
The following are my top 5 snowboards for beginners for men.
Well, more accurately this is now the Top 15 men's beginner snowboards - and has now been updated for the 2020/21 season.
Right, no time to waste, let’s get straight into the top 15.
BEGINNER BOARD #15

Board: K2 Raygun
- CANADA
Beginner Board Rating Score: 89.5/100
Ability Level: Beginner-to-Intermediate
Style of Board: All-Mountain
Flex: Medium-Soft (4/10)
To start off the list we have the K2 Raygun in #15.
The Raygun is a very versatile board, which is great to have when you're just starting out and aren't sure of your style yet.
But more importantly it's a board that offers a great combination of stability and ease of turning, in a nice medium-soft flex. It's a board that you probably want to have a couple of days on the hill first to get on, but once you've rented a couple of days, this is a great first board option.
Learn more about the Raygun in the video below
The following video is for the 2019 model, but nothing much has changed for the 2021 model, apart from the graphic.
Score Breakdown for the Raygun
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
---|---|---|
FLEX | 4.5 | 18/20 |
STABILITY | 4.5 | 18/20 |
TURNING EASE | 4.5 | 22.5/25 |
PRICE | 4.5 | 9/10 |
VERSATILITY | 4.5 | 13.5/15 |
SHAPE AND STANCE | 3.5 | 3.5/5 |
BASE | 5.0 | 5/5 |
TOTAL | 89.5/100 |
BEGINNER BOARD #14

Board: Burton Ripcord
- CANADA
Beginner Board Rating Score: 89.5/100
Ability Level: Beginner to Intermediate
Style of Board: Freeride
Flex: Soft (2/10)
*FAST PROGRESSION
It's not often that a freeride board is also a beginner board, but this is the case for the Ripcord.
So, if you're looking to get into powder in your early days riding, but don't want a super aggressive hard-to-ride freeride board, then this might be a good pick for you.
Not something that will help if you want to learn to ride switch from the beginning or if you think you'll get into riding freestyle - but great for the budding freerider.
Check out the video for more about the Ripcord
The following video is for the 2020 model, but nothing much has changed for the 2021 model, apart from the graphic.
Score Breakdown for the Ripcord
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
---|---|---|
FLEX | 5.0 | 20/20 |
STABILITY | 4.5 | 18/20 |
TURNING EASE | 5.0 | 25/25 |
PRICE | 4.5 | 9/10 |
VERSATILITY | 3.5 | 10.5/15 |
SHAPE AND STANCE | 2.0 | 2/5 |
BASE | 5.0 | 5/5 |
TOTAL | 89.5/100 |
BEGINNER BOARD #13

Board: GNU Carbon Credit Asym
- CANADA
- UK/EUROPE
Beginner Board Rating Score: 89.5/100
Ability Level: Beginner to Intermediate
Style of Board: Freestyle
Flex: Soft (3/10)
*HARD/ICY SNOW OPTION
GNU's Carbon Credit Asym is one of the easiest boards to turn going around, so if you're still trying to link your turns, this is one board that will make it easy to do.
It's quite a loose feeling board - which can be a little tricky when it comes to getting off the lifts but otherwise a great board to learn on.
And if you're looking at getting into riding freestyle/park, then this will be a great investment for that style of riding.
Also a great option for those that encounter hard/icy conditions often.
Check out the video for more about the Carbon Credit Asym
The following video is for the 2020 model, but nothing much has changed for the 2021 model, apart from the graphic.
Score Breakdown for the Carbon Credit Asym
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
---|---|---|
FLEX | 5.0 | 20/20 |
STABILITY | 4.0 | 16/20 |
TURNING EASE | 5.0 | 25/25 |
PRICE | 4.0 | 8/10 |
VERSATILITY | 3.5 | 10.5/15 |
SHAPE AND STANCE | 5.0 | 5/5 |
BASE | 5.0 | 5/5 |
TOTAL | 89.5/100 |
BEGINNER BOARD #12

Board: Rossignol Sawblade
- CANADA
Beginner Board Rating Score: 90/100
Ability Level: Beginner to Intermediate
Style of Board: Jib/Park
Flex: Soft (3/10)
*FAST PROGRESSION
The Sawblade offers a really easy going ride that, like the other Rossi boards in this list, features their "Auto-Turn" camber profile, which offers both ease of turn initiation but also enough stability.
This is a park/jib oriented board. So, if you think that's something you'll get into later, then this is a great investment that you can learn to ride on now and that you can keep even when you upgrade to something for riding the rest of the mountain, then using this as your park deck.
Check out the video for more about the Sawblade
Score Breakdown for the Sawblade
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
---|---|---|
FLEX | 5.0 | 20/20 |
STABILITY | 4.5 | 18/20 |
TURNING EASE | 5.0 | 25/25 |
PRICE | 4.5 | 9/10 |
VERSATILITY | 3.0 | 9/15 |
SHAPE AND STANCE | 5.0 | 5/5 |
BASE | 4.0 | 4/5 |
TOTAL | 90/100 |
BEGINNER BOARD #11

Board: Arbor Formula Rocker
- CANADA
Beginner Board Rating Score: 90/100
Ability Level: Beginner to Intermediate
Style of Board: All-Mountain-Freestyle
Flex: Medium-Soft (4/10)
The Formula Rocker offers an easy going rocker profile that is catch-free and easy to initiate turns on. But Arbor do their rocker in such a way (called their System Rocker) that it's not as loose feeling as most all-rocker boards tend to feel.
It's still on the looser side (something that makes it easier to turn on but can be tricky one-footing it off the lift) but not as loose as a lot of other continuous rocker boards.
It's also a little stiffer than some boards on this list - which can make it more difficult but will also mean that it can be ridden further into the intermediate phase - and certainly within in the realm of most beginners, in terms of flex, unless you're quite light in terms of weight.
Check out the video for more about the Formula Rocker
The following video is for the 2019 model, but nothing much has changed for the 2021 model, apart from the graphic.
Score Breakdown for the Formula Rocker
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
---|---|---|
FLEX | 4.5 | 18/20 |
STABILITY | 4.0 | 16/20 |
TURNING EASE | 5.0 | 25/25 |
PRICE | 4.5 | 9/10 |
VERSATILITY | 4.0 | 12/15 |
SHAPE AND STANCE | 5.0 | 5/5 |
BASE | 5.0 | 5/5 |
TOTAL | 90/100 |
BEGINNER BOARD #10

Board: Ride Agenda
- CANADA
Beginner Board Rating Score: 90.5/100
Ability Level: Beginner-to-intermediate
Style of Board: Freestyle
Flex: Medium-Soft (3/10)
*FAST PROGRESSION
The Agenda is very much a freestyle snowboard – so if you were to go into something other than that once you progressed past the beginner phase, you would need to upgrade. But it's also great for just learning how to ride on before you get to that point.
Otherwise it has an easy going hybrid camber profile with a camber section under the feet for stability and rocker sections towards the tip and tail for easier turn initiation plus a nice easy soft flex rating of 3 out of 10.
Note, confusingly Ride refer to it as a hybrid rocker profile, but by my definition it's hybrid camber (because the rocker is tip and tail, rather than between the feet).
Learn More About the Agenda in the Video Below
The following video is for the 2020 model, but nothing much has changed for the 2021 model, apart from the graphic.
Ride Agenda Score Breakdown
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
---|---|---|
FLEX | 5.0 | 20/20 |
STABILITY | 5.0 | 20/20 |
TURNING EASE | 4.5 | 22.5/25 |
PRICE | 4.5 | 9/10 |
VERSATILITY | 3.0 | 9/15 |
SHAPE AND STANCE | 5.0 | 5/5 |
BASE | 5.0 | 5/5 |
TOTAL | 90.5/100 |
BEGINNER BOARD #9

Board: Salomon Pulse
- CANADA
Beginner Board Rating Score: 91/100
Ability Level: Beginner to Intermediate
Style of Board: All-Mountain
Flex: Soft (3/10)
The only downside to the Pulse as a beginner board is that there isn't any rocker to speak of in the camber profile. This would usually cause me to cross it off the list straight away, but the Pulse is easy enough to turn on in spite of that. And part of that is the edges are slightly turned up at the contact points.
A great option if you want a versatile all-mountain ride and think that you might want to go for a traditional camber board down the line - an easier gateway to trad camber than going straight to trad camber.
This is also the equal cheapest on the list.
Check out the video for more about the Pulse
The following video is for the 2020 model, but nothing much has changed for the 2021 model, apart from the graphic.
Score Breakdown for the Pulse
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
---|---|---|
FLEX | 5.0 | 20/20 |
STABILITY | 5.0 | 20/20 |
TURNING EASE | 4.0 | 20/25 |
PRICE | 5.0 | 10/10 |
VERSATILITY | 4.0 | 12/15 |
SHAPE AND STANCE | 4.0 | 4/5 |
BASE | 5.0 | 5/5 |
TOTAL | 91/100 |
BEGINNER BOARD #8

Board: YES Basic
- CANADA
Rating Score (as a beginner board): 91.5/100
Style of Board: Freestyle
Ability Level: Beginner-to-Advanced
Flex: Medium-Soft (4/10)
*HARD/ICY SNOW OPTION
The YES Basic is a great little freestyle board that is also well suited to beginners.
It has a nice forgiving medium-soft flex, is easy to turn on but still feels very stable underfoot.
It’s a great option for those that often ride in harder or icy conditions, is very versatile and is a board that can take you beyond the beginner stage and even beyond the intermediate stage, if you're riding takes a freestyle dominant path.
Check out the video for more on the YES Basic
The Basic’s Score Breakdown
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
---|---|---|
FLEX | 4.5 | 18/20 |
STABILITY | 5.0 | 20/20 |
TURNING EASE | 4.5 | 22.5/25 |
PRICE | 4.5 | 9/10 |
VERSATILITY | 4.0 | 12/15 |
SHAPE AND STANCE | 5.0 | 5/5 |
BASE | 5.0 | 5/5 |
TOTAL | 91.5/100 |
BEGINNER BOARD #7

Board: Rossignol District
- CANADA
Beginner Board Rating Score: 92/100
Ability Level: Beginner-to-Intermediate
Style of Board: Freestyle
Flex: Medium-Soft (3/10)
Basically perfect for the beginner - a very easy board to learn on that should ensure fast progression.
It's a great option for those that want to head in a freestyle direction, or want something to learn the basics on, then either keep it in their quiver as their beat-up park deck or upgrade and sell.
Check out the Video for More on the District
This video is a couple of years old now. But the district is the same board as it was back then.
The Districts Score Breakdown
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
---|---|---|
FLEX | 5.0 | 20/20 |
STABILITY | 4.5 | 18/20 |
TURNING EASE | 5.0 | 25/25 |
PRICE | 5.0 | 10/10 |
VERSATILITY | 3.0 | 9/15 |
SHAPE AND STANCE | 5.0 | 5/5 |
BASE | 5.0 | 5/5 |
TOTAL | 92/100 |
BEGINNER BOARD #6

Board: Nitro Prime
- CANADA
Beginner Board Rating Score: 92/100
Ability Level: Beginner to Intermediate
Style of Board: All-Mountain
Flex: Medium-Soft (4/10)
At #6 we have the Nitro Prime. The Prime is an easy to ride/progress on entry level board, that is nice and versatile for those starting out not knowing how they want to ride yet.
It's the equal cheapest board on this list, so if you're a beginner snowboarder on a budget, this is definitely worth considering.
Check out the video for more about the Prime Screen
Score Breakdown for the Prime Screen
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
---|---|---|
FLEX | 4.5 | 18/20 |
STABILITY | 4.5 | 18/20 |
TURNING EASE | 5.0 | 25/25 |
PRICE | 5.0 | 10/10 |
VERSATILITY | 4.0 | 12/15 |
SHAPE AND STANCE | 4.0 | 4/5 |
BASE | 5.0 | 5/5 |
TOTAL | 92/100 |
BEGINNER BOARD #5

Board: Burton Instigator
- CANADA
- UK/EUROPE
Beginner Board Rating Score: 92.5/100
Ability Level: Beginner to Intermediate
Style of Board: All-Mountain
Flex: Soft (2/10)
*FAST PROGRESSION
The Instigator is a great board to get your snowboard learning underway and whilst you’ll probably want to upgrade once you’ve surpassed the intermediate phase, it can take you into any type of riding you would want to go.
It's not the cheapest on this list - but you could argue that it's the most beginner friendly (and it's still really reasonably priced)
Learn More About the Instigator in the Video Below
The following video is for the 2020 model, but nothing much has changed for the 2021 model, apart from the graphic.
Score Breakdown for the Instigator
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
---|---|---|
FLEX | 5.0 | 20/20 |
STABILITY | 4.5 | 18/20 |
TURNING EASE | 5.0 | 25/25 |
PRICE | 4.5 | 9/10 |
VERSATILITY | 4.0 | 12/15 |
SHAPE AND STANCE | 3.5 | 3.5/5 |
BASE | 5.0 | 5/5 |
TOTAL | 92.5/100 |
BEGINNER BOARD #4

Board: K2 Standard
- CANADA
Beginner Board Rating Score: 93/100
Ability Level: Beginner to Intermediate
Style of Board: All-Mountain
Flex: Soft (2/10)
*FAST PROGRESSION
This is a great option to start your snowboarding journey out on.
Like most here, it’s an up-to-intermediate level ride but it’s definitely a do-it-all kind of board – so you won’t have to worry about knowing the type of riding that you think you'll like.
More importantly, it’s a board designed to be very easy to ride and to build confidence on.
The price went up a little for the 2021 model, but only by a very small amount and still a really reasonably priced snowboard.
Learn More About the Standard in the Video Below
The following video is for the 2020 model, but nothing much has changed for the 2021 model, apart from the graphic.
Score Breakdown for the K2 Standard
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
---|---|---|
FLEX | 5.0 | 20/20 |
STABILITY | 4.5 | 18/20 |
TURNING EASE | 5.0 | 25/25 |
PRICE | 4.5 | 9/10 |
VERSATILITY | 4.0 | 12/15 |
SHAPE AND STANCE | 4.0 | 4/5 |
BASE | 5.0 | 5/5 |
TOTAL | 93/100 |
BEGINNER BOARD #3

Board: Arbor Foundation
- CANADA
Beginner Board Rating Score: 93/100
Ability Level: Beginner to Intermediate
Style of Board: All-Mountain-Freestyle
Flex: Soft (3/10)
*FAST PROGRESSION
The Foundation is about the ideal beginner board.
The only thing is that it's a little on the looser side, which can make it more difficult to one-foot off the lift. But it's certainly not super-loose. Not as loose as other continuous rocker boards tend to be, due to Arbor's System Rocker approach.
All-round it's a super easy going, catch-free, easy to turn ride that is confidence inspiring.
Check out the video for more about the Foundation
The following video is for the 2020 model, but nothing much has changed for the 2021 model, apart from the graphic.
Score Breakdown for the Foundation
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
---|---|---|
FLEX | 5.0 | 20/20 |
STABILITY | 4.0 | 16/20 |
TURNING EASE | 5.0 | 25/25 |
PRICE | 5.0 | 10/10 |
VERSATILITY | 4.0 | 12/15 |
SHAPE AND STANCE | 5.0 | 5/5 |
BASE | 5.0 | 5/5 |
TOTAL | 93/100 |
BEGINNER BOARD #2

Board: Rossignol Circuit
- CANADA
Beginner Board Rating Score: 94/100
Ability Level: Beginner to Intermediate
Style of Board: All-Mountain
Flex: Soft (3/10)
*FAST PROGRESSION
This freestyle leaning all-mountain board is a great starter board. It’s nice and forgiving, with easy turn initiations but also with a stable enough feel, when riding at slower speeds.
Whilst, it would need to be upgraded once you graduated from an intermediate level – it’s versatile enough to take you in any direction you wanted to go, up until that time.
Learn More About the Circuit in the Video Below
This video is a couple of yeas old now. But the Circuit hasn't changed for a while now.
Score Breakdown for the Circuit
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
---|---|---|
FLEX | 5.0 | 20/20 |
STABILITY | 4.5 | 18/20 |
TURNING EASE | 5.0 | 25/25 |
PRICE | 5.0 | 10/10 |
VERSATILITY | 4.0 | 12/15 |
SHAPE AND STANCE | 4.0 | 4/5 |
BASE | 5.0 | 5/5 |
TOTAL | 94/100 |
BEGINNER BOARD #1

Board: Salomon Sight
- CANADA
Beginner Board Rating Score: 96/100
Ability Level: Beginner-to-Intermediate
Style of Board: All-Mountain
Flex: Soft (3/10)
*FAST PROGRESSION
And the #1 beginner boards this year - the Salomon Sight.
It's one of the easiest boards out there to progress on – it’s nice and forgiving, catch-free, easy to initiate turns on and nice and stable underfoot at slow speeds.
Whilst there is a reasonable amount of camber there - it's still really forgiving and easy to initiate turns on - and gives you a great introduction into more camber dominant boards, if that's where you're headed to.
It’s also a very versatile board being an all-mountain board – so no matter which style of riding you get into as you progress, you’ll have a board that can take you there.
The only thing that drags down the versatility score (and overall score) and stops it from being a completely perfect score, is that that you’ll probably want to upgrade once you progress beyond an intermediate level. But it will be one of those boards that you can use to progress to beyond that intermediate level faster than most boards out there.
On top of all of that, it’s a really reasonably priced board – helping to make it Snowboarding Profiles’ all-round #1 beginner snowboard.
Check out the video for more on the Sight
This is for the 2020 Sight Wide, but same things apply for wide and regular width models, depending on your boot size. The 2021 model is virtually the same as the 2020 model.
Score Breakdown for the Sight
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
---|---|---|
FLEX | 5.0 | 20/20 |
STABILITY | 5.0 | 20/20 |
TURNING EASE | 5.0 | 25/25 |
PRICE | 5.0 | 10/10 |
VERSATILITY | 4.0 | 12/15 |
SHAPE AND STANCE | 4.0 | 4/5 |
BASE | 5.0 | 5/5 |
TOTAL | 96/100 |
Over to You
So there you have my top 15 snowboards for beginners for the 2020/21 season. Hopefully this has helped you in choosing your beginner snowboard.
Often models don't change that much from year to year so if you can find a 2020 model, it will likely be close enough to the 2021 model but you can get it cheaper, if available in your size. For the latest model check out the links under each board above. For past year's models check out the links below to see if they still have any left.
>>Snowboards at the evo outlet store
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