Ski, snowboard and winter sports equipment

• Regulation (EU) 2016/425 — PPE for helmets and protectors
• Regulation (EU) 2023/988 — GPSR
• Directive 2009/48/EC for children's sledges as toys
• Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 — REACH

Who has to appoint one

Manufacturers and sellers outside the Union placing winter sports equipment on the EU market. Helmets, back protectors and goggles are PPE with type examination; skis, boards and bindings are consumer products with their own standards.

Thresholds and exemptions

Helmets are Category II PPE. Avalanche transceivers and airbag systems are Category III with heavier requirements.

What must appear on the label

For PPE: CE marking with the notified body number where applicable, the standard reference and the size range. For equipment: manufacturer and responsible person details, model identification, and the binding release setting information.

Marketplace fields

Marketplaces check the notified body number on helmets and remove listings citing standards without certification. Avalanche safety equipment attracts particular scrutiny because failure is fatal.

Documentation you must hold

EU declaration of conformity, technical documentation, EU type-examination certificates for PPE, and for bindings the documentation supporting the release setting system.

Standards and testing

EN 1077 for alpine skiing helmets, EN 174 for goggles, EN 1621 for protectors, ISO 11088 and ISO 13992 for binding release settings, and EN 16716 for avalanche airbag systems.

Language requirements

Instructions, adjustment and warning information in the language of each member state of sale.

When it applies

Before placing on the market.

How long records are kept

Ten years.

What happens if you do not comply

Withdrawal and Safety Gate alerts. Helmets failing impact testing and bindings that do not release as set are the recurring findings.

Who enforces it

Market surveillance authorities, notified bodies and customs.

Where the boundary lies

Children's sledges and snow toys are toys with CE marking under the Toy Safety Directive, while adult sledges are consumer products. A ski helmet certified to a foreign standard has no EU validity without EU type examination.

Questions we are asked

Is a ski helmet PPE?

Yes, Category II under EN 1077, requiring EU type-examination by a notified body listed for Regulation 2016/425.

Are bindings regulated by a standard?

Release settings follow ISO 11088, and the documentation supporting the setting chart is part of the technical file.