The following 10 boards are what we consider to be the best snowboards for intermediate riders for the 2025-2026 season.
These boards have been chosen as boards that are still not too difficult to ride, but at the same time offer a little more performance than what we'd typically recommend for beginners.
The boards in this list are best for high-end beginners or low-end intermediate riders that are looking for a board that can get them to the next level.
Each board is given a rating out of 100 for easier comparison.
Price has not been considered in the ratings.
#10: Burton Process Flying V
Flex: Medium (4.5/10)
FEEL: LOOSE
Style of Board: All-Mountain
INTERMEDIATE rating score: 85.9/100
Starting off our list this year at #10 is Burton's Process Flying V.
The Process Flying V is one of the more versatile boards going around for those that want a playful take on all-mountain riding.
Also, great for helping you get to that next level if you're a progressing high-end beginner/low-end intermediate rider.
Score Breakdown for the Process Flying V
| FACTOR | Rating (/5) | Weighted |
|---|---|---|
| Flex Score | 4.5 | 18/20 |
| Turning Ease | 4.5 | 18/20 |
| Versatility | 4 | 8/10 |
| Category Score | 83.7 | 41.85/50 |
| TOTAL (after normalizing): | 85.9/100 |
#9: Slash Brainstorm
Flex: Medium (5.5/10)
FEEL: Stable
Style of Board: ALL-MOUNTAIN
INTERMEDIATE rating score: 86.3/100
The Brainstorm is great option for those who want just a bit more stiffness compared to most on this list. Still a mid-flex, but just a touch stiffer than most here. If you're quite an athletic rider, or weight more than the average, you might like that extra rigidity.
But it's not stiff by any means and it's not super technical to ride or anything. It's got very subtle camber between the feet and is a really easy turning board.
So, if you think you want to step it up just a touch more with the flex, but still want something that's easy enough to turn and is otherwise a really high performance board, this could be a great option for you. It's one that is a a great all-mountain board in it's own right, not taking into account being good for an intermediate rider.
Score Breakdown for the Brainstorm
| FACTOR | Rating (/5) | Weighted |
|---|---|---|
| Flex Score | 4 | 16/20 |
| Turning Ease | 4 | 16/20 |
| Versatility | 5 | 10/10 |
| Category Score | 88.6 | 44.3/50 |
| TOTAL (after normalizing): | 86.3/100 |
#8: Bataleon Tornado X Beyond Medals
Flex: MID-SOFT (4/10)
FEEL: Semi-Loose
Style of Board: ALL-MOUNTAIN-Freestyle
INTERMEDIATE rating score: 86.4/100
Our #8 pick is Bataleon's Tornado X Beyond Medals.
Similar to Bataleon's Whatever (a great intermediate option in its own right and only one position off making this year's list), the Tornado X Beyond Medals is a lively playful ride that might take a bit to tame at first
But once you get used to its feel, it's something that gives you the opportunity to really expand your riding on and explore new things that you may not of thought were possible for you on a snowboard.
>>See Full Review (full review coming)
Score Breakdown for the Tonado X Beyond Medals
| FACTOR | Rating (/5) | Weighted |
|---|---|---|
| Flex Score | 4 | 16/20 |
| Turning Ease | 5 | 20/20 |
| Versatility | 3.5 | 7/10 |
| Category Score | 86.7 | 43.35/50 |
| TOTAL (after normalizing): | 86.4/100 |
#7: Never Summer Benchmark
Flex: MEDIUM (5/10)
FEEL: SEMI-LOOSE (bordering on stable)
Style of Board: Mellow Freeride
INTERMEDIATE rating score: 87.2/100
Never Summer's Benchmark takes the #7 spot this year.
New for the 25/26 season, the Benchmark is one of two mellow freeride boards in this list and is a great option for those that have started to get into freeriding/powder or want to get into it in the near future.
>>See Full Review (full review coming)
Score Breakdown for the Benchmark
| FACTOR | Rating (/5) | Weighted |
|---|---|---|
| Flex Score | 5 | 20/20 |
| Turning Ease | 4.5 | 18/20 |
| Versatility | 3.5 | 7/10 |
| Category Score | 84.4 | 42.2/50 |
| TOTAL (after normalizing): | 87.2/100 |
#6: YES Cream Halldor 3D
Flex: MID-SOFT (4/10)
FEEL: Semi-Loose
Style of Board: Freestyle
INTERMEDIATE rating score: 88.8/100
Occupying the #6 spot is the YES Cream Halldor 3D.
The Cream Halldor 3D is a great option for those intermediate riders who are getting into or want to get into freestyle tricks and riding the park.
It's the kind of board that allows you to try things with a very low-catch-risk but high energy feel to give you confidence getting started out exploring the park and ground tricks/side-hits on the groomers.
Score Breakdown for the Yes Cream Halldor 3D
| FACTOR | Rating (/5) | Weighted |
|---|---|---|
| Flex Score | 4.5 | 18/20 |
| Turning Ease | 5 | 20/20 |
| Versatility | 3.5 | 7/10 |
| Category Score | 87.5 | 43.75/50 |
| TOTAL (after normalizing): | 88.8/100 |
#5: Lib Tech Terrain Wrecker
Flex: Medium (5/10)
FEEL: SEMI-LOOSE
Style of Board: ALL-MOUNTAIN
INTERMEDIATE rating score: 89.7/100
Next up we have Lib Tech's Terrain Wrecker.
The Terrain Wrecker is a really easy to ride board, but one with very good performance too. Even for more advanced rider's who prefer a board that's not too stiff/demanding.
It's one of the most versatile boards going around, for those that want a one-board-quiver and, importantly for this list, is something that's very doable for a lower intermediate rider.
Score Breakdown for the Terrain Wrecker
| FACTOR | Rating (/5) | Weighted |
|---|---|---|
| Flex Score | 5 | 20/20 |
| Turning Ease | 4 | 16/20 |
| Versatility | 5 | 10/10 |
| Category Score | 87.3 | 43.65/50 |
| TOTAL (after normalizing): | 89.7/100 |
#4: Jones Frontier 2.0
Flex: MEDIUM (5/10)
FEEL: Stable
Style of Board: Mellow Freeride
INTERMEDIATE rating score: 89.7/100
Our #4 entry, the Jones Frontier 2.0 is new for Jones' 2026 lineup and provides a great option for intermediate riders looking for a more directional board, to help them progress in/get started exploring powder and freeriding.
It's the second mellow freeride board on this list (the other being the Never Summer Benchmark at #7 above).
>>See Full Review (full review coming)
Score Breakdown for the Jones Frontier 2.0
| FACTOR | Rating (/5) | Weighted |
|---|---|---|
| Flex Score | 5 | 20/20 |
| Turning Ease | 4.5 | 18/20 |
| Versatility | 3.5 | 7/10 |
| Category Score | 89.4 | 44.7/50 |
| TOTAL (after normalizing): | 89.7/100 |
#3: Lib Tech dPr
Flex: MEDIUM (5/10)
FEEL: Semi-Loose
Style of Board: All-Mountain
INTERMEDIATE rating score: 90.1/100
Another new board for 25/26, Lib Tech's dPr, takes our #3 position this year.
The dPr is a really versatile all-mountain, do-everything, go-anywhere, board that's on the more playful side.
It provides an energy that takes a bit more controlling than a more stable board might. But on the flip side it's super easy to initiate turns on and the energy that it provides comes with very little effort, allowing you to do more with less effort, once you get the feel for how this board responds to your input.
>>See Full Review (full review coming)
Score Breakdown for the dPr
| FACTOR | Rating (/5) | Weighted |
|---|---|---|
| Flex Score | 5 | 20/20 |
| Turning Ease | 4.5 | 18/20 |
| Versatility | 4.5 | 9/10 |
| Category Score | 86.1 | 43.05/50 |
| TOTAL (after normalizing): | 90.1/100 |
#2: Never Summer Trooper
Flex: MEDIUM (5/10)
FEEL: SEMI-LOOSE (bordering on stable)
Style of Board: All-Mountain
INTERMEDIATE rating score: 90.7/100
Our penultimate board, at #2, is Never Summer's Trooper.
It takes over from where the Snowtrooper left off and is quite similar to its predecessor, though not simply a name change.
The Trooper has some updates that add up to a board that outperforms the Snowtrooper but still provides a ride that is easy going enough for the high-end beginner/low intermediate rider to tame, but provides more progression potential in what we thought was a super fun/intuitive board to ride.
>>See Full Review (full review coming)
Score Breakdown for the Trooper
| FACTOR | Rating (/5) | Weighted |
|---|---|---|
| Flex Score | 5 | 20/20 |
| Turning Ease | 4.5 | 18/20 |
| Versatility | 4.5 | 9/10 |
| Category Score | 87.3 | 43.65/50 |
| TOTAL (after normalizing): | 90.7/100 |
#1: Bataleon Goliath
Flex: Medium (5/10)
FEEL: Stable
Style of Board: ALL-MOUNTAIN
INTERMEDIATE rating score: 91.3/100
And finally, in at #1, we have Bataleon's Goliath snowboard.
The Goliath has that knack of being catch-free but also snappy, poppy and high performance. This is in part to do with the 3BT (curved base) in the base, coupled with a full camber profile.
The Goliath is a super versatile, go-anywhere, do-anything ride that will still be fun and relevant when you're more advanced, but is something that is easy going and confidence building for the here and now for progressing riders.
Score Breakdown for the Goliath
| FACTOR | Rating (/5) | Weighted |
|---|---|---|
| Flex Score | 5 | 20/20 |
| Turning Ease | 4.5 | 18/20 |
| Versatility | 4.5 | 9/10 |
| Category Score | 88.6 | 44.3/50 |
| TOTAL (after normalizing): | 91.3/100 |
Over To You
So there's our top 10 Intermediate boards for 2025-2026.
Hopefully this list will help those of you who are straddling that gap between beginner and intermediate to find a good deck that can take you to the next level and that you won't outgrow too soon.
The scores above have been derived firstly by taking 3 factors that I see as important to a friendly board for less experienced riders, and giving 50% of the score to that. The other 50% of the score goes to how well that board performs in it's given category (i.e. all-mountain).
Check out the links under each board for more info, prices and availability.
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