data). There are also heated socks that are game-changers for those prone to cold toes. They also peaked during winter (December to February), drawing in 165,000 searches monthly.
Heated jackets popped this year for their flexible warmth. They come with built-in heating elements that provide additional warmth when needed and can turn off in milder conditions. During the winter months, heated jackets averaged 300,000 searches monthly, with interest reaching 450,000 in December 2023.
Smart helmets
Traditionally, helmets focused primarily on safety, but smart models now integrate technology to enhance the snowboarder’s experience. Smart helmets have graced the market due to the miniaturization of electronics, improved sensors, and increased battery capacities. These technological advancements made it possible to integrate features like Bluetooth communication and audio into helmets without making them overly bulky.
While some early attempts existed, truly dedicated smart helmets designed for snow sports have become more common in the last few years—-thanks to companies like LIVALL, Forcite, and Sena actively developing these products. As snowboarders and skiers look for ways to enhance their experience, features offered by smart helmets are gaining interest and fueling the trend.
Integrated communications is one of the many features that make this trend so appealing. Smart helmets have built-in speakers and microphones for taking calls or using walkie-talkie-style communication with fellow snowboarders. Music playback is another huge feature, as consumers can stream music from their phones without the hassle of earbuds.
Some smart helmets can detect hard falls and alert designated contacts for added safety. Also, certain models experiment with augmented reality displays to project directions or trail information. Despite being a relatively new trend with a higher cost, smart helmets have attracted impressive attention in 2024. They even grew from 14,800 searches in February to 18,100 in March 2024.
Upgraded action cameras
Action cameras have been around for a while, and a recent and continuous trend of upgraded models is becoming increasingly popular for snowboarding. Action cameras consistently hit higher resolutions (5K and above), better frame rates for smooth, slow motion, and improved low-light performance. This action camera translates to crisper, more cinematic footage of different snowboarding adventures.
Advanced stabilization systems (like GoPro’s Hypersmooth and Insta360’s FlowState) make even the bumpiest runs look incredibly smooth, which has helped increase the popularity of action cameras as a snowboarding accessory. This trend also offers incredible versatility with 360-degree capture, letting consumers reframe their shots creatively after shooting. Plus, smaller, lighter, and more rugged cameras constantly emerge, allowing easier mounting options without feeling cumbersome.
Top-tier models may still be pricey, but manufacturers are pushing out more budget-friendly action cameras with excellent quality, making them accessible to more snowboarders. Also, the increasing desire to capture and share thrilling snowboarding content drives the demand for high-quality action cameras.
Action cameras are in such high demand that branded and unbranded models generate significant interest. Branded action cameras, like Gopros and insta360s, have 2.7 million and 673,000 searches, respectively. Similarly, the generic “action camera” search interest reached 301,000 in March 2024.
Touch-screen compatible gloves & mittens
This recent trend has quickly moved from a niche feature to an expected standard for snowboarding gloves and mittens. The widespread use of smartphones has created the need to interact with devices even in cold conditions. For this reason, touch-screen compatible gloves and mittens were a big hit when removing gloves was inconvenient and uncomfortable.
However, this trend had a rough start. Early iterations of touch-screen-compatible gloves were not always reliable. Thankfully, improvements in conductive materials and integration techniques have made them much more effective in recent years. These updates haven’t made these gloves/mittens more expensive. Instead, many options exist at different price points.
Like heated gear, touch-screen compatible gloves and mittens surged in demand during the peak of winter. From December 2023 to February 2024, this snowboarding accessory garnered 14,800, 18,100, and 12,100, respectively. Those numbers were up by at least 100% from 2023’s 3,600 average searches.
In summary
2024 is the year innovation takes center stage for snowboarding accessories. By embracing these trends, business buyers will attract enthusiastic customers while staying ahead of the competition. These accessories aren’t just about selling products and enhancing the snowboarding experience. So gear up, get ready, and watch sales soar to new heights on the slopes of these exciting trends. The Alibaba Sports section has more on what’s hot in the sports market, so remember to subscribe for the latest updates.
