The Top 5 Beginner Snowboards for Women

Board: GNU Chromatic

Beginner Board Rating Score: 90.0/100

Ability Level: Beginner-to-intermediate

Style of Board: All-Mountain

Flex: Soft (3/10)

  *HARD/ICY SNOW OPTION

If you're looking for a board that's great for leaning and progressing on but is also awesome in hard/icy conditions, for those who experience them regularly, then the Chromatic is a great option.

It's nice and versatile, so you don't have to know what style you're leaning towards.  

Not the cheapest on this list, but if you've got a decent budget this is definitely an option.

Learn More About the Chromatic in the Video Below

This video is for the 2021 model, but the only difference between it and the 2022 model is the graphic. 

Score Breakdown for the Chromatic

Board: Burton Stylus

Beginner Board Rating Score: 90/100

Ability Level: Beginner to Beginner

Style of Board: Freestyle

Flex: Soft (2/10)

  *FAST PROGRESSION

The Burton Stylus is a super easy ride - one of those boards that will accelerate your progression – so if you’re looking to improve as quickly as possible and are happy with having to upgrade once you’ve upped your skill level and/or found your preferred style, then this is going to be a great choice.

Also great for anyone foreseeing a future riding freestyle/park. Or wants a fun, playful board for messing around with or beating up in the park in the future. 

Check out the Video for More on the Stylus

The following video is for the 2020 model, but nothing much has changed since then, apart from the graphic. 

Score Breakdown for the Stylus

Board: YES Emoticon

Beginner Board Rating Score: 90.5/100

Ability Level: Beginner to Advanced

Style of Board: All-Mountain Freestyle 

Flex: Medium-Soft (4/10)

  *HARD/ICY SNOW OPTION

The Emoticon is a great option for those who have a few days under their belt snowboarding, but are still beginners and for those who encounters hard/icy snow conditions often – so if you’re on the East (Ice) Coast of North America, for example.

It’s got a great balance of being versatile but also offering a fast progression. It’s easy to ride but it will last you for the long term in terms of your progression and your style.

And of course, it’s not just for icy conditions – my wife owns this board and loves it in all conditions.

Check out the video for more on the YES Emoticon

The Emoticon’s Score Breakdown

Board: Salomon Lotus

Beginner Board Rating Score: 91/100

Ability Level: Beginner-to-intermediate

Style of Board: All-Mountain

Flex: Soft (3/10)

The Lotus is a versatile all-mountain board that's great for progression, particularly if you think you want to transition into a camber dominant board in the future. 

There isn't any rocker in the camber profile which would usually cause me to cross it off the list straight away, but the Lotus has edges that are slightly turned up at the contact points, allowing for easy turn initiations and a more catch free ride. 

The Lotus is the equal cheapest on this list too, so it's a great option for those with a smaller budget. 

Salomon Lotus Score Breakdown

Board: Rossignol Myth

Beginner Board Rating Score: 91/100

Ability Level: Beginner to Intermediate

Style of Board: Freestyle

Flex: Soft (3/10)

  *FAST PROGRESSION

And coming in at #7 is the Rossignol Myth. 

You’ll be able to progress super-fast on this board and it will really boost your confidence.

The only downside is that it’s not that versatile. It’s a freestyle board, so if you plan on riding in the park, then this will be a great option to keep as your park board. But even if you don’t plan riding the park, this is one of those boards that will just get you riding better, fast – just be willing to upgrade at some point, particularly if you get into more all-mountain/freeride type riding.

The 2022 Myth gets a little more camber in the profile. The 2021 model was 20% camber in the middle, with 40% rocker towards the tip and 40% rocker towards the tail (40/20/40), it's now 35/30/35,  but still rocker dominant. 

Score Breakdown for the Myth

Board: Roxy Dawn

Beginner Board Rating Score: 92/100

Ability Level: Beginner-to-intermediate

Style of Board: Freestyle

Flex: Soft (3/10)

  *FAST PROGRESSION

The Roxy Dawn comes in at #6. It's another more freestyle focused deck. Great for those that simply want an easy riding board to progress quickly on or someone who sees freestyle in their future.

It's easy turning, yet stable and comes in at a nice friendly price - the equal cheapest on this list.   

Roxy Dawn Score Breakdown

Board: Ride Heartbreaker

Beginner Board Rating Score: 92/100

Ability Level: Beginner to Intermediate

Style of Board: Freestyle 

Flex: Soft (2/10)

  *FAST PROGRESSION

The Ride Heartbreaker comes in at #5 and has a nice soft flex and is an easy, catch-free ride.

It's maybe not the most versatile, being a more freestyle/park oriented board - but otherwise it's very beginner friendly - and if you think you're going to get into freestyle riding at some point, it's a great investment - something that you can learn your core skills on now - and then have as a park board for later. 

Check out the Video for More on the Heartbreaker

The Heartbreaker's Score Breakdown

Board: K2 First Lite

Beginner Board Rating Score: 92/100

Ability Level: Beginner to Intermediate

Style of Board: All-Mountain

Flex: Soft (2/10)

  *FAST PROGRESSION

Whilst not being that versatile when it comes to ability level (you’ll need to upgrade eventually), the K2 First Lite is really versatile when it comes to keeping your options open for the type of riding you will naturally flow towards. You can go anywhere and ride any style on this board.

But that’s not it’s real strength as a beginner board – it’s real strength lies in the fact that it’s easy to ride, catch free and confidence inspiring – so you can progress really fast on this board – and have a lot of fun in the process.

Check out the video for more on the First Lite

The following video is for the 2020 model, but nothing much has changed since then, apart from the graphic

Score Breakdown for the First Lite

Board: Rossignol Gala

Beginner Board Rating Score: 93/100

Ability Level: Beginner to Intermediate

Style of Board: All-Mountain 

Flex: Soft (3/10)

  **FAST PROGRESSION

The Rossignol Gala is the perfect balance of fast progression and versatility.

It’s an all mountain board and can take you into any style you naturally flow into – and it will get you there fast. It’s forgiving, catch-free, has easy maneuverability and is just a really easy going ride. 

The 2022 Gala gets a little more camber in the profile. The 2021 model was 20% camber in the middle, with 40% rocker towards the tip and 40% rocker towards the tail (40/20/40), it's now 30/30/40 - still rocker dominant though - and now with a more directional camber profile, with more rocker in the nose compared to the tail. 

Score Breakdown for the Gala

Board: Arbor Ethos

Beginner Board Rating Score: 93/100

Ability Level: Beginner-to-Intermediate

Style of Board: All-Mountain-Freestyle

Flex: Soft (3/10)

The Ethos is practically the perfect board to start snowboarding on.

It's catch-free, easy to initiate turns on and super maneuverable at slower speeds.

It's a little on the looser side, which is a plus for initiating turns but can sometimes make coming off the lift a bit more challenging, but it's something you get used to. 

Otherwise this is pretty much the ultimate board to get your snowboarding journey started on. 

Learn More About the Ethos in the Video Below

Score Breakdown for the Ethos

Board: Nitro Lectra

Beginner Board Rating Score: 94.0/100

Ability Level: Beginner-to-Intermediate

Style of Board: All-Mountain

Flex: Soft (3/10)

  **FAST PROGRESSION

And finally the #1 board in this list is Nitro's Lectra.

This board has everything you want for your first board. It's easy to turn, easy to ride, maneuverable at slow speeds and makes it really unlikely to catch an edge. That, plus it's really versatile, so it can take you into whatever style you naturally progress towards.

It's also the equal cheapest on this list, so you won't have to make as much of an investment getting your first board. 

Learn More About the Lectra in the Video Below

Score Breakdown for the Lectra