Hello and welcome to my Jones Mind Expander review.
In this review, I will take a look at the Mind Expander as a mellow freeride snowboard.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Mind Expander a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how it compares with other mellow freeride snowboards.
Overall Rating
Board: Jones Mind Expander
Price: $599
Style: Mellow Freeride
Flex Rating: Medium (6/10)
Flex Feel on Snow: Medium (5.5/10)
Rating Score: 88.1/100
Compared to other Men’s Mellow Freeride Boards.
note that the "mellow freeride" category represents freeride boards that are in that softer flex range - 6.5/10 or less.
Out of the 32 men’s mellow freeride snowboards that I rated:
Overview of the Mind Expander’s Specs
Check out the tables for the Mind Expander's specs and available sizes.
Specs
Style: | Mellow Freeride |
Price: | $599 |
Ability Level: |  |
Flex: |  |
Feel: |  |
Smooth/Snappy: |  |
Dampness: |  |
Playful/Aggressive: |  |
Edge-hold: |  |
Camber Profile: | Hybrid Camber Jones' "Christenson Surf Camber Rocker" |
Shape: | |
Setback Stance: | Setback 0.75" (20mm) |
Base: | Sintered 8000 |
Weight: | Felt normal |
Sizing
LENGTH (cm) | Waist Width (mm) | Rec Rider Weight (lb) | Rec Rider Weight (kg) |
|---|---|---|---|
146 | 248 | 110-160 | 49-73 |
150 | 252 | 120-170 | 54-77 |
154 | 256 | 130-180 | 59-82 |
158 | 260 | 150-200 | 67-91 |
162 | 264 | 170-220+ | 77-100+ |
166 | 268 | 170-220+ | 77-100+ |
Who is the Mind Expander Most Suited To?
The Mind Expander is best suited to anyone looking for a directional ride that floats really well in powder, but when there isn't powder around want a board that's pretty easy going to ride, but not super soft/playful or anything - and can still carve and handle moderate speeds. And it's got a really fun turning style on groomers.
Since getting camber, this is a pretty well rounded ride in terms of now being better on a carve and better at speed. It's still not a monster carver or a bomber - it's more of a cruiser, but it's better in those areas. And gets a bit more pop. But it's nothing that's going to be super good for anything freestyle.
Not for a beginner but fine for intermediate riders. Even lower-end intermediate's should be fine with this board. It's pretty accessible.
The Mind Expander in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Mind Expander is capable of.
Demo Info
Board: Jones Mind Expander 2022, 154cm (256mm waist width)
Date: March 3, 2022
Conditions
Cloudy with some patches of blue at times. Really high cloud so visibility was all good.
Temperature was -2°C (28°F) degrees. No wind.
24hr snow: 4cm (1.5")
48hr snow: 23cm (9")
7 day snow: 64cm (25")
On groomer: Some icier sections in places but for the most part medium firmness with some softer areas. Fair bit of crud with not all that much groomed but some well groomed areas as well.
Off groomer: Some left over freshies! Untracked in places even. Mostly tracked but some nice untouched spots to explore.
Set Up
Bindings angles: 15/-15 (Nate) and +12/-9 (Fraser)
Stance width: 560mm (22″)
Stance Setback: Setback 20mm (0.75")
Width at Inserts: 282mm (11.1") at front insert and 262mm (10.32")
Testers: Nate and Fraser
Fraser Specs: Height: 6'1" | Weight: 180lbs | Boot Size: US9.5 Adidas Tactical Lexicon ADV | Bindings Used: Fix Yale (M)
Nate Specs: Height: 6'0" | Weight: 180lbs | Boot Size: US9.5 Adidas Tactical ADV | Bindings Used: Burton Malavita (M)
Weight: 3060grams (6lbs 12oz)
Weight per cm: 19.87 grams/cm
Average Weight per cm: 18.59 grams/cm*
*based on a sample size of around 200 models that I’ve weighed in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 & 2023 models. Certainly quite heavy on the scales (although taking into account it's wider than normal, it's not quite as heavy as it seems) - but on snow it felt really normal in terms of weight.
Changes for the 2023 Model
The 2023 Mind Expander changes to a directional hybrid rocker profile. It used to be an all rocker board. That addition of camber underfoot has helped this to be a more well rounded board - and IMO a more fun board.
Powder
Was nice to get some powder to test this board in. It wasn't anything epic, waist deep or anything like that, but enough to get a good feel for it. And it was really fun and easy in powder!
And no surprise, given the specs. It's got an aggressive taper, a really wide long nose and narrow short tail. Plus it's got rocker in the nose. Because it's got less rocker than its predecessor, not quite as good in powder as that, but still really freakin good!
Carving
It's not something that's going to treat you to the most epic high speed carves, but it's decent now. That introduction of some camber in the profile has helped this board to be a much better carver than it's predecessor.
Turning
Ease of Turning/Slashing: Really easy to initiate turns on and slash turns when you want to. Maybe not quite as easy as it was in the past with that full-rocker profile but still something that's pretty effortless to turn and slash on.
Maneuverability at slow speeds: Really nice and nimble, particularly for how wide it is. But then we did size down to the 154, to account for that extra width.
Skidded Turns: Easy to skid turns. Didn't feel catchy - could confidently get a little lazy without too much fear of catching an edge.
Speed
It's still not a major bomber and starts to get a little squirrelly when you get up to fast speeds, but can handle moderately fast speeds well - and is more stable at speed than it used to be. So that camber has helped there too.
Uneven Terrain
Crud/Chunder: Can get a little bucked around but not too easily. But when it does, it's easy to make corrections.
Trees/Bumps: Nice and nimble for trees/bumps and that shorter tail helps prevent you hitting hooking your tail on trees.
Jumps
It's OK without being great.
Pop: Really easy to access the pop, but not a huge amount more available when you wind it up.
Approach: Gets a little wobbly when you open it out, but fine for slower approaches. Really easy to speed check/adjust when you need to though.
Landing: Not super solid, but not bad. Can't land too tail heavy but otherwise it's relatively forgiving of errors.
Side-hits: Fun for side hits. Easy access pop and nice and easy to maneuver on approach.
Small jumps/Big Jumps: Best for smaller jumps, but fine for medium.
Switch
It's easy to transition to/from switch but when there it feels a bitstrange. And no surprise given all that taper, and the short tail and directional everything.
Spins
Gotta put in the effort to whip that big nose around - and feels unbalanced when spinning. Setting up/landing switch isn't great either. So all round not great for spinning.
Butters
It's easy to press. But the tip and tail feel very different to each other, so it's not ideal.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
RATING | Contribution to Final Score | |
|---|---|---|
POWDER | 4.5 | 27/30 |
TURNS/SLASHING | 4.0 | 12/15 |
CARVING | 3.5 | 7/10 |
TREES/BUMPS | 4.0 | 12/15 |
CRUD/CHUNDER | 4.0 | 8/10 |
SPEED | 3.5 | 7/10 |
JUMPS | 2.5 | 2.5/5 |
SWITCH | 2.0 | 2/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 88.1/100 |
Overall, the Mind Expander is a really fun mellow freeride board, that allows you to have fun on groomers without being too demanding, when there's no powder.
And when you do get a powder day, it comes into its own and really shines.
Really enjoyed this board with a bit of camber in the profile. Gave it more liveliness and punch.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you want to learn more about the Mind Expander, or if you are ready to buy, or if you just want to research prices and availability, check out the links below.
If you want to check out some other freeride snowboard options, or if you want to compare how the Mind Expander compares to other freeride snowboards, then check out the link at the button below.
Hey Nate! Thanks for all your in depth reviews for this and every season! I am looking at the ME and need a second option on sizing. I am 5’6 167lbs and have Cartel Bindings and size 10 Burton Ruler boots.
I do not see a ton of powder at home but I want to be ready when I do, plus I plan to travel more in the next few years. So IMO would the 154 or 157 be better for me? I ride a 158 in more standard camber boards.
Thanks!
Hi Stephen
Thanks for your message.
I would be leaning 154 for you. I would put your “standard all-mountain length” at around 156 and with this board being a little wider than typical overall (back insert is pretty standard width, with the amount of taper but overall width a little wider), I would size down a little bit, which puts you on the 154, IMO.
Given that you’re used to riding 158s, the 158 is doable, but it is wider, so the overall size is going to be bigger than what you’re used to still. That would of course give you more surface area for powder and if you were going to be using it predominantly for powder days, then that would lean me more towards 158. As a daily driver for everything, I would say 154 still though. But if you wanted that little extra for powder and were willing to sacrifice a bit of maneuverability for that, then the 158 is certainly doable.
Hope this helps with your decision
Hi Nate, thanks for your review.
I am 188cm tall and 80kgs naked weight. ride lasso boot size US 10, and will be getting the Rome Katana M/L. I don’t do parks or tricks. mainly groomers, trees , off piste and pow hunting. will be getting this for Japan. Was thinking of a pure powder board but there is still so much groomer runs between powder riding. plus i don’t feel like carrying more than one board. I’ve got the 159 Frontier and really like the handling on groomers and the grip on hard snow.
Having trouble deciding between a 158 or a 154. Jones rep reckon I should pick the 158 ME or the 161 flagship as an upgrade from frontier. flagship seems too narrow for my bootsize and seeems to be more an open road board.
Your specs is not that far from me except for 0.5 boot size. I didn’t really like how my 158 archetype feels on groomers and the back foot washes out quite a bit for me, I didn’t feel confident going fast, a pity given the base is super fast. you didn’t seem to have that trouble on your review, despite acknowledging it’s a potential problem. not sure if my issue is because the backfoot width insert was too narrow (but ME is bigger with traction 2.0, no qualms there) , or what.
I think i’ve asked about the frontier last time, thanks for the help, love the board. Just looking for something with more powder perfomance that doesn’t compromise groomers and trees. we can’t have it all, i know, but we can dream about it, lol.
if only snowboard is something we can try first before buying, sigh. cheers mate!
Hey Wayne
I would be leaning 158 for the Mind Expander, though it’s a close call. The 154 would give you more maneuverability for trees, but the 158 is the more pure size – and will help with powder float. Given that this is going to predominantly be your powder board, all be it still looking for decent groomer performance, I would be erring longer. The 154 wouldn’t be wrong though and I really enjoyed the 154.
It does have a pretty aggressive taper (20mm) so you could find the tail a little washy, like you did on the Archetype, that would be my only real concern with this board for you, given your experience on the Archetype. It doesn’t quite have as much taper as Archetype, but still a lot.
The Flagship in the 161 I don’t think would be too narrow for you though. It’s certainly narrower at the back insert, like the Mind Expander is but the 161 is around 264mm at the back insert (assuming around a 22″ stance width), which is wider than the 154 Mind Expander is at the back insert (262mm). Taper is still significant on the Flagship (13mm) but as much as the ME or the Archetype (26-30mm depending on size). Flagship isn’t as easy to navigate in trees as Mind Expander, IMO, but it’s not as open road as it seems. I found it better in trees than I thought it would be – and better than it used to be, after it changed shape for the 2020 model.
I would be leaning Mind Expander 158, with the biggest question mark being the taper/short tail (which will really help in powder and trees, but it’s whether you find it too washy on groomers or not).
Hope this gives you more to go off for your decision
Thanks Nate! is Stratos a good option or is it too much of a board for me ?
I was kinda hoping ME would be a better turning experience than archetype . Hmm
Should I get the M/L katana or L/XL? Thanks!
Hi Wayne
It may well be a better turning experience for you than the Archetype, but it’s hard to say, given that it does have an aggressive taper, like the Archetype.
The Stratos could work. It’s definitely stiffer, more aggressive than the ME. And IMO a little more so again than the Flagship. But if you’re an advanced rider or at least very high intermedaite, then I think it’s doable. I’d personally go Flagship over Stratos though.
For the Katana I would go M/L with Lasso 10s. The L/XL would likely work too, but I think the M/L would be the slightly better fit.
I have a stratos… I was wanting a board that would be great for powder days in trees and and specifically when the powder turns to chunder. I love my stratos and its a great board for groomers days and as a one quiver board when traveling but I find i need to change my stance midway through a big powder day because I get bucked around a lot once the powder changes as the day goes on. Wondering if the mind expander would possibly be that board for me… also if it is, should i go for last years model with the old rocker or this years model with the change to camber?
Hi Jay
Thanks for your message.
I actually found the Stratos was pretty good at crushing through crud/chunder. I found it damper than the Mind Expander. However, I did find the Mind Expander was better in terms of making corrections when getting bucked around. The Stratos in comparison I found was more difficult to maneuver when it did get bucked around, but when committing to just crushing through it, I found the Stratos was actually pretty good. It’s got a bit of extra weight and it’s quite stiff which I find typically helps with crushing that messy snow. But yeah, when it comes to trying to finesse it more, then the Mind Expander is better, then.
Between the all rocker Mind Expander and the new one – the new one is a better all-rounder, IMO, but not as good in powder. You can see more on my review of the old rocker Mind Expander if you scroll to the bottom of this review and click on the tab labelled “PAST REVIEWS OF THE MIND EXPANDER”
Hope this helps
Hi Nate,
You gave me excellent advice on my last snowboard purchase.
I was wondering for the mind expander 21/22 model, do you recommend the 154 or 158?
I’m 6’1, 170-175lbs, size 10.5US boot. I’ll be mainly using this board for trees on deep powder days.
Would my size 10.5 boot fit the 154, as I see the mind expander back half of the board is a little narrow? And I also read somewhere that the 158 is not much slower turning through trees in deep pow than the 154?
Hi Alex
Thanks for your message.
Yeah the Mind Expander is narrower at the back insert than the waist width would suggest. So the 154 would be borderline with a 10.5. If you were riding a low profile boot and had a decent amount of angle on that back binding, you’d probably get away with it, but otherwise it would be risky. And in any case I think the 158 would work well for you. The 154 would feel noticeably quicker turning in tight spots, when things are harder, but in powder, that difference will certainly be less noticeable – and that extra surface area will help with float.
I’m guessing you’ve already realized this as you’ve mentioned you’re specifically looking at the 21/22 model but just to make sure – the 22/23 model is a bit different to previous models, with some camber now in the profile. If you scroll to the bottom of this review, you can see my review on a previous model by clicking on the tab at the bottom “PAST REVIEWS OF THE MIND EXPANDER”.
Hope this helps with your decision
Hey Nate,
Thank you for your reply and amazing tips as always. I’ll probably go with the 158 now.
Yes, I’m going for their 21/22 for the more rocker profile and better performance in powder, over the more camber design on the new ME.
Cheers,
Alex
You’re very welcome Alex. Hope you have an awesome season!
hi Nate,
what size would you recommend as a pure deep powder board for 175cm 70kg and US9 boot? 154 or 158?
Own a Kazu in 157cm for steep and technical. Would like to add mind expander for surfy and playfulness.
Thanks!
Hi Zhou
Thanks for your message.
If it’s going to be purely for deep powder, I would be leaning 158. If it was going to be your do-it-all everyday board, then I’d say 154, mostly because of the width, I’d be sizing down a bit to the 154. But if you’re looking to maximize powder float and be using it purely for powder days, I’d go bigger – and the extra width isn’t going to effect you as much when you’re in powder, in terms of turning, and the extra width and length will really help with float.
Hope this helps with your decision
Hi Nate,
Awesome! Ordered both and also the Ultra version in both length. I think I will keep the 158cm since I came from a Korua Apollo 156, wanna have similar float but something softer and with a tail. For everything else than deep pow I will ride my Mega Merc or Kazu Pro 🙂
Cheers!
You’re very welcome Zhou.
Yeah you’ll likely definitely want to keep the regular version, of you’re looking for softer and more surfy. The Ultra Mind Expander isn’t surfy or at all soft. It’s quite stiff.
Hey Nate! As usual thank you for the reviews. Have you ever tried to ride a board like this with a positive stance?
Hi Jordan
Thanks for your message.
I have ridden boards like this with a forward stance, and I would ride this board with more of a forward stance if I owned it. I rode it with the +15/-15 for consistency with how I ride my control board, but yeah, I would likely ride it with a forward stance if I was riding it all the time.
Hi Nate,
I’m considering this as my dedicated powder board, I don’t get too many really deep days, and I ride trees a lot. What size would you recommend 154 or 158? I’m 178lbs, 5.10, boot size 10. Thanks in advance!
Hi Simon
Thanks for your message.
Definitely the sizes I would be debating for your specs too. Because you mention that you ride trees a lot and that you don’t get a lot of deep pow days, I would be leaning towards the 154. If you hadn’t mentioned that, I probably would have asked because it does make an important difference. If you were riding open terrain powder more so than trees, then I would be leaning more towards 158. But yeah, given your riding preferences/circumstances, I would lean towards the 154 for you.
Hope this helps with your decision
Thank you, Nate. Your advice is much appreciated.
You’re very welcome Simon. Thanks for visiting the site and happy riding, the next chance you get to ride!
Great board. I bought this last season for powder riding and it didn’t disappoint. I weight 230 lbs, 6′ tall and wear size 12 boot. I found myself grabbing this a lot more than my yes greats and that is saying a lot!
Hi Rasheed
Definitely saying a lot! Appreciate the input.
Stay safe and happy riding – next time you get a chance!
Thanks, you too! I forgot to mention that the board is pretty narrow for waist width so I went with the 166 to avoid toe drag especially for the back foot. Thanks for your amazing reviews!
Hi
I have a size us11 boot. What size should I be riding ?
I’m 185lbs and 6’1ft tall.
Hi Shaun
Thanks for your message.
With your height/weight and and an 11 boot, I would be leaning 158 – though there are some question marks on width at the back insert on that (more below). The 162 is a possibility, but bordering on too big, IMO. I would put your “standard” length at around 161 and even though the 162 is closer to that, it’s pretty wide overall, making it ride bigger than 162, IMO. If you were going to be predominantly riding in powder and riding fast, then the 162 would certainly be doable though. But for maneuverability’s sake, if you’re looking to do any tight turns at slower speeds, it may feel quite big in the 162.
I say the 158 could be borderline width-wise, because of how much narrower it is at the back insert versus the front insert. I measured the back insert at 262mm on the 154 and 282mm at the front insert – which is a huge difference – and the back insert isn’t that much wider in comparison to the waist of the board. The width at the back insert on the 158, assuming a 560mm (22″) stance width, would be around 266mm. This is borderline for 11s, IMO. It’s doable if you have low profile boots and ride with a fair bit of angle on your back foot. If you’re riding a pretty flat back binding angle (e.g. 0-6 degrees) and/or have bulkier boots and like to carve, then I think it would be risky width-wise.
Hope this helps with your decision