I had been looking for a freestanding snowboard rack for a while with no luck.
So when I found the Grassracks snowboard rack, I was stoked.
In fact, I’d gone to the effort of designing my own rack and finding a carpenter to build it for me! Such was the lack of what I was specifically looking for on the market.
Turns out the carpenter stopped returning my emails and that fell through. But it worked out well in the end, as the Grassracks version, though slightly different to what I had designed, was less than 1/2 the price I was going to be paying.
And it was really close to what I had designed – only a little more simple and stylish (which is a good thing!).
Grassracks Snowboard Racks
Grassracks does a number of different racks for snowboards, skis, surfboards, bikes, Kayaks, SUP, skateboards – you name it.
Specifically for snowboards, they have 4 different options. 3 of those options are wall mount racks.
Wall racks are pretty easy to come by – what I was interested in was their vertical freestanding snowboard rack.
It’s design allows you to store snowboards and guitars on it too – the description specifically states
SURFBOARD RACK | SNOWBOARD RACK | GUITAR RACK | INDOOR VERTICAL FREESTANDING BOARD RACK
I sometimes keep my guitar on it, but right now there are too many snowboards on it!
Baltic Birch or Bamboo
The rack comes in both Baltic Birch and Bamboo options. The Bamboo looks stunning (and comes with a more expensive price tag). But I cheaped out and went with the Baltic Birch. Whilst it doesn’t look as pretty as the bamboo model, it does the job well and you can save a bit of cash.
The Verdict
If the rest of the review hasn’t already alluded to it, I’m really happy with my snowboard rack.
When I first put it together, I wasn’t entirely sure on the sturdiness of it – as it did seem to have a bit more wobble than I would have preferred, but it hasn’t been an issue. I’ve had it a few months now, and it’s holding up really well.
I have 9 snowboards on it at the moment – and previously I had 8 snowboards and a guitar (pic at top I took some boards off and replaced it with guitar to show how that looks).
You can easily get 4 snowboards (without bindings) in one slot – and could even squeeze in more. Though I feel like if you were to put 16 boards on it, it might be a bit heavy for it! But it handles 9 just fine. You could probably fit 2 boards with bindings per slot fine – particularly if you went back to back. And 1 with bindings and 1 without fit fine. You could probably even go 2 without binding and one with.
I plan on having up to 12 boards on there at once, during testing season and I’m pretty confident it can handle that load.
Design
I like how the rack is designed to lean back so that you’re never worried about a board toppling out – plus the with the dense foam bottom, that also helps keep the boards secure. That was one of the features of the rack that I had designed for myself, so I was definitely attracted by that.
The thick foam mat on the bottom is also great for being really gentle on the boards. There’s also foam around the inside of the top part of the rack, which is nice too.
The top part of the rack is at the perfect height as well – so you’re never in danger of it interfering with bindings.
Putting together
There is a bit of construction involved (like with most things you get delivered). Personally I really enjoy putting things like this together, so it’s not an issue for me, but you do have a bit to do after it arrives.
The pieces fit really snug together (which is definitely a good thing), so you need a rubber mallet to put the 3 separate wooden sections together. I didn’t have a rubber mallet, but I found using one of my kid’s wooden hammers with a blanket in between did the trick. If you’ve got a rubber mallet it’s better – in either case you want to be gentle, but the instructions that come with it are pretty clear on how to do it).
Then you’ve got to attach the foam. Again this isn’t too difficult – there is self adhesive on the back of them. It’s just a matter of lining them up. I didn’t get them all perfect, but close enough.
Environmentally Responsible
Grassracks do plenty to ensure that their racks are environmentally friendly. I won’t go into detail here, but you can check out their sustainability practices here
Pros and Cons
PROS | CONS |
DESIGN: The best thing about this snowboard rack is the design. It keeps your snowboards safe, easy to access and well presented. | THE WOBBLE: There’s a bit of a wobble, but honestly it’s not so bad that I worry about it or anything |
SUSTAINABILITY: Grassracks is committed to manufacturing in an eco-friendly way and using eco-friendly materials. | THE SPACE: This is a pro and a con. It’s a con if you’ve only 1 or 2 boards to store/display and nothing else. In that case a wall mount will take up less space. If you’ve got more than that or if you’ve got a surfboard or guitar to also store, then it’s a really good use of space. |
THE PRICE: OK Compared to a wall mount it’s not cheap, but compared to other freestanding racks it’s really reasonably priced. The Bamboo version is more expensive (and also nicer) but the Birch version is very affordable. | PUTTING TOGETHER YOURSELF: If you’re not that way inclined, then putting it together yourself can be a con for you. I personally really enjoy putting this kind of thing together, but I know others who hate putting stuff together. |
THE SPACE: I’ve put this in both pros and cons, because depending on the number of boards you have, this rack can either be a space saver or a space taker compared to a wall rack. | THE PRICE: This is another that can be seen as a pro or con. Compared to a wall mount it’s not cheap and if you don’t need space for that many boards, then a wall mount is the cheaper option. But compared to other freestanding racks it’s a great price – and compared to getting a custom rack made, it’s a really good price. |
BOARD POSITION: The best position for a board is lying on it’s edge. This doesn’t quite achieve that, but what it does do is lean back on it’s edge. It’s standing but it’s also leaning back. It’s essentially not putting the board under much pressure. Lying a board flat on it’s base is about the worst position, though this is often how a board is stored in it’s bag in a closet or the likes. The soft padding also helps to take the pressure off too. |
Final Verdict
If you can’t or don’t want to permanently attach anything to your walls – or if you prefer to have your boards vertical on a freestanding rack, or if you want something that you can put a combination of your snowboards, surfboards and guitars on, this rack is a great option.
If you’re like me and really like Grassracks ethos, but unlike me don’t want/need a freestanding rack, they also have other snowboard rack options you could check out.
If you only need something for 1 or 2 boards and are able to attach to your wall, then a wall mount is probably the better option – and is going to cost you less and take up less space, but for a larger collection this thing is great!
>>VERTICAL FREESTANDING BOARD RACK AT GRASSRACKS
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