Hello and welcome to the K2 First Lite Snowboard Review. This week’s review focuses on the First Lite as a beginner snowboard option for women.
The First Lite can also be classified as an all-mountain board but this review will be assessing it as a beginner board.
What the Review Will Look At
A beginner board needs to be stable, easy to make turns and easy to manoeuvre in general. It should also be forgiving of errors. This will assist in making progression quicker and build up the confidence of the beginner rider.
So the review will assess the First Lite’s stability, turn initiation and manoeuvrability plus taking into account its value for money, sizing options and style.
For a more in depth discussion on the best specs for a beginner snowboard check out the article at the link below.
Right, let’s get into the review.
Camber Profile
The camber profile and the flex are the two most important considerations in a beginners snowboard. There are two camber profiles that suit the beginner the best. For more on this check out the article at the link above.
For more about Camber Profiles in general – understanding the different camber types.
The First Lite has a Flat to Rocker camber profile. This is great for a beginner. The flat section underfoot provides stability and the rocker towards tip and tail allow for easy turn initiation and reduce the chance of catching an edge.
Stability score = 5/5
Turn Initiation = 5/5
Flex Rating
The First Lite has a medium-to-soft flex rating, which in my opinion is the ideal flex for a beginner. A softer flex allows for easy manoeuvrability and is more forgiving of errors.
The reason that a medium-to-soft rating (3 or 4 out of 10) is better than a soft rating (1 or 2 out of 10) is that if it is too soft then edge-hold suffers. If the edge-hold is too poor then riding in harder snow conditions is more difficult.
Flex rating score = 5/5
Manufacturers rating & Progression
The First Lite is rated as a Beginner-to-Intermediate ability level board by K2.
This seems about right and this is what you want as a beginner. Don’t be tempted to buy a more advanced snowboard with the idea of “growing into it” – this will majorly stunt your progress. This is like learning to drive a tank before you’ve ever driven a car!
So beginner-to-intermediate will serve you well as a beginner. It gives enough room to grow but is designed with the beginner in mind.
Manufacturers Label Score = 5/5
Sizing options
If you aren’t sure about what size snowboard you should get check out the following articles on choosing the length and width of your snowboard. For quick reference for length check out the weight ranges in the table below.
The First Lite has a reasonable range of sizes so hopefully, if you are interested in this board, you can find one that is right for you.
Price
Price is important as most beginners won’t want to invest too much in a sport that they are just starting out in.
The First Lite fits that bill well and is really reasonably priced at $299 RRP (USD).
I like to see beginner snowboards somewhere between $250 and $400 so this is at the lower end of the range in terms of price.
Price score = 4.5/5
Shape & Stance
The First Lite has a directional twin shape which is pretty good for beginners. The only shape better would be a true twin.
It has a setback stance of 19mm. Ideally I’d like to see it with a centered stance.
Shape score = 4/5
Stance score = 2/5
Base
The First Lite has an extruded base. This is the perfect type of base for a beginner because it is slower and is easier to maintain. It also reduces the cost of the board.
Base score = 5/5
The Final Score
Now the moment of truth when the final score is tallied!
FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
Stability: | 5.0 | 20/20 |
Turn Initiation: | 5.0 | 20/20 |
Flex: | 5.0 | 20/20 |
Manufacturers Label: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
Price: | 4.5 | 9/10 |
Shape: | 4.0 | 8/10 |
Base: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
Stance: | 2.0 | 4/10 |
TOTAL | 91/100 |
You can’t really go wrong with the First Lite as an entry level snowboard. It has the ideal camber profile, flex and is really reasonably priced. In fact, it made my list of the top 5 women’s beginner snowboards
The K2 First Lite’s Specs at a Glance
You can check out the First Lite’s specs at a glance in the table below.
Style | Beginner/All-mountain | Flex | Medium-to-soft |
Ability Level | Beginner-to-Intermediate | Feel | Stable |
Weight | Normal | Turn Initiation | Easy |
Camber Profile | Flat to Rocker | Shape | Directional Twin |
Stance Setback | Setback 19mm (3/4″) | Edge-hold | Medium Snow |
Over to You
Thanks for reading and I hope this review has helped you on your search for a women’s beginner snowboard. If you are looking for more women’s beginner snowboard options check out the link below.
Any questions or comments are very welcome as always – just leave them in the comments section below.
Laura says
is the first lite or bright lite better for ontario Canada’s usual hard snow, manmade snow conditions, a super beginner looking for a good board to keep for many seasons and looking to use into an intermediate level?
Nate says
Hi Laura
Thanks for your message.
The First Lite probably isn’t the best option, if you’re looking for something for hard/icy conditions. Try this list for more options. What I consider best for those kinds of conditions have been labelled as “HARD/ICY SNOW OPTION”.
>>My Top 10 Women’s Beginner Snowboards
The Emoticon and the GNU Chromatic are both boards that would suit you very well, IMO (assuming you get the correct size) and would be able to carry you into an intermediate level. And are versatile enough that they can evolve with the style of snowboarding that you develop.
Hope this helps with your decision
Anna says
Hello! I bought this board as my first beginner board but haven’t used it yet (BC where is the snow?!). Am I mad in thinking it doesn’t feel very soft flexing? Just felt the Burton stylus and a couple of other boards which feel super duper flexy compared to this?
Nate says
Hi Anna
Thanks for your message.
Sometimes a board feels stiff to flex in the hand but once you get it on the snow it feels softer (and sometimes stiffer on the snow depending on the type of board). So, it should still feel nice and soft and forgiving to ride, once you get it on snow, hopefully. Boards of the same type can vary (that’s what you get when working with a wood core. Different bits of wood can feel a little different) but I would be very surprised if it would differ enough to a point that the First Lite should feel stiff. So hopefully on snow it feels as soft as it’s supposed to.
Hope this helps
Diane says
Thank you
I attempted to learn on some borrowed equipment – and although it allowed me to “try” the sport in general – I HIGHLY recommend following your advice and finding a board specific to beginners. (That – as well as some tail Bone protection). I struggled catching my edges going onto flats / had some wicked spills and as a result developed a lacK of confidence / fear issues.
Thank you for the article. I purchased the K2 first light and love it
Nate says
Hey Diane
Thanks for your input.
Lack of confidence and fear are definitely a big factor in slowing down progress. Learning on a board that isn’t good for beginners usually ends up doing this. Glad you’re loving the First Lite.