Advice, Guides, Tips and Reviews from our Veteran, an adventurer and world-class traveler on snowboarding in Gear and Anything Related to Outdoor Adventure.
What is the Best Snowboard
I’m very sure that you can ask any pro snowboarder and you will get the same answer. In my view, We can not determine the best snowboard by the look or the product itself; it can only be determined by the rider. You can do all the digging you need to find the right deck, based on your budget, ability level, and spending quality time on the mountain. Then the real question is; are you getting the kicks out of your board by rubbing the surfaces around on the powder/slopes? Are you feeling it and having fun as you are supposed to with complete satisfaction? So that is how you determine the Best Snowboarding in Gear and not by the product. It is always best to get a good quality brand and well tested by expert riders as there are so many options out there because that can be very challenging when the time comes to pick any Snowboards for Men or Women alike. Best Quality Hiking Boots Guide would help you get your hands on the Top 5 Snowboard brands to select from.
How to Choose a Snowboard
The shortcut answer is that in general, if you were a beginner, you may want to aim for a shorter board in your size. If you were riding all-mountain, powder, or doing freestyle, you would consider a snowboard on the longer end in terms of size. If you were above average weight, you would need to consider a longer snowboard. Now here comes another question what is snowboard shapes as it is all related!
What is Snowboard Shapes
Please understand that not all boards are created equal and not all board shapes are designed to be ridden the same size. So I will answer what is snowboard shapes as follow with complete details. You got the Directional Freeride Boards, considered the longest ones to ride, and you need to use your weight and boot size. The Alternative FreeRider Boards, are made to be ridden 4 to 8 cm shorter than Directional FreeRide boards. The Directional win Boards, are designed for steeps/park riding and should be 2 to 3 cm shorter than Directional FreeRide boards. Lastly, you have the Surf Series, that are consist of 3 models ( the Storm Chaser needs to be 6 -13 cm shorter than your FreeRide size, the Mind Expander 4 to 8 cm shorter than your FreeRide size, and the 3rd one is the Lone Wolf that should be ridden 6 to13 cm longer than your FreeRide size.
Best Snowboard Beginners
What size Snowboard Would Work for Me
The advice you will get choosing the right length snowboard at most parks or shops is to make sure you get a size that would reach anywhere between your chin and your nose. On the other hand, in our book of advice, to find the correct length board should depend on the height and weight of the person, besides, the terrain your style of preferences, and what snow conditions you will be expecting. Make a note that the longer is the board, is the more stable and faster, but will be difficult making turns. On the other hand, the more maneuverable and lighter one would be the shorter.
Tips and advice on Snowboard Length
- You got the Entry level / Novice riders would be more comfortable in general on medium length board, as it tends to be directional, and it ranges between the one for Jib an all-mountain board.
- Jibber would be a lot more comfortable with a shorter board, as having a lower weight, can make it easier to spin. So there is no need for a long one.
- All-mountain boards do pretty much what the name suggests. They’re go-anywhere, ride anything machines designed to handle both groomed pistes and powder/ As such the average lengths tend to be a bit longer than both jib and entry-level boards.
Let’s make a note about Powder boards that often have a special shape with special noses that we won’t be able to apply the weight/height formula to figure out the size needed. The best way for these types of boards is to go in person to your local snowboard shop to get advice.
Best Snowboard Beginners
The Salomon No Drama Snowboard is an awesome twin board and is perfect for any level, and great for beginners. If you are stepping up to flat boxes and rails, this board can be smooth and forgiving, with a blend of elliptic curves for easy turn initiation, easy to direct, and fluid edge for edging transitions.
The Salomon Sight X Men Directional Twin Freestyle Snowboard is perfect for beginners, maneuverable, smooth, and forgiving. This soft flexing board has a durable extruded base that can hold up to all types of levels, no matter how hard it is. This board can handle the entire mountain with total control with its versatile deck that is recommended by Best Quality Hiking Boots.
 | Salomon No Drama Women Snowboard Beginners Details and Specs Rocker Type: Quad Camber Flex: (4) 1 Soft – 5 Stiff Shape: True Twin / Freestyle Laminates: Biaxial Medium Density Fiberglas Core Laminates: Wood Slingshot Sidewalls Sintered Base Freestyle Edge Bevel Binding Compatibility 2 x 4 Insert Pattern Ability Level: Beginners, Intermediate & Advance Current Price: $450 |
 | Salomon Sight X Men Snowboard Beginners Details and Specs Rocker Type: Cross Profile Flex: 2 (1 Soft – 5 Stiff) Shape: Directional Twin Freestyle Laminates: Biaxial Low Density Fiberglass Aspen Strong Core Core Laminates: Wood Rubber Pads Sidewalls Extruded Base – Standard Stone Finish Freestyle Edge Bevel Binding Compatibility 2 x 4 Insert Pattern Ability Level: Beginner to Intermediate Current Price: $350 |
Best All Mountain Snowboard
Best All Mountain Snowboards
The Salomon Dancehaul Snowboard is for both men and women, offering all different sizes to suit riders of any style. It has a wide waist and directional shape making it a perfect slashing pow and carving groomers. It is also stable, fast, and fun for slushy spring party laps in the park.
 | Salomon Dancehaul (Unisex) All-Mountain Snowboard Details and Specs Rocker Type: Rock Out Camber Flex: (3 ) 1 Soft – 5 Stiff Shape: Tapered Directional Laminates: Biaxial Medium Density Fiberglass Aspen Select Core Basalt, Wood / Core Rubber Pads Sidewalls Extruded Base – Standard Stone Finish Freestyle Edge Bevel Binding Compatibility 2 x 4 Insert Pattern Ability Level: Intermediate to Advance Current Price: $450 |
Best Freestyle Snowboard
The Ride Back Talk Snowboard is a very powerful freestyle board that’s loaded with pop for high flips/flying etc…. hard-charging rippers that require a lot of work from the rider to achieve your needs. The rider would need to be able to handle it, otherwise, you can find yourself in total out of control. It is super twitchy fast Beast I would call it, and super at any terrain you put it on. I always refer to this one as a fly bird.
The Salomon Huck Knife Pro Snowboard is another flying bird, lightweight and super fast. It is ready to throw down, bouncing, flipping, and any crazy thing you may think of, very responsive as it is loaded with deadly Tech stuff like carbon inlayed Shrikes, cork handled nunchucks, its Huck Knife Pro is bomber. This board can handle any trick possible that exist in any pro book.
 | Ride Back Talk Women Freestyle Snowboard Details and Specs Rocker Type: Twin Hybrid Camber Freestyle, All-Mountain Flex: Aggressive Response / Stiff Asymmetrical Shaping Laminates: Double Impact Plates Core / lightweight Paulownia wood stringers with high strength Aspen. Basalt, Wood / Core Core/Laminates:Carbon, Wood Slimewalls Sintered, Stone Ground Race Base Cleave Edge Binding Compatibility 2 x 4 Insert Pattern Ability Level: Advanced / Expert Current Price: $470 |
 | Salomon Huck Knife Pro Men Freestyle Snowboard Details and Specs Rocker Type: Quad Camber Terrain: Freestyle Flex: (5) 1 Soft – 5 Stiff True Twin – Freestyle specific Laminates: Triaxial Fiberglass Ghost Green Core Base: Engineered for a super fast glide in everything Core/Laminates:Carbon, Wood Gunslinger Sidewalls Freestyle Edge Bevel Binding Compatibility 2 x 4 Insert Pattern Ability Level: Advanced / Expert Current Price: $550 |
Best Freestyle Snowboard
Best FreeRide Snowboards
The GNU Barrett C3 Snowboard has a very powerful performance and to the point precision for riders pushing it to the next level. It’s heavy, featuring an aggressive C3 profile and firm but lightweight Aspen core for great stability. If you happen to be a hard-charging person with an eye for cliffs, this would be the perfect board for you to enjoy the mountain. This flying board is made the same way as the legendary B-Pro just to remember.
The K2 Alchemist Snowboard Men is an Ambassador to the pinnacle of snowboarding technology, a Bambooyah Pro Core, SpaceGlass, Triaxial Glass, Carbon Power Forks, and a Carbon infused 5500 Sintered Base. It is considered the king of the K2 Freeride lineup. It is a precise and stable instrument of giant mountain vivisection as it is built similar to a hovercraft. It is a meticulously designed snowboard crisscrossed with high-grade carbon making it super light, charges hard on the fall line, and can make the fastest turns you can imagine. It is one of the best, durable, and superpower fast boards out there.
 | GNU Barrett C3 women FreeRide Snowboard Details and Specs C3 Technology – Aggressive dominant cambers Terrain: All-Mountain, Freeride Shape: Directional Flex: Flex Rating – Medium – Firm / Stiff Laminates: Power Pop Bands Core: Sustainably Harvested, light, strong, and poppy. Base: Sintered Knife Cut Base Core/Laminates: Wood UHMW sidewalls are super tough / environmentally friendly. Unreal edge hold; 7 strategically located and sized edge serrations provide unreal edge hold & and control in all conditions Binding Compatibility 2 x 4 Insert Pattern Ability Level: Advanced / Expert Current Price: $560 |
 | K2 Alchemist Men FreeRide Snowboard Details and Specs Rocker Type: Directional Camber Profile Terrain: Freerider Flex Rating – (9) 1 Soft – 10 Very Stiff Bambooyah Pro Core / Equal parts performance Laminates: Spectral Braid is a first of its kind variable angle reinforcement Carbon Infused 5500 Sintered Base / Fast / light / strong Core/Laminates: Bamboo, Carbon, Wood Gunslinger Sidewalls Freestyle Edge Bevel Binding Compatibility 2 x 4 Insert Pattern Ability Level: Advanced / Expert Current Price: $700 |
Best FreeRide Snowboards
Jones Splitboards
The solution is the ultimate all-terrain Jones Splitboards delivering an out of this world backcountry performance no matter which terrain and snow condition. This snowboard is very enjoyable in soft snow, very confident, and very inspiring on any steep hard snow. This latest version is redesigned by adding more taper and a 3D Contour Base 3.0. Never met any advanced rider who did not regret getting this great board as his second and not going through a few before trying this one out. And that is what we call heaven on earth’s board.
 | Women Joes Solution Splitboard Details and Specs Rrectional rocker profile Directional Freeride shape Mid Stiff Flex Freestyle / Park Premium Ultra Core Flax/Basalt Power stringers and an ECO-plastic topsheet Deep Powder Slow Speed Slashing Icy Edging Steeps / Technical Flex: (8) Very Stiff Traction Tech 3.0 for added edge grip going up or down Ability Level: Advanced / Expert Current Price: $900 |
 | Men Jones Solution Splitboard Details and Specs Rrectional rocker profile Directional Freeride shape Mid Stiff Flex Freestyle / Park Premium Ultra Core Flax/Basalt Power stringers and an ECO-plastic topsheet Deep Powder Slow Speed Slashing Icy Edging Steeps / Technical Flex: (8) Very Stiff Traction Tech 3.0 for added edge grip going up or down Ability Level: Advanced / Expert Current Price: $900 |
Jones Splitboards
This is a great article learning about snowboards.
Let me quickly start by saying your writing style is packed with energy and a certain level of high subject authority. I felt like i was in the right place to be advised on board selection. There was a lot of terminology that I was not familiar with but I kindda figured out. Might be something you might want to closely look at depending on your target audience.
I have always wanted to snowboard but being from the Caribbean the absence of snow prevents that. The article is packed with very useful information on determining best selection of type of board, skill level and the ride style you wish to pursue. Because there are very many pertinent technical specs depending on your level of proficiency I think it might be useful to put the information in a comparative table format. This way I can more quickly identify what boards are best for my height, weight and degree of riding difficulty I wish to pursue.
It is a good thing that you included the prices in your highlighted boards. What I was not certain of on the face of it is whether the pricing was high, average or low. This perhaps could be an area where your opinion could also be added in. Like what would be a best buy for a beginner etc.
I noticed as well that the boards have different camber profiles. Is this very relevant in snowboard selection? if so I did not get a clear sense of this. The reason I ask is that it seems possible to select a board based largely on length.
I hope this helps
Hello there and many thanks for your comment.
If you were a beginner, my advise to you choosing the right length snowboard is to make sure you get a size that would reach anywhere between your chin and your nose and that should do.
Please note that the goal of this article is to advise all level snowboarders about what is involved in snowboarding to better themselves. When it comes to board sizes, it gets a bit complicated to post within an article, so to help our readers, we will be providing later on with links to companies that sells them and provide all details needed concerning board size.
Concerning the pricing, all selected boards within the article have the same price tag no matter the store you buy it from but we will be providing a link to our favorites stores soon within the same article. Anything between $350 and $500 is a great board for beginner and intermediate riders. Anything above $500 would be good for advance and expert riders.
Enjoy,
Hello there, thank you so much for sharing this. this is a very awesome piece and a very detailed one. I’m really happy that I came across this. Reading about this article snowboarding in Gear reviews sounds exciting. Well, I’m planning on going snowboarding next weekend and I’m very interested to take your advice on one of your board selections, as I’m due to upgrade my gear.
Hello Charity and many thanks for your comment. Enjoy your snowboard. Cheers,
Thank you for sharing your review about Snowboarding in Gear. What you have shared as information is eye opening. I honestly did not know that there were all sorts of Snow boards and I liked the ways you had suggested how to chose one. Those ways were really helpful for anyone who would want to buy a Snow board. Sometimes, reviews like yours help immensely the purchasers which is great.
All the best!
Manny thanks meenaf1 for your comment.
It is Best Quality Hiking Boots pleasure to assist our readers based on our testing and experience in the outdoors and help them achieve their needs. Enjoy your Snowboard in Gear.
I remember seeing snowboards zipping around my head in the Thredbo ski fields in Australia and thinking what a hoot it must be to ride one of these super-fast boards on pristine powder. Then I realized I would probably break a few bones if I tried this. You really know your boards and I can tell you are passionate about this sport.
There are some beauties here that you are showing and not as expensive as I thought.
You are on the money Lily, and many thanks for your comment.
All those boards are tested for quality, efficiency, and performance, in addition to durability. Enjoy your pristine powder. Cheers,
I have always wanted to try snowboarding but never have got the chance to do so, you have put together a great guide for helping people select the right snowboard and boots as a beginner. I could see how snowboarding would be an experience like no other but I decided to give it a try I will definitely get the Salomon No Drama Snowboard Beginners. Thank you for the educational article on the subject I really enjoyed reading it.
All the best,
Jonathon
Hello Jonathon, and thank you for your feedback.
Enjoy your Salomon No Drama Snowboard Beginners. Great Choice.