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We have already tested the 2025 all-mountain snowboards from Burton, Jones, Never Summer, and more to make sure you are stepping onto the deck that is perfect for you
We bought and tested the best men's and women's snowboards to find ten award winners who improved our experience on the mountain. Our expert test team leverages the experience of professional riders, certified splitboard guides, and lifelong passionate riders to carve groomers, hit jumps, and surf in the powder.
Our men's test team gave their ultimate stamp of approval for the Yes Standard UNINC DC. It's an exceptionally versatile board that strikes a great balance of stability and playfulness.
The Cardiff Lynx is our top choice for ladies, offering accurate, user-friendly carving, plenty of stability, and impressive pop to provide an enjoyable and high-performance versatile ride.
We are excited to see where your new ride can take you, and we also like our friends and readers to stay safe up on the mountain as well, so if you're into protecting that noggin, take a look at our ski helmets and goggles.
Editor's Note: On November 13th, 2024, we edited this review to streamline our award recommendations to help streamline your decision.
The second you step onto the Yes Standard Uninc DC you will understand that it's not a beast, but it's not weak. It's perfectly maneuverable at slow speeds, but it eats high speed straight lining for breakfast. This thing is the true quiver killer, the shape, flex, and cut created by Yes on this one is top-notch. It's stiff enough to hold strong at high speeds, but when you dip into the powder it just wants to float and slash. We took it to the park, and the flex pattern made for strong, easier to hold presses, but when you get back to ripping corduroy, the medium sidecut radius lets you rail your carves as hard as you want – or not. The Standard Uninc is a gentle beast.
“It's like the board morphs to shred whatever you want to ride at that moment.”
We have a few criticisms of the board, but the list is short. First of all, it has a limited range of sizes. People who are a bit small or are extra large are going to have to look elsewhere. Also, as playful as the shape, flex, and sidecut are, the board can get bucked around at high speeds in heavily disrupted snow like a chopped up exit of a chute. There are more aggressive boards out there if this is our thing. If you want a stiff, fast, aggressive beast, check out the Arbor Candle Rain
Our hands-down favorite for the ladies is the Cardiff Lynx. Its smooth carving, buoyant floatation, and serious pop stole our hearts, and it quickly became our favorite choice in a stacked lineup. With a myriad of features from poplar/paulownia and carbon stringer core to an all-mountain hybrid camber, this board did have all the ingredients for engaged turns, smooth glide, and better edge control. The 55% camber makes it great for carving but also gives it plenty of power for jumping. Every part of this board added up to one heck of an experience that clearly made an impression on us and kept us coming back for more carves, turns, pops, and pow.
“The Lynx has lots of pop and play off the tail.”
While we found this deck to be nearly perfect, it did leave one area of the mountain untouched; the terrain park. Its wider footprint, all mountain camber, and powerful edges left us wanting something with a bit easier shape and more playfulness in both flex and camber. That being said, we would recommend the YES Hel Yes for a more enjoyable alternative while playing in the park because of its directional twin shape and easier flex pattern.
The 2025 graphics of this board have yet to be released as of the date of publishing, but no other changes to the board's design have been made for the 2025 version.
We definitely found the Cardiff Goat was an animal when it came to having fun not only in the park or powder but helped us to unlock even more of the mountain. Its directional shape and dampening materials came in key when handling hardpack, chunder, and tougher terrain all while the 10m sidecut gave flawless hold on faster and longer carves. Not to mention the medium flex pattern which made for a super playful ride whether tricking the park, buttering on rollers, or popping around your favorite local side hits. If you're looking for something that's both playful and can still provide a smooth and relatively easy ride at speeds, then the Cardiff Goat is for you!
“The sidecut has the perfect depth for holding strong carves at high speeds.”
We had an unbelievably fun time testing this board, but the long sidecut makes for a rather sluggish turning experience at lower speeds. It requires a dynamic riding technique to leverage the medium flex and produce quicker turns, an opportunity that comes from its playful nature. Some riders may find the medium flex of the Goat to be a bit soft for their riding style and preference, as it offers less stability in extreme terrain. If that sounds like you, we would recommend the Burton High Fidelity for something that is significantly stiffer, responsive, and designed for attacking big slopes with lots of snow.
As a high-performance all-mountain board, the Jones Stratos - Women's is a perfect balance between days carving around the groomers and other days laying into deep powder turns. Its tapered directional freeride shape and short sidecut lend themselves easily to a beautiful board for carving down the slopes, we even found that the camber underfoot helped us engage turns while the rocker tip and tail transitioned easily into the deeper snow. At high speed, this board was an absolute rock and helped us to feel confident in every type of snow from perfect to highly questionable conditions.
“The Stratos is playful for how stiff and supportive it is.”
Despite having a stunning time on this model we did find that it felt a bit aggressive at times and might not be a great board for beginners or park riders. With its directional shape and 3D contour base, we felt it was a bit different than your typical all-mountain snowboard and might be swapped out for a Burton Hometown Hero which has a more classic all-mountain shape and playful design.
The Arbor Candle Rain is a dream snowboard when it comes to handling big jump airtime and larger cliff drops. With immediately noticeable pop, float, and stability it's sure to hold up on those tougher landings and split-second take-offs. The parabolic camber coupled with an 8m sidecut radius are the perfect combination for jumping. We found the Candle Rain's sturdy construction helped with smoother turns, a more stable ride at high speeds, and held up phenomenally on every corner of the mountain.
“It's a bit wild to get used to, like your first time driving a sports car. All I can say is it clearly wants to pop hard and spin fast.”
As with any high-octane snowboard, this board can feel a bit overpowered in certain situations, particularly for beginning and intermediate snowboarders. It's shaped as a classic all-mountain board combined with new takes on materials and build making a difficult ride for even intermediate. While feeling sturdy at high speeds it seemed to lack playfulness and carve at low and medium speeds leading to an oddball snowboard for the average rider. If you're not looking to push the limits on a board that tackles the toughest terrain, then we would recommend a more relaxed ride with the Cardiff Goat. It's a stable alternative with a mellowed-out flex pattern and traditional mountain shape.
Immediately when we strapped into the Burton Hometown Hero we knew that we were on a reliable, classic, and trustworthy product. It was an easy board to wrap our heads around and even easier to transition throughout the entire mountain in one run. From its playful flex in the terrain park to a directional freestyle shape for the entire mountain it felt like we were at home in the trees, groomers, jumps, and rails. The camber held up while going through easier turns and we can see snowboarders of every level having fun on the Burton Hometown Hero.
“It's very playful and poppy. I see this board as the most friendly for beginner to intermediate riders.”
Though we did have an enjoyable time ripping this playful, flexy, and nimble board around the mountain, it lacked some ambition and power for a rider looking to charge harder and have something more durable underfoot. Its float in powder left something to be desired and we wouldn't recommend it for someone who is out on those new snow days. For something a bit stiffer in flex that's ready and waiting for steep lines, check out the Weston Rise
If being able to rip both deep powder and early morning groomers are your thing, then the Jones Stratos might just be your glass slipper. It is a directional all mountain shaped snowboard that's packed full of features geared more towards an advanced or expertly skilled rider. With its 3-D spooned nose, set back stance, hybrid camber, early rise nose and halfmoon tail, this board seems to float on top of the snow like a boat. All of that combined with a medium sidecut and a medium-stiff flex pattern allows for tight, snappy carves, powerful pop, and most of all a feeling of comfortability when the slopes became bumpy, choppy, and generally harder to ride.
“You can really make the mountain into your playground with this thing; especially a powder field.”
While this deck is one of our favorite snowboards in our lineup of tested products, it isn't very flexy or playful and does leave something to be desired for nearly everyone who is not an advanced snowboarder. If you would like a snowboard that has a more freestyle shape, playful flex pattern and suited towards intermediates and beginners, then the Yes Standard Uninc DC might be more your speed.
When it comes to truly handling all conditions we fell in love with the Yes Hel Yes for quite a few reasons. Its all mountain versatility, hybrid rocker, and solid handling left nothing to be desired when it came to powder, hardpack, and even icy chop. The Directional CamRock profile and UnderBite edges helped boost confidence when it came to every type of terrain and variable. One of the most fun parts of the Yes Hel Yes is having a snowboard underfoot that was versatile in every portion of the mountain even when things got a bit bumpy.
“Because it's a directional twin, it's super easy to ride this board switch and feel comfortable.”
Although we felt safe tackling the entire hill, this model might not be the best choice for a rider looking at a more solid snowboard for those faster and more technical terrain features found on advanced mountains. Now looks may be dumb to some, but if you are fashion and function-forward, then this board might not be for you due to its dull graphics. With a stiffer flex and faster turning radius we would recommend an alternative in the Jones Stratos.
The Never Summer Proto FR is friendly for learning and expanding your riding skills. We love that this board is more user-friendly than several of these beasts that require taming. With an easier entry level, the Proto FR allows intermediate riders that are ready for the next step in their progression to get on a deck that is fully capable of charging, but also will not be so darn difficult to ride that it will take a whole day to figure out. The triple camber profile provides exceptional edge hold on firm snow while making the camber feel more palatable and user-friendly. This board is suitable for powder days, spring slush days, and anything in between. It's got tons of pop, a playful flex, and a sidecut that will allow you to lay lots of corduroy trenches.
“The Proto FR definitely wants to play. I could see this being a great board for intermediate riders who are ready to take their riding to the next level.”
This board showcases Never Summer's innovative triple camber design. Experienced riders from traditional cambered boards may need a day to figure out how to ride this profile. While it offers decent float in powder to keep you enjoying magical days, we found ourselves trying to maximize the float by setting the bindings back on deeper days. If all mountain freestyle is your jam, we recommend the Arbor Candle Rain which was built for going fast, taking chances, and stomping big tricks for the camera. But the Rain comes with its own set of “cons.” With an all-positive camber and a deep sidecut, sometimes it tends to have a mind of its own.
If you're excited about speeding down the groomers or chasing those deep days in the powder, then the Burton High Fidelity review is for you. With a wide tip and egg-shaped tail, this board excels when it comes to floating and stability in deeper snow while the narrow waist width, deeper sidecut, and high-end base help with quicker and more responsive turns on the hardpack. This board boasts not only a directional shape but also a stiffer-than-average flex pattern allowing for an absolute beast of a board when it comes to reliability on those steeper-than-average runs. This snowboard is a go-to for any rider who has the itch for more challenging terrain and long days at the local mountain.
“There were several times riding this board in the powder today where I was bracing for Tomahawk City and somehow stayed upright.”
That being said, the version we tested was 158cm long, and had a waist width of 25cm which we paired to a size 8 boot. With the narrower waist width, we experienced both toe and heel drag come into play while laying into deeper turns. This is something we would recommend evaluating and measuring before purchase. Another consideration when looking into this board is which type of riding style suits you best. This board is stiff, aggressive, and directional which caters particularly to advanced to expert riders looking to tap into a more hardcore approach on the mountain. If you are looking for a similarly deep carving snowboard with a wider waist (for bigger feet) then go take a look at the Yes Standard Uninc DC.
As long as you can manage the toe and heel drag, this is a great board.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
How We Test Snowboards
At Gearlab our Snowboard Review process always starts with one common denominator, the snow! With that simple element, we take a handful of finely crafted snowboards and begin to carefully dissect them from tip to tail. We measure them side by side, observing shape, size, rocker, and material, before eventually noodling it about for a flex test. After surveying each board down to minor details comes the fun part! Our test team then migrates onto the slopes for months at a time, adding new factors and weather to each snowboard. This includes, but is certainly not limited to, freezing cold temps atop mountain peaks, slushy spring days in the park, early racecourse starts, and lunch break powder turns. After countless hours of sliding, turning, and flying, our team crunched the data and went through tough consideration before choosing our award winners.
Our Snowboards were tested across five different metrics:
– Edging
– Float
– Stability
– Playfulness
– Pop/Jumping
We spend plenty of time inside measuring, eyeing, and touching every spec before finally hitting the mountain lab.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Why Trust GearLab
Our highly experienced snowboard team is a cast of professional winter athletes, adventure connoisseurs, and winter weather experts who deeply care about the gear they strap into every day. There are multiple experts within both gender fields who offer over 80 years of combined mastery in snowboarding specifically.
In keeping with our Golden Rule of zero bias, we asked the brands to invoice us as if we were a shop and if they weren't able to do so, we donated to the nonprofit organization of their choice in their name for the total retail value of the boards. This allowed us to join forces with the brands to raise money for organizations such as the Morgan Adams Foundation that conducts cancer research for children.
We genuinely test our gear to its limits with the intent of writing the most honest review for our readers. And we genuinely love it. Lead tester Ross Patton letting loose on the 2025 Arbor Carbon Coda.
Credit: Ben Wynn
Rachel Lightner
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Our lead women's snowboard review tester, with over 20 years of experience, is Rachel Lightner. If you look at her numerous years of competition, backcountry expeditions, and even a Legendary Baker Banked Slalom win, it's no wonder she started snowboarding at 8. After traveling around the world professionally and riding a snowboard in various conditions, she obtained her Level I AIARE Certification and is currently studying for Level II. This further added to her knowledge of snow science and safety which in turn fuels her appreciation for quality in outdoor gear.
Ross Patton
Credit: Natalie Kafader
With over 25 years of experience on the shred stick, Ross Patton, is our fearless test leader and Managing Editor at GearLab. From spending his entire life riding mountains to producing backcountry films and developing snowboard gear for world-class brands, he has amassed a wealth of knowledge in snowsports and created a keen eye for detail. This has helped him hone the skills necessary for leading gear tests at a level that is nothing short of exceptional.
Isaac Laredo
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Isaac Laredo truly has a wide array of accolades including graduating Magna C#m Laude in Environmental Science and Outdoor Leadership, anAMGA Certified Splitboard Guide, and over six years of product review experience. All of these accomplishments pale in comparison to his 120+ days on hill every year and the numerous months he spends in the woods. His knack for gear and every material put into it is vast and he doesn't mind putting it to the test.
With their thirst for discovering the best gear, the excitement of testing in the most demanding conditions, and their passion for premium adventure, they are committed to finding the best Snowboard for our readers.
How to Pick the Best Snowboard for You
The most important part of a stunning day on hill is having fun, but what's underfoot can add a serious boost of joy. Whether you're just beginning to slide the bunny hill, or you're out in the steeps and deeps, it's important to consider a few factors beyond simply a cool graphic. Every snowflake is unique, and snowboarders are similar. Some of us love to spend our days on a board that's perfect for a sunny terrain park, others prefer a board that was built for stormy missions to catch fresh turns. You may even want to opt for having a board that does both!
Winter playground.
Credit: Aspen Rain Weaver
Do You Need A Gender Specific Snowboard?
Most snowboards are built and sized in different ways to specifically fit the average male or female body. While most female snowboards are built lighter and with shorter sizes, many male-specific snowboards are built with more material and oftentimes in much larger sizes. This, however, does not mean that you have to stick with one line of gender-specific snowboards. So yes, if one board design looks better and the features are similar, then go right ahead and order what's best for you!
Men's Snowboards
The pilots for our men's snowboard testing put each snowboard through a set of strenuous tests. The chart below summarizes our overall performance scores of the Men's Snowboards available today:
Women's Snowboards
Our expert female snowboard testing team used every snowboard in a set of rigorous tests from peak to valley, and glacier to glade. Their assessment of each snowboard's performance is shown in the chart below.
What Affects Your Choice In A New Snowboard
The ultimate goal for any purchase of a new snowboard is to have a great day out on the slopes, right? Well, there are a few things besides the color of your snowboard that should be taken into account. While some snowboards will allow you a great amount of stability and edging, others will be playful and loose. Some snowboards work better sailing along hard-packed groomers while others perform better at floating on top of powder. These “performances” are all byproducts of certain features on your snowboard. From size to shape, and Camber to flex, there are a wide array of technologies built into snowboards that will help in choosing one that's right for you, and maybe even have a few features that you want in the same board.
A truly amazing variety of snowboards are on the market today, making for a size and shape that's perfect for everyone.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Technology
Size
Snowboards are each built in a multitude of lengths and widths to fit every style and size of rider in the world, therefore choosing the right size of board for you is the first, and possibly the most important step in choosing a snowboard. The length and width of a snowboard can affect several factors including stability and how quickly you may turn. In most cases, you will want a snowboard that works in correlation to your average height and weight. For example, a 180lb six-foot tall Man may want to choose a 160cm snowboard. However, if this person wanted a snowboard to feel more nimble with quicker turns, then we would recommend something slightly smaller, somewhere around 158cm.
The size of board you need is largely subjective. Where will you be riding? How long is the tail? Do you want to point it or learn new butters?
Credit: Natalie Kafader
On the other end, if they wanted more stability underfoot, then we would recommend a larger board such as a 162cm Wide Snowboard. This brings into consideration snowboard width, and luckily for us “Bigfoots” of the world, most snowboards are made in both regular and wide versions. A wide snowboard can be useful if you want stability, but can also be extremely helpful to anyone with larger-than-average foot size. A wide board will make enough room under your foot so that you don't have your toes or heels dragging in the snow. This is called toe or heel drag.
With all of this in mind, the size of your snowboard may give you the option to be looser and more agile in the park by sizing down, or it could give you more stability for those high-to-reach peaks by sizing up. Fortunately, we all get to draw our own line.
Many snowboard manufacturers produce “Regular” and “Wide” versions. A wide board has a wider waist width and will result in less toe and heel drag with larger footed humans.
Sidecut
A snowboard usually looks a bit like a bandaid or popsicle with the middle(or waist) pulled in, and this isn't because your snowboard is wearing Spanks; it's actually called the sidecut. Sidecut is an extremely useful part of the snowboard and depending on how deep or shallow it is, can drastically affect the performance of your snowboard. If you look at the long edges of a snowboard, they are curved, if you take that curve and draw it out into an entire circle that is essentially your sidecut, and the measurement is gauged by the radius of that circle called the sidecut radius. This will affect how hard and swift a snowboard will turn, and sometimes your waist width (remember to check for larger feet). With a longer snowboard sidecut, your turns will be faster and bigger, whereas a short sidecut snowboard will do better at making tighter and slower turns. Therefore, as a rider, you may want to evaluate what type of snowboarding you will want to be doing and choose something with a sidecut accordingly. For anyone laying into those deeper carves, it would behoove you to find a snowboard with a much longer sidecut to help pump your blood on those early and fast groomer days.
Sidecut radius is defined as the size of the circle that you could draw if you used the board as a template.
Credit: Blake Patterson
Shape
Have you seen someone riding down the mountain recently on a snowboard with the tail cut off? Or maybe it is shorter on one side than the other? The likely reason is that the board was made specifically to look like that, and not because someone took a hacksaw to it. Snowboards come in all different shapes and sizes that will affect your riding in a few different ways, and they can even look cool.
Snowboards come in a wide array of shapes. The shape you choose should be based on your riding style.
Credit: Blake Patterson
True Twin Tip
For many snowboarders, the most popular option is a true twin tip snowboard. This can be identified by its identical tip and tail, from the width, shape, and length, to silhouette, the entire board is a mirror image of itself. These features lend themselves to a variety of snowboarders because of the Twin Tip's diverse abilities. It can be particularly useful for beginners and those who ride switch often due to its ability to glide both left foot and right foot forward. If you're someone who digs riding the Terrain Park, rails, or halfpipe this board may also be for you because of its twin shape making tricks and switch riding easier.
Different shapes are meant for different parts of the mountain, and they can also be a show of your character and style.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Directional
Are you looking to go out into the powder, trees, and steeps, while making large carving turns? Then a Directional Board shape may be your prime option. Directional Snowboards are built with differently shaped tips and tails. The tip (or nose) is often larger in width and softer in flex while the tail is smaller in shape, and width, and much stiffer in flex. That tech creates a more stable snowboard that will hold better through higher speeds and carves while still allowing for float and glide due to the bigger nose. Directional Board Shapes are a stunning choice if you're searching for those steeper and deeper powder days, or if you want a board with more power and stability while carving around the mountain.
True Twin tipped snowboards are the go-to choice for many freestyle snowboarders.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Directional Twin
Now if you're not quite ready for the big mountain but you have most of your home mountain unlocked, then you will find the perfect fit in a Directional Twin Shaped Snowboard. The most common version of this shape is demonstrated in a symmetrical shape with a similar tip and tail, while the core and exterior materials are directionally constructed. The opposite can also be the case in terms of the shape being directional however, the core materials being of twin-shape construction. These boards allow for an easy shift between riding the upper mountain and lower mountain all in one run.
Whether you're looking to hit the top peaks of your local mountain or hanging down low in the park, a directional twin shape can do it all.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Asymmetrical and Volume Shifted
The weirder stepchildren of snowboard shapes take form in the names of Asymmetrical and Volume Shifted Snowboards.
Asymmetrical shapes are known for their initial shock factor when you see them. They are made most generically with a shorter toe side and longer heel side or vice versa. The thought process behind these quirky-looking snowboards is that our bodies are not shaped symmetrically when riding sideways, therefore an asymmetrical snowboard shape can be your answer. This design significantly eases edging and stability without sacrificing too much playfulness. They can oftentimes help a beginner with learning or just make your long days on a mountain slightly easier and more fun.
The Volume Shifted Shapes are for those of us who prefer to go out on powder days and like to stay away from the hard pack. In that case, you want a shape that's wider in the entire board and maybe even has what's called a swallow or moon tail, which involves having a cutout on your tail in the shape of a V or Crescent Moon. These tweaks to a snowboard can make for more surface area and float when going through chest-deep snow. In turn, the moon tail takes away surface area in the tail allowing for less back leg burn when you truly do need a snorkel.
A volume-shifted snowboard can be seen by its wider footprint, larger nose, and oftentimes altered tails.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Hole Pattern
Whether you're looking for absolute customization, ease, or compatibility, then hole patterns are a must-glance through. We will focus on the most common hole patterns being 4x2 and Channel system however, you can still find boards with 4x4 and a rare few with the 3D pattern.
The 4x2 hole pattern is the most common and for good reason. It has universal compatibility with most bindings out there and allows for the utmost customization. The channel system however needs either channel system bindings or you need to make sure to get baseplates that will work in the channels. When it comes to hole patterns, it's mainly about which board and binding combo is best for you and the right way may come by mixing them both.
NEEDS CAPTION
NEEDS CAPTION
Displayed here is the 4x2 hole pattern and the channel system. These are the two most common ways of attaching bindings to a snowboard and both have their benefits.
Camber vs Reverse Camber
Camber
Through our combined respect for snowboarding's roots, let's start by understanding what a cambered snowboard is. The most traditional of all base shapes got its term for having a convex shape underneath the snowboarding, giving rise between the feet and creating contact points towards the end of the tip and tail. In turn, this allows for harder edge hold, less flex, and a more powerful pop making it an ideal choice for any rider looking to ollie higher or carve groomers with more aggression. At the same time, a cambered snowboard can provide a familiar and more stable feel, drawing snowboarders who are spending their time in more freestyle-oriented terrain or ripping around the entire mountain. Camber does however have its shortcomings when it comes to powder. By having more stiffness and downward force at the tip and tail, it can be difficult to keep above the snow on those deeper days. That's when Reverse Camber becomes involved!
Plenty of camber to be found here.
Camber can be seen by its rise in the snowboard between the tip and tail and is known for its power, stability, and pop, catering to more intermediate and advanced riders.
Reverse Camber
Reverse Camber has been around since 2001 and is also known as Rocker. A reverse camber snowboard can be defined by its concave shape underneath that gives rise to the tip and tail, making the center of the board your contact point. The forgiveness of this shape can be particularly useful for beginners who need a bit of ease turning a snowboard or starting to link together turns throughout the mountain. The rocker shape is also particularly popular among freestyle and powder snowboarders due to its playfulness and added surface area in the nose and tail. That, combined with more flex makes for an astonishingly fun shape both in the park and in the sidecountry. Yet, with this added forgiveness, rocker boards do have the weakness of being less stable at higher speeds and ultimately holding very little edge when it comes to icy or hard-packed terrain. That being said, if you're faced with bottomless powder days or you're out in a sunny park, a reverse camber board may be the primo choice for you.
These are just few of the various types of snowboard cambers.
Credit: Blake Patterson
Hybrid Camber
Maybe you want a combination pack of several different cambers? Well, you're in luck, because Hybrid Camber is here to change your snowboard game. With a combination of both rocker and camber underfoot, in the nose, tail, or center of the board, everyone can have a snowboard that's perfect just for them. As an intermediate or experienced snowboarder, this is the dream! Want to add more float in the nose but still have a contact point for edging? Choose the hybrid camber on both the nose and tail or just the nose with a true camber on the tail. At this point, you can even pick and choose what terrain you ride the most then add those factors and, Bam! Hybrid Camber that's just right for you.
You can see this hybrid camber sitting in contrast with the flat ground making for an interesting wave of the camber profile.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
3D
3D-shaped snowboards are known for their “spoon-like” tips and tails. The design can be seen by its concave shape along the width of the snowboard as opposed to the other forms of camber that run along the length of the snowboard. A 3D-shaped snowboard is a technology that can particularly help beginners because of the early rise along both tip and tail contact points. That means fewer hardcore edge catches and easier initiation of turns. And particularly for the Powder People out there, with 3D early rise along the nose of a snowboard, it can create lift in deep snow much like the wing of an airplane. Just like all other shapes, there are however some setbacks. For 3D tech, those downfalls come in the form of less edge control on groomers, hardpacks, or ice. Nevertheless, if you're looking for a board that will slice through softer snow and feel like you're surfing a wave, this technology might be for you!
Flex
The flex of a snowboard can determine a lot of the effects you feel while riding down the mountain and can be described simply as the flexibility of your snowboard. There are two main ways that a snowboard flexes. The most known and what is generally shown as a “flex rating” from the manufacturer, is longitudinal flex. Longitudinal flex determines how the board flexes lengthways, or from tip to tail. Many snowboards have different materials layered into certain areas to achieve specific flex patterns down the board. This is called progressive flex and creates softer or harder flexes through the board based on what terrain a snowboard is being built for. On the other hand, continuous flex throughout a snowboard means that the materials and intended flex of the board are consistent throughout the entirety of its build.
Torsional flex differs from longitudinal in that it is the flex along the width of your snowboard. For example, if you are to try and take your tip and tail and twist it to wring it out, you will obtain torsional flex. This is important, with more torsional flex comes ease when initiating turns and more flex when riding on rails, or freestyle. With less torsional flex comes stiffer turns and increased edge hold.
Testing longitudinal flex.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Nearly every new snowboard that you are looking at buying will have a flex rating, and boy did we put our flex ratings to the test. Flex ratings are described by a number between 1-10, with 1 being the most flexible and 10 being the stiffest. Several factors should be in consideration when looking at the flex of snowboards, your size, ability, and the type of terrain you wish to ride.
Start by taking note of your size, ability, and preferred terrain. Once you have an idea about your desires, begin to label flex rating numbers to all three categories and you will find your desired flex patterns.
Size: Generally the smaller you are, the more flexible you want your snowboard to be, resulting in a lower flex rating. Between 1-3. With more flex comes easier turn initiation and a better experience while handling your board. On the other hand, a stiffer board would be more suitable for larger humans with a flex rating between 7-10.
Ability: Another consideration when it comes to flex is your abilities on a snowboard. With a more flexible snowboard, beginners can easily link turns and have a quicker time “getting the feel” at lower speeds. This would mean beginners might enjoy a flex rating of 1-3 while an intermediate rider would be on a 4-6 and an expert might choose a 7-10. With more speed and expert terrain, comes the need for a stiffer stick.
Type Of Terrain: As we maneuver our way through the mountain, there are certain flex ratings that many snowboarders prefer. While riding a terrain park involves jumps, rails, and sometimes speed, this demands a snowboard flex that will respond when needed yet has a lot of playfulness for freestyling. A flex rating of 1-6 might be the range needed, while big mountain riders would prefer a much stiffer board for those steep and fast runs, requiring something between 7-10.
Testing and determining flex ratings for every snowboard we review, the reason? To bring a deep understanding in gear directly to our readers.
Materials
Just as any great Michelin Star Chef would tell you, “It all starts with the best ingredients”. This can also be true about snowboards. The higher quality of materials and added features may affect the cost of your snowboard, however, you can also go out and buy a baseline snowboard for cheaper with fewer features that may work perfectly for you. To make the best decision possible, we will outline the different layers of a snowboard and how they may affect areas such as speed, flex, pop, and even staving off rust. Let's Start by understanding a bit about the anatomy of a snowboard and the layers that it takes to construct one.
Some manufacturers put a lot of effort into sourcing environmentally friendly materials. If this is important to you, it's helpful to jump on a brand's website and see what they're doing.
Topsheet
First, you will have a top sheet, the layer that faces toward you when strapped in. Oftentimes this has a graphic or texture on it and helps make a board look cool or stand out. Topsheets are usually made of nylon, polyurethane, wood, or aluminum. With a vast selection of different materials, topsheets can change a board's weight significantly while also affecting flex or stiffness.
Not only can topsheets look rad with a myriad of art, colors, and design, but they can also significantly impact flex and weight.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Core
The core is truly the heart of a snowboard. Depending on the materials chosen and features added, it can deeply define the general “ride” of different snowboards and determine the structure and attributes associated such as weight, strength, and flex. The core of a snowboard is generally made of strips of wood laminated in layers using trees such as Beech, Birch, Bamboo, Paulownia, and Aspen. Depending on how much pop, strength, or flex you would like in your board, and where you desire those differences, technicians will oftentimes add carbon fiber stringers or even titanium rods.
Fiberglass and Epoxy
Once the core has been constructed, a layer of fiberglass will be added to both the bottom and top of the core, essentially wrapping it for maximum flex as well as durability to a long-lasting product. Different weaves of fiberglass can be used to tweak both longitudinal and torsional flex. Everything is then adhered and sealed together with epoxy before adding edges, a sidewall, and a base.
Both fiberglass and epoxy are key components to adding flex, durability, and a protective casing around the sensitive materials of a snowboard core.
Sidewalls
Sidewalls are used as essentially extra shock absorbers within your snowboard. Whether edging hard or landing off of big jumps and drops, the sidewalls of a snowboard are meant to both transfer and dampen energy. Generally made of rubber, wood, or aluminum, the sidewall is wrapped around the edge of the snowboard before being covered and protected with plastic, or urethane on the outside. Sidewalls can be particularly helpful in sealing and protecting the core of the snowboard from a plethora of factors that any one of us may run into on top of a mountain.
Here you can see an example with the black sidewalls encasing the edges of the snowboard.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Edges
While sidewalls are meant to protect the core, the edges are laid down (surprise) right on the edge of the board and are meant to slice, and dice through snow and ice. The edges are the effective grip onto the snow and are therefore made typically of steel, however, many snowboard edges are now stainless steel to prevent rusting over extensive time sitting unused.
There are also several different snowboard edge designs called edge profiles. The most standard edge profile is with your sidecut edge being wider at the tip and tail and steadily tapering in between the feet. This allows for the main contact points or effective edges to be mostly at the nose and tail of the snowboard.
Edges of a snowboard are like the tires of a racecar, they transfer grip, power, and control all into the hands of the driver.
There are different concepts out there that focus on adding contact points throughout the entire edge. This is achieved by introducing wave patterns or geometric angles to the effective edges of a snowboard in turn creating better grip and more carving ability. The only other part of the snowboard that touches snow and will highly affect speed, is the Base of a snowboard.
Base
A snowboard base is nearly as important as the engine and tires of an F1 car. It is how speed and power are transferred from everything else in the board onto the snow. Bases come in a range of different Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene…or in layman's terms, P-Tex. This P-tex comes in 3 general levels and has an extremely low friction coefficient while maintaining low moisture absorption. The first type of base material is called Extruded Polyethylene, which is your general run-of-the-mill product that is low-cost and low-maintenance. Next step up and you will find your base being made out of a Sintered Polyethylene material which characterizes through more durability and higher speeds. With added technology the lighter and faster-sintered base number corresponds to its molecular weight, the higher the number, the more quality your base may be. The most high-end snowboard base that you can find is called Wax Infused Sintered Base Polyethylene and is essentially the Creme De La Creme of base materials. With added wax retention and even high-speed capabilities, it does come with a higher price tag, but we don't think you will be disappointed with the outcome.
A high end base will retain more moisture from wax and need less maintenance over time, however with a better base material comes a higher price tag.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Care and Maintenance
Every snowboard will need some small form of care and maintenance despite which model or style you decide upon. Wax can be used on the base to keep it from becoming dry, sticky, and slow. A light gummy-stone is always a great refresh on those rusty edges when it comes out of the garage after summer. Or you can go to your local snowboard shop for a tune-up as soon as those first flakes fly. No matter what you decide, it's never a poor decision to take a small amount of time when storing or using a high-end piece of snow equipment.
There are a wide variety of available tuning kits which contain most of the necessary tools for maintaining, tuning, and performing minor fixes to your new snowboard.
Conclusion
As true winter enthusiasts, we believe that a snowboard is our portal. A portal that we can take into Nature for a connection whether it be with a friend, family member, or just you and the outdoors. So why not have a snowboard strapped onto your feet that you feel wholeheartedly great about? We truly hope that you have found our insights and information helpful in discovering the right snowboard to fit you, your character, and your wallet. Can't wait to see you all out on the hill somewhere and no matter where you may be, may the snow gods bless you.
