We looked at dozens of companies and compiled a list of products that will make your skiing and snowboarding trips the best they can be.
Head Venturi 95 skis are one of the most reasonably priced, highest-quality skis. They make skiing easy and enjoyable with. Their wood core, all-terrain rocker, allow vertical sidewalls allow skiers to take slow joyrides or go hardcore extreme, whether you're in deep country snow or on groomed resort trails. You can maneuver these stable skis like nobody's business. 
Blizzard Bonafide skis are great for any mountain. Made from superior wood, metal, and the best vertical sidewalls, these skis will do what you want them to, whether it's floating along, or really digging in. www.blizzardsportusa.com
Apex MCX-14 ski boots. Ski boots can literally make or break your trip if they're not comfortable. Denny Hanson, a leader in this field, has created a Modular Chassis design which combines the stabilizing hard boot shell with a soft snowboarding boot to bring you the most amazing, most comfortable boot, warmest we've tested. Their Boa Closure System allows you to make minor adjustments easily as you go through your day. When you're taking a break, you can pop out the inner piece so they're easier to walk around in. Don't leave these off your list.
Smith Optics I/OX Elite Turbo Fan Goggles. These goggles are necessary for anyone who wears glasses. Their super-quiet built-in fan will help to keep your glasses, as well as goggles, from fogging up. You want to see all of the beauty around you clearly when you ski or snowboard, and Smith Optics is prepared to take care of that for you. They are the clear choice.
Seirus Gloves. Why have cold hands that can ruin your day out on the slopes when you can keep them comfortable and warm? These wonderful gloves have built-in heating mechanisms with three temperature settings so you're always as comfortable as you can be. 
GoPro Hero4 Silver. If you want to document your day out, there's no better way to do that than with GoPro's action cam. Relive your day, with all of it's calmness or thrills, over and over again with the Hero4 Silver. The video quality is excellent and it makes the perfect holiday gift.
Helly Hansen Supreme Jacket. For snowboarding or skiing, Helly Hansen has you covered. Their super thin, and very light, Supreme jackets are made with a Primaloft Gold down blend, PrimaLoft Black insulation Hi-Loft in the arms, a waterproof, breathable, 4-way stretch fabric. Their airflow system has a laser-cut chest and back air vents to keep your body temperature regulated. If that wasn't enough, there are lots of interior pockets for your electronics, and a cool built-in RECCO Rescue System (in case you are in trouble).
BearTek Bluetooth Snow Gloves are perfect for those who need to take their cell phones with them on the slopes, whether to listen to their music, or make sure they don't miss those important emails. These fabulous gloves have a wireless Sync Module that tucks into a pocket at the top (charging via Micro-USB with up to 80 hours of battery life). Pair the gloves with your Bluetooth-enabled smartphone, tap on the finger button, and you're ready to go. You can answer calls, play music (with forward or backward tracking), and even work your GoPro camera (with a separate module).
POC Receptor Bug Communication Helmet (with Beats audio). Love this helmet. It comes with built-in Beats by Dr. Dre headphones (amazing sound) but you can also attached your own, if you prefer.
Liquid Image Model 339 Apex HD + WiFi Goggles. LOVE these goggles. They're the GoPro of helmets. A camera right in the center of the goggles allows you to take solid videos of your travels without extra equipment to bring along. The smartphone app enables you to use your phone's screen as a viewfinder which is something that is so useful. This would make a great gift!
LifeProof Fre Phone Cases. This waterproof case will protect your phone from snow and rain, giving you peace of mind. It's thin, translucent film covers the home button to keep water and dirt out, but your fingerprint can still be rad.