Top 10 Best Snowboards

If you’re tired of renting a snowboard whenever you visit a ski resort, it’s time to get your own gear. Snowboards have evolved in recent years, and a variety of features and possibilities are available. However, with so many options, it’s hard to make the right choice!

In this article, I’ll talk about the most important aspects you should take into account when choosing a good model. Pay attention to the shape, the type of profile, the flexibility, the width, the length, and the sidecut radius, among other factors. In addition, you’ll find a comparison review of the best snowboards for entry-level, intermediate, and advanced riders. It’s important that you choose a board that is appropriate for your current level. That way, you’ll get a better technique.

Check out other guides to find the best snowboarding backpacks, snow cameras, jackets, ski boot bags, snow beanies, ski beanies, snowboard gloves, and skis for beginners and intermediate riders.

The 10 Best Snowboards for Beginners and Intermediate Riders:

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SALOMON PULSE

FEATURES: A great option for beginners who want to practice mainly on tracks. The latest model features an improved shape for greater grip. The Bite Free Edges technology will help prevent you from falling at the slightest error.

One of the advantages of this snowboard is that you can keep using it after you reach an intermediate level. Also, it has a more attractive price than similar models.

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BURTON RIPCORD

FEATURES: The Ripcord continues to be one of the most popular boards for those who are getting started snowboarding. It’s a perfect board for beginners who want to surf both on- and off-piste. It feels pretty smooth and playful.

The Salomon Pulse has a “flat out camber” profile, while the Burton Ripcord has a “flat” profile. In my experience, both snowboards offer great stability. However, I feel like the Ripcord provides better control over the edges of the board.

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BURTON INSTIGATOR

FEATURES: This is one of the best snowboards for beginners and intermediate riders. It’s stable and easy to control. The rocker-flat-rocker profile helps you make turns. The flat area between the feet provides better balance and edge control. Overall, it’s similar to the Burton Ripcord, but it has a slightly better performance.

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K2 RAYGUN POP

FEATURES: This classic model has been very popular for over 9 years (although the new models include improvements in design and materials).

This snowboard stands out from its competitors because it has a “camber and rocker” profile. I love this combined profile, which is key to providing the precision of a camber profile and the buoyancy of a rocker profile. In my opinion, this model is ideal for intermediate and intermediate/advanced riders. If you want a board that you can use for many years, this might be a great option.

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CAPITA HORRORSCOPE

FEATURES: This board has a good performance on piste. However, it’s designed mainly for freestyle, jibbing, snow park, etc. I feel that, compared to previous models, the Capita Horrorscope has a more playful profile. It’s a great option if you want to try acrobatics and tricks.

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CAPITA ULTRAFEAR

FEATURES: This board, which has received several awards, is designed for urban, park, jibbing, and freestyle. However, it’s quite versatile and works well on track. If you want to surf the mountain and also hit the snow park, this could be your best option.

Let’s compare this board with the previous model, the Capita Horrorscope. After all, they are quite similar. Both boards have a hybrid profile and are designed for the “snow park”. One of the downsides of the Capita Horrorscope is that it feels less stable on flat snow. In my experience, the Capita Ultrafear feels more stable, and it’s easier for the beginner/intermediate rider to control (especially at high speed).

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YES BASIC

FEATURES: The Yes Basic is a popular beginner snowboard. Intermediate and advanced riders will also make good use of it. It has a medium-soft flex, which allows for easy turning and greater stability. Its performance is awesome both on- and off-piste, as well as on harder, icy snow. Also, it’s perfect for the snowpark.

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ROSSIGNOL TEMPLAR

FEATURES: This board is designed for beginner riders who are successfully leveling up. In my experience, it’s perfect for all types of terrain, including groomed runs, powder, and icy-hard snow. All these characteristics make it one of the best all-mountain snowboards on the list. However, I don’t think it’s suitable for aggressive carving.

It does a pretty good job in the snowpark. However, if you are a freestyle lover, I recommend going for one of the previous models, such as the Capita Horrorscope or the Capita Ultrafear.

The Best Snowboards for Intermediate-Advanced Riders:

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JONES FLAGSHIP

FEATURES: The Jones Explorer is an aggressive board for those who enjoy riding at full speed. However, it’s more forgiving of errors than other aggressive boards. Although it’s more focused on all mountain and freeride, you can take it to the park from time to time. It’s one of the best snowboards for advanced riders (or intermediate snowboarders with good skills).

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ARBOR BRYAN IGUCHI PRO ROCKER

FEATURES: Playful, reliable, and high-quality. Longer tip for better performance in deep snow. One of the best options for freestyle backcountry, freeride, and on- and off-piste, though it’s only for experienced riders.

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Things to consider when choosing the best beginner snowboards:

TYPES OF BOARDS

All-mountain boards: These are designed to be a multipurpose option for use on-piste, on groomed snow and sporadically on virgin snow. They don’t stand out in anything, but they provide great overall performance. They are the recommended option for beginners and people who love ski slopes.

Freestyle boards: These are usually shorter boards with a symmetrical shape. They allow for faster movements, turns, and acrobatics. They’re great for snow park lovers. They aren’t recommended for off-piste and virgin snow because they are less stable.

Freeride: These boards are usually longer (and often directional) to provide greater stability. They are designed to get off-piste, ride between trees, enjoy virgin snow, and descend at full speed.

What type of snowboard is best for a beginner?

I recommend that you get an all-mountain board. They are the most versatile boards and are great for learning.

Later, when you get some good skills, you can check out other styles, such as freeride or freestyle.

Width and length of the board

The length of the board will be determined by your snowboarding style and your height. Some models are manufactured in a single size while others are available in several sizes.

Generally speaking, very long boards make it more difficult to maneuver, jump, and do tricks. However, they provide greater stability and stopping ability. Short boards provide less stability, but they are more agile and acrobatic.

There are different formulas to calculate the length you need. However, these formulas are only recommendations.

One of the most popular theories says that your board should be 15% shorter than your height. This formula works when you get a positive value after subtracting your height from your weight. If you get a negative value, your board should be 12% shorter than you are.

Here are a couple of examples:

James is 180 cm and 70 kilos. Subtract: 180 – 70 = 10 (positive value). Then deduct 15% from his height. 180 – 27 (15% of 180) = 153 cm.

Daniel is 175 cm and 80 kilos. Subtract: 175 – 80 = -5 (negative value). We have to subtract 12% from his height. 175 – 21 (12% of 175) = 154 cm.

These measurements work well for all-mountain boards, which, as I’ve mentioned, are the best option for beginners.

If you are into freestyle, I recommend that you look for smaller boards. However, freeride lovers will need a longer board.

Also, check out this article about how to choose the right lenght.

As for the width, wider boards provide greater stability, especially on powder snow. If your shoe size is larger than 11 US, you should opt for a wide board. Your board should be wide enough to cover your boots.

Snowboard shapes

Snowboards are manufactured in different shapes. The main ones are:

Directional: This type of board features a longer “nose” and a shorter “tail”. The nose is usually more flexible, while the tail is stiffer. The bindings are placed towards the board’s tail. They are a great choice for all-mountain and freeride snowboarders, as they float better through powder snow.

True twin: These boards are exactly symmetrical – the tip and the tail are identical in shape and flexibility. The bindings are mounted in the middle of the board. True twin boards can be ridden in both directions. They are the favorite choice of freestyle snowboarders and beginners.

Directional twin: These boards have a symmetrical shape – the nose and the tail are identical. However, they are not equal in flexibility – the tip is softer and the tail is stiffer. They are often used in freestyle and all-mountain snowboarding.

Tapered: The board’s tip is wider than its tail. The tail tends to slightly sink into the snow, providing greater control. These boards are meant to descend through powder at full speed.

Profiles: Rocker or camber?

There are two types of profiles: rocker and camber. There are also variations and mixes between these two profiles.

With camber snowboards, the middle of the board is elevated off the ground. This type of board distributes pressure throughout the snowboard, providing great power, stability, and control.

With rocker snowboards, the contact point is in the middle of the board while the nose and tail rise off the snow. Because the end sections of the board are not in contact with the snow, one can more easily turn, jump, and do acrobatics.

There is a great deal of debate about which type of profile is best for beginners. Generally speaking, traditional camber boards are more difficult for an inexperienced person to control, while those with a bit of rocker offer greater maneuverability.

Nowadays, most manufacturers are creating mixed profiles that feature both profiles in different percentages.

Flex rating

Flexible snowboards allow us to turn at slower speeds. Also, they tend to be more forgiving of errors. On the other hand, they are difficult to control at high speeds because they are more unstable. Flexible boards are the perfect choice for beginners and park lovers.

Stiff boards offer greater stability, which makes them the favorite option for experienced riders who enjoy riding fast. Each manufacturer uses its own system to determine the flex rating. Therefore, the same flex rating from two different manufacturers may vary slightly.

Sidecut radius

The sidecut radius is the curve along the side of the board. In other words, it’s the difference in width between the middle section and the end section. A high radius indicates that the board can make wide and progressive turns – the board will be more stable at high speeds. A lower radius means that the board can turn faster. For beginners, a relatively low radius is recommended.

Effective edge

The effective edge measures the length of the snowboard edge that will be in contact with the snow when you make a turn. A larger effective edge provides more control and stability because it offers better grip. A smaller effective edge, on the other hand, makes changing edges easier.

Snowboards for women

For many years, women’s boards were practically the same as men’s boards. The manufacturers incorporated the color pink, made the boards smaller, and that was it.

However, anatomy differences between men and women have led manufacturers to develop specific boards for each sex. Generally, women have lower body mass and smaller feet than do men of the same height. That’s why today’s women boards are specially adapted to these characteristics.

Do I really need a beginner snowboard?

If you are starting out, I recommend that you get an inexpensive beginner board. Seriously, getting an advanced snowboard would be a mistake.

Advanced boards are designed to ride faster, do acrobatics, carve aggressively, etc. (depending on the style), but they are more difficult to control. That’s why they are meant for experienced people. Get a basic snowboard!

Bindings and boots

As you may have noticed, most boards don’t include bindings. This is because you’ll need certain bindings depending on the style you practice. For instance, freestylers prefer bindings with greater flex and shorter highback because they need more freedom of movement.

On the other hand, freeride lovers prefer hard bindings with a higher highback because they provide greater stability.

As for the boots, they must be functional and comfortable. Also, they should have a flex rating adapted to the type of snow you practice. Beginners should wear slightly softer boots, which are more comfortable and help prevent muscle stress at the end of the day.

How to care for your snowboard

1- Clean and dry your snowboard after every use. Once you have dried the surface, remove the bindings and dry them as well. Also, dry the holes where the bindings are mounted.

2- At the end of the season (or more often, depending on the use), wax your board. If you have doubts about when to do it, take a look at the base of the board. If you see white spots, you need to wax it.

3- Sharpen the edges from time to time to avoid rusting. However, keep in mind that sharpening reduces the lifespan of your board, so you should do it only when necessary. If you have doubts, ask at the store you frequent.

4- Always store your gear in a dry place, out of direct sunlight. Also, don’t place anything over the board. Leave it leaning against a wall, with the lower end resting on a towel.

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