Snowboard Buying Guide
Finding the perfect snowboard is easy, but there are a few factors which you need to consider, before making your final choice. This advice centre will guide you through a few different options which are available to you so that you can maximise your snowboarding potential.
Table Of Contents |
|
1 |
What Size Snowboard Do I Need? |
| 1.1 | Womens Specific Snowboards - Getting the right size for women |
| 1.2 | Beginner / Intermediate Snowboards - Just Starting Out? |
| 1.3 | Freestyle Jib & Street Snowboards - Softer, shorter snowboard sizing |
| 1.4 | Freestyle Park & Pipe Snowboards - Freestyle freedom meets park response sizing |
| 1.5 | Freestyle All Mountain Snowboards - Go anywhere, do anything snowboard sizing guide |
| 1.6 | Freeride Snowboards - Speed freaks and carve style sizing |
| 1.7 | Big Mountain Snowboards - Powder and big mountain guide to choosing the right size |
2 |
What Width Snowboard Do I Need? |
| 2.1 | Boot Size To Board Width - I know my boot size, but what width snowboard do i need? |
| 2.2 | Board Width To Boot Size - Is this board wide enough for my boot size? |
| 2.3 | Reduced Footprint Snowboard Boots |
| 2.4 | Riser Plates |
| 2.5 | Width Selector - Using our site to select the correct width snowboard |
3 |
Consider Your Camber Profile |
| 3.1 | Positive Camber - The traditional camber profile guide |
| 3.2 | Reverse Camber - Information on the Reverse camber snowboard profile |
| 3.3 | Flat (Zero) - Bridging the gap between camber and Reverse Camber |
| 3.4 | Hybrid Camber - A combination of multiple profiles |
| 3.5 | 3D Camber - AKA Triple Base, Diamond, No Hang Ups, Dow Tech |
4 |
The Different Shapes |
| 4.1 | Twin Tip |
| 4.2 | Directional Twin |
| 4.3 | Directional |
| 4.4 | Directional Tapered |
| 4.5 | Directional Swallowtail |
5 |
Base Construction |
| 5.1 | Extruded |
| 5.2 | Extruded Hybrid |
| 5.3 | Sintered |
| 5.4 | Sintered Hybrid |
6 |
Further Help And Advice |
7 |
Recommend Me A Snowboard |
1. What Size Snowboard Do You Need?
The first step to finding the correct size of snowboard is to first identify a style of board, which will then dictates what size is best for you.
Have a look through these seven different categories and decide which one you fall in to, then click "read more" and a size chart will appear for each style.
Then just go to our snowboards page and narrow your search (left hand side of the page) by this category. Add filters for your weight and size of board (by using the table in each category below) and you will have a good indication of boards which will be well sized for you.
1.1 - Womens Specific Snowboards
Womens specific snowboards are designed to suit a womans smaller stature, by utelising softer flex patterns and thinner waist widths. A ladies centre of gravity is also different to a mans, meaning you will shift your weight differently when you turn, so these boards are also designed to accomodate this. Most women could also ride a unisex board, but generally speaking it is a good idea to stick to a gender specific model. Look for boards that are softer and more flexible if you want a park style snowboard, or stiffer with a directional shape if you are into freeriding. Either way, the table below should give you a good indication of the size you should be going for (downsize a few centimetres for freestyle, go up a few centimetres if you want to freeride)
Womens Specific Snowboard Size Chart |
|||||||||
| Rider Weight | |||||||||
| kg | <49 | 50-59 | 60-69 | 70-79 | 80-89 | 90-95 | 95+ | ||
| stone | < 7 | 7.1-9.4 | 9.5-10 | 10-12.5 | 12.6-14 | 14.1-15 | 15.1+ | ||
 |
ft |  |
< 108 | 108-130 | 131-152 | 153-174 | 175-196 | 197-209 | 210+ |
|
< 5'
|
<152 |
146-148
|
147-149
|
150-152
|
152-154
|
154-156
|
156-158
|
158-160
|
|
|
5'1-5'6
|
154-168 |
147-149
|
148-150
|
151-153
|
154-156
|
155-157
|
158-160
|
159-161
|
|
|
5'7-6'0
|
168-182 |
148-150
|
150-152
|
152-154
|
155-157
|
156-158
|
159-161
|
160-162
|
|
|
6'1-6'5
|
182-195 |
150-152
|
151-153
|
154-156
|
156-158
|
158-160
|
160-162
|
162-164
|
|
|
6'6+
|
195+ |
151-153
|
152-154
|
155-157
|
158-160
|
159-161
|
162-164
|
165+
|
|
Click this link to view all of our womens snowboards
1.2 - Beginner/Intermediate Snowboards
This may well be your first time snowboarding, or you may have taken a few lessons and are looking forward to your first trip away. Or maybe you have been renting and are finally looking to buy your very first setup! Either way you are going to want a snowboard which will help you progress quickly and efficiently, without holding you back.
These snowboards feature easy to ride shapes and are extremely versatile in any situation, without being too specific to any style of riding. They are also very hard wearing and don't tend to cost the earth, so you can learn without melting your wallet! All of these boards will last you right into intermediate/advanced territory, so don't worry about out growing out of them too quickly.
Beginner/Intermediate Snowboard Size Chart |
|||||||||
| Rider Weight | |||||||||
| kg | <49 | 50-59 | 60-69 | 70-79 | 80-89 | 90-95 | 95+ | ||
| stone | < 7 | 7.1-9.4 | 9.5-10 | 10-12.5 | 12.6-14 | 14.1-15 | 15.1+ | ||
|
ft | |
< 108 | 108-130 | 131-152 | 153-174 | 175-196 | 197-209 | 210+ |
|
< 5'
|
<152 |
146-148
|
147-149
|
150-152
|
153-155
|
154-156
|
157-159
|
158-160
|
|
|
5'1-5'6
|
154-168 |
147-149
|
149-151
|
151-153
|
154-156
|
155-157
|
158-160
|
159-161
|
|
|
5'7-6'0
|
168-182 |
148-150
|
150-152
|
153-155
|
155-157
|
157-159
|
159-161
|
162+
|
|
|
6'1-6'5
|
182-195 |
150-152
|
151-153
|
154-156
|
157-159
|
158-160
|
161-163
|
163+
|
|
|
6'6+
|
195+ |
151-153
|
153-155
|
155-157
|
158-160
|
159-161
|
162-164
|
164+
|
|
Click this link to view all of our beginner/intermediate snowboards
1.3 - Freestyle, Jib & Street
Rails, jibs, boxes, presses, snow Domes, stair sets and Freestyle is all you're about. These boards tend to be shorter and feature a tru-twin tip shape - with a centred stance, for riding both switch and regular. These boards are also alot more flexible and forgiving than other types of snowboards, making them loose and fun for freestyle tricks. Jib boards sometimes feature specialist constructions like brass edges - to stop hook ups on made made obstacles.
Freestyle Jib & Street Snowboard Size Chart |
|||||||||
| Rider Weight | |||||||||
| kg | <49 | 50-59 | 60-69 | 70-79 | 80-89 | 90-95 | 95+ | ||
| stone | < 7 | 7.1-9.4 | 9.5-10 | 10-12.5 | 12.6-14 | 14.1-15 | 15.1+ | ||
|
ft | |
< 108 | 108-130 | 131-152 | 153-174 | 175-196 | 197-209 | 210+ |
|
< 5'
|
<152 |
145-147
|
146-148
|
149-151
|
151-153
|
153-155
|
155-157
|
158-160
|
|
|
5'1-5'6
|
154-168 |
146-148
|
147-149
|
150-152
|
153-155
|
154-156
|
157-159
|
159-161
|
|
|
5'7-6'0
|
168-182 |
147-149
|
149-151
|
151-153
|
154-156
|
155-157
|
158-160
|
162-164
|
|
|
6'1-6'5
|
182-195 |
149-151
|
150-152
|
153-155
|
155-157
|
157-159
|
159-161
|
162-164
|
|
|
6'6+
|
195+ |
150-152
|
151-153
|
154-156
|
157-159
|
158-160
|
161-163
|
164-166
|
|
Click this link to view all of our freestyle, jib and street snowboards
1.4 - Freestyle, Park & Pipe
Parks, jumps, spins, grabs, rails, air and ultimate fun is where your snowboarding is at. These snowboards tend to feature centred stances and twin-tip shapes for riding both switch and regular. They are versatile and fun anywhere you want to take them. These boards will hold their edge better at speed than the jib boards, but they are not specifically designed for fast riding. They have softer flex patterns and are nice and forgiving on landings. These characteristics also makes these boards great for beginner riders as they are easy to progress on.
Freestyle Park & Pipe Snowboard Size Chart |
|||||||||
| Rider Weight | |||||||||
| kg | <49 | 50-59 | 60-69 | 70-79 | 80-89 | 90-95 | 95+ | ||
| stone | < 7 | 7.1-9.4 | 9.5-10 | 10-12.5 | 12.6-14 | 14.1-15 | 15.1+ | ||
|
ft | |
< 108 | 108-130 | 131-152 | 153-174 | 175-196 | 197-209 | 210+ |
|
< 5'
|
<152 |
146-148
|
148-150
|
150-152
|
153-155
|
154-156
|
157-159
|
158-160
|
|
|
5'1-5'6
|
154-168 |
148-150
|
149-151
|
152-154
|
154-156
|
156-158
|
158-160
|
160-162
|
|
|
5'7-6'0
|
168-182 |
149-151
|
150-152
|
154-156
|
156-158
|
157-159
|
160-162
|
161+
|
|
|
6'1-6'5
|
182-195 |
150-152
|
152-154
|
155-157
|
157-159
|
158-160
|
161-163
|
163+
|
|
|
6'6+
|
195+ |
152-154
|
153-155
|
156-158
|
158-160
|
160-162
|
163+
|
164+
|
|
Click this link to view all of our freestyle, park and pipe snowboards
1.5 - Freestyle, All Mountain
You want to sample it all, from cruising groomers, hitting the park or riding powder, these boards will be versatile in any situation. All mountain freestyle boards are a bit of a hybrid between freeride and freestyle. They may well abandon some freestyle features such as "twin tip" shapes, symmetrical side cuts, centered stances or softer flex patterns. Instead, they adopt some of the characteristics more associated with freeride boards, such as directional shapes and side cuts, slightly set back stance, sharper rails/edges or maybe a stiffer core profile. This basically means you are going to get a board that will take you everywhere and do everything without being too specific to one area. This is also another type of snowboard which will be good for beginners, as they are easy to progress on and will last you right in to intermediate territory, where you will have a better understanding of what area you would like to progress in to.
Freestyle All Mountain Snowboard Size Chart |
|||||||||
| Rider Weight | |||||||||
| kg | <49 | 50-59 | 60-69 | 70-79 | 80-89 | 90-95 | 95+ | ||
| stone | < 7 | 7.1-9.4 | 9.5-10 | 10-12.5 | 12.6-14 | 14.1-15 | 15.1+ | ||
|
ft | |
< 108 | 108-130 | 131-152 | 153-174 | 175-196 | 197-209 | 210+ |
|
< 5'
|
<152 |
148-150
|
150-152
|
152-154
|
155-157
|
156-158
|
159-161
|
160-162
|
|
|
5'1-5'6
|
154-168 |
150-152
|
151-153
|
154-156
|
156-158
|
158-160
|
160-162
|
162-164
|
|
|
5'7-6'0
|
168-182 |
151-153
|
152-154
|
156-158
|
158-160
|
159-161
|
162-164
|
163+
|
|
|
6'1-6'5
|
182-195 |
152-154
|
154-156
|
157-159
|
159-161
|
160-162
|
163-165
|
165+
|
|
|
6'6+
|
195+ |
154-156
|
155-157
|
158-160
|
160-162
|
162-164
|
165+
|
166+
|
|
Click this link to view all of our freestyle, all mountain snowboards
1.6 - Freeride
Cruising groomers, riding powder and covering the entire resort as quickly as possible is why freeriding is so much fun! Freeride snowboards are some of the stiffest boards available. This means that they will handle high speeds and long, exhilarating carves with ease. These boards usually feature a set back stance, directional sidecut / flex patters, which allow the board to perform well when travelling flat out. Some freeride boards also feature a tapered shape, which means the nose is slightly wider than the tail. This shape promotes greater float in powder and will eliminate rear leg burn.
Freeride Snowboard Size Chart |
|||||||||
| Rider Weight | |||||||||
| kg | <49 | 50-59 | 60-69 | 70-79 | 80-89 | 90-95 | 95+ | ||
| stone | < 7 | 7.1-9.4 | 9.5-10 | 10-12.5 | 12.6-14 | 14.1-15 | 15.1+ | ||
|
ft | |
< 108 | 108-130 | 131-152 | 153-174 | 175-196 | 197-209 | 210+ |
|
< 5'
|
<152 | 150-152 | 152-154 | 154-156 | 156-158 | 158-160 | 160-162 | 162-164 | |
|
5'1-5'6
|
154-168 |
152-154
|
153-155
|
156-158
|
158+
|
159+
|
162+
|
163+
|
|
|
5'7-6'0
|
168-182 |
153-156
|
153-156
|
158-160
|
159+
|
160+
|
163+
|
164+
|
|
|
6'1-6'5
|
182-195 |
154-157
|
156-158
|
159-161
|
160+
|
162+
|
164+
|
165+
|
|
|
6'6+
|
195+ |
156-159
|
157-159
|
160-162
|
162+
|
164+
|
165+
|
166+
|
|
Click this link to view all of our freeride snowboards
1.7 - Big Mountain
Specialist snowboards for big mountain adventures. These boards are born for Powder riding. These boards really are not for the faint hearted! Bindings tend to be set well back on the board to minimise rear leg burn, the nose rocker (curvature) is slightly more extreme to prevent nose dip and the forward surface area will be more than on most other boards to encourage float. The board will also be slightly wider in the nose area for the same reason, but narrower in the tail. Some of these boards will also feature a swallow tail shape, which allows the board to completely sink in powder. Stiffer flex characteristics are also important. Please note that these boards are particularly hard to size, so please use the chart below as a guide, but you may need to use the specific descriptions of each board inorder to make an informed decision on what size is correct for you.
Big Mountain Snowboard Size Chart |
|||||||||
| Rider Weight | |||||||||
| kg | <49 | 50-59 | 60-69 | 70-79 | 80-89 | 90-95 | 95+ | ||
| stone | < 7 | 7.1-9.4 | 9.5-10 | 10-12.5 | 12.6-14 | 14.1-15 | 15.1+ | ||
|
ft | |
< 108 | 108-130 | 131-152 | 153-174 | 175-196 | 197-209 | 210+ |
|
< 5'
|
<152 | 150-152 | 152-154 | 154-156 | 156-158 | 158-160 | 160-162 | 162-164 | |
|
5'1-5'6
|
154-168 |
152-154
|
153-155
|
156-158
|
158+
|
159+
|
162+
|
163+
|
|
|
5'7-6'0
|
168-182 |
153-156
|
153-156
|
158-160
|
159+
|
160+
|
163+
|
164+
|
|
|
6'1-6'5
|
182-195 |
154-157
|
156-158
|
159-161
|
160+
|
162+
|
164+
|
165+
|
|
|
6'6+
|
195+ |
156-159
|
157-159
|
160-162
|
162+
|
164+
|
165+
|
166+
|
|
Click this link to view all of our big mountain snowboards
2 - What Width Snowboard Do You Need?
Snowboard widths tend to be proportionate to their length, but if you have particularly large (or small) feet, then you may need to consider the width of your snowboard. The following tables have been created as a rough guide to the sort of snowboard widths you should be looking for relative to your boot size.
2.1 - Boot Size To Board Width
I know my boot size, what width snowboard do i need?
|
UK Boot Size
|
Board Width
|
|
|
Minimum
|
Maximum
|
|
|
2
|
20.8 cm
|
22.5 cm
|
|
3
|
21.3 cm
|
23.0 cm
|
|
4
|
21.8 cm
|
23.5 cm
|
|
5
|
22.3 cm
|
24.0 cm
|
|
6
|
22.8 cm
|
24.5 cm
|
|
7
|
23.3 cm
|
25.0 cm
|
|
8
|
23.8 cm
|
25.5 cm
|
|
9
|
24.3 cm
|
26.0 cm
|
|
10
|
24.8 cm
|
26.5 cm
|
|
11
|
25.3 cm
|
27.0 cm
|
|
12
|
25.8 cm
|
No Max
|
|
13
|
26.3 cm
|
No Max
|
|
14
|
26.8 cm
|
No Max
|
2.2 - Board Width To Boot Size
I found a board i like, but is it wide enough for my boot size?
|
Board Width
|
Suitable For UK boot Size
|
|
20.5 cm
|
2
|
|
21.0 cm
|
2
|
|
21.5 cm
|
2 - 4
|
|
22.0 cm
|
2 - 5
|
|
22.5 cm
|
2 - 6
|
|
23.0 cm
|
3 - 7
|
|
23.5 cm
|
4 - 8
|
|
24.0 cm
|
5 - 9
|
|
24.5 cm
|
6 - 10
|
|
25.0 cm
|
7 - 11
|
|
25.5 cm
|
8 - 12
|
|
26.0 cm
|
9 - 13
|
|
26.5 cm
|
10 - 14
|
|
27.0 cm
|
11 - 14
|
2.3 - Reduced Footprint Boots
If you have large feet, (UK 11+) then you will need to consider a wide style snowboard to prevent your toes and heels dragging in the snow when leaning over hard in the turns. Or another option is to purchase a pair of footprint reducing snowboard boots. These boots downsize your footprint by 1.5 sizes (So a uk 12 has the footprint of a uk 10.5), which opens up a much wider choice of snowboards available to you.
Click this link to view all of our reduced footprint snowboard boots
2.4 - Riser Plates
We also stock PLS riser plates, which raise your bindings off the board allowing you to have bigger feet whilst using a narrower board, without toe or heel drag.
Click this link to view all of our snowboard riser plates
2.5 - Width Selector
An easy way to find the correct waist width for your boot size is to visit our snowboards page. Then simply click on your boot size in the "narrow your search" section on the left hand side.
3 - Consider Your Camber Profile....
Camber profile is the curvature of the base a snowboard from the tip to the tail. Manufacturers are now producing many different camber profiles for different styles of riding. If you are into cruising around the pistes or pipe riding we recommend a traditional positive camber snowboard. For off piste and more hardcore freestyle riding there are now some alternatives to choose from. Every brand does their camber profiles slightly differently, but here is a general overview of what is available to you.
Once you have chosen a camber profile, go back to the snowboards page and narrow your search again by this category (left hand side under "narrow your search" you will find a host of filters to find the ideal snowboard for you)
3.1 - Positive Camber
This traditional camber profile is best for all mountain cruising and more aggresive freestyle riding Positive camber offers the best turn initiation, energy transmission and stability on landings over any other shape on the market. You also get superior pop to other shapes due to the Recoil properties of a positive camber. As Rome say, "Keep The king of Pop Alive!"
Click this link to view all of our positive camber snowboards
3.2 - Reverse Camber
Loose, easy to turn and extremely forgiving. These shapes are great for complete beginners, free riding or hitting up some rails. Reverse camber is just as it sounds, a camber turned upside down. Basically the board bends up from the centre to tip and tail. Reverse camber offers a more skate like feel on freestyle or jib specific boards and superior float when riding deep powder. These boards are not always great for all mountain riding as they can lose some edge hold at top speed, however, brands like Smokin, Arbor and Rossignol counteract this by adding extra features to the sidecut of the snowboard to increase grip.
Click this link to view all of our reverse camber snowboards
3.3 - Flat (Zero) Camber
These boards are catch free, but still deliver a ton of energy (pop)for more freestyle orientated snowboarding. A flat camber profile is usually found on more freestyle orientated snowboards. The profile is completely flat from the contact points at the tip and tail and all the way through the middle section of the board. This gives you a loose, catch free feel when in the park, but also delivers a ton of pop when you want it. The only curved sections are the tip and tail.
Click this link to view all of our zero camber snowboards
3.4 - Hybrid Camber (Rocker Camber)
A combination of positive, reverse and flat camber profiles. There are lots of variations available but here is a quick run down. A hybrid camber profile is a combination of both positive camber, reverse camber and flat camber technology. Some manufacturers have made profiles where there is reverse camber between the bindings and positive camber or flat from the bindings to the contact points. This will deliver a loose and catch free feel at slow speeds, but still stable and controlled at high speeds or landing off jumps.
Click this link to view all of our hybrid camber snowboards
3.5 - 3D Camber
3D camber snowboards raise the contact points along a bourds edge to create a catch free feel, but without sacrificing edge hold. These boards also promote float in powder and make it easy to turn. There are many different 3D cambers on the market - some use a raised edges (blue area illustrated below), while some will use a spoon shape on the base of the board. They also use different camber profiles in conjuntion with this technology, so it is worth doing your research before committing to a brand or model.
Click this link to view all of our 3D camber snowboards
4 - The Different Shapes Of Snowboard
Shape refers to the actual shape of the snowboard if you are looking down on it from above and also the position of the sidecut and flex pattern of the snowboard.
4.1 - Twin-Tip (True-Twin)
A twin tip snowboard has an identical shape at the nose and tail of the board. This makes them easy to ride switch or regular and are perfect for more freestyle orientated styles of snowboarding.
Click this link to view all of our twin-tip snowboards
4.2 - Directional Twin
Designed to be ridden both switch and regular, these boards offer up a direction flex pattern with a slightly softer nose. This makes landing in powder and all mountain cruising easier but still keeps the more freestyle feel through the board. Perfect for all mountain and freestyle / park riders.
Click this link to view all of our directional twin snowboards
4.3 - Directional
Designed to be ridden in one direction, these snowboards feature a directional, often set back sidecut to make turns extremely easy and stable. They also feature directional flex patterns and setback stances to give you more power on piste from the tail of your board, and also to promote float when cruising therough cruddy snow or powder. Perfect for all mountain cruising and freeride styles.
Click this link to view all of our directional snowboards
4.4 - Directional Tapered
Tapered snowboards have a much wider nose than tail causing the nose to rise up and the tail to sink when your in deep powder. Similarly to rocker profiles, each manufacturer offers a different take on tapered shapes so make sure you know what your buying. Tapered boards are usually fairly specialist to powder or on piste cruising and can't really be ridden switch.
4.5 - Directional Swallowtail
Swallowtail snowboards are extremely specialist to deep powder. The feature a wider nose much like a tapered snowboard, but these powder monsters have a section cut out of the tail inorder to completely sink the back in the deepest of pow pow. If your going heli boarding or just obsessed with powder then one of these will be your perfect companion, if not then you may need something a little less specialist.
5 - Base Construction
The base of a snowboard comes in 4 different constructions. You may see different grades or names used from each brand, however each one will fall into one of the four categories below.
5.1 - Extruded
An extruded base is constructed from a single sheet of p-tex plastic and then forced through a mould in the shape of your snowboard or skis, thus creating a single sheet of plastic which is then glued to the core of your board. Extruded bases are extremely easy to maintain if you decided to tear yourself a new hole, which is why they are generally found on entry/intermediate level boards and rail specific boards.
5.2 - Extruded Hybrid
AKA Sintruded, Extrintered, Impact and the list goes on. These bases use the same construction as an Extruded base, however the p-tex plastic is generally much higher grade or infused with another chemical to make it harder or more durable.
5.3 - Sintered
Sintered bases represent the premium end of snowboard and ski construction. Granules of polythene are ground to powder, then heated and compressed onto your core. A sintered base is much more durable, faster and hold wax much more efficiently giving you a faster ride! Unfortunately you do pay more for this type of construction but its well worth it.
5.4 - Sintered Hybrid
Sintered hybrid bases are the most expensive bases on the market. These bases are manufactured in the exact same way as Sintered bases, however the polythene granules are mixed with carbon or other friction reducing properties to create bases that are lightning fast and super durable.
6 - Further Help and Advice
That is all the factors you need to consider when looking to buy a new snowboard. Obviously there are many more features to each snowboard, but stick to the guide above and you will not go wrong! However, If you would like further help or advice please just drop us an email and we will aim to respond within 1 hour.
7 - Recommend Me A Snowboard
We can also recommend a snowboard that is perfect for you, just fill out our form and we will get back to you with the perfect snowboard to suit your needs! Just click this link: Recommend me a snowboard
