Snowboards come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Some look like popsicles while others resemble fish or even torpedoes. They also vary quite a bit in rigidness: Those intended for beginners are often soft and flexible, while more advanced boards tend to be stiff. With prices ranging from $300 to $800 and up, selecting the best snowboard for your needs can be overwhelming.
But it doesn’t have to be. With a little understanding of modern snowboarding technology basics, as well as sizing best practices, you’ll be well on your way to some fresh powder turns in no time. To help you get there, we’ve consulted some of the snowboard world’s top experts, from pro riders to professional gearheads. And for good measure, we’ve even included a list of their favorite models for every type of rider.
As for me, I’ve been shredding the gnar for just shy of 20 years, splitting my time between the East and West Coasts of North America. This is to say, I love carving fresh tracks at Whistler as much as I enjoy braving New Jersey’s iciest, most crowded slopes. After all, a day on the mountain beats, well, just about anything else.
Snowboard recommendations from our experts for the 2023/24 season
Beginner snowboards
When it comes to beginner boards, a combination of stability, maneuverability and flexibility is key. As mentioned, shorter boards tend to be a little easier than longer ones to control. Also, new riders are less likely to catch an edge on a short, medium flex model than they are on a longer, stiffer board.
Beyond that, the best beginner boards tend to be a twin design, where the tail and nose are the same shape, and have a well-centered stance. Flat and rocker camber boards also tend to be the easiest and most forgiving to learn on. Finally, you can expect to pay around $450 for a quality beginner snowboard, whether shopping for men’s or women’s models.
The Ripcord Flat Top features a flat camber profile, twin design and plenty of flexibility, making it a solid option for those wishing to quickly progress beyond noob status. “It’s a good place to start for beginners,” says Shane Serrano, founder of the Search of Snowboarding YouTube channel. The “flat camber makes it predictable and a very approachable ride.”
For women just starting out, Tiffany Burghart — an avid rider and mother of three who runs the popular outdoor adventure website The Stoke Fam — suggests the Gnu B-Nice for similar reasons. “The Gnu B-Nice is a great option for beginners looking for a board that is easy to control but still provides excellent edge control, making progression easy.” It’s also a board built to avoid catching edges — a snowboarder’s worst nightmare. And like the Ripcord Flat Top, it features soft flex and an approachable twin-tip design.
All-mountain snowboards
The Swiss Army Knife of snowboard types, all-mountain boards hold their own in just about any condition, whether you’re hitting groomers or fresh powder. If you’re an intermediate rider looking to own just one type of snowboard, this is it. You can expect to pay anywhere from $400 to $650 for a solid all-mountain board.
The Gnu Hyper is a solid all-mountain whip aimed at intermediate and more advanced riders. This model sports a wood core for stability and built-in carbon bands for plenty of pop. “The Gnu Hyper may look plain on the outside, but don’t let that fool you; its smooth arcs and hard-charging capabilities are ideal for any and all terrain,” says Burghart.
For women (and also men), Serrano recommends the Burton Hometown Hero. “It’s a very versatile all-mountain unisex board. I know a lot of guys and girls that all love it—it's been one of the bestselling boards the past few seasons.” And like the Gnu Hyper, the Hometown Hero is built to tackle powder days, groomers and anything else you may come across, making it a great one-and-done option.
Another option, for those after something a little different than your standard all-mountain ride, is the Jones Twin Sister. “The most playful board in the Jones lineup for women, the Twin Sister is designed for the park but can tackle the rest of the mountain with ease,” says Burghart.
Intermediate snowboards
Offering greater performance and technology than beginner and basic all-mountain boards, intermediate-level snowboards are still fairly easy to ride. This is a great option for long-time riders seeking an upgrade, as well as intermediate riders ready to seriously progress their skillset. Expect to pay $600 and up for a solid intermediate snowboard.
The Lib Tech Terrain Wrecker is an especially solid snowboard for conquering the wide range of conditions, especially those often associated with resort riding. “As the name suggests, the Terrain Wrecker will handle anything intermediate riders throw at it,” says Burghart.
The T. Ride Pro rides a whole lot like the Terrain Wrecker, and is a great alternative that’s just as versatile. “It’s a great intermediate, go-anywhere board [with a] hybrid camber, so it rides great everywhere,” says Serrano.
Meanwhile, for female intermediate boarders, Burghart recommends the Jamie Anderson pro model from Gnu. “It’s ideal for intermediate riders looking for a board that is more aggressive and responsive while still being playful.” This is thanks to a wood core that also makes for a supremely lightweight ride.
Freestyle snowboards
Freestyle or park snowboards are made for hitting jumps, rails, boxes and more — think Shaun White. They tend to be shorter, lighter and more flexible than regular boards, often with a twin design for riding in reverse, also known as “switch.”
Great for the terrain parks, these boards are less well-suited for deep powder and making sharp turns. But they are a lot of fun to maneuver, especially for folks coming to snowboarding with a skateboarding mindset. Expect to pay between $450 and $650 for a quality freestyle board.
The pill-shaped Lib Tech Off-Ramp offers medium flex and excellent pop in a twin-style package. It’s also built to take on bumps and abrasions and absorb plenty of board wax (for sliding down ledges and more). “The Lib Tech Off-Ramp is designed to be poppy and fun, while still being durable enough to handle regular laps in the park or even the streets,” says Burghart.
A surf-inspired board with no lack of pop, the Ryme has a terrain park pedigree but is a board you can easily and enjoyably ride just about anywhere, says Burghart. “The Lib Tech Ryme is a playful park twin that will still hold its own outside the park so you can take your freestyle fun all over the mountain.”
Freeride snowboards
Freeride snowboards are the most capable on our list. Built for hard-charging, powder-flying, go-anywhere boarding, a good freeride board is just as capable as its rider’s skill level. These boards tend to have a directional shape and stiffness, with a tail that’s often more rigid than the nose. You can expect to pay $650+ for a good freeride snowboard.
Jones makes some of the best freeride snowboards available and the Hovercraft 2.0 is a fantastic and reasonably priced option, popular with plenty of riders. “Updated for 2024, the Jones Hovercraft 2.0 is a directional pow slayer that can handle the steepest off-piste faces while still being very comfortable at the resort,” says Burghart.
The Jones Flagship snowboard is even more versatile than the Hovercraft. And from personal experience, Serrano feels it's a great option for anyone looking to seriously progress their skills. “The Jones Flagship is a killer freeride board. They make a men's and women's specific — that's what my girlfriend rides and it has made her such a stronger ripper all-around, but especially in big mountain terrain.”
Budget snowboards
With snowboards, as with anything else, you often get what you pay for. Still, there are ways to save some serious dough, without sacrificing quality. “When looking for affordable snowboards, try shopping sales on last season’s models,” says Burghart. You may also want to consider searching in the off-season, April to August, as that’s when prices on boards tend to be at their lowest.
Also, try your best to avoid too-good-to-be-true deals, advises Serrano, who recommends budgeting $400 or more. Spending that money ensures that “you’ll get more durable, quality materials that will not only give you a better ride off the bat but will also help you progress more as you develop better riding skills through the future.”
A tight budget doesn’t mean name-brand boards are out of your price range, says Burghart. “Right now, you can find the men’s 2023 Gnu Essential Service for a great price.”
“With a slightly expanded budget,” says Burghardt, “the Nidecker Merc SE is a solid choice designed to tackle anything at the resort.”
Youth snowboards
A quality youth snowboard should be easy to ride, simple in design and forgiving in its flexibility. The best youth boards offer the versatility to experiment with riding with or without bindings. They also shouldn’t cost an arm or a leg given how quickly groms tend to grow and advance.
The most basic youth boards even include a retractable leash for guiding your youngster down the slopes of your backyard or local sledding hill.
Burton is one of the most recognizable brands in snowboarding, with a long history of making boards for intermediate riders and pro athletes alike. But they also have a range of fantastic learning-focused boards for kids, like the Burton Chopper. Designed to avoid catching edges at all costs, this model is built specifically for riders between 25 and 50 pounds.?“The Burton Chopper is one of the best kids boards for first-timers. It is one of the only boards that is slightly rockered across the width of the board, making it extremely beginner-friendly,” says Serrano.
For even younger/lighter snowboard enthusiasts, Burghart suggests Burton's Riglet. “With a retractable reel, and a base designed for multiple surfaces (like even your carpet at home), the Riglet is ideal for the littlest groms who are just learning,” she says.
What are the most common snowboard types?
Burghart, of The Stoke Fam, recommends you pick a board that matches the conditions you’re most likely to ride in. With that in mind, there are three main snowboard types, “freestyle for park, freeride for ungroomed trails and all-mountain for versatility,” she says.
If you mostly ride at resorts or in a range of conditions, an all-mountain board will almost certainly suit you best. As the name implies, these boards are meant to perform well in everything from corn kernels to mashed potatoes. But if fresh tracks and untouched powder are more your thing, a longer, stiffer freeride board may be a better option. On the other hand, if hitting jumps and rails is your aim, a shorter, more flexible freestyle board is what you want.
How do you pick a snowboard size?
Tim Humphreys, a pro rider of 15 years, says these factors matter most when selecting a board: “Width, then length, then stiffness — you go through those factors, starting with foot size/board width, and then narrow down selections from there. No matter how cool the board is, if it isn’t the right width for your foot, it’ll never work for you,” he advises. For men and women with US shoe sizes 11 and below, most standard-width snowboards should do the trick. But for larger foot sizes, you may want to consider a mid-wide or wide-sized snowboard. Exact width measurements vary by brand.
Take his advice to whittle down your selection. “You can eliminate 80% of all boards in your search just by chopping all the ones that aren’t the right width. Then you decide what length and stiffness you want.? The width is a hard yes/no mostly, but length and stiffness are more where preference and intent become involved,” says Humphreys.
Biesty agrees, “Board length is not as important as finding the right width to match your boot size.”
What’s a good board length for beginners? What other factors should beginners seek out in a snowboard?
Old-school snowboard sizing rules dictate that a properly sized board should come up to a rider’s nose when held vertically, as it does in the middle image above. However, depending on your ability, you may want to opt for a board that is either shorter or longer than your standard size. For beginners, a chin-length board will be more forgiving than a nose-length one. “In general, longer boards are harder to control, so beginners may benefit from choosing a board that is slightly shorter,” advises Burghart.
Humphreys feels similarly. “My recommendation for beginners on board length is chin-to-mouth — nose-to-forehead for riding deep powder. I always thought the standard chin-to-nose metric oversized people a bit. It’s a lot easier to control a snowboard that is on the smaller end of your size range.”
Serrano also agrees and suggests heading to your local shop if you’re new to riding and have no idea where to begin your search. For beginners especially, James Biesty, the editor of The Good Ride, recommends asking for “a board that is forgiving, versatile and easy to learn and progress with.” In many cases, this is going to be a twin tip board with mid-flex, like the Burton Ripcord Flat Top, recommended below.
What do the terms “stiffness,” “camber” and “sidecut” actually mean for your new snowboard?
Outside of board length, width and type, the other factors to consider in a new snowboard include stiffness, which we briefly covered, camber and sidecut.
“Stiffness of a snowboard refers to how rigid it is. A softer flexing board can be more forgiving, making it more beginner-friendly. A stiffer flexing board is more responsive, aggressive and less forgiving,” says Serrano. Softer boards also tend to be better suited for tricks than stiffer models.
“Snowboards with more flex tend to feel more poppy underfoot and are generally preferred by park riders but can feel less stable at high speeds,” adds Burghart. “Snowboards that are stiffer will provide more edge control and stability at speed. In addition, rider weight also plays a role. Riders who weigh less may find super-stiff boards too challenging to control.”
Camber, meanwhile, refers to the bend of a snowboard when it’s flat on the ground. These days, snowboards come in an enormous variety of camber profiles. But it’s the simpler designs that tend to best suit new riders, including flat and rocker camber boards, says Burghart.
Lastly, a board’s sidecut radius, or how much the edge of the board curves inward, also plays an impact on riding. Generally speaking, “a smaller sidecut will let you make tighter turns in the trees or the park, while larger sidecuts provide a bit more stability and are great for big, open carving,” says Burghart.
Should I consider a used snowboard?
Beyond board type and size, the other biggest factor to consider is how much you want to spend. Buying used or last year’s model is a great way to save some money. If you’re going the former route, just be sure to first do your due diligence on the model itself and then the condition of the particular board.
“I recommend first researching the board to make sure it fits your needs, paying attention to factors such as riding style, profile, etc.,” says Burghart. “Once you’ve decided it’s a good fit, inspect it carefully for any major damage. Small cosmetic damage on the top sheet isn’t a big deal, but if you find large gouges on the base into the core, broken edges, or delamination (where layers of the board separate from each other), it’s time to walk away. Most importantly, don’t be afraid to ask questions!”
Serrano recommends you stick to boards released in the past decade or so, as technology has advanced considerably. “What you don’t want to buy is a board that is more than ten years old. Older boards were overbuilt and harder to ride. The latest technology in snowboards from the last five years makes learning and overall use much easier.”
A common mistake folks make when shopping for a new snowboard (and how can you avoid it)
“The biggest mistake people make when shopping for a snowboard is choosing based solely on the topsheet design,” says Burghart.? “As much as I love a good graphic, it won’t make your riding experience any better. Choose your top two or three boards based on the features and specs you need first. Then, bring the topsheet and base design into your final decision.”
Serrano feels the same, but also advises not getting hung up on one particular brand or model. “Boards from the top manufacturers in the same price range and designed for the same type of riding are going to ride very similarly. Don’t stress yourself out on the decision, and if you can’t decide between two similar boards, use the graphics as the final decision maker.”
