Buyer's guide: How do I choose the right snowboard?

If you want to buy a snowboard, you will find a wide range at Snowcountry. No matter who you are or what your riding style is, we have a snowboard that is perfect for you! If you're not exactly sure what you're looking for or need some advice, this buyer's guide will help you choose the right snowboard for you.

If you know exactly what you're looking for, use our filters to get a selection of snowboards that match your preferences.

What is your riding style?

In your quest for the perfect snowboard, we start with your riding style. Do you enjoy being on the slopes, off-piste, or in the fun park? In other words, what is your day on the snowboard like?

All-mountain snowboard

As the name suggests, if you're all over the mountain, you have an all-mountain riding style. You visit groomed slopes but like to mix it up with off-piste and the fun park. All-mountain snowboards can be used all over the mountain. Within this category, there is a distinction between snowboards that lean more towards freeride, park, or powder (powder).

Freeride snowboard

If you prefer taking the lift up and going downhill off-piste, you are a true freerider. A freeride snowboard offers a lot of float, stability, and often a larger radius, making it great for various snow conditions. 

Freestyle snowboard, also known as park

With freestyle, it is all about style. You enjoy the fun park for jumping and jibbing. Jibbing could mean riding rails or jumping on a box, for example. The shape of a freestyle snowboard is usually twin. More about this later in the article. Within the freestyle category, we distinguish between park and jib styles. With a park board, you enjoy making jumps, so the board is often stiffer and has more pop. For jibbing, the boards are more flexible and generally more forgiving.

Powder snowboard

Do you enjoy it the most when fresh snow comes up to your knees? Do you prefer off-piste but not too deep in the backcountry? Then you need a powder board. A snowboard specially designed for powder snow, with an emphasis on float and agility.

Carve snowboard

Do you enjoy racing down the mountain with tight turns? Then look for a carve snowboard. Or, if you're less performance-oriented, a fun-carve. A carve board generally offers a lot of stability, response, and grip. In contrast, a fun-carve board is more flexible and forgiving. However, the fun-carve board can still be laid on its side for deep carving turns. Generally, real carve snowboards are used only by advanced snowboarders.

What is your skill level?

Your skill level is also important for choosing the right snowboard. Only then can you select the right shape and profile. We distinguish between beginner, intermediate, advanced, and expert riders.

A beginner is someone who has just starting to snowboard. If you are intermediate, most slopes are not a problem with good visibility and controlled turns. We consider you advanced if you can get off-piste with controlled turns, regardless of the weather conditions. Additionally, you're able to do off-piste descents with good visibility and carve on the slopes. You're an expert when you've participated in competitions or completed advanced training like "landes" or "staatlich." Naturally, you can handle any terrain and conditions at that level.

Choosing the right shape

Which snowboard shape suits you depends on what you plan to do with it. We distinguish directional, twin, directional twin, and volume-shifted boards. In general, twin boards are intended for freestyle, directional for powder and freeride, and directional twin is a middle ground for all-mountain use.

However, this doesn't mean you can only freestyle with a twin snowboard and go off-piste exclusively with a directional board. We will go into more detail about the different shapes and their uses below.

Useful to know: with 'nose,' we mean the front of the board, and with 'tail,' the back.

Directional

A directional board is meant to ride in one direction. The snowboard has a feature that gives it a front and back, which could be a setback, taper, or swallowtail.

With a setback, the 'nose' of the board is longer than the 'tail.' With a taper, the 'nose' is wider than the 'tail,' and a swallowtail has a V-shaped cutout in the 'tail.' This feature makes it easier for the back to sink into deep snow. Also, the flex pattern in the 'nose' and 'tail' is different. The 'nose' is usually a bit softer for better float in powder. The 'tail' is generally stiffer for powerful steering and carved turns.

With a directional board, you sacrifice some playfulness for extra float. Directional snowboards are often used for off-piste riding. Nevertheless, they're also an excellent choice for those who stay on-piste but aren't planning to ride switch (with the opposite foot forward) frequently. The longer nose combined with the shape provides extra stability, especially at high speeds. In contrast, the tail is relatively shorter, which is less suitable for tricking and jumping.

All directional snowboards

Directional twin

The directional twin snowboard is a mix of both. The shape is between the twin and the directional board. If you're not sure what your day will look like or enjoy a little variety in your style, a directional twin snowboard could be a good choice. They have a more centered stance than directional boards and often have a small setback. The tail is slightly shorter than the nose, but they're more symmetrical compared to directional boards. This shape is suitable for all-mountain riding and performing tricks or riding switch occasionally.

Twin

A twin snowboard is symmetrical, meaning the 'nose' and 'tail' are the same. The bindings are often centered on the board, and it's easy to ride switch. Twin boards are perfect for freestyle and park riding. It's also an excellent choice for beginners because it's forgiving and playful.

There's a distinction between a true twin and a directional twin. True twins are entirely symmetrical, while directional twins have a slightly longer nose for better float in powder. The tail is shorter, providing better steering and a playful feel. If you love making tricks, go for a true twin. If you'd like to ride the powder from time to time but also want to make tricks, a directional twin would be a better choice.

Choosing the right snowboard profile

In addition to the shape, there are various snowboard profiles. By this we mean the bending of the board. The profile determines how a snowboard feels and responds on the snow. We distinguish between camber, rocker, and profiles that are a combination of these.

What is rocker and what is camber?

A rocker profile gives a snowboard the shape of a banana, with the center in contact with the snow (concave shape). The ends then curve upward. This original profile design is for ease of turning, maneuverability, and playfulness.

In a camber profile, the shape is exactly the opposite. It's still like a banana, but with the ends in contact with the snow and the center curved upward (convex shape). This profile provides confidence and stability.

By combining these two profiles, various snowboard profiles have emerged, each with its own characteristics, ranging from aggressive to less aggressive. The more aggressive the riding style, the higher the speed. A board with more camber feels more vibrant, resulting in more pop, grip, and stability. A board with more rocker offers more forgiveness, ease of turning, and float.

Camber

As mentioned above, the camber profile provides confidence at speed, pop, and good edge grip. The snowboard generally responds quickly, and mistakes are punished more quickly. This shape is often used in carving boards and park boards due to its grip, stability, and pop.

Twin rocker-camber-rocker

If you want a snowboard that is slightly more forgiving, consider a twin rocker-camber-rocker. However, this comes at the cost of some stability. Thanks to its symmetry, you can easily ride forward and backward. This profile is used in all-mountain and all-mountain freestyle boards. The camber contributes to the snowboard's performance, while the rocker provides forgiveness and float.

Directional rocker-camber-rocker

In this profile, the rocker is larger on one side, usually the 'nose,' for increased powder float. The high-rising nose shifts your weight to the back, making it easier to glide through unprepared snow. Because of these characteristics, this profile is often used in all-mountain freeride and freeride boards.

Camber-rocker (S-rocker)

The camber-rocker profile, also known as S-rocker, positions the rocker in the 'nose' for easy powder riding and the camber in the 'tail' for increased edge grip during turns. This shape is often used in freeride and powder boards.

Triple camber

Camber in the 'nose' and 'tail' provides the board with a lot of pop. This results in a snowboard with stability and a playful riding style. It's suitable for powerful yet playful riders and is used in high-end freeride, all-mountain, and freestyle boards, especially those from Never Summer.

Twin camber-rocker-camber

The focus of this profile is on the rocker, resulting in more turning ease. The symmetry allows for easy riding forward and backward. The camber under the bindings provides control. This profile is commonly used in jib, all-mountain park, and freeride boards.

Directional camber-rocker-camber

In this profile, the camber and rocker are slightly shifted back, possibly with one of the two camber zones in the snowboard being larger, creating a front and back. This makes the board more aggressive, but the rocker in the middle still offers ease of turning and float. That i why this shape is often used in freeride and powder boards.

Rocker-flat-rocker

Between the 'nose' and the 'tail', this snowboard is completely flat. This results in a lot of stability due to greater contact with the snow. With a rocker in the 'nose' it easy to glide through fresh snow. The rocker in the 'tail' provides float when you shift more weight to the back foot. Often this profile is used in jib and powder boards because of its ease of turning and float.

Flat-rocker

An almost completely flat snowboard with a rocker in the nose. The substantial contact surface with the snow provides maximum stability, and the 'nose' ensures float in deep snow. You see this profile mainly in powder boards.

Rocker

As mentioned earlier, the rocker profile offers easy turning, float, maneuverability, and playfulness. This is why it's often used in jib boards and powder boards.

Choosing the right snowboard length

Selecting the right snowboard length (size) depends on various factors, including riding style, experience, weight, height, and gender. The table below indicates which snowboard size is suitable for an all-mountain male snowboarder. Subsequently, we'll discuss deviations based on riding style, skill level, and gender. For female riders, you generally choose a snowboard length that is 1-3 centimeters shorter.

Deviations by skill level, riding style, or gender:

• Beginner (minus 3-5 cm)
• Freestyle (minus 3-5 cm)
• Freeride (plus 2-4 cm)
• Aggressive riding style (plus 2-4 cm)
• Female (minus 1-3 cm)

As a beginner, it's wise to choose a slightly shorter snowboard for improved maneuverability and easier turns. If you plan to freestyle in the park, a shorter board offers better agility. Additionally, female riders generally opt for a somewhat shorter snowboard due to differences in muscle strength.

For those with a more aggressive riding style involving high speeds, a longer snowboard provides greater stability and larger edge angles. This is especially relevant for carvers. Similarly, for freeriding, a longer board offers enhanced float and off-piste stability.

If you love powder riding and seek a playful experience in deep snow, you can also consider a shorter and wider board, known as volume-shifted snowboards. This combination provides enhanced maneuverability, with the board's width offering additional float.

Why choose a slightly longer or shorter snowboard?

Ultimately, the decision to go slightly longer or shorter with your snowboard is a personal one. If you have a playful riding style and prioritize agility, opt for a shorter board. Another reason for choosing a shorter board can be related to having less leg strength. If you typically have less leg strength, a shorter snowboard can be more comfortable.

If you prefer focusing on carving and the playful characteristics of a snowboard are less important, feel free to choose a slightly longer board. This is especially true if you enjoy carving or venture into the backcountry. Longer boards offer more float and control.

When to ge a 'wide' snowboard?

If you have a larger shoe size, you might require a 'wide' snowboard. A 'wide' snowboard is typically half to one and a half centimeters wider at the waist, which is the board's narrowest point. Generally, a snowboard is considered 'wide' if the waist width exceeds 26 cm.

The shoe size of snowboard boots is expressed in Mondopoint, which is the length of your bare foot in centimeters. For men, the consideration for a 'wide' snowboard starts at approximately size 28.5 to 29. If your shoe size falls in this range, beginners are recommended to choose the narrower variant due to its quicker edge-to-edge transition. However, for experienced riders who enjoy carving on steep slopes or off-piste powder, a 'wide' snowboard is advisable. The increased width allows for larger edge angles and more effective carving without suffering from 'toe' and 'heel drag' (i.e., without your toes and heels digging into the snow).

The flex of your board

The flex refers to the stiffness of the snowboard. A stiffer board provides greater stability but requires more effort at lower speeds to navigate turns. You can choose from stiff, medium/stiff, medium, soft/medium, or soft snowboards. The suitable flex depends on your activities, experience, and, most importantly, your personal preference. In general:

• Stiff boards are suitable for big mountain freeride, carving, and halfpipe.
• Medium/stiff boards work well for pro-line park, aggressive all-mountain, freeride, and fun carving.
• Medium boards are versatile and fit for all-mountain, fun carving, park, jib, and powder.
• Soft/medium boards are ideal for playful all-mountain riding, park, jib, and powder.
• Soft boards are suitable for jibbing and powder.

Differences between men's and women's snowboards

The difference between men's and women's snowboards is generally minimal. Design-wise, women's boards may feature more colorful graphics, and they might be slightly narrower and have lower flex. However, not all women's snowboards exhibit these characteristics.

Additional tip from Snowcountry

If you're unsure about the exact snowboard length you need, it's generally better to choose a larger size, as you'll likely find a too-small snowboard frustrating.