Hello and welcome to my Niche Wraith review.
In this review, I will take a look at the Wraith as a freestyle snowboard.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Wraith a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how it compares with other freestyle snowboards.
NOTE: This review has not been updated beyond the 2024/2025 model.
Overall Rating
Board: Niche Wraith
Price: $499
Style: Freestyle
Flex Rating: Medium-Soft (4/10)
Flex Feel on Snow: Medium-Soft (3.5/10)
Rating Score: 87.0/100
Compared to other Men’s Freestyle Boards
Of the 33 current model freestyle snowboards that we tested:
- The average score was 83.5/100
- The highest score was 91.3/100
- The lowest score was 70.7/100
- The average price was $490
- The Wraith ranked 8th* out of 33!
* because of lack of availability it's not in the top 10 list this year, but would have been 8th on score.
Overview of the Wraith’s Specs
Check out the tables for the Wraith’s specs and available sizes.
Specs
Style: | Freestyle |
Price: | $499 - BUYING OPTIONS |
Ability Level: |  |
Flex: |  |
Feel: |  |
Turn Initiation: | Medium-Fast |
Edge-hold: |  |
Camber Profile: | Traditional Camber Niche's "Low-Rise Camber" |
Shape: | |
Setback Stance: | Centered |
Base: | Sintered |
Weight: | Normal |
Sizing
LENGTH (cm) | Waist Width (mm) | Rec Rider Weight (lb) | Rec Rider Weight (kg) |
|---|---|---|---|
145 | 246 | not available | n/a |
149 | 250 | n/a | n/a |
152 | 253 | n/a | n/a |
155 | 257 | n/a | n/a |
158 | 260 | n/a | n/a |
Who is the Wraith Most Suited To?
The Wraith is a great option for those looking for a freestyle deck that is strong on both jumps and jibs and can handle the rest of the mountain OK - and even more ideally for someone that wants a camber board, but one that has subtle camber, that isn't catchy and isn't overly aggressive.
Not for beginners, but should be fine for intermediate riders - and up.
The Wraith in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Wraith is capable of.
Demo Info
Board: Niche Wraith 2021, 155cm (257mm waist width)
Date: February 29, 2020
Conditions: Cloudy with some blue sky and sun at times. Perfect visibility.
Quite cold at -4°C (24.8°F) and was supposed to be -11°C (12.2°F) with wind chill, but didn't feel as cold as that.
20cm (8") of fresh snow overnight, so plenty of fresh to test in. Conditions were awesome on and off groomer.
Bindings angles: +15/-15
Stance width: 540mm (21.25″)
Stance Setback: Centered
Width at Inserts: 266mm (10.47")
Rider Height: 6'0"
Rider Weight: 175lbs
Rider Boot Size: US10 Salomon Lo-Fi
Bindings Used: Burton Malavita M
Powder
This is the weakest area of the Wraith, but not what it's designed for. Though Niche promote it as something that can also float in powder, it's not something that felt amazing in powder. Of course any board can ride powder, but some take more effort than others to keep the board afloat, and the Wraith is certainly on the side of more effort, than easy float, IMO.
Carving & Turning
Carving: Not a bad little carver for it's flex. Never going to be an epic carve, but for short sharp carves at not too high speeds, it's really quite fun.
Turning: A fun, snappy turning board. It's an easy turner - a board you don't have to put much effort in to turn.
Maneuverability at Slow Speeds: Nice and nimble at slow speeds
Skidded Turns: Wouldn't say ultra easy to skid turns on, but not too bad either. It's not catchy.
Speed
Started to get wobbly when really opening out but not ultra wobbly and stable up to a relatively decent speed.
Uneven Terrain
Decent in crud and good in bumpy terrain, particularly when weaving through - nice and nimble and easy turning.
Jumps
Fun board for jumps, particularly little side hits.
Pop: Good amount of pop. Not the poppiest ever, but decent enough, and that pop is easy to access.
Approach: A good balance between being relatively stable and being nimble
Landing: Good landing platform - more suited to small and medium jumps than massive kickers
Side-hits: Has everything going for it for side hits. Good maneuverability for trickier hits, good easy pop, good to spin.
Small jumps/Big Jumps: Best for small to medium jumps, IMO, not as suited to large
Switch
Really good. Pretty much the same both ways.
Spins
Easy to get the spin around. Great for landing and taking off switch. Setup for spins felt nice and easy. Enjoyed spinning it all round. Maybe not ideal for really extreme tricks but awesome for most riders.
Jibbing
Good little board on jibs. Approach felt easy to control and felt good on jibs too.
Butters
Super buttery. Really easy to press off the nose and tail.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
RATING | Contribution to Final Score | |
|---|---|---|
JUMPS | 4.0 | 16/20 |
JIBBING | 4.0 | 16/20 |
SPINS | 4.5 | 13.5/15 |
SWITCH | 4.5 | 9/10 |
BUTTERING | 4.5 | 9/10 |
UNEVEN TERRAIN | 4.0 | 4/5 |
POWDER | 2.0 | 2/5 |
SPEED | 3.0 | 3/5 |
CARVING | 3.0 | 3/5 |
TURNS/SLASHING | 4.5 | 4.5/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 87.0/100 |
The Wraith excels in the park and is fun on the rest of the mountain, not just for side-hits, but also for a bit of carving. Not epic elbows deep, break-neck speed carving, but fun short/sharp carves.
All round a really fun ride.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you want to learn more about the Wraith, 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 freestyle snowboard options, or if you want to compare how the Wraith compares to other freestyle snowboards, then check out the next link.
