Never Summer Proto T3 Eclipse Snowboard Review

The Never Summer Proto T3 Eclipse felt like the considerably more easygoing, surfier sibling to the Proto T3 Ultra (which I tested alongside the Eclipse).

It required a lot less effort and input to get it turning, popping and responding, and it felt noticeably quicker and more agile at slower speeds. That naturally came with some compromises when it came to high-speed stability, aggressive carving and smashing through rough snow.

In this review, I will take a look at the Proto T3 Eclipse as a mellow freeride snowboard.

As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Proto T3 Eclipse a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how it compares with other mellow freeride snowboards.

Overall Rating

Board: Never Summer Proto T3 Eclipse 2027

Price: $699

Style: Mellow Freeride

Flex Rating: Medium (6/10)

Flex Feel on Snow: Medium (5.5/10)

Rating Score: 88.3/100

Compared to other Men’s Mellow Freeride Boards

Overview of the Proto T3 Eclipse'S Specs

Check out the tables for the Proto T3 Eclipse's specs and available sizes.

Who is the Proto T3 Eclipse Most Suited To?

The Proto T3 Eclipse is best suited to someone looking for an agile, directional freeride board that didn’t demand a powerful or aggressive riding style.

Particularly well suited to riders who spend a lot of time in trees, like making quick slashes and wanted something that should perform well in powder without feeling cumbersome when the terrain gets tight.

It wasn’t bad for jumps and some freestyle riding, but those weren’t its primary strengths. Riders who regularly charge at high speeds, lay out aggressive carves or want maximum stability through heavy chop would be better served by something more powerful like the Proto T3 FR.

For someone who values maneuverability, easy response and a slightly surfier ride, though, the Eclipse makes a lot of sense.

TEST/REVIEW DetailS FOR THE Proto T3 Eclipse

O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Proto T3 Eclipse is capable of.

Demo Info

Board: Never Summer Proto T3 Eclipse 2027, 156cm (259mm waist width)

Date: March 25, 2026

Overall Impression

The Proto T3 Eclipse sat in a really nice middle ground between stability and a looser, surfier feel.

I wouldn’t call it outright playful, but it definitely had some playfulness to it. It didn’t require an aggressive riding style to bring it to life and felt responsive even when I was putting only light input into it.

Compared to the Proto T3 Ultra, it was considerably easier to ride. It turned more quickly, flexed more easily and offered more accessible pop. The trade-off was that it didn’t carve as hard, bomb as confidently or remain as composed when the snow got chopped up.

Overall, it felt like a board that prioritized agility, powder, trees and general ease of use over raw power and stability.

Board Feel and Flex

The Eclipse felt normal in terms of weight, both in hand and when riding. It was a touch lighter than the Ultra and also felt lighter and easier to move around on snow.

The overall feel was stable but bordering on semi-loose.

It wasn’t an especially damp board. I felt noticeably more chatter than I did on the Ultra and perhaps a touch more than on my control board too.

It leaned slightly more toward snappy than smooth, but it wasn’t ultra-snappy either. Its looser, surfier nature gave it a smoother sensation in some situations, while it was still capable of snapping quickly between turns.

Carving

The Eclipse wasn’t bad on a carve, but it didn’t have the same carving ability as the Ultra.

It didn’t feel as powerful or as composed when I tried to really drive it into bigger, faster carves. I’d also put it a touch behind my control board for carving.

It could still carve decently well at moderate speeds, but riders looking to aggressively lay the board over at higher speeds would likely find its limits.

Turning

Turning was one of the Eclipse’s strongest areas.

At slower speeds, it felt exceptionally maneuverable. It transitioned edge-to-edge quickly and allowed me to make sharp, tight turns without requiring much effort. This made it particularly well suited to technical terrain, trees and any situation where I needed to adjust my line quickly.

Not completely catch-free – but only a small amount of catch-threat. Noticeably less catch-prone than the Ultra, and any catchiness was very minimal overall.

Speed

The Eclipse wasn’t designed to be a hard-charging bomber, and that became clear when I increased the speed.

It felt less stable than the Ultra and got bounced around more when the terrain became rough. It also developed a little more wobble when I opened it up.

It handled moderate speeds without any major issues, but speed wasn’t where it felt most comfortable.

Uneven Terrain

In chop it didn’t remain as planted as the Ultra, which was expected. It got deflected more easily and felt more chatter in messy snow.

Its quick maneuverability meant I could recover and change my line easily, but it wasn’t a board that simply plowed through everything in its path.

Trees and moguls were a different story. This was one of the Eclipse’s best areas. Its fast edge-to-edge transitions and sharp turning ability made it really fun in tight spaces. It should also work particularly well in deeper powder through trees, where both float and agility are important.

Powder

The Eclipse felt pretty good in the powder I had on the day.

I didn’t get it into anything exceptionally deep, but its specs and overall surfier personality gave me plenty of confidence that powder was one of its stronger areas.

Jumps

The Eclipse performed well for jumps and offered a good balance between maneuverability and stability.

Its pop was much easier to access than the Ultra’s and felt similar to my control board in terms of the effort required. It didn’t produce as much total pop as the Ultra, but I could access what it had more easily and consistently.

Approaches felt nicely balanced. It was stable enough to inspire confidence but remained easy to adjust if my speed or line wasn’t quite right.

Landings offered a similarly useful balance. They felt reasonably solid while remaining forgiving when I didn’t land perfectly. Tail-heavy landings weren’t ideal because of the directional shape, but regular landings felt good.

It was particularly enjoyable for side hits, where its easy pop and quick maneuverability allowed me to set up and execute side hits easily.

Switch and Spins

Switch transitions felt easy and had very little catch risk, but riding switch didn’t felt overly natural due to how directional the board is.

For spins taking off and landing nose first, it felt light and easy. The swing weight was good, and setting up for spins didn’t require much effort.

There may have been the slightest tendency to continue a spin after landing, but it wasn’t significant enough to cause any real concern.

Naturally, switch takeoffs and landings weren’t as comfortable. Even so, the Eclipse remained surprisingly decent for switch takeoffs and landing, for a directionally shaped freeride board.

Ollies, Butters and Jibs

Ollies were noticeably easier than they were on the Ultra. The Eclipse felt roughly as easy to load and release as my control board, with plenty of accessible pop.

The nose and tail were also easier to press than those on the Ultra. They felt similar in difficulty to my control board, though the nose and tail had a noticeably uneven feel because of the directional shape.

It wasn’t an ideal jib board, but it handled jibs better than the Ultra. Considering its directional freeride design, it was actually pretty decent and didn’t feel completely out of place on occasional boxes or rails.

Edge Hold

Edge hold was solid without being exceptional.

It should offer enough hold for most conditions, but riders regularly dealing with firm or icy snow may want something with a little more bite.

Score Breakdown and Final Verdict

Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.

The Proto T3 Eclipse is an easy going ride that required very little effort to turn, pop and generally get a response from, which made it approachable and really enjoyable to ride at slower to moderate speeds.

That easier nature also placed some limits on what it could do. It wasn’t as capable when it came to big, high-speed carves, bombing or maintaining stability through heavily chopped-up snow. That said, it wasn’t terrible in those areas either.

For trees, powder, quick turns, side hits and more relaxed, flowing freeriding, the Eclipse was top-tier. It offered a lively, slightly surfy ride without becoming excessively loose or playful.