Theteam writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.
ADVERTISEMENT
The best snowboards you can buy
Snowboarding is super fun, but you need the right equipment to get going. These are the best snowboards you can buy.
null
null
BusinessInsider
- With a great snowboard strapped to your feet, you'll be ready to charge down the mountain, carve through powder, or ollie, gorilla grab, and front flip your way through the terrain park.
- The
- Best overall:
- Best freestyle:
- Best versatile:
- Best for kids:
- Best low-cost:
- Best for powder:
ADVERTISEMENT
Updated by Owen Burke on 12/12/18: Added a new freestyle pick, a powder pick, a splitboard pick, and updated prices and formatting.
Read on in the slides below to learn more about our top picks.
The best snowboard overall
The best snowboard overall
BusinessInsider
Why you'll love it: The Burton Ripcord Snowboard is an all-mountain directional board perfect for beginner to intermediate riders.
ADVERTISEMENT
Pros:
The best snowboard for freestyle riding
The best snowboard for freestyle riding
BusinessInsider
ADVERTISEMENT
Why you’ll love it: The Salomon Ultimate Ride is a highly technical board primarily designed for the terrain park and the halfpipe, but it’ll still hold up on the steep stuff if you’re a comfortable enough snowboarder.
This is an advanced snowboard for terrain parks. No snowboard is ever quite going to do it all perfectly, and certainly not in the terrain park, but the Salomon Ultimate Ride comes pretty damn close.
Whether you’re hitting powder or groomed snow, the park or the glades, this is a board best suited for the advanced rider. The hybrid camber (which results in a shape like a camel’s back lengthwise) lets you float over powder better than a flat or full-rocker board (both of those shapes would be better for more strictly downhill riders).
The best thing about this snowboard might be its “Popster” technology, which not only helps you lean into sharp, fast turns, but gives you a ton of snap and pop going into airs, too.
Australian halfpipe rider Scotty James found it to be his favorite of the nine boards he blind-tested for Snowboarder Magazine, finding that it held a firm edge, but also allowed for a pretty smooth transition between edges as well.
ADVERTISEMENT
Despite having a long edge — which does give this board a relatively good downhill ride — the board’s “Quadrilizer” sidecuts (quad-angled cuts at either end) give you a ton of stability in turns, so it’s much more maneuverable than it might look.
All in all, this is a highly maneuverable board, and while it’s designed for tricks, will hold up in just about anything under an advanced rider. — Owen Burke
Pros: Stable, long edge, stiff flex for boosting airs
Cons: A little stiff for hitting rails in the park
ADVERTISEMENT
The best versatile snowboard
The best versatile snowboard
BusinessInsider
Why you'll love it: The System MTN Snowboard can float over powder, charge down graded slopes, and help you pop over jumps, boxes, pipes, and more.
Pros:
ADVERTISEMENT
Cons:
The best kids snowboard
The best kids snowboard
BusinessInsider
Why you'll love it: Every little shredder needs a first board, and the Lucky Bums Kids Plastic Snowboard is affordable, easy to use, and easy to adjust for elementary school-aged kids.
ADVERTISEMENT
Pros:
The best low-cost snowboard
The best low-cost snowboard
BusinessInsider
ADVERTISEMENT
Why you'll love it: At less than $200 and with bindings included, the Camp Seven Roots CRC Snowboard is a steal.
Pros:
Cons:
ADVERTISEMENT
The best snowboard for powder
The best snowboard for powder
BusinessInsider
Why you’ll love it: The Rossignol XV Sushi is uniquely designed for powder with its wide shape and split tail, but its straight, relatively long rail and set-back stance help you hold an edge on steep, groomed terrain.
The Rossignol Sushi is built like a surfboard to plow through and coast over powder. It won’t really serve you too well in the terrain park, especially if you're riding switch and performing rotational maneuvers, but the big, shovel-like nose is a delight in the fluffy stuff, on and off the trail.
Most powder boards tend to have softer edges, which help keep your speed up when turning through powder where stopping can leave you neck-deep and requiring a shovel to get back underway. The distinct “fish” shape of the Rossignol Sushi, taken from a classic 1970s-era surfboard design, gives it a fairly straight edge and a long point of contact, so handling the hard-packed snow isn’t out of the question, though beginner and intermediate boarders might want to take note: It’s not necessarily easy.
ADVERTISEMENT
It also has a stance setup which plays two-fold: With your back foot placed near the tail (just like on a short surfboard or skateboard), you can lean back and keep the nose up in powder, but you can also lean forward or center your weight and get a lot of use out of the stiff, voluminous nose when you need to bleed speed and/or turn on steeper and groomed slopes.
Still, this is a powder board, and the underfoot camber allows you to turn this otherwise fat plank of a board on a dime. A thrifty rider probably won’t have much trouble at all hitting steep groomed trails with the Sushi, but it’s going to be a solid 10 centimeters (about 4 inches) shorter than your average downhill board, and you’ll feel it at times.
Ten centimeters might not sound like a lot, but on a snowboard that’s all of about 155 centimeters (5-foot-one-inch) or so, it makes for a lot less volume.
Outside and snowboard-centric site The Good Ride both also love the Sushi for what it’s designed to do. We all acknowledge it’s nowhere close to the ultimate all-around board, but it is exactly what you want for far-flung, off-trail adventuring.
If you’re also considering a splitboard, which is the ultimate off-trail setup, Rossignol also makes the XV Sushi (LG) in that design. Just remember that if you’re looking to “skin” (that is, put skins on the board in ski form and push up a slope), you’ll need to buy skins separately. These Spark R&D Skins fit the Sushi. — Owen Burke
ADVERTISEMENT
Pros: A powder board which, under the right feet, can handle steep groomers too
Cons: Directional, not ideal for technical maneuvers in terrain parks or riding switch
The best splitboard you can buy
ADVERTISEMENT
The best splitboard you can buy
BusinessInsider
Why you’ll love it: The Voile Revelator Splitboard opened up the world of fresh, unridden powder and the untamed wilds of the back side of the mountain where the lifts and gondolas don’t go.
A split board is a great option if you’re going to be doing some pioneering off-trail to make tracks where there aren’t any. You’re not going to get the best snowboard or skis out of these things, but you will get the best of both, and a much easier trip up the mountain (just don’t forget a pair of skins).
There are at least three great things about split boards: They’re compact, they’re lightweight, and, of course, they can be skis or a snowboard, as you need. You can also get your hands on some collapsible poles, so if you want (or need) to ski, you can stash them in a pouch or a backpack until you need them.
You’ll also need a set of poles, as well as skins, which you strap onto the bottom of your splitboard when it’s in ski form for poling up steep, slick ascents. These should do the trick for the Voile Revelator.
ADVERTISEMENT
Outdoor Gear Lab tested the Voile Revelator, finding it impressively lightweight with easily adjustable bindings. It’s also got a stable ride and easily adjustable bindings, which is a huge plus, as adjusting your bindings on the slopes can be a bit of a pain, especially if you’re in thick powder and don’t quite know what you’re doing, or worse still, drop a screw.
Women's Gear Guide also reviewed and loved Voile's Revelator, which had women involved in the R&D design all the way through. It also comes in two sizes for women (149 cm and 154 cm), which sort of makes you wonder why they didn't opt to give male riders the option, too. Still, a 154 cm board is a decent all-around size for most men.
All in all, you could spend a bit more on a splitboard, but this is a great user-friendly entry into free riding. — Owen Burke
Pros: Lightweight, ease of use, binding adjustability
Cons: Not the best on groomed snow or ice (though if you’re going off terrain, you’ll probably find little if any of either)
ADVERTISEMENT
The best places to buy snowboard boots, bindings, and other accessories
ADVERTISEMENT
The best places to buy snowboard boots, bindings, and other accessories
BusinessInsider
Unfortunately, you're going to need more than just a board, and boots, bindings, and other essential hardware are just part of the deal. Here are our favorite places to shop for all of the above:
- Backcountry
- REI
- Wal-Mart
JOIN OUR PULSE COMMUNITY!
ADVERTISEMENT
Eyewitness? Submit your stories now via social or:
Email: eyewitness@pulse.ng
ADVERTISEMENT