The Top 5 Snowboards for Beginners (men’s)

Comments

1. Leo says

   December 27, 2019 at 9:46 am

   Hi Nate,

   If I am 187cm tall and have big foot (US11)
   should I choose Rossignol Circuit 156W or 160?
   Thanks,
   Leo

   Reply

   • Nate says

     January 1, 2020 at 12:36 pm

     Hi Leo

     Thanks for your message – and apologies for the slow response. Bit behind at the moment after vacation.

     If you could also let me know your weight that would be great. Weight is an important factor for length sizing.

     In any case the 160 is probably risking it being too narrow – so it would be between the 156W and 161W, depending on weight, I would say. As a beginner, if you were happy upgrading later once you’ve progressed a bit, then you might get away with the 160 for now, width-wise – just because beginners aren’t typically getting that high on the edges and therefore are less likely to encounter boot drag.

     Hope this helps

     Reply

2. AJ Abbett says

   November 28, 2019 at 7:05 pm

   Hey man, first off i’d like to say thank you for posting so many reviews and putting so much effort into helping people find the right gear for them. I am currently looking to stop renting all of my gear from the resort and would like to buy my own. I am pretty torn between the 2019 Rossignol district and the 2019 Flow Merc. I would like to visit the park one day but no quite at that level yet. If you could give a little more of your master knowledge and which board you would choose it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for being a bomb dude and spreading the passion of snowboarding to others, I’m hooked!

   Reply

   • Nate says

     November 29, 2019 at 2:49 pm

     Hey AJ

     Thanks for your message.

     There isn’t really a bad choice there. Both are good as beginner boards and both are geared towards freestyle – so that when you do start to hit the park, you’ll have a board for it. So both good choices for what you’re describing, IMO.

     The choice maybe comes down to camber profile. The District has a “hybrid camber” profile – camber between the feet and rocker towards tip and tail, whereas the Merc has a “hybrid rocker” profile – rocker between the feet and camber towards tip and tail. Hybrid Camber is typically more stable feeling. Hybrid Rocker typically feels a little looser but is, depending on other factors and the type of hybrid rocker it is, typically really easy to initiate turns on. The biggest issue with the looser feel, is sometimes it can feel a little unstable coming off the lift, but that’s something you get used to after a while.

     So, I think if you think you’d prefer a slightly looser feel, then go Merc and if you think you’d prefer a slightly more stable feel, then District.

     Hope this helps with your decision

     Reply

3. Dave says

   November 26, 2019 at 8:31 pm

   Hi Nate,
   Thanks for all the great reviews, I love the site! Any tips on what board to buy for a casual (5-10 outings per year) 42 year old, 6’2”, 235 lb male who’s only goal is to enjoy making it down hard-packed and icy Ontario runs without catching an edge? I learned to ride on the SIMS Destiny over the past 5 years and just want to enjoy the days while minimizing wipeouts. Would the Burton Ripcord or K2 Fuse be good options (Saw them at a local store) or would you suggest I head to a specialty shop for something more specific?
   All the best

   Reply

   • Nate says

     November 27, 2019 at 3:18 pm

     Hi Dave

     Thanks for your message.

     The Ripcord could be doable, if you’re looking for something very easy going. It’s a very soft flexing, easy going board. The 162W would be a good size for you, IMO – depending on your boot size. If you could let me know your boot size that would be great. My biggest concern is that it’s going to feel too soft flexing for you – and that it’s not that good in hard/icy conditions. I’m not that familiar with the K2 Fuse, but in my experience K2s aren’t that great in hard/icy conditions. Since you’re in Ontario, I would be looking for something that grips ice better.

     I would check out those in this list that are labelled “HARD/ICY OPTION” or those with that option on them from the following list:

     >>Top 10 Intermediate Snowboards

     Size-wise, in general, I would say around 166cm would be a good length if you were a more aggressive/advanced rider. But since you like things casual, then going shorter is a good idea, so anything 161-163 is probably a good range to look at.

     Hope this helps

     Reply

     • Dave says

       December 2, 2019 at 7:43 am

       Thanks a million Nate for the great advice.

       Reply

       • Nate says

         December 2, 2019 at 3:39 pm

         You’re very welcome Dave. Hope you have an awesome season!

         Reply

4. Anand Chandrasekaran says

   November 23, 2019 at 9:35 am

   Hi Nate,

   am a begineer/ low level intermediate All mountain rider. Trying to make a decision about my first gear . Confused between Salomon Sight and Nidecker score which would you recommend. Also can you tell me if Salomon sight x and salomon sight are the same?

   Reply

   • Nate says

     November 24, 2019 at 2:05 pm

     Hi Anand

     Thanks for your message.

     I don’t currently test Nidecker gear, so I couldn’t say for sure, but I imagine that the Nidecker Score would be suitable for your level, looking at the specs.

     As far as I know the Sight X is literally the same as the Sight, but just has a different graphic.

     But yeah, I think so long as you get the size right, either of those boards would be suitable. Not to throw a spanner in the works, but you could also check out the following if you wanted:

     >>Top 10 Intermediate Snowboards

     Hope this helps with your decision

     Reply

5. Vlad says

   November 15, 2019 at 6:21 am

   Hi Nate!

   There is a lot of awesome reviews. Thanks for that, it’s really helpful.

   I am beginner this will be my second season. And I want buy my own snowboard set.

   I am man 178cm, 78-82 kg, and 41 EU size boots.

   I think about Salomon Sight 19/20. 156 cm.

   And bindings I can’t make choice what will be better:
   Burton custom re:flex 19/20 m size.
   Salomon District m size.
   Burton freestyle 19/20 m size.
   K2 mach 19/20 m size.

   And with boots the same problem 🙂
   Salomon Faction boa
   Burton moto boa
   Nitro Thunder TLS.

   Can you help me to make choice?

   P.S. Sorry for my bad English:)

   Reply

   • Nate says

     November 15, 2019 at 1:25 pm

     Hi Vlad

     Thanks for your message.

     I think the Sight is a good choice – and the 156 is a good size for you too. So that’s all good, IMO.

     In terms of bindings, everything there would certainly work, so there’s not really a bad choice. I don’t really know the K2 Mach, but just taking a quick look at the specs, they look like they are beginner appropriate. I would be leaning towards the Burton Custom Re:Flex, but they all look suitable. For all those brands I agree that M would be the best size for your boot size.

     In terms of boots, I don’t test Nitro gear, so I can’t say much about the Thunder TLS, but the Moto Boa and the Faction Boa are both good choices. If it’s at all possible to try them on in person that would be the best way to find out. Fit is the most important thing for snowboard boots, IMO. If you can’t try them on in person, check out the following to get some idea:

     >>Sizing Snowboard Boots: The Different Brands

     Not all boots within a brand fit exactly the same, but usually fit similar within a brand.

     Hope this helps with your decision

     Reply

6. JCW says

   October 29, 2019 at 2:52 pm

   Hello,

   Really appreciate all of the amazing advice. I am looking to grab two beginner boards – one for me and one for my son. I am 5’11’ and 180lbs and he is 5’7″ 130lbs. Both of us would be beginners. I am looking for free riding on groomed mountain resorts with the idea of later doing powder. I don’t see either of us doing park moves. Ultimate desire would be to learn to carve and speed over time. With that, I think I’d prefer the surfy type experience as I have surfed and skated before.

   Looking at the Arbor Formula, Bataleon Disaster, and Ride Agenda as beginner boards. For a step up potentially (buy once and grow into) maybe the Arbor Westmark. Both Formula and Westmark in the rocker version.

   What are your thoughts? Also, can you recommend sizes and bindings. He wears a 9 and I am a 10 US.

   Cheers!

   Reply

   • Nate says

     October 30, 2019 at 3:08 pm

     Hi JCW

     Thanks for your message.

     Firstly size-wise, I would go:

     You: 155 to 157 – going at the higher end of that range, or maybe up to 158 would give you a bit more “grow into”. Going 158 would be a slightly steeper learning curve, but doable. This is roughly speaking too, as it can sometimes depend on the board.

     Son: 146 to 148. Again, same thing in terms of going at the higher end of the range. And assuming he’s still growing? That can be a good idea. Just be careful not to go too long – as it can make things less enjoyable and more difficult to progress. I am usually a little wary of “grow into” because if you take it too far, then it can negatively affect the experience.

     So, for the boards that you mention, I would say:

     Formula: 148 for your son. 155 or 158 for you
     Disaster: 148 for your son. 157 for you
     Agenda: 149 for your son, 155 or 158 for you
     Westmark Rocker: 149 for your son, 155 or 158 for you

     Those sizes should all work for your boot sizes too.

     Just to note, that the Disaster, Agenda and to a lesser extent the Westmark Rocker and Formula are quite freestyle oriented boards. Based on what you’re describing, they might not be that suitable, if you’re looking to keep them for a while, especially as you start to look for speed and float in powder. Fine if you’re just looking to learn the basics on them and then upgrade, but if you’re looking to hold them for a while, then I think going with something more all-mountain would be better. Something like the:

     Salomon Sight
     K2 Standard
     Burton Ripcord
     Burton Instigator
     Nitro Prime
     Rossignol Circuit

     As beginner boards. Or if you were looking at going a step up, then something like the:

     >>Top 10 Intermediate Snowboards

     Never Summer Snowtrooper
     YES Typo
     YES Libre
     Rossignol Templar

     But from the 4 that you’ve got in your list, I would probably be leaning towards the Formula Rocker.

     Hope this gives you more to go off for your decision

     Reply

7. Kitz says

   October 28, 2019 at 3:01 am

   Salve Nate!

   I’m a 35 year old male, 180 cm, 82 Kg, 10 US (275 mondo) beginner+. I’ve ridden 10 days 15 years ago, 2 days 10 years ago and 2 days 4 years ago, all rentals.
   Due to unrelated knee injury and lack of funds, I’ve not been able to fully dedicate myself. After reading trough your advice I came up with this list:

   K2 Standard 158 (there was no 156/157 option and 155 was the lowest in my range)
   Union Flite Pro M (I’m right in between sizes, and I thought the low profile of the Burton Moto will go well with M)
   Burton Moto 10 US (Flexy, cheap, will go with speed lace as oposed to single BOA)

   Please share your opinion,
   Thank you

   Reply

   • Nate says

     October 28, 2019 at 12:25 pm

     Hi Kitz

     Please refer to my other response.

     But yeah in terms of size for bindings, I would go M for Union bindings with US10 boots. I ride US10 boots and always go medium with Union bindings. Union bindings tend to have quite long base plates too, so going with Large can sometimes mean the bindings can get be borderline too wide for regular width boards. So yeah, I’d definitely go M in your case.

     Reply

8. Kitz says

   October 28, 2019 at 2:37 am

   Salve Nate!

   I’m a 180 cm, 82 Kg, 10 US (275 mondo), 35 years old male beginner+ (did 10 days 15 years ago, 2 days 10 years ago and 2 more days 4 years ago). Always liked it, but unrelated injuries on one knee and lack of funds kept me away from fully dedicating.
   And after reading almost everything on your site I came up with this, could you please give your opinion?
   K2 standard 158
   Union Flite Pro M
   Burton Moto 10 US

   Thank you, have a great day.

   Reply

   • Nate says

     October 28, 2019 at 12:23 pm

     Hi Kitz

     Thanks for your message. That sounds like an awesome beginner setup to me. You’ve obviously done your research. The one thing I would consider is going for the 155 K2 Standard. I think that would be a better beginner length for your specs. Certainly when you’re more advanced you could move to something more like 158-160, but to begin with I like the sound of the 155 for you better. Especially so, since the K2 Standard actually has a good bit of effective edge compared to overall length. That’s the only thing I would change with your setup.

     Hope this helps

     Reply

     • Kitz says

       October 28, 2019 at 2:55 pm

       Hello,
       Being based in eastern eu, there is a scarcity of options regarding the K2 2019.
       I’ve found the 158 for 205 $ (last one 45% OFF, usually it goes for 350 $) , there is no 155 around, I could get one from UK or DE for something 300-320 $.
       Now the thing is, how much will this impede me? Do you have any tips to mitigate this? Should I return it and go for the 155, or an 155 of a different brand?

       Thank you for your time.

       Reply

       • Nate says

         October 29, 2019 at 11:23 am

         Hi Kitz

         I think 158 is doable for you, especially with some boards. Just that the K2 Standard has that longer effective edge. It will still be a good learning board, but ideally the 155 would be better, the 158 just going to be a slightly steeper learning curve.

         In general, ideally something 155-157 as a beginner with your specs. You would get away with 158 in some boards. It’s just with the K2 Standard in particular, that it has that longer effective edge, that makes the 158 less appealing. If you can find a good deal on something in that 155-157 range or a 155 K2 Standard, that would be preferable. I mean, you’ll likely be OK on the 158 Standard – just maybe not ideal.

         Reply

       • Kitz says

         October 29, 2019 at 3:14 pm

         Hello again,
         I’ve managed to try on a Burton Moto size 10.5 US and 11 US.
         Size 10.5 makes my toes push against the toe box on flat and slightly so when flexed on the toe edge.
         With size 11 there was no issue, and I did not sense any heel slippage.
         Will they break in? should I go with 10.5 or stick to 11? Also , it s safe to assume that I should go with Union Flite Pro size L as Moto 10 Us will not fit?
         Thank you.

         Reply

         • Kitz says

           October 30, 2019 at 1:30 am

           Hello,
           Another possible issue, going for Burton Moto size 10.5/11 and Union Flite Pro L will still make the K2 Standard 155/158 still viable width wise or should i look at 156W?
           155 has 249mm waist width and the 158 has 251mm, the 156W is at 262mm.

           Thank you, hope I’m not abusing.

         • Nate says

           October 30, 2019 at 3:25 pm

           Hi Kitz

           To answer your first question. Yes there is some break in, so going snugger than you think is a good idea. However, if you’re having to bend your toes in the 10.5 and if there still touching with a bit of pressure when you flex as if going into a toe side turn, then it might be a bit too snug. I like to size so that if I’m standing straight, then I want my toes touching the end, but without having to bend my toes at all to fit them in – and when I flex into them, the toes should come away slightly from the edge or only ever so slightly brushing the edge. That’s what works for me. So, it depends how much they are pressing the edge in the 10.5s. If they are touching but aren’t forcing your toes to bend, then that might be the better size, but if there’s a lot of pressure or they have to bend then 11 will be better. Were your toes touching at all in the 11s.

           If you get in the 10.5s, then I would still go medium for the Flite Pros. However, if you end up in the 11s, then it’s probably safer to go to the L.

           To answer your second question. If you end up in 11s, then it would be pushing it for the 158 being too narrow, and the 155 even more so. For 10.5s, I’d say you would still be fine on the 158, but maybe pushing it on the 155 but you might just get away with it. On 11s, I think the 156W would be the safer option, but you could squeeze the 158, but there’d be some risk of toe drag there, depending on how aggressively you ride. The 10.5s, 158 would be fine, 155 would be some risk of toe drag, depending on how aggressively you ride.

           I can usually get as narrow as 255mm at the inserts, with US10s. But I wouldn’t go any narrower than that, and even that’s pushing it. That’s roughly the equivalent of 260mm in 10.5s and 265mm in 11s. The Standard 158 is likely around 262mm at the inserts and the 155 likely 260mm at the inserts. The 156W is likely around 273mm at the inserts. I haven’t measured the Standard at the inserts, so this is just an estimate based on typical K2 boards.

           Hope this helps

9. Tyler says

   October 21, 2019 at 11:23 am

   Hey Nate,

   Just wanted to start off by saying thank you for putting all of this effort into creating these reviews and guides! So I am relatively new to snowboarding but picked it up pretty quickly. Last season being my first I rode a Burton rental a few times and really enjoyed it. Shortly after I picked up a skate banana locally and found that I absolutely hated how loose it felt on the snow. Now, hopefully you can help me out with this next part.

   I went into my local shop and got sold on a 2020 Burton Process Flying V, but am considering swapping it out for a Process camber as many reviews of the Flying V still say it is very loose underfoot and I am looking for something that is more stable/confident to ride. I wanted to ask what your thoughts were on the Flying V and if it is significantly different to the skate banana in how it feels. Right now, I am between keeping the Process Flying V or swapping it out for the Process w/ purepop camber, or the Yes. Basic as the cam/rock seems to give the best of both worlds.

   I am located on the east coast and most of the time the conditions are okay at best but can definitely be icy. First trip will be to Mount Snow or Okema in late December even though I am located in VA and mainly head to Snowshoe or Whitetail for a weekend trip. Will only be doing resort groomers and not confident enough to hit anything in the park so just looking for a board that I can feel more in control on, isn’t super catchy, but isn’t squirly either. I’m 6’2″ size 11.5 boot, and 200-210lbs depending on where im at with dieting/exercise.

   Any recommendations/advice you can give on my situation is much appreciated! Thank you in advance!

   Reply

   • Nate says

     October 22, 2019 at 11:23 am

     Hi Tyler

     Thanks for your message.

     The Process Flying V is quite a loose feeling board. Not to the same extent as the Skate Banana, but still quite loose feeling. If it’s on the smaller size for your specs, then that would contritbute to an even more squirly feel.

     The Process Purepop is certainly more stable feeling, no doubt. But it’s whether it’s a little too far into the catchy side. I don’t find Purepop super catchy, but there’s a little bit of catch in there if you get off your game. I’d say it’s doable for you, but I think the YES Basic or similar would be a good bet for you at the moment. Since you’re not a fan of that loose feeling, then certainly something either flat or camber between the feet/under the feat – and then rocker towards tip and tail (so it’s not too catchy). Going with rocker between the feet again (like with the Process Flying V) often gives a looser feel.

     Size-wise, I think something 159-161 would be a good range for you as a beginner. If you think you’re closer to the intermediate end of that, then maybe 160-162. Not sure what size your Skate Banana was, or the Process Flying V you picked up, but generally speaking that’s about the size range I would look for you. Width-wise with 11.5s it’s wise to go wide.

     So, for the YES Basic the 159W is probably what I would go with. Though the 163W is almost within range too. If you really felt you wanted more length/more stability again, then that’s an option. Though I think the 159W is probably the better bet for now. The 163W a steeper learning curve. In either size the Basic will feel more stable than the Skate Banana and Process Flying V. Size-wise for the Process (Pure-Pop) I would say the 159W again. Again could consider 162W but given that it’s already going to be a steeper learning curve with that Purepop, adding length would also add to the learning curve.

     If you feel you’re closer to hitting intermediate, then you could also look at the following:

     >>Top 10 Intermediate Snowboards

     Hope this helps with your decision

     Reply

     • Tyler says

       October 26, 2019 at 6:16 am

       Thanks for the response Nate!

       After talking to a Yes rep I ended up going with the YES. Typo which I’m pretty excited ahout.

       Last question would be bindings to pair eith the Typo and if you have any suggestions. Looked into the Union Strata’s or Contact Pro’s, but also have a set of Burton Missions I could use as well. The YES rep recommended NOW bindings (assuming they have a partnership). Just wanted to know what you would pair with the board given the same situation/conditions in my initial post.

       Again, thank you for the help!

       Reply

       • Nate says

         October 26, 2019 at 10:27 am

         Hi Tyler

         Awesome that you got a board! The Typo is a great board – certainly high-end beginner to intermediate suitable and certainly a more stable feel than you would have got from the Skate Banana.

         In terms of bindings, I always like to get the flex close. So for the Typo (which I rate at 4.5/10 for flex – YES rates at 6/10, but IMO they usually overstate the stiffness of most of their boards). I would say something around 5/10, 6/10 flex would be a good bet.

         The Contact Pro (which I rate at 4/10 for flex) would work, but I usually prefer to go for either the same level of flex or a little stiffer for bindings. So it’s an option, but personally I would go Strata over the Contact Pro for the Typo. But the Missions (also 6/10 by my feel) would be a good match too – and they’re solid bindings as well, so if you wanted to save money and use those, they would work fine, IMO. Probably ideally, I would say 5/10 flex, just because you’re only in your second season, but 6/10 certainly doable, especially if you’re picking it up quickly – and also for your specs I don’t think you’d have any issues with that flex level. If you were a lighter rider, then I’d probably say to go softer, but I think you’ll be good there. So, if you didn’t want to change bindings, the Missions will do the job fine, IMO.

         YES & NOW are associated. NOW bindings are OK, I tried them for the first time last season. My biggest thing with them is that they don’t have that great a board feel. But they do have lots of good qualities – like next level shock absorption, and are fairly responsive. The NOW X YES, and the NOW Pilot and the NOW Select would all match the Typo well. But yeah, I’m always stoked on most YES boards. NOW bindings not to the same extent. I would go with Burton Mission over the NOWs, but I really like to have good board feel and Burton bindings have that, so they would certainly be my preference.

         Hope this helps with your decision

         Reply

10. Kelley says

    October 16, 2019 at 10:28 am

    First off, just want to say your site is amazing and thank you!

    I’m currently a low level intermediate rider on a 2011 154 Taipan. I do pretty well on the steep runs but still need to get better at going faster especially on cat tracks. Still find that I’m either checking up too much (and end up walking)or feel sketchy at higher speeds and catch an edge. Wondering if getting a newer board would help me progress. Not looking to ride switch or do tricks just want to cruise at decent speeds through all conditions.

    Guy at a local shop recommended a 156 Snowtrooper because of the camber(currently have pure rocker), and it was 40% off. From your review that seems like a good fit but just curious if think another board would be much better. BTW I’m 5’8” 160-165

    Reply

    • Nate says

      October 17, 2019 at 1:22 pm

      Hi Kelley

      Thanks for your message.

      Firstly, size-wise, I think anything 154-156 would work well for you. So 156 is fine in terms of size, and if you’re looking to keep speeds up, then going at the longer end of that range is a good idea.

      Certainly having camber in the profile is going to really help with stability at speed, edge-hold and just speed in general, so I definitely agree that camber is a must if you’re looking to progress/improve your performance at speed. Having a well waxed sintered base is also going to help you to cruise more easily.

      The Snowtrooper definitely an option. It’s got some camber, but it’s not camber dominant – it’s on the more playful side still. But definitely a great low intermediate option. It features on my list, which you can check out for more options too, if you’d like:

      >>Top 10 Intermediate Snowboards

      And also check out my Snowtrooper review.

      I wouldn’t say it’s a “bomber” in terms of speed, but should add a bit more vs your all-rocker board. Though it’s softer than the 2011 Taipan. But yeah in the 156, I think it would suit what you’re describing. If you’re looking to get a bit more speed performance, also check out some of these options (most should be fine for a low intermediate, though I wouldn’t go for anything stiffer than 6/10):

      >>My Top 10 All Mountain Snowboards

      But I think the 156 Snowtrooper would work and sounds like you can get a good deal on it. But just wanted to give you some other options to check out, so you can weigh all the options.

      Hope this helps

      Reply

11. Mark says

    October 15, 2019 at 10:08 am

    Hi Nate

    Your articles are fantastic and packed with great info and tips
    I am a beginner rider (only 10 hours so far) and am looking for my first board
    My height is 180 and I am 95 kg with a mondo boot size of 29.5
    To be honest I’ve been “umming” and “arring” over all sorts of boards (Arbor Foundation, Ride Agenda, Burton Instigator etc) but I keep coming back to the Lib Tech Skate Banana BTX 2020 as it sounds really fun
    I wakeboard and surf so a loose feeling may be more my thing but I’m not sure I would actually end up doing freestyle and in Europe I will certainly be on the groomers more in my first season or 2 plus a lot of indoor riding to get skills up
    Is this in your humble opinion a sensible option?
    Am looking at the 159W for my specs

    Mark

    Reply

    • Nate says

      October 16, 2019 at 12:14 pm

      Hi Mark

      Thanks for your message.

      The Skate Banana is, IMO, a suitable beginner option. It’s an easy going, easy turning board. Certainly a loose/surfy feel. It’s quite similar to the GNU Carbon Credit Asym but just a touch stiffer (4/10 flex as opposed to 3/10 on the GNU – but still beginner friendly flex). It’s certainly a freestyle focused board, but as a beginner it’s also a good option for riding groomers. It’s not going to be a charger on the groomers at all, it’s going to be a casual groomer board – but pretty much any good beginner option isn’t going to be a hard charger. Even if you don’t end up using it for freestyle and if you end up changing boards, this is still something you could use for casual days riding, riding with beginners/kids etc, if you didn’t end up selling it.

      Size-wise, for your specs, I would say to go for anything 157-159 in terms of length and with mondo of 29.5, then wide is definitely recommended, so yeah, I agree that 159W is a good size for you.

      Hope this helps

      Reply

12. Tommy says

    July 23, 2019 at 2:31 am

    Thx for the reply Nate! I went with the Salomon Sight at the end since I haven’t find out what style I’d like to ride in the future at that point. But while waiting for my board and working on my skill I think I might try out freestyle in the future now so would like to have your opinion on at what point should I get a new board, once I hit the description of intermediate level or passed it?

    And also if I want to try out freestyle do you have any recommendations on which board will help me progress learning freestyle?

    I’ve been using the advice on this website about sizing but would definitely want you opinion on this too, my height is 180cm and 72kg with boot size of 8.5.

    Thx again for all the advices!!

    Reply

    • Nate says

      July 23, 2019 at 2:31 pm

      Hi Tommy

      Yeah, I would say once you’ve hit a point where you feel like you have a solid and smooth technique and are at around an intermediate level.

      In terms of learning freestyle, going with something quite soft, quite short and a true twin with a centered reference stance is a good way to go. Something like:

      – Slash Happy Place
      – Lib Tech Skate Banana
      – Never Summer Dipstick (or Warlock)
      – GNU Carbon Credit Asym

      Or if you’re looking at a cheaper option, something like the Agenda or

      – Rossignol District
      – Capita Horrorscope
      – Rossignol Sawblade

      Size-wise, for something all-mountain like the Sight, I would say go something in the range of 154-156, as a beginner, and then closer to 159 as a more intermediate rider. Width-wise, something like the Sight is good as it’s a little narrower, which works well for 8.5 boots, in my opinion. Trying to go no wider than 250mm would be ideal. And depending on binding angles you could go as narrow as 240mm with quite a bit of angle on your back binding or down to around 244mm with a very straight back binding angle.

      For a freestyle board – as a beginner learning freestyle, you could go as short as 152 – something like 152 to 154. But if you start to learn freestyle at the point that you’re already at a solid intermediate level otherwise, then you could still go as short as 152, if it was a dedicated freestyle board, but up to 156 would be fine too, if that makes sense.

      Reply

      • Tommy says

        July 24, 2019 at 8:18 am

        Appreciated Nate! The board you mentioned actually are some of the choices I’m considering haha, I’ll see which one I prefer.

        And if it’s not too much trouble I actually would also like your opinion on the stance width and angle of the binding set up, I’ve read the article about it but I think your advice will be more accurate to me personally.

        Also should I get separate boots and binding if I’m getting a new board for freestyle in the future?

        Again thank you for taking the time I know it’s quite alot of questions…

        Reply

        • Nate says

          July 24, 2019 at 11:04 am

          Hi Tommy

          In terms of binding angles, I think going +15/-15 is probably a good starting point for you, since you are interested in riding freestyle, this will help you to learn riding in both directions from the get go. For stance width, this mostly comes down to feel, IMO – what feels best to you. But for your height, it’s likely that it will fall somewhere between 21″ (530mm) & 23″ (585mm). It also depends on the reference stance of the board. I like to go close to the reference stance when I can. If that’s too far off a stance width that I am comfortable with, I’ll go wider or narrower to accommodate but generally as close to that reference stance as is comfortable for me. For when you’re riding freestyle, a wider stance can be better.

          In terms of boots and bindings – typically, if you’re just going to be learning freestyle, then the same boots and bindings that are suitable for beginners will be suitable – and a good flex match for the boards discussed in the last post. You can certainly step up the quality of gear if you wanted to, for riding freestyle, but when you’re just learning freestyle not completely necessary. There are some factors like shock absorption and board feel that become more important for riding freestyle vs beginner gear, and that could be something to think about once you’re advancing your freestyle riding, but to begin with you could certainly start out using what you have as your beginner gear.

          Reply

          • Tommy says

            July 24, 2019 at 11:38 pm

            Thank you so much for all the help Nate, really saved me a lot of time and effort choosing my gears!!

          • Nate says

            July 25, 2019 at 10:10 am

            You’re very welcome Tommy. Hope you have an awesome season when winter rolls round!

          • Tommy says

            July 29, 2019 at 7:45 pm

            Nate, there’s one more matter that I would like to ask you about, is protective gear aside from helmet such as knee and impact shorts and even body armor a must during snowboarding? Do you have any brand recommendations on this matter?

          • Nate says

            July 30, 2019 at 10:59 am

            Hi Tommy

            I think it’s down to personal risk tolerance. A helmet is a must, IMO. Anything else is down to your own assessment.

            I personally wear impact shorts – which is largely due to breaking my tail bone a few seasons back. I’ve never worn body armor or knee pads, but if that’s something you feel you want that’s up to you.

            As a beginner, something like padded shorts can help, if you’re falling backwards a lot, especially if you’re riding in hard/icy conditions. Can help with confidence.

            The only impact shorts I’ve tried/owned are Demon Flex Force D30 Padded Shorts – you can check out my review on them here. I have nothing to compare them to, but they work well for me.

          • Tommy says

            August 4, 2019 at 10:03 am

            Hey Nate it’s me again, I had a look at the freestyle boards you recommended and I’m thinking about getting the Skate Banana because I think I’m more towards learning butters and ground tricks and the banana rocker profile is better I think? Please correct me if I’m wrong lol. But aside from the profile the Skate Banana has a medium flex rating (a 5/10 I think?), will this affect doing the freestyle tricks I mentioned?

            And also in your previous replies you mentioned upgrading new gear for learning freestyle isn’t completely necessary and beginner gear could do the job, is the Salomon Sight I bought fit in this case, can I be using it for learning freestyle?

          • Nate says

            August 6, 2019 at 9:45 am

            Hi Tommy

            Firstly, you could learn freestyle on the Sight. It’s not ideal though. It’s soft flexing, which helps. But ideally you would want something that was true twin with a centered stance.

            The Skate Banana is, IMO, a great option to learn freestyle on. And though it’s rated medium flex, my experience with it is that it’s always been medium-soft – I would say 4/10. So not the softest ever, of course, but softer than what it’s rated at, IMO. And it’s really easy to butter. It’s a really easy going board all round, and I think it would be a good choice.

13. Tommy says

    July 6, 2019 at 7:08 am

    hello Nate,

    First I’d like to say thank you for this amazing article because im a reader from China and there arent that many good article about snowboards in chinese.

    I’ve just picked up this sport and wanted to buy a beginner snowboard, also have the budget to upgrade to a more advance board sooner or later.

    I’ve read some article in this website and narrowed it down to the Salomon Sight and the Ride Agenda and wanted to ask your opinion on which one I should get. I was planning to get the Sight but then I read the review article on Ride Agenda and seems like both are pretty close the the perfect beginner board.

    changing board when I hit intermediate level wouldnt be a problem and I have no preference on the style at this time, so only considering to make quick progress and get into the sport, which one should I buy?

    Reply

    • Nate says

      July 8, 2019 at 3:09 am

      Hi Tommy

      Thanks for your message.

      There isn’t really a bad choice between those two boards, especially given that you’re looking to upgrade when intermediate. The Sight is more versatile and the Agenda is more freestyle oriented, but if you’re going to upgrade at an intermediate level anyway, then that doesn’t matter too much.

      One thing to think about is if you went for the Agenda, then you could hang onto it as a park specific board for if/when you want to try riding some park/freestyle, then when you buy your intermediate board, you could get something more all-mountain oriented. But if you were looking to sell your initial board, then either would be good choices.

      If you can’t decide then sizing might be one way to decide – picking the one with the most ideal size for you. I would be happy to give my opinion on sizing for you, if you’d like. I’d just need your height, weight and boot size.

      Hope this helps

      Reply

14. Thanit Raksanaves says

    May 14, 2019 at 4:14 am

    Hi, I am considering to buy the Salomon Sight as per your review at the Evo. Seems like they only have Sight X available. What is the different between the Sight and Sight X? Just want to be sure that it is the same before buying.
    thank you so much for your advise.
    Kind regards
    Thanit

    Reply

    • Nate says

      May 14, 2019 at 11:35 am

      Hi Thanit

      Thanks for your message.

      The only difference between the Sight and Sight X, as far as I can tell, is that the Sight X has a different graphic (made specifically for evo). Otherwise I’m pretty sure it’s the same board.

      Hope this helps

      Reply

15. Carlos says

    April 26, 2019 at 1:15 pm

    Hi Nate,

    first of all, thanks a lot from Spain. You are being a great help when choosing equipment.

    After reading you for hours, I think I’m going to choose the Yes Basic.

    I am still learning (just 8-10 times with a traditional camber), I am 1’75 m, 68 kg and I have a 10 US boot (Burton Moto).
    I’m not interested in park so far.

    The cheapest I found are the 155 for 260€ and the 152 for 290€.

    According to what I read so far I guess you would recommend me the 152 one, but is it worthy paying those extra 30€? Do you think is 155 too much?

    And one more question, I read the top 5 beginners bindings but I’m not sure I’ll get them at a good price. Is any of these even similar?

    – Drake King 90€
    – Salomon Rhythm 96€
    – Head NX one 90€
    – K2 sonic 97€
    – Nitro Staxx 97€
    – Rome United 104€

    THANK YOU!!!

    Reply

    • Nate says

      April 28, 2019 at 11:04 am

      Hi Carlos

      Thanks for your message.

      IMO sizing is really important and it’s worth spending a little more to get the right size. It will make your experience that much better. Worth the extra, IMO. And yeah, I would say 152 is the better size for you. 155 isn’t way off, but as a new rider, I think you will enjoy the 152 more, and it will be better for your progression and confidence. I would spend the extra if it was me.

      From the bindings, I don’t deal with a lot of those brands, so not familiar with a lot of them, but the K2 Sonic and Salomon Rhythm were very close to making my beginner bindings list, so I think they would be solid options, if you’re looking to save some money. But the likes of the Union Flite Pro and Burton Freestyle retail for the same price as the Sonic and Rhythm, so you might be able to find one of those at a cheaper price too.

      Hope this helps

      Reply

      • Carlos says

        April 28, 2019 at 1:20 pm

        Thanks!!

        I found the Contact Pros at a very good price and after reading all your replies here and the Blindings Top’s 10, I finally got them as you considered them a good option for beginners too and higher quality.

        So I got a Yes Basic + Contact Pro pack.

        Shame I’ll have to wait a few months to test them.

        Thanks so much!

        Reply

        • Nate says

          April 29, 2019 at 10:56 am

          You’re very welcome Carlos. Sounds like a great setup for a new rider to me! If you think of it at the time, let me know how you get on, when you get a chance to get them out on snow.

          Reply

16. Tony says

    April 15, 2019 at 2:35 am

    Hi Nate,

    Brilliant, article, thanks. Admittedly, as a complete N00b, I’m still struggling with the sheer breadth of choice out there.

    My experience on the slopes totals a week skiing when younger and a week snowboarding (with lessons) in the alps a year ago. We were at the end of the season, so all the rental boots were that ‘well-used’ that I bought my own half way through the week (Flow Aeros). I figure for next year, I’ll buy a board and bindings as well and get some practise in before hitting the slopes again.

    I’m 5’11, size 9.5(uk) feet, 80kg on a bad day, 76kg on a good one. On the last trip, I rented a 156cm 2016 Salmon craft, which I liked (much better than the initial 162 lump they gave me, anyway) so was looking at the options for that. But then I’m seeing options for the K2 standard and Salomon Sight, which also look pretty decent.

    Any recommendations? Obviously as a beginner, I’ll be limited to groomed slopes for some time yet – probably longer than the board will last, at any rate.

    Cheers,

    Tony

    Reply

    • Nate says

      April 15, 2019 at 1:58 pm

      Hi Tony

      Thanks for your message.

      The Standard and Sight would definitely work well, IMO, for what you’re describing. I didn’t consider the Craft for this list as it looks like it’s more medium flex (not a board I’ve ridden, so couldn’t confirm that, but just going off it’s flex rating), which I don’t usually recommend for beginners. But if you got on well with it and didn’t have any trouble, then that’s certainly an option too.

      Size-wise, I would be looking in the range 155 to 157 for you, so I can’t definitely see why you preferred the 156 Craft to a 162! So yeah, if you go Craft I think the 156 would be a great size.

      For the Sight, the 155W might be the better option. The 156 might be a little too narrow for UK9.5s.

      For the Standard, the 158 is probably your best bet – it’s a little longer but the 155 is borderline too narrow, and the 156W a bit too wide, IMO.

      Hope this helps with your decision

      Reply

      • Tony says

        April 16, 2019 at 2:44 am

        Hi Nate,

        Definitely helps, thanks. I’m not going to overestimate my ability, so will go with the Sight 155W and trade up in a couple of years if I outgrow it. Doubt I’ll be off the blue runs next year, so can’t imagine I’ll push it anywhere near its limits.

        Just one last thing – I got a very good deal on a set of flow fuse hybrid bindings – will that make any difference to board choice?

        Reply

        • Nate says

          April 17, 2019 at 4:57 pm

          Hi Tony

          I don’t currently test Flow bindings, so I couldn’t say for sure, but I think they will be fine on the Sight. It looks like they’re around a medium flex – so not quite a perfect flex match (assuming that rating is fairly accurate) but doable. The Fuse GT (which looks like it’s a bit stiffer) wouldn’t be as good a match though. So yeah, not a perfect match but doable.

          Reply

17. Ty says

    April 12, 2019 at 4:17 pm

    Hey Nate! Thanks for keeping up with these recommendations. I’m wondering if you have some time for a personal recommendation for me.

    I’m a beginner, gaining confidence on green slopes and connecting my turns. I don’t have any aspirations to get into park riding, just sticking to the trails and would be very happy mastering blue runs.

    I’m 6’3″ and 275 lbs.

    After doing some research here and other recommendation lists, I think I’ve narrowed it down to 2: Burton Instigator, and Salomon Sight.

    I’m leaning towards the Sight, but concerned about some reviews saying that it’s not the most stable option and can tend to lose it’s edge in aggressive turns.

    Also, is there any difference between the Sight 2018 and Sight 2019? Also, what’s different about the Sight X 2019 other than the graphic?

    Wondering if you can help me gain confidence in a decision and recommend a size?

    Thanks for the help!

    Reply

    • Nate says

      April 15, 2019 at 11:35 am

      Hi Ty

      Thanks for your message.

      Nothing from this list, or any board with softer flex like most on this list, will be great for aggressive turns at speed. These boards are rated for how well they ride for beginners and doesn’t take into account aggressive riding. I would say that the Sight is probably a 2/5 for speed, and maybe 2,5/5 for carving. But those aren’t things that I take into account for this list. To get something better for aggressive turns, you’re going to be getting something that is less suitable for a beginner level. There’s always a trade off with these things.

      Between the Instigator and the Sight, I think the Sight would be your best bet, but just don’t expect it to be a bomber. It’s something that’s good for progressing quickly on, as a beginner rider.

      The Sight 2018, 2019 and Sight X are all the same, as far as I know, apart from the Graphics.

      Size-wise, generally I would say something around 164 to 166 for you, as a beginner length. So for the Sight it’s likely to be the 166W (depending on boot size). You could probably get away with the 162W if you really wanted to go shorter – but that would make it even less suitable for speed and aggressive turns – but make it a more easy going ride. But if you can let me know your boot size, I can confirm if they would be an appropriate width or not.

      If you’re looking for something with a bit more performance, but still fine for high-end beginner to low-end intermediate riders, you could also check out:

      >>Top 10 Intermediate Snowboards

      Another thing to note, is that if you’re a little over the weight recommendation for a particular board, then that board is likely to feel a little softer flexing. So if you’re over a weight recommendation you could go a little stiffer flexing if you wanted. I would particularly recommend this if you wanted to go for something a little shorter than that 164-166 range.

      Hope this helps with your decision

      Reply

      • Ty says

        April 15, 2019 at 2:54 pm

        I wear an 11-11.5 boot (depending on brand).

        I’m not looking to go super aggressive with turning yet, so sounds like the Sight is what you’d recommend? There’s a 162W on sale on evo right now, but sounds like that might be a bit small? I’m completely fine with an easy-going ride for now until I get (a lot) more confident with my turns.

        Thanks for the help!

        Reply

        • Nate says

          April 17, 2019 at 4:29 pm

          Hi Ty

          Yeah I think the Sight would be a good choice for fast progression – getting your turns confident. It’s something you’d need to upgrade on, once you become more advanced and do start riding more aggressively – and you would want to size up from 162W as well, IMO. But for right now, I think the 162W Sight would work for you. The width of that should be good for your boot size too.

          Reply

18. ivan mario mermejo says

    April 11, 2019 at 11:24 pm

    Hey Nate,

    After days and nights seeking for my first snowboard , I finally think that I will follow one of your suggestions and go for a Burton process ( non Flying V).
    What do you think? Am I doing a good choose?

    Said that.
    1) Is there any difference between 2017-18-19 Burton Process? Because for 17 and 18 I saw a LTD(limited Burton Process Process) – that is cheaper but I don’t know whether is the same as Process. https://www.sportchek.ca/product/332351809.html#332351809=332351819.

    2) What would you suggest as not so expensive(please), bidding( EST) and boot for it?

    Thanks!!!

    Reply

    • Nate says

      April 12, 2019 at 10:45 am

      Hi Ivan

      Previous to the 2019 model, the Process was traditional camber. It’s changed to PurePop camber for the 2019 model. Traditional camber will be more difficult to ride than PurePop camber, IMO. So, I would say you’d need to stick to the 2019 model unfortunately. The LTD model might be Flat Top though – mostly flat camber profile with a little rocker towards tip and tail. If this is the case, then it would be a really good option for you, IMO. According to the link you sent, it’s flat top, but I’ve been unable to find any official info on it. And when looking at the previous LTD version from 2016-17 on the Sport Chek website it says it’s camber (though I wouldn’t trust Sport Chek for specific snowboard know how that much, to be fair). But I did find evidence that it might be Flat Top from a couple of other sources. If it is Flat Top. If you can confirm that, then I think it’s a great option.

      As far as bindings go, for a good priced Burton EST binding that would fit the Process well, I would go with the Custom EST. It’s the cheapest EST binding they have and should match the Process and it’s a great beginner/intermediate binding too. Or if you wanted a bit more performance you could look at the Mission EST as well. The Genesis would also work well but is likely more expensive than what you’d want.

      Hope this helps

      Reply

      • ivan mario mermejo says

        April 12, 2019 at 3:55 pm

        HiNate

        Actually, now I’ve gotten little confusing.
        I thought that flat top boards were for begginers and that I would lose this board as long as I grow for my end begginer, start intermediate level

        If I not wrong this flat top is the same of the ripcord that you said that would be too much begginer for me.

        That’s why I was looking for a hibrid/tradicional camber, then, I found this purepop tbat I understood that is a kind of playful traditional camber.

        Correct me if I wrong, please

        And again, sorry to keep inundating your feed with questions.

        Reply

        • Nate says

          April 15, 2019 at 11:22 am

          Hi Ivan

          Apologies for the slow response. I was out testing boards all weekend.

          Flat-to-rocker (or what Burton terms “Flat Top”) is a good profile for beginners for sure. But it’s not necessarily just for beginners. And there are several factors other than just the camber profile that determines what’s a good option for beginners, intermediate etc. One of those things – and it’s one of the biggest things, besides camber profile, is flex. The Process isn’t really stiff by any means, but it is noticeably stiffer than the Ripcord, which is really soft. It’s more the softness of the Ripcord that you would grow out of quicker than the Flat Top.

          PurePop camber is certainly easier going that traditional camber, but I found it to be more catchy than a typical hybrid camber (rocker-camber-rocker) board. Not saying that it wouldn’t be fine. But just wanted to point that out. You could certainly go for the 2019 Process, which is purepop camber, but just know that it isn’t as easy as some other profiles to ride. Also remember that the 2018 and earlier Process models were Traditional Camber and not PurePop.

          Hope this helps

          Reply

          • ivan mario mermejo says

            April 15, 2019 at 5:19 pm

            Nice!
            Gotcha!

            Yeah.
            , I’ve decided to try this purepop camber process 2019.

            I rided flat boards an would like to try at least a “softer” version of camber, even that you said that is a little bit catchy .
            I hope not!

            Regarding bindings, i found a mission
            Est biding cheaper than custom.

            Should I go with mission even that it is stiffer than custom?

            I mean, process 2019 + mission binding,.

            Ain’t I pushing too much hard myself?

            Tks

          • Nate says

            April 17, 2019 at 4:32 pm

            Hi Ivan

            I think the Mission would work on the 2019 Process. In terms of for you, since you are nearly at an intermediate level, I think you can probably handle it. It might be a little bit of a steeper learning curve overall with that setup – but it’s not like crazy by any means. It will likely push you a little bit, but hopefully not too far. It’s always to hard to say for sure without knowing your level for sure.

19. Ian Muller says

    April 10, 2019 at 11:33 pm

    Or K2 series for the same purpose( all mountain) intermediate?

    Reply

    • Nate says

      April 11, 2019 at 4:15 pm

      Hi Ian

      Thanks for your messages.

      For Endeavor boards (which I just tried for the first time this season), for an intermediate level, all-mountain board, I would look at the Pioneer. A really nice board and good for an intermediate rider, IMO.

      For K2, you could look at the Manifest (though personally I did find it stiffer than it’s rated, so probably high-end intermediate and up I would say) or the Raygun (though not a board that I’m a huge fan of, but more low to mid level intermediate friendly).

      But also understand that my meaning of all-mountain is. All-Mountain to me is a board that can do a bit of everything. Other definitions define all-mountain differently, but that’s how I define it. K2 probably call some of their volume shifted boards all-mountain, but they don’t fit there, by my definition.

      Hope this helps with your decision

      Reply

20. Ian Muller says

    April 10, 2019 at 11:01 pm

    HI,

    What do you think about the Endeavor Boards?
    Which one is ideal for all mountain rides?

    Tks!!!

    Reply

21. IVAN-MARIO MERMEJO says

    April 9, 2019 at 11:12 am

    Hi Nate,

    First thing first, congrats per your site, it is the best and one of the only good place to learn things about snow sport.

    Second, I know that you already replied a lot of times the same question, but unfortunately, I still have a question.

    I am searching for my fist snowboard and willing to take advantage of the sales of the end season.
    This season was the first season that I could grow as snowboarder( I went to dagmar and st louis in Toronto 3 times), last year I could’t even do turns.

    This times I felt confident to do the turns and go into good speed on any blue and green.

    In St Louis I did a lot of black ones, sometimes without fell and sometimes only falling when I tried to do the “turn swing” in the beginning of the hill that is normally very high and I end up to get too much velocity.

    So, said that, I think after reading your article regarding level, that I am a level 3.

    My descriptions are: 1,70m , 70kg, they always give me 150 rented snowboards

    “My dream” is to do black downhill the more smoothie as I can.

    I was willing to buy a ripcord as it is playful, but I saw that you said that it can limit my grow, in the other hand I concern to buy a board ahead my experience and got frustrated.

    So, what would be a good snowboard for me?

    I know that you listed some of below:

    K2 standard
    Salomon sight
    Burton ripcord
    Burton instigator

    This one is one that I afraid to go ahead my experience and also because I checked that it is not good on ice snow:
    Burton Process Flying V

    thanks

    Reply

    • Nate says

      April 9, 2019 at 12:51 pm

      Hi Ivan

      Thanks for your message.

      Very well though out – definitely don’t want to go too far above you’re ability. But also, I can see how you would want a board that would stay with you for a while.

      Based on what you’re describing, I think you could take a little step up vs something like the Ripcord. The Ripcord would still serve you well at this stage, but I feel it might be something you’d want to upgrade from after perhaps just 1 more season. For a board that can last you longer than that, I would check out:

      >>Top 10 Intermediate Snowboards

      Since you’re looking for something that will do well on icy snow and since it sounds like you would be best with something all-mountain, I would say that the:

      – Rossignol Templar
      – YES Libre
      – YES Typo

      Would be your best bets. With the GNU T2B & Arbor Whiskey & Never Summer Snowtrooper also being good options (just not quite as good in icy snow, but still good).

      Size-wise, I would say to look at the range between 150-152 for your specs, as a high-end beginner rider. So, for the boards mentioned that would be:

      – Rossignol Templar: 153 (smallest size it comes in)
      – YES Libre: 152
      – YES Typo: 152
      – GNU T2B: 152
      – Arbor Whiskey: 152
      – Never Summer Snowtrooper: 152

      Hope this helps

      Reply

      • ivan mario mermejo says

        April 9, 2019 at 8:49 pm

        Perfect tips man!

        Helped me a lot.

        Just a last question(I promise), because I went to a store, explained my thoughts and the vendor said that he would recommend `Burton Descendant, because its shape is a rocker/flat/camber/flat/rocker and it is a All mountain freestyle and flex and playful 152.
        what do you think?

        Reply

        • IVAN-MARIO MERMEJO says

          April 10, 2019 at 7:46 am

          And also if I choose a Burton board I could use a channel binding once that I like the ideal of feel more the board.

          I don’t know if it makes so difference.
          Or if it wouldn’t worth compared with a yes board with normal biding that you indicated to me.

          Reply

          • Nate says

            April 10, 2019 at 10:21 am

            Hi Ivan

            You could go with something like the Descendant. That rocker/flat/camber/flat/rocker is what Burton call PurePop camber. From my experience with PurePop camber boards, they aren’t as catchy as something like traditional camber, but still could be a little catchy feeling, if you don’t quite have your technique down yet. Also, it’s what I would consider a park/freestyle board, rather than an all-mountain-freestyle board. It’s too soft, IMO, to be an all-mtn-freestyle board. But that’s just my opinion. But since you say you want to get better at riding smoother on black runs, that said to me that you’re looking for something more all-mountain, than freestyle oriented. Once you get more confident riding at speed and start to ride fast down those black runs, the Descendant might start feeling a bit wobbly, IMO. For now it’s probably fine (if you don’t find it too catchy) but yeah, I just think it’s more freestyle, than all-mountain or all-mountain-freestyle. But if you did go with it, I think the 152 would be a good size.

            If you were looking to go for something more freestyle, and wanted to go Burton, I would actually look at the Amplifier (150) for you – more beginner friendly, IMO. And probably actually closer to all-mountain-freestyle than the Descendant, IMO.

            If you do like the sound of PurePop camber, though, then I would actually look at the Burton Process (non-flying V). That’s PurePop camber but not as soft, and more all-mountain oriented, than the Descendant. Again the 152 would be a good size, IMO.

            In terms of using EST bindings with the channel system – yes the EST/Channel do provide great board feel, but using Burton’s Re:Flex bindings (which can be mounted to non-channel boards as well as channel boards) or something like Union bindings that use a mini-disc (like the Contact Pro, which would be a good choice for you at a beginner going on intermediate level), will also provide good board feel. IMO EST on a channel board is very good for board feel, but Re:Flex bindings have great board feel too – on the channel or otherwise, and so do some other bindings, so I wouldn’t use that as a determining factor, if I was you.

            If you really want to go Burton and use EST bindings on the channel, then the Descendant would work, but I would be more looking at the Amplifier or Process (purepop camber version).

            Hope this helps

22. Hiro says

    March 14, 2019 at 7:55 am

    Hi Nate

    Great article and very helpful.
    I am a beginner and now I decided to buy a board, my wife presented me with binding burton step on to motivate me even more, what board would you indicate for these binding, I have 184 cm, 83 kg and boots 12.

    Thanks a bunch!

    Hiro

    Reply

    • Nate says

      March 14, 2019 at 3:26 pm

      Hi Hiro

      Thanks for your message.

      Since Burton Step Ons can mount to any board, everything in this list is still an option. If you’re not sure of your style, then something all-mountain is a good bet, to keep it versatile. If you still wanted to go Burton anyway, then the Instigator would be a great option.

      Size-wise, I would be looking at something in the range 157 to 159, for your specs, as a beginner.

      Hope this helps

      Reply

      • Hiro says

        March 14, 2019 at 8:42 pm

        Thank you so much for the help.

        You are the best ..

        Reply

        • Nate says

          March 15, 2019 at 10:14 am

          Thanks Hiro! And you’re very welcome.

          Reply

23. Pasi Koivukangas says

    March 9, 2019 at 5:05 am

    Hello!

    I am beginner (stage 3) 181 cm, 75 kg. Foot is 295 (mondo). Local store gives good discount of Burton Ripcord 18 (339 -> 183 eur). But there is only 157 cm and 162w. I think my foot size needs wide model but is 162 too long for me?

    I think that I am gonna find some powder in the future but that is little tricky here in Finland… Ripcord suits this?

    Does wide model feel different than normal (is it more difficult to turn than normal) ?

    Is directional model with little setback difficult for beginner or is there much differens vs centered stance anyway?

    Store is Burton mission reflex and Nitro Staxx bindings… is those okey ?

    Is there anykind of model to beginner with tapered shape?

    Reply

    • Pasi Koivukangas says

      March 9, 2019 at 9:44 am

      I forget one very interesting model. Investigator 155w. Is that perfeckt size for me or is it too short ? This one is good discount too..

      Reply

      • Nate says

        March 12, 2019 at 12:20 pm

        Hi Pasi

        This would be a good beginner size for you, IMO. It’s at the shorter end of the range, but it would work for sure. Definitely the best option for you vs the 157 and 162W Ripcord, IMO.

        Reply

    • Nate says

      March 12, 2019 at 12:19 pm

      Hi Pasi

      Thanks for your message and apologies for the late response – been out testing a lot of gear the past few days.

      Yeah unfortunately I think the 157 will be too narrow – and the 162W too long. Ideally, I would be looking at a range of 155 to 158 for you, in terms of length.

      A wide model only difficult to turn for those with feet too small to turn it. Ideally you want your feet (without boots on) to go edge to edge on the snowboard. Too far inside the edges and it’s hard to get leverage on the edges to initiate a turn. Too far over the edges and you risk boot drag (this largely depends on the overall length of your boots though – but feet going a little over the edges is fine. Short/wide boards are the exception but I won’t go into that. In any case, with 295 mondo feet – you shouldn’t have any trouble on a wide board for turns. But you would likely (depending on the boots you ended up in) have boot drag issues on a regular width board.

      I think that being centered and twin is a plus for beginners – as you can learn to ride in both directions from the get go – but it’s definitely not a must. And in some ways, if you only want to ride in one direction or if you want to get your one direction riding really dialed in, before trying to ride switch, then being directional and set back is a good thing. So, depending on your goals, it’s fine.

      Yeah the Ripcord is definitely suited to powder. But fine for groomers and just riding too. Not as suitable for riding park/freestyle though. The Ripcord does have a tapered shape, and is a beginner board. There aren’t many beginner boards with a tapered shape – but the Ripcord is one of them – the Instigator from Burton is another (those are actually the only 2 I can think of).

      Out of those 2 bindings, I would say that the Staxx is the better bet as a beginner binding. The Mission is a little stiffer. I don’t test Nitro gear currently, so I couldn’t say for sure, but just going off the specs, the Staxx is likely your best bet there.

      Hope this helps

      Reply

24. Justin says

    March 9, 2019 at 2:23 am

    Hello, Nate, thank you very much for these awesome reviews. Your articles have been very helpful for a newbie like me. One question. I’m really interested in the Arbor Foundation. Since I currently live in Korea I’m stuck ordering online. My question is, that size would you recommend? And do you think the foundation is a good choice for my stats below?

    I am 5’9″ and hover between 175 and 180 lbs. I just ordered size 9 thirtytwo lashed boots. This past season was myfirst time snowboarding and I learned how to do j turns both ways and started carving in five days. For what it’s worth I’ve been surfing for over 20 years so boarding is pretty natural to me. Since I will still be in Korea next season I’ll spend all of my time on groomers. Thank you for your help!

    Reply

    • Nate says

      March 12, 2019 at 12:01 pm

      Hi Justin

      Thanks for your message – and apologies for my slow reply – it’s middle of demo season for me, so I’ve been out testing a lot of new gear the last few days.

      I think the 155 would be a great size for your for the foundation.

      In general something around 154 to 156 would be a good bet for you, IMO.

      Just to note – the Foundation is a very good board to learn on, but something that would likely want to upgrade from, once you’re past the intermediate phase. IMO that’s a good way to play it, buy a really good board for learning on now, then upgrade. But, understandably, a lot of people want a board that will last them a lot longer without having to upgrade. So, depending on how often you plan on going riding, and how willing you are to upgrade after a couple of seasons, then it’s a great choice, IMO. But if you’re going to be riding a lot and don’t really want to upgrade for a good while, then you could check out this list for some good options:

      >>Top 10 Intermediate Snowboards

      Hope this helps with your decision

      Reply

25. Paul says

    February 27, 2019 at 2:08 pm

    Hey Nate,

    want to leave a HUGE THANK YOU!!! Spend about 5 hours today to read through all your articles. Got the feeling that I can trust your opinion! Awesome work!!! Nice to see such dedication!

    Reply

    • Nate says

      February 28, 2019 at 1:59 pm

      Hi Paul

      Thanks for your message. Appreciate your words! Thanks for visiting the site and I hope you found what you were after.

      Reply

26. Brian says

    February 26, 2019 at 12:12 am

    Hi Nate:

    I’m 5’7, 170 pounds, size 9 shoes (not sure about boot size yet), looking to buy my first board. I’m still trying to get down carving, so fairly beginner.

    From looking online, it seems like I should be aiming for something around the 153-159 range with regular width? What boards would you recommend?

    Thanks so much!

    Reply

    • Nate says

      February 26, 2019 at 3:02 pm

      Hi Brian

      Thanks for your message.

      I would even narrow that size range down to 153 to 155. As a beginner with your specs, I think going up to 159 would be too big.

      In terms of width, definitely regular width assuming boots anything from 8.5 to 9.5.

      Anything on this list should be suitable and most should have something in that size range. To narrow it down, you might want to think about how you want to ride. Do you see yourself riding powder anytime soon? Interested in learning tricks? Want to keep your options open?

      Also check out the following, if you wanted to look at something a little more, depending on how far through the beginner phase you feel you are. If you think you’re still very beginner, then stick with this list, but if you think you’re like, high-end beginner, then these might work too. Something from this list will also work for a high-end beginner though – and are likely a little cheaper.

      >>Top 10 Intermediate Snowboards

      Hope this helps

      Reply

27. Erik says

    February 16, 2019 at 7:57 pm

    Hi Nate:

    I’m 5’11, 155 pounds, size 11 boots, looking to buy my first board. This is my first season, and I’m pretty comfortable linking turns on easy runs and starting to play in the park a little bit.

    I’d love a board I can grow into and have for at least a couple seasons. What size and type of board would you recommend?

    Thanks for your help! -Erik

    Reply

    • Nate says

      February 18, 2019 at 11:09 am

      Hi Erik

      Size-wise for your specs/ability level I would be looking at something in the range 153 to 155. In that length-range, with size 11s, you’ll need to go wide, which will mostly put you on 155, as most boards under 155 don’t come in wide sizes. But since you’re already linking turns and want it to last for at least a couple of seasons, I think around 155 is a good length to choose anyway.

      Most boards here should be good to take you to an intermediate level fine, and should be good for 2 seasons (depending on how often you go – if you’re going to be going like 30-50+ days per season, then you might progress faster than that. If you’re concerned about that or you’re looking to be riding a large number of days, and happy to take a slightly steeper learning curve, also check out:

      >>Top 10 Intermediate Snowboards

      Hope this helps with your decision

      Reply

28. Sam says

    February 16, 2019 at 10:22 am

    Hi Nate,

    Beginner here. 180 lbs, 5’10” with a size 10.5 boot.

    I am looking at the Outerspace Living and the Capita DOA.

    I see the Outerspace Living 156 is only 25.0 waist, I am concerned about toe drag with size 10.5/11 boots. Seems like 158 would be the better choice.

    Also, curious why the DOA is not a good board for beginners? Loving the graphics this year. Would it be a big mistake to get that as my first board, or just a slightly steeper learning curve compared to the Outerspace Living?

    Reply

    • Nate says

      February 16, 2019 at 11:11 am

      Hi Sam

      Thanks for your message.

      The DOA is the kind of board that if you haven’t got your technique locked down yet, then it can be on the catchy side, which could get frustrating if you’re still learning. Ultimately it’s up to you, but as a beginner I wouldn’t go for it. It’s the not the most catchy board going around for sure, but not that beginner friendly either. And a little stiffer than ideal for a beginner too, IMO – which makes it more difficult to maneuver at slower speeds. I wouldn’t say it’s the worst board for a beginner but not great either. The problem with going for a board that’s a little too advanced, IMO, is that you can develop a crude technique just to get down a run without falling.

      The Outerspace Living is also a little too stiff to be ideal for a complete beginner, but is the better beginner option out of the two. It’s just a touch softer and it has a more forgiving camber profile. Size-wise, I would probably look at the 155W. I would predict that the width at inserts on the 155W would be around 269mm at the inserts (based on measuring a different size) which will be fine for 10.5s and would also accommodate 11s. The width at inserts on the 156 is 259mm which is probably too narrow for 10.5s, unless you’re always at +15-15 angles and have low profile boots. The 158 would likely be 262mm at the inserts – that would give you a little more leeway for sure, but still pretty narrow for 10.5s, unless you’re on low profile boots and wouldn’t be accommodating to 11s. Also, I think the 155W is a better length than 158 for you at this stage.

      Hope this helps with your decision

      Reply

      • Sam says

        February 20, 2019 at 10:00 pm

        Thanks for the information Nate. I think I am going to go with the DOA. Would 10.5 boots fit on the 156? Also, what bindings would you recommend for this board? Appreciate the help!

        Reply

        • Nate says

          February 21, 2019 at 3:50 pm

          Hi Sam

          Thanks for your message.

          I measured the width at inserts on the 156 DOA at 260mm. I had zero issues with 10s on it, but I have low profile 10s. With 10.5s, I would say you would get away with it, if you have binding angles like +15-15 (or at least a reasonable amount of angle on the back foot) – or if you have a low profile 10.5, then it should be fine regardless, I would say. Do you have boots yet? If so, what’s the brand and model?

          For bindings, I would say to look at something around 6/10 in terms of flex, even 7/10. But given that you’re a beginner, I probably wouldn’t go too stiff – but also to match the DOA I wouldn’t go too soft either. So probably around 5/10 or 6/10 flex for you, IMO. Check out the following for some good options in that flex range.

          >>Top 5 All Mountain Bindings

          Hope this helps

          Reply

          • Sam says

            February 22, 2019 at 7:34 am

            Hi Nate,

            Thanks for the feedback. I do not own boots yet, but I did try some on yesterday at my local shop. The Salomon Launch boots size 11 fit me best, but they didn’t have many other options in my sizes (10-11)

            Seems like the best combination would be the DOA 155W with Burton Genesis bindings and size 11 boots.

            Appreciate the help

          • Nate says

            February 22, 2019 at 1:26 pm

            Hi Sam

            Yeah, if you end up with Salomon Launch 11s, then definitely the 155W would be your best option, IMO. And the Genesis would match that setup too. For Burton bindings make sure you get the Re:Flex model as their EST models won’t fit on the DOA. And I would go with size Large. Even though you’re technically within the range (with 11s) for either Medium or Large, those sizes are based on Burton boots, which tend to be lower profiles than Salomon. So, with Salomon 11s, I would go with Large in Burton bindings.

29. Tom says

    February 15, 2019 at 11:50 am

    Hi Nate,

    I’m a beginner at 5″10, 180 lbs, leaning towards all mountain.
    Which one of the two would you recommend?
    Rome Factory Rocker or Rossignol Templar
    I was thinking 155 cm for my weight.

    Thanks!

    Reply

    • Nate says

      February 15, 2019 at 4:07 pm

      Hi Tom

      Thanks for your message.

      Yeah size-wise the 155 for either of those would be your best bet, IMO. The Templar is what I would call an intermediate board – but doable for high end beginners. If you’re a complete beginner it will be a steeper learning curve. I don’t currently test Rome boards, but from what I can tell from the Specs and description, the Factory rocker is probably more intermediate as well. Sounds like the rocker section in the Factory Rocker is pretty subtle which means it probably has a mostly camber feel to it.

      The other thing is that the Templar is more all-mountain oriented and the Factory Rocker more freestyle oriented, so based on the fact that you’re leaning more all-mountain, I would say the Templar is your best bet.

      Hope this helps with your decision

      Reply

30. Ron says

    February 13, 2019 at 1:38 am

    Hi Nate,

    I’m a beginner who’s just starting to link turns together. Weigh about 110lbs and wears a US7.5 bootsize.

    Considering boards from Burton/Capita (the proshop at the resort I’m headed to has a lot of these brands in stock). Currently have my sights on the Insigator/Amplifier/Horrorscope. I’m afraid the directional nature and slightly backward stance of the Instigator would be too much for a beginner to handle? Appreciate your advise on the best options for me.

    Thanks!

    Reply

    • Nate says

      February 13, 2019 at 3:58 pm

      Hi Ron

      Thanks for your message.

      Having a setback stance and directional shape shouldn’t, IMO, be too much for a beginner to handle. It would be unsuitable for a beginner who wanted to feel comfortable riding switch from the get go. If you feel like you want to learn to ride in both directions from early on, then the Amplifier/Horrorscope would be better options, but if you just wanted to learn to ride well in one direction, and weren’t worried about switch or learning anything freestyle at this stage, then the Instigator is a very good beginner option.

      Size-wise, I would say that the 140 Instigator is likely the best for you, in terms of length and width, with the 147 for the Amplifier and 145 for the Horrorscope if you really wanted to go with one of those but I think 140 is going to be a better size. But if you could also let me know your height as well, as I like to take that into account for sizing too.

      If you do really want to go with a twin though, there are likely some other options, which I could look into, though I’m not sure there are other Men’s Twin Burton and Capita options shorter than those 2 (that are suitable for beginners). But again, if you could let me know your height and then we’ll have a better idea on sizing.

      Hope this helps

      Reply

      • Ron says

        February 13, 2019 at 8:10 pm

        Hi Nate,

        Thanks a lot for your detailed reply. I’m about 5’8″.
        If there are other more suitable boards that you know of from other brands would be great as well, I can check with the resort if they have em’ in stock.

        Thanks again! Cheers

        Reply

        • Nate says

          February 14, 2019 at 11:21 am

          Hi Ron

          Thanks for the extra info.

          Taking height into account, length-wise, I think something in the range 142 to 144 would be a good range to look at for you, so the 145 Horrorscope would actually work, I think. It’s on the wider side for your boots, but it’s an option, if you’re looking for a beginner friendly twin.

          The Lib Tech Skate Banana is also an option, in the 145 (239mm waist), and would be a better size for your boots, if you had availability on that one.

          Or the YES Basic 143 (245mm waist) – on the wider side, but a great length for you, and a great beginner option. Availability will be the biggest issue with this one.

          But yeah, if they have the Horrorscope available in the 145, then that would be a good option, I think. If you weren’t against the idea of looking at women’s boards, then there would be a lot of options in that size range. Some of them come in fairly neutral colors.

          Reply

          • Ron says

            February 14, 2019 at 11:30 am

            Hey Nate,

            Thanks again. Definitely not against the idea of wmns boards if they better suit me. Would appreciate if you can recommend a few for me to take a look.

            Thanks again.

          • Nate says

            February 15, 2019 at 3:18 pm

            Hi Ron

            Check out the following for some good beginner options:

            >>My Top 10 Women’s Beginner Snowboards

            From Capita the widths look like they’ll be too narrow in the lengths that we’re looking at, so we can skip those (with the Horrorscope on the men’s side still being an option).

            From Burton the Burton Stylus 142 (241mm waist) would be an option, but this is quite soft flexing so the only thing would be whether it was a little too soft flexing. Or if you wanted just a bit of a step up, but still beginner friendly, there’s the Yeasayer or Yeasayer Flying V (not on the list above, because I would say it’s more high-end beginner, to low-end intermediate). For the Yeasayer and Yeasayer Flying V I would say 144 (242mm waist) would be a good size).

            Hope this helps and gives you a few more options to weight up

31. Azzie says

    February 10, 2019 at 6:33 am

    Hi Nate,
    Thanks a lot for this amazing platform. I keep coming back to it to read and learn more.
    Would you recommend Bataleon boards for beginners too? For me stability and speed control is very important especially when I get off the lift.
    I am deciding between Gnu B nice, Capita astrology (or female version of it), and Bataleon (Feel Better or Spirit) Trying to find a good board for me and my husband. I can do some turns but hate it when It’s slippery and feels unstable.
    Really appreciate your help.

    Thanks a lot

    Reply

    • Nate says

      February 11, 2019 at 12:38 pm

      Hi Azzie

      Thanks for your message.

      Not sure if you got my reply from your other message, but I’ve pasted it again below for your reference. B Nice and Chromatic will likely feel the most unstable/loose out of the options below – so if that’s something you don’t like, then the other options are likely better for you.

      I don’t really deal with Bataleon boards, but from a quick bit of research I would say that the Chaser or Blow would be your best bet for men’s and the Spirit for women’s.

      For Capita, the Space Metal Fantasy for women’s and for men’s the Horrorscope – the next best beginner options would be the Paradise and Outerspace Living, IMO.

      For GNU, the Chromatic and B-Nice for women’s and the Hyak and Carbon Credit Asym for men’s.

      Hope this helps

      Reply

32. Krish says

    February 9, 2019 at 1:21 pm

    Hi Nate,

    This website is a blessing for beginners! Thank you for all the time and effort you put into helping everyone!

    I recently moved to Canada and am looking to learn a winter sport, which lead me to snowboarding. I am looking to kit-up for next season and have narrowed down my choices to:

    Salomon Sight
    K2 Standard
    Burton Instigator

    My measurements are:
    Height: 179 cm
    Weight: 150lbs
    Boot Size: US 9

    I believe a 155 cm should be good for me, but not quite sure about the width. Please could you recommend the width and what boots/bindings would be good for a complete beginner on the snow? Also if the above board choices are the best ones to target.

    I would’ve loved to start this season but from what I have read the sale for snowboarding equipment is usually from April to June?

    Thank you again for all your help!
    Krish

    Reply

    • Nate says

      February 11, 2019 at 11:49 am

      Hi Krish

      Thanks for your message.

      Length-wise, as a beginner, I would look at something in the between 152 and 154. Something around 155, 156, would be a good size for you once you’re more advanced, but it’s a good idea to go a little shorter, when you’re just starting out – makes the board easier to control and learn on.

      In terms of width, with 9s, I would say to look in a waist width range between around 245mm and 250mm.

      The boards you are looking at there are all very good options for beginners, IMO. The sizes that I would choose for you, would be:

      Salomon Sight: 153

      K2 Standard: 152 (if you really wanted to go 155 you could, but I think the 152 would be a better size as a beginner)

      Burton Instigator: 150 – probably the best size based on length and width. Unfortunately, this board only goes up in 5cm increments, which is a bit annoying. 150 probably a little short for you, but 155 prob a little long to be ideal, especially with a wider waist.

      In terms of gear going on sale, current season gear usually goes on sale a little earlier than April, but if you can find 2018 models, then they will already be on sale, but there might be limited availability, is the only thing – in terms of finding a suitable board in a suitable size.

      Hope this helps with your decision

      Reply

33. Dan says

    February 4, 2019 at 11:47 pm

    Hi Nate,

    Thank you for all the reviews and replies to the questions. I’ve spent a lot of times on here already and still coming back for more information.

    I’m about 5’6 and a half, 160 lbs. I’ve had probably about 4 days on the mountain, so very beginner still. My cousin has a 2018 K2 Standard 152 that I can buy for a good price. The K2 Standard board is obviously on your list and I think it’s a very good option, I just want to make sure if you think the size 152 would be good for me? Also he has a pair of boots, Ride Jackson boa, and it looks like a stiffness level of 5-6, I haven’t worn it long, but is there any reason it wouldn’t be a good pair for me to start?

    Another question I have is for my brother, who is 5’5 and around 155-157 lbs. He only had 1 day of snowboarding lesson. I want to get him something used and doesn’t cost too much until he decides he wants to stick with the snowboarding. The options I currently see around me that are decent price are: Burton LTR (148, 150), Rome Garage Rocker (151). I’ve been looking for some other boards on your list but they’re a little bit more than I would like to spend on. Is 151cm too long for him? What’s the ideal length for him to start/learn on? or any other recommendations you have.

    Thank you for your help,
    Dan

    Reply

    • Nate says

      February 5, 2019 at 11:15 am

      Hi Dan

      Thanks for your message.

      The K2 Standard is a great one for you start out on, IMO. And 152 is pretty much the perfect size for you, for right now, IMO. So if you can get that cheap off your cousin, then I would go for it.

      I would say the Jackson are around 5/10 in terms of flex. Ideally, a little softer as a beginner, but they’re certainly not way off. And if they’ve been used a bit by your cousin, then they probably would’ve softened up a bit. So, if you can get them cheap, they are certainly a doable option, IMO.

      For your brother, size-wise I think something around 148-150 is best as a beginner. So the LTR in 148 or 150 would be a good bet, IMO. The 151 Garage Rocker is also doable, certainly not way too big or anything. Only thing would be if it’s a mid-wide. The more recent 151 Garage Rockers (2015, 2016 models) were mid-wide’s in the 151 model. If so, then I would say it’s likely going to be too wide for your brother. Assuming a boot size less than size 11. So I think the LTR would be the safer bet.

      Hope this helps

      Reply

      • Dan says

        February 5, 2019 at 11:27 am

        Hi Nate,

        Thank you for your reply.

        I’ll go for the K2 and the boots! So it’s generally better to have a softer boots as a beginner right?

        You’re right, the Rome Garage rocker is a Mid-wide. I will get him the LTR then.

        And I just posted another comment because I didn’t see this one and thought my computer messed up, please disregard that one. Sorry I’m a bit anxious since we’re gonna go this weekend and I want to get it ready by then 😛

        Thanks again.
        Dan

        Reply

        • Nate says

          February 6, 2019 at 10:51 am

          You’re very welcome Dan.

          Yeah generally better to go softer for boots as a beginner. Hope you have an awesome weekend!

          Reply

34. Miroslav says

    January 20, 2019 at 7:26 am

    Hi Nate, let me start by complimenting you on the amazing website – there’s a ton of very useful info! Well done!

    As a low-end intermediate that has 14+ days on groomed trails and can comfortably do blue runs (even though my S shape turns are not as crisp as I would like and my self-preservation instinct makes me slow-down when riding at higher speed :), what do u think would be a good fit? After a bit of research I came up with the following list:

    Salomon Sight – 158W 258ww
    K2 Standard – 162W 256ww
    Arbor Foundation – 158 252ww
    Burton Instigator – 160 256ww
    Rome Reverb Rocker – 157 254ww
    Nidecker Merc – 159 255ww
    Aarbour Formule – 161 253.5ww

    and I am struggling to make up my mind. What would you recommend (doesn’t have to be any of the above tbh)? Any tips on board size will be greatly appreciated as well:

    weight: 84 kg = 187.4 lbs
    height: 187 cm = 6’1
    shoe size: 45EU = 10.5UK = 11US

    Thanks in advance!

    Reply

    • Nate says

      January 21, 2019 at 11:57 am

      Hi Miroslav

      Thanks for your message.

      Firstly, size-wise, as a low end intermediate rider, I would be looking at something in the range between 158 and 160.

      With US 11 boots, something at least 254mm at the waist, but that would be the absolute minimum, IMO, and only then if you ride with binding angles like +15/-15 or similar. Otherwise, a little wider is better.

      Of those boards, the first 4 are the most beginner, and the Arbor Formula Rocker too. I don’t test Nicker and Rome currently, but the Merc and Reverb Rocker certainly look like more intermediate to high intermediate options. Not to say they are necessarily out of reach for you, but just for your info.

      Size-wise from that list I would say:

      Salomon Sight – 158W 258ww
      K2 Standard – 159W 265ww
      Arbor Foundation – 159MW 261ww
      Arbor Formula Rocker – 159MW 261ww
      Burton Instigator – 160 256ww
      Rome Reverb Rocker – 160 255ww
      Nidecker Merc – 159 255ww or 159W 263ww

      You could also check out the following, for more options:

      >>Top 10 Intermediate Snowboards

      Hope this helps with your decision

      Reply

35. Raul Dumitrascu says

    January 15, 2019 at 5:02 am

    Hy man and congrats on all your cool guides. This is GOLD!

    I found recently a great deal on a NITRO Stance, 2018 model.

    What do you about this one, compared to the others on your list (eg: Salomon sight).
    I am a beginner, so I want to have a great beginning board but one I might keep for a few seasons.
    I am 1,83 m, and 41 in boots (26.5 cm), and 71 kg, so probably I should aim for a 156, right?

    And also, for boots I was looking for something with double Boa, maybe K2 Maysis, as I can wear them after I pass the first beginner stages. Would you recommend something else (preferably with double boas as well).

    Many thanks,
    Raul

    Reply

    • Nate says

      January 15, 2019 at 12:51 pm

      Hi Raul

      Thanks for your message.

      The Stance isn’t a board I looked at for this list, but looking at the specs, it looks like a very good beginner board option. And I agree that the 156 is the best size for you.

      The Maysis are stiffer than I would usually recommend for a beginner. Some options that are double boa, more beginner friendly but something that will still last you beyond the beginner stages:

      ~ Burton Swath Boa
      ~ Vans Aura Pro
      ~ Thirty Two Lashed Double Boa
      ~ K2 Renin
      ~ Ride Lasso
      ~ Ride 92

      Hope this helps

      Reply

36. novo says

    January 14, 2019 at 12:44 pm

    Hi Nate,

    I am 6ft tall, 228lb with boots size 11.
    What size shall I go for? I am a true beginner.
    Reading yr recommendations and doing my own research, I am down to
    K2 standard
    Salomon sight
    Burton ripcord or instigator
    What do you recommend pls?

    Thank you for the help in advance!
    Novo

    Reply

    • Nate says

      January 15, 2019 at 11:29 am

      Hi Nova

      Thanks for your message.

      Length-wise, I would look at something around 160-162.

      Width-wise, at least 258mm, in terms of waist-width, would be a good bet for 11s, as a beginner, without having to know your binding angle preference.

      So for the boards you’ve mentioned, the following would work best, IMO:

      ~ K2 standard – 159W
      ~ Salomon sight – 162W
      ~ Burton ripcord – 162W
      ~ Burton instigator – 160W – or could possibly get away with the 160 (non-wide)

      Hope this helps

      Reply

37. Balazs says

    January 9, 2019 at 1:46 pm

    Hi Nate,

    Reading all the comments and yr advices got me convinced to ask you.
    I am 197cm tall, 98kg with boots size 48 (sorry for the European measurements).
    What size shall I go for? Certainly wide, but what length pls?

    Not a true beginner, but still learning how to feel fully in control on the board.
    Reading yr recommendations and doing my own research, I am down to
    K2 standard
    Salomon sight or pulse
    Burton ripcord or instigator
    Arbor foundation.
    What do you recommend pls? Open to throw out above list if needed. 🙂

    Thank you for the help in advance!
    Balazs

    Reply

    • Nate says

      January 11, 2019 at 12:11 pm

      Hi Balaz

      Thanks for your message.

      Length-wise, something between 163 and 165 would be a good range to look at, IMO.

      In terms of width, 48EU can translate to a few different US sizes (13-15) depending on the brand. My head works in US sizes. But assuming a US14, I would say you’d want something with at least a 268mm waist width. So that discounts the Salomon Sight, Salomon Pulse, Arbor Foundation and the Burton Ripcord.

      Which leaves the K2 Standard 163W (268mm waist) and the Burton Instigator 165W (270mm waist). Either of those would be your best bet, IMO.

      Hope this helps with your decision

      Reply

      • Balazs says

        January 11, 2019 at 12:53 pm

        Thank You Nate! The boots are actually size 13.5 (mondo 31.5). Would this change yr recommendation?

        Rating myself an intermediate (4-5) or beginner level 3+ (but not yet 4), would u still recommend a beginner board (I understand, no grow-into attitude)?

        I really appreciat yr help!
        Balazs

        Reply

        • Nate says

          January 13, 2019 at 6:28 pm

          Hi balazs

          With 13.5, I would say the same in terms of width as the 14. Pretty much the same anyway.

          At a high-end beginner/intermediate level, you could look at something at more of an intermediate level. You could still go beginner for sure, but if you wanted you could take a little step up. I still wouldn’t recommend going anything too far ahead, but something from the following, would be within your reach, IMO.

          >>Top 10 Intermediate Snowboards

          Reply

          • Balass says

            January 14, 2019 at 8:40 am

            Thank You so much Nate! I appreciate yr helpful and quick reply.

          • Nate says

            January 14, 2019 at 6:12 pm

            You’re very welcome. Hope you have an awesome season!

          • Balazs Juhasz says

            January 25, 2019 at 1:59 am

            Sorry Nate, me again. 🙂
            I need one more advice pls.

            Both the Burton Instigator and K2 Standards have flex 2.
            In yr article, You say that the best flex for a beginner is 3-4. You reason that “beginners don’t want to go too soft or edge-hold could be compromised too much.”
            Given my size (boots 13.5, weight 98 kilo and height 197 centi), what board with flex 3-4 would You recommend? Or do You still recommend the earlier boards with flex 2?

            Appreciate yr help and sorry for taking yr time again!

          • Nate says

            January 25, 2019 at 11:43 am

            HI Balazs

            2/10 flex is easier to manage, in terms of maneuvering the board, but too soft can affect edge-hold and stability at speed. So, if you’re a complete beginner, it’s fine. But if you’re a high-end beginner, then going a little above that is a good idea. And if you’re a bigger guy not a bad idea either, particularly if you’re going to be above the weight recommendations (which tends to make a board feel a little softer).

            The slightly tricky thing is finding something suitable for 13.5 boots. But if you wanted to look at something a little more stiffness, and still suitable for your boot size, I would look into:

            ~ Never Summer Snowtrooper 164X

            Still an easy going board for a beginner, but a little more flex to it. Borderline width-wise, but should be just wide enough. Something like the YES Typo 163W would also work, but it’s a bit narrower and might be a bit too narrow.

            Hope this helps

          • Balazs says

            February 4, 2019 at 2:30 am

            Hi Nate,

            I cannot comment our last correspondence, so I am replying to an earlier discussion.

            Sorry for not coming back to you earlier, but i had some tough choices to make. 🙂
            I disregarded Yes Typo for its size. The Never Summer Snowtrooper costs twice as much here (in Switzerland) as the Burton or the K2. So I decided to stay with these boards.

            Then comparing and reading reviews about these two, and talking to my friends… I ended buying the Burton Instigator. Size-wise I feel this is the best, I like the graphics, and all the advices said: Burton is the snowboard brand.

            I also bought the Burton Freestyle binding (they actually came in a package on sale :)) and will receive them this week. I am hitting the slopes on Saturday!

            Nate! Thank you again for your quick advice and your patience. I really appreciate yr help.

            Kind regards,
            Balazs

          • Nate says

            February 4, 2019 at 4:29 pm

            You’re very welcome Balazs.

            Hope it treats you well and you have an awesome season! If you think of it at the time, let me know how you get on, once you’ve had a chance to get it out on snow.

          • Balazs says

            February 10, 2019 at 9:48 am

            Hi Nate!

            So it happened and I spent my Saturday at Praz de Lys. 🙂
            Man, am I happy to have listened to you! Size-wise the 165W just fits my feet and my snowboard boots overhang appropriately. With anything narrower I would have an issue.
            I love the Burton Instigator! So easy to control and the right amount of edge to make carving feel so simple (not on the black slopes of course!). It may not be the most responsive board, but easy to get the edge “bite the snow” and from there it goes by itself. Maybe a little too soft, but I did not have a problem with it.
            Thank you Nate for yr help! With yr advice I got myself a board that really satisfies me. I will be coming back in about 2 seasons on how to upgrade that fits my feet! 🙂

            PS: the Burton Freestyle rocks! It feels very comfortable; I like the many possibilities to customize and it keeps yr feet secured to the board without crushing it. Thanx!

            Balazs

          • Nate says

            February 11, 2019 at 12:44 pm

            You’re very welcome Balazs.

            Thanks for the update. Awesome to hear the Instigator and Freestyle’s are working well for you!

38. Stuart says

    January 7, 2019 at 4:10 am

    Hi Nate,

    I was wondering if you could help me out after reading your amazing webpage!
    I’m 5’10, about 82kg and have size 9 (UK) DC scout boots.
    I’m a beginner I guess and hit the blues and the occasional red.
    I was thinking of a K2 standard, Salomon sight or instigator in that order. Which would you recommend? and height/width? I was thinking of 155.
    Something that can handle ice well and give me the option to switch stance in the future would be a bonus but the most important is that’s it’s easy to use and lots of fun. I hit the pistes more than anything else.

    Many thanks man,

    Stuart

    Reply

    • Nate says

      January 8, 2019 at 12:45 pm

      Hi Stuart

      Thanks for your message.

      I think the Salomon Sight would work best for what you’re describing, just because it’s probably the best in hard/icy conditions out of the 3. Otherwise, they would all be great options.

      Size-wise, something between 155 and 157 is a good bet for your specs, IMO.

      So for the Sight I would go 156. The 155W is also an option, but I think you would be fine on the 156 for width.

      Hope this helps with your decision

      Reply

      • Stuart says

        January 13, 2019 at 2:23 pm

        Hey Nate,

        Thanks man, much appreciated ????

        Reply

        • Nate says

          January 14, 2019 at 5:53 pm

          You’re very welcome Stuart. Hope you have an awesome season!

          Reply

39. Vlad says

    January 4, 2019 at 11:06 am

    Hi Nate,

    First of all, I’d like to say that you’re doing a great job helping people with a kind of information that is really hard to come by. It’s hell to try and figure everything out, especially if you aim to get your money’s worth, and I highly appreciate that you re putting your time into this.
    I’ve been trying to wrap my head around board specifics and I feel a bit confused, given that I weigh more than I’m supposed to (100kg with a height of 190 cm)
    I would think that a good option would be a 165 cm wide board (I wear about 11 US size) but I’m not pretty sure if I got it correct.
    Should I go for 162 – 165 or is 165 a minimum, given my weight?
    Also,
    About begginer boards, wouldn’t it be counterproductive to get a forgiving board, like a rocker (e.g. the Arbor element which I really like), given that it may hide your mistakes? Was thinking that a camber or a camrock would throw you off if you made a bad move and, that way, you would easily find and correct what you’re doing wrong…
    I really like that Arbor Element board but am a little afraid to buy it only because its a plain rocker. What is your take on this?

    Thank you in advance!

    Reply

    • Nate says

      January 5, 2019 at 1:03 pm

      Hi Vlad

      Thanks for your message.

      I would say that something around 165 would be a good advanced level length for you. But as a beginner it’s a good idea to go a little shorter (3-5cm as a rule of thumb). So I would look at something between 160 and 162. With a US11 boot, you would likely be wide in most instances but for some boards you could be a regular width.

      In my experience – both with snowboarding and other endeavors, that if the tool you use is too advanced that you develop a crude technique, just in order to survive. So, in a snowboarding context, if the board is too difficult to ride, then you do what you have to just to get down the hill without falling, which can lead to poor technique. It can also really effect confidence. Going with something more forgiving allows you to build confidence and practice good technique with less fear of nailing yourself. I can totally get your logic though, but from what I’ve seen a more forgiving board leads to faster progression.

      That’s certainly not to say that it has to be all rocker – hybrid boards are often a good solution and I don’t usually recommend all-rocker boards, though arbor is an exception. Their rocker system, feels closer to a hybrid rocker, compared to other full rocker boards, as the amount of rocker reduces towards the contact points. But if you’re worried about it, there are plenty of good beginner options that aren’t full rocker.

      Hope this helps

      Reply

      • Vlad says

        January 6, 2019 at 2:08 pm

        It actually helps a lot! Many Thanks, really appreciate it!
        In this case, I’ll probably go with Yes Basic 163w, given that my weight may make the flex seem softer and it seems like a great medium flex camrock.
        Thanks again 😀

        Reply

40. Hasan says

    January 2, 2019 at 4:31 pm

    Hey Nate,
    I haven’t snowboarded in 13 years. I would call myself a beginner. I used my roommates Lamar 158w board at that time for about two seasons (total of 6-8x). I rented a board this past week and realized how much I still enjoy it. I’m comfortable with toeside but had trouble with heelside. I’m looking into grabbing a snowboard/boots/bindings. Your rankings are really helpful. I’m 6’0″, 220 lbs, 11 in. Looking at your comments I’m assuming around a 155-158W for beginner board. I was looking at the Salomon sight x. What do you think about signal boards? Also any specific boot/binding recs? Had trouble with boots in past due to hot zones around tongue and toes but I had really cheap boots.

    Thanks!

    Reply

    • Nate says

      January 4, 2019 at 3:27 pm

      Hi Hasan

      Thanks for your message.

      Length-wise, for your specs, I would be looking at more around 159-161. But if you felt more comfortable with 158, that’s also doable. But I wouldn’t go as short as 155.

      When you say 11″, is that the size of your foot? In which case, you would likely be in 10.5 boots, possibly 11s, which would put you on the cuff between wide and regular width and would largely depend on the particular board, and also on the brand/model of boots (some have a lower profile than others).

      For boots, it’s a really good idea, if possible to try them on, as different brands and models tend to fit differently and it’s hard to say what will fit well for each foot. If you’re unable to try on in person, for some idea of some of the brands, check out the following:

      Sizing Snowboard Boots: The Different Brands

      Ideally if you know the size/brand of boots, that helps with snowboard choice too, in terms of getting the right width.

      Some good beginner boot and binding options:

      >>Top 5 Beginner Bindings

      >> Top 7 Beginner Boots

      The Sight would certainly be a good choice, IMO, and the 158W or 159 would be good options, depending on what boots/size of boots you ended up with.

      Hope this helps

      Reply

      • Hasan says

        January 4, 2019 at 10:01 pm

        Thanks Nate,

        My shoe size is 11. I’ve tried 10.5 before and had issues depending on the brand. Thanks for the brand/sizing link, I’ll have to check out a local shop and try some boots.

        Also just wondering if you’ve heard about signal boards and if so how are they compared to the big brands.

        Reply

        • Nate says

          January 6, 2019 at 11:27 am

          You’re very welcome Hasan. I have heard of Signal boards, but I haven’t tried them, so I can’t compare them at the moment.

          Reply

41. Bert says

    January 1, 2019 at 2:33 am

    Dear Nate,

    Thanks for your thoughts. I was actually looking myself at slightly shorter than 164, let’s say the 160-164 range.

    At first glance, several models of Rossignol seem attractive (Templar, One LF, Circuit), and they are generally not expensive, but I yet have to find one which is rated for 100 kg. They all seem to end at 90 kg at the most (and the sizes that suit me sometimes even at a lower weight). So I fear I have to skip this brand. Or do you think I’m overly cautious there?

    Based on your lists I was actually drawn to the following:
    ROME Mechanic 161MW
    Burton Process Flying V 162 or 162 W
    YES Libre 161W
    Yes Basic 163W (Presently my favourite based on what I read here and elsewhere)
    Capita Outerspace living 160 (Would be my favourite, but perhaps a bit short for me, but then again 160 is the longest they sell, so perhaps this board is intended to be shorter than average?)
    Salomon sight 162W (but only rated to 95 kg, not 100kg)

    Any preference among these (or any definite NO’s?), considering my level/intended use and the fact that I have to regain my confidence?

    Happy New Year to you!

    Bert

    Reply

    • Nate says

      January 2, 2019 at 1:41 pm

      Hi Bert

      I think that’s a good list of boards to look at.

      Rossignol are typically light on their weight recommendations. I wouldn’t worry too much about it, if you’re a little over their weight recommendations. The One LF 161W would be fine for your weight, IMO. The Templar 162W as well, should be fine too, IMO. The Circuit maybe not though. And also, the Circuit not as suitable for hard/icy.

      The Outerspace Living, being an all-mountain-freestyle, is the type of thing that I like to ride a little shorter, so for a style incorporating freestyle, that would certainly be a good size. But even for you that size would be doable, if you think you would be confident with the waist being wide enough. However, not the best I’ve ridden in hard/icy conditions.

      The Process Flying V, in my experience, isn’t great in hard/icy conditions, so you might not want that if you’re not feeling confident in those conditions.

      The YES Basic or maybe even better, the YES Typo (which is the Basic, a little souped up), would be great options – and really good in hard/icy conditions. The Libre also good in that area too, IMO.

      I would be weighing up between:

      Rossi One LF
      Rossi Templar
      YES Typo
      YES Basic
      YES Libre

      If I was you.

      Reply

42. Bert says

    December 30, 2018 at 8:36 am

    Hi Nate,

    You’ve been giving so much great advice to people, I wonder if you could dispense some to me as well.

    I’m looking for a new snowboard, and I wonder what to buy.

    I am a 100 kg, 1m85, 52 year old man. Not too athletic, I enjoy the good and relaxed life, but I do try to get some exercise during the year. US boot size 11.5

    I’ve been boarding for 15years now, one week per year. On your skill ranking, I suppose I am a 4 or 5. I definitely was a solid 6 ten years ago or so, but well, you know, advancing age and only boarding one week per year… You get the picture.

    At that time I bought myself a board, a Forum Roost (2007 model I think), 164 length.

    Over time however, my boarding has gone downhill, made some nasty falls, confidence dropping, probably some errors of technique getting worse, no longer the strength and flexibility of young age to compensate for those. End result is: I am not enjoying it much anymore. My biggest problem is: lack of confidence on very hard slopes/icy patches. On the heel edge my board just suddenly slides from under me in those conditions, causing painfull falls on my lower back, leading to a very cramped style.

    So basically, I am looking for a board to get the pleasure back. I do mainly groomed runs, with a bit of powder here and there. No fun park tricks or extreme wilderness for me.

    Surprisingly, last weekend I rented a basic rental board (HEAD Rocka FW 4D, 163cm length, 266 mm width), and within an hour I had a level of confidence in the board that I haven’t had for many years. I rode relatively icy slopes and realised that I would have struggled and probably fallen using my own board, but yet with this basic board it was actually fun! The HEAD board was less suitable for higher speeds, and it is difficult to find as it is (apparently) only sold into the rental market, so it is not a realistic option to buy, but it made me realise that I need a new board.

    I am not really looking to progress much. Considering my age and slope time that is unrealistic. I just want to enjoy the fresh mountain air and get down the slopes safely and without stress of falling.

    As far as width goes, your width guide makes me aim for a 260-266 mm width (front: 15 degrees, back: 5 degrees), but my present board has only 251 mm, and it is OK, my boots are not touching the snow, but it is a close call. So anywhere from 255 -266 width would be fine, I suppose.

    I was looking here at your beginners recommendations, but I wonder if I shouldn’t select a more intermediate board.

    What do you think?

    Reply

    • Nate says

      December 31, 2018 at 3:50 pm

      Hi Bert

      Thanks for your message.

      I think a more intermediate board, would be a better option, to get a bit better in terms of stability at speed. And there are certainly intermediate appropriate boards that would be more more forgiving than the Forum Roost (not a board I know but based on specs). You could check out this list:

      >>Top 10 Intermediate Snowboards

      The boards that I consider the best in hard/icy conditions are labelled there.

      Or look at something like the following, which I would consider intermediate appropriate, and on the more forgiving side, and still good in hard/icy conditions:

      ~ Slash Brainstorm
      ~ Nitro Team Gullwing
      ~ Rossignol One LF

      With 11.5s, I would look at at least 260mm at the waist, but yeah if you’ve been OK with your current board, you might have a bit more leeway there.

      Length-wise, around 164 would be a good length for you, at an advanced level, IMO. You could go a little shorter, if you wanted, which would also make it more forgiving.

      Hope this gives you more to go off

      Reply

43. Ryan says

    December 28, 2018 at 1:47 pm

    Hi Nate, great article and very helpful.

    I am about 180cm/90kg

    I have a UK10 boot (11 US I’m guessing)

    Going to be riding a few times this season in France and would like to get my own board.

    Going to riding mostly groomed runs for now but wouldnt mind trying some park in the future. An all rounder would be cool.

    What would you recommend?

    Thanks

    Ryan

    Reply

    • Nate says

      December 29, 2018 at 12:54 pm

      Hi Ryan

      Thanks for your message.

      If you think you’ll also like to try something off-piste with the board at some stage, then I would go with an “all-mountain” option. If not, then something all-mountain-freestyle would be your best bet – and more suitable for the park.

      Size-wise, something between 157 and 159 would be a good bet, IMO. And in terms of width, with UK10/US11, you’ll be wide/mid-wide for some boards, and regular for others, depending. But more likely wide.

      So, I think the following, depending on how likely you are to go off-piste whilst on this board:

      All-Mtn-Freestyle options

      ~ YES Basic 158 or 159W – with binding angles around +15/-15 and low profile boots, I think you would get on the 158, but the 159W is the safer bet, and would allow to experiment with binding angles more, and be less restrictive for boot choice.

      ~ GNU Hyak 157 or 157W – again same kind of debate as with between the wide and regular as with basic

      ~ Arbor Formula Rocker 159MW

      ~ Arbor Foundation 159MW

      All-Mountain Options

      ~ K2 Standard 159W – though this is getting pretty wide for US11s.

      ~ Salomon Sight 158W – a really good size, IMO both length and width

      Or you could also check out the following, if you’re looking for something a little step up, depending on the experience you have on a board so far.

      >>Top 10 Intermediate Snowboards

      Hope this helps and gives you some good options

      Reply

44. Emerson says

    December 28, 2018 at 6:29 am

    This is the best site! You keep helping me and some friends. Thank you for the tips!
    I have a question: I Will buy my first board and Its the Burton Instigator. The old Burton clash is still available and much cheaper. Is it worth it to get a clash for 250 vs a 350 Instigator?

    Reply

    • Nate says

      December 29, 2018 at 11:56 am

      Hi Emerson

      Thanks for your message.

      Whilst the Instigator and the Clash aren’t exactly the same, they are quite similar and are both good first boards, IMO. So, if you can save that much, I’d go Clash – but only if you can get an appropriate size for you. I would pay the extra for an instigator in a suitable size vs the Clash in an ill-fitting size.

      If you’d like a size recommendation, I’d be happy to give one. Would just need your height, weight and boot size.

      Hope this helps

      Reply

45. Benny says

    December 26, 2018 at 1:53 pm

    Hi Nate,

    Your site is awesome and very informative for a true beginner like me! I’m 5’10”, 220lbs foot size 27cm (wears US 10 sneakers). I do wakeboarding and hope it’s easier for me to pick-up snowboarding. After reading reviews from your site and other sites, I’m interested in the following boards and would very much appreciate your further advice:

    1.Rossignol District
    2.Ride Agenda
    3.Arbor Formula

    I am interested to tryout kickers and ramps sometime later so it would be nice if it’s an all mountain freestyle board. So of the 3 options above which board and size would you recommend?

    I’ve noticed there’s Arbor Formula Camber and Rocker available for the 2019 collection. Should I pick the Rocker or Camber version? Or just to go with the earlier models to save the hassles and save some bucks?

    For bindings I’m thinking of Union Flight Pro or Burton Custom. Any advice?

    Many thanks!

    Reply

    • Nate says

      December 27, 2018 at 1:45 pm

      Hi Benny

      Thanks for your message.

      As a beginner, I wouldn’t go for the Arbor Formula Camber, just because, with that much camber it can make for a catchy ride, especially for beginners.

      The Formula Rocker would be a good choice, IMO and would be the most all-mountain-freestyle of the 3 above, IMO. The District and Agenda are more freestyle, but that’s not to say they’re not good options. Still good for learning the basics, without having to ride freestyle with them initially.

      Going for the past season’s Formula Rocker (so long as there’s an appropriate size) is fine, as there aren’t too many differences, if any, for the 2019 model. Just so long as you get the Rocker version.

      Size-wise, I would be looking at something between 157 and 159, as a beginner. More like 162 as a more advanced rider, but as a beginner it’s a good idea, IMO, to take off 3-5cms in length.

      If you wear 10s in sneakers, then you should be pretty close to 10s, and I’d say no more than 10s with 27cm feet, so you should be fine on any regular width board in that length range. For the boards mentioned, the following sizes, would be a good choice.

      District: 159
      Agenda: 158
      Formula: 158

      Can’t go wrong with either the Flite Pro or Burton Custom, IMO. If you go for the Burton Custom, then make sure you get the “Re:Flex” model, as the “EST” model won’t fit on non-burton boards.

      Hope this helps with your decision

      Reply

46. Mo says

    December 14, 2018 at 6:36 pm

    Hi Nate – this is an awesome site! I am relatively new to snowboarding. I’ve been a hand full of times over the course of 2 years (beginner). I wanted to purchase my own equipment, but have a few questions. I am 5’10” 180lbs size 11. I live on the east coast so conditions are usually on the icier/groomed side. I have been reading up on camber/rocker etc. I keep seeing how rocker is better for beginners but camber offers more stability which is what I would like I would imagine. I have been looking at the Arbor Foundation board but not sure if it’s the right one for me. Also what size board would you recommend? Need some guidance! Thank you in advance!

    Reply

    • Nate says

      December 16, 2018 at 1:01 pm

      Hi Mo

      Thanks for your message.

      I’m a fan of going with something hybrid for a beginner board. Rocker makes turn initiations easier for sure, but having some camber or flat sections in there helps with stability. More rocker than camber is usually a good way to go though. Whilst the Foundation is all rocker, Arbor’s rocker system, feels less like traditional full rocker as it gradually reduces the amount of rocker towards the tip and tail. And Arbor boards typically have decent grip in harder snow, even the rocker versions. Though not as good as some of the boards on this list.

      So, it’s certainly an option for you, IMO. But if you’re worried about grip in hard/icy conditions, check out those that have “HARD/ICY CONDITIONS” in their descriptions.

      Size-wise, I would go for something between 154 and 156, so for the foundation, the 155 would be the best length for you, IMO. However, probably too narrow for size 11s.

      I think the GNU Hyak 154W would be a good bet – good in hard/icy, and a good length and width for your boot size.

      The YES Basic 156W would also be a good size and is also really good in hard/icy.

      Hope this helps with your decision

      Reply

47. Joe says

    December 9, 2018 at 10:33 am

    Hi Nate – great article and site!
    I wanted to see about some board advice :
    I’m in my early 40s and in decent shape. 180lbs, 6-1”, and size 12 boot. I’ve boarded about 5-7 times and consider myself a decent beginner. I’d like to ride switch and do (for now) mostly groomers and just be maneuverable/agile — maybe basic park eventually. I’ve seen a few deals around but I’m concerned about getting a board that is too small or a bad match for me:
    – used 2018 Burton Amplifier 156W (too small?)
    – new 2018 Gnu Hyak 157W (too small?)
    – used 2015 Gnu Carbon Credit 159W with 2015 K2 Formula bindings (too old or too expensive at $325US)

    I’m interested in progressing quickly so am not opposed to getting a board that’s good enough for right now and then upgrading in the near future. Any insight would help!
    Thanks!

    Reply

    • Nate says

      December 11, 2018 at 2:44 pm

      Hi Joe

      Thanks for your message. Apologies for the late response – on vacation, so a little slower responding at the moment.

      I think something between 157 and 159 would be a good length for you as a beginner. As a decent beginner, you could extend out to 160 maybe, but also, given that you’re keen to progress quickly, that range is probably good. So, I’d say the 156W is just a little too small. The Hyak 157W would work, IMO as would the 2015 Carbon Credit.

      The 2015 Carbon Credit is a little different to the current Carbon Credit Asym (firstly that there was a non-asym version but also some other differences). But I would still say it’s a good beginner option. I’d say at least 50% of full price for 2015 gear would be about right – so it’s not far off that for price. The Formula not ideal beginner bindings. Just a little stiff – but doable.

      Hope this helps with your decision

      Reply

      • Joe says

        December 11, 2018 at 8:29 pm

        Hi Nate,

        Thanks- this is awesome insight!

        Yes I read the older Carbon Credit does not have the Asym and is more comparable to the Hyak.

        I’m leaning towards the Hyak for now but between that and the Burton Amplifier is there one you’d recommend? I’m on the east coast of the US so maybe the Hyak because magentraction? I might be splitting hairs.

        Looking forward to digging into your binding and boot reviews for next steps, so to speak.

        Thanks again!

        Reply

        • Nate says

          December 12, 2018 at 2:17 pm

          Hi Joe

          You’re very welcome.

          Yeah, I would be leaning towards the Hyak for sure. For that exact reason, that it’s going to be better in hard/icy conditions – so if you’re on the East Coast I think you’ll appreciate that.

          Reply

48. Kelly says

    December 9, 2018 at 8:51 am

    Hi Nate,

    You have provided me with a plethora of beneficial information! I’m grateful for all of it and look forward to getting the kids up on the mountain this season.

    All my best,
    Kelly

    Reply

    • Nate says

      December 9, 2018 at 12:38 pm

      You’re very welcome Kelly. If you think of it at the time, let me know what you go with and how your kids get on with their new gear. Hope you all have an awesome season!

      Reply

49. Kelly says

    December 7, 2018 at 9:41 am

    Hi Nate! Thanks for the informative article…I’m still lost as to what to purchase for my kiddos as their first board/bindings/boots. Any input would be greatly appreciated! Oh, and we live in California and will be boarding mainly at Dodge Ridge (if that helps). I’m not particularly looking for the least expensive, but rather the best for learning.

    17 yr old female (runner):
    5’11
    140 lbs
    beginner

    14 yr old male (very athletic):
    5’11
    145 lbs
    beginner

    Thanks a bunch!

    Reply

    • Nate says

      December 7, 2018 at 1:22 pm

      Hi Kelly

      Thanks for your message.

      Really good idea to be looking for the best to learn on, IMO. Since I’m guessing they haven’t really developed any preference for how they like to ride, I think going with something all-mountain or all-mountain-freestyle is a good bet, to keep things versatile.

      Size-wise, I would say something around 149 to 151, for your daughter and 151 to 153 for your son. These sizes have taken into account ability level. Since it sounds like they are quite fit, then looking at the higher end of that range is probably a good idea.

      For Daughter, I think the following would work well as first board:

      ~ GNU Chromatic 149 – or could push up to the 152. Though the 149 would be easier to learn on, IMO.
      ~ YES Emoticon – again 149 but potentially 152
      ~ Arbor Poparazzi – 150
      ~ K2 First Lite – 150
      ~ Nitro Lectra – 149 – or potentially 152
      ~ Rossignol Gala – 150

      For Son:

      ~ YES Basic 152
      ~ GNU Hyak 151 or potentially 154
      ~ Arbor Formula Rocker 152
      ~ K2 Standard 152
      ~ Salomon Sight 153

      The Rossi Circuit and Burton Instigator would also work but only come in 5cm increments size-wise. The 150 being on the short side and the 155 being on the long side.

      One more thing. If you could also let me know their boot size (or shoe size if they don’t have boots yet). Just so I can double check that those sizes will be appropriate width-wise.

      Hope this helps

      Reply

      • Kelly says

        December 8, 2018 at 9:22 am

        This helps immensely! Thank you!!

        Daughter’s shoe size- Women’s 8
        Son’s shoe size- Men’s 9.5

        They don’t have boots or bindings yet. I welcome your input for these too!

        Reply

        • Nate says

          December 8, 2018 at 6:09 pm

          Hi Kelly

          You’re very welcome. Thanks for the extra info.

          For your daughter, she should be fine on any of those options width-wise, IMO.

          For your son:

          ~ YES Basic 152 – should be fine on this width-wise
          ~ GNU Hyak 151 or potentially 154 – pushing it too narrow, depending on the binding angles he uses. 154 would be a safer bet width-wise
          ~ Arbor Formula Rocker 152 – should be fine in most scenarios – i.e. most binding angles and most boot brands
          ~ K2 Standard 152 – pushing it too narrow, depending on binding angles and boot profile
          ~ Salomon Sight 153 – pushing it too narrow, depending on binding angles and boot profile

          With men’s boots, some brands have a smaller outersole than others. Going with a low profile boot would give a bit more leeway in terms of width and make it easier to get on some of the narrower options there. To start check out the following:

          >> Top 7 Beginner Boots

          In the score breakdowns it shows the extent of the reduced footprint (higher score = smaller outersole). The Burton Moto and Vans Hi-Standard would be the best options, IMO. If you have the chance, it’s definitely a good idea to try boots on in person, even if you’re going to be buying online. Every foot is different, so what is comfortable and fits well often depends on the person. But for ideas of how a boot should fit:

          >>How to Size Snowboard Boots

          Also if your son has narrow or wide feet, the following might be useful if you can’t try on.

          Adidas – Wide
          Burton – Mid-Wide
          DC – Mid-Wide
          K2 – Medium
          Ride – Medium
          Salomon – Narrow
          Thirty Two – Mid-Wide
          Vans – Medium

          For bindings, check out:

          >>Top 5 Beginner Bindings

          And for sizing bindings (depends on brand of binding as to what size boots fits which sizes best):

          >>Snowboard Binding Sizing

          And for your daughter check out:

          >>Top Women’s Beginner Bindings

          >>My Top Women’s Beginner Boots

          Hope this gives you some good options

          Reply

50. Virgil says

    December 5, 2018 at 9:14 am

    What a great article!

    Reply

    • Nate says

      December 5, 2018 at 1:51 pm

      Thanks Virgil! And thanks for visiting the page. Glad you got value out of it.

      Reply

51. Filip says

    December 5, 2018 at 8:37 am

    Hey there Nate!

    Thanks for this amazing article, it really helped me to narrow my choice down to two boards. I am a beginner and I’ve used my friends board to learn basics. Now I have decided it’s time to step up the game and get myself my own snowboard.. I just can’t decide between Salomon Sense (153cm) and Arbor Foundation(152cm). I am 169cm and 65kg.

    I already have my own boots sized 9,5 so I would go for M binding size. I am also thinking about getting Union Strata bindings (I know they are bit overkill for a beginner however I was thinking that I could use them even after I upgrade my board in the future) or would Flite Pro be a better choice for me?

    Thanks for the advice!
    Filip

    Reply

    • Nate says

      December 5, 2018 at 1:50 pm

      Hi Filip

      Thanks for your message.

      Between the Sight (I assume you meant Sight and not Sense?) and the Foundation they are both great for starting out, IMO. But I would be leaning towards the Arbor Foundation 152 for you. And the only reason is that it’s going to be wider and with 9.5s, the 153 Sight might be pushing it too narrow. From the Salomon and Arbor boards, I’ve measured Salomon boards tend to have less difference between the waist width and the width at the inserts than Arbor. I haven’t measured those boards in particular but based on the others from those brands that I’ve measured, I would predict that the sight would be roughly 253mm at the inserts (at reference stance) and the Foundation would be roughly 261mm at the inserts (at reference stance).

      You might get away with the Sight at +15/-15 binding angles, but it’s riskier in terms of being too narrow. The Foundation would give you more leeway, IMO, and would also allow you more freedom in terms of choosing your binding angles.

      Ideally, I would say go with the Flite Pros over the Strata. That would give you a better chance of a faster progression. I can certainly see where you’re coming from, with wanting bindings that can travel with you to a new board, so it’s up to you. But ideally for learning the Flite Pro would be a better choice, IMO. The Strata isn’t going to be the most difficult binding to learn on but it will make things a little more difficult.

      Hope this helps with your decision

      Reply

      • Filip says

        December 6, 2018 at 6:44 am

        Thanks! It surely helped!
        And yeah I’ve meant Sight 🙂

        If that’s your recommendation I will go for Flite Pro then.
        One more question I forgot to ask. What binding size would you recommend for my boot size? it’s 27,5cm / 9,5US / 43,1/3

        Will the M size allow further strap adjustments or is L safe bet for my size?

        Thanks!

        Reply

        • Nate says

          December 6, 2018 at 2:06 pm

          Hi Filip

          I would go for the Medium Flite Pros (or any Union binding). I always ride medium (US10 boots) and prefer it. Also Union bindings have quite long baseplates on them, and the L would very likely (almost certainly) be too long for the width of the boards you’re looking at. So, in terms of snowboards compatibility I would definitely go M – which is fine as I would usually recommend M for 9.5 boots anyway.

          Reply

52. Ugnius says

    November 25, 2018 at 8:08 am

    Hello, Nate,
    Your article is great!
    I am 189 cm high, 86 kg weight man, my boot size is 47 EU (Burton Moto) size (14 US), level – beginner to intermediate, more all mountain rider, but more like to get into the powder.
    I am thinking about Burton Ripcorn 2019 snowboard 62 W. What do you think, is that good for me (length and width)?
    Thank you in advance,
    Ugnius

    Reply

    • Nate says

      November 26, 2018 at 10:56 am

      Hi Ugnius

      Thanks for your message.

      I think the Ripcord would be a good option for you, based on what you’re describing. But I suspect that it would be pushing it too narrow for your boot size. You might be fine to begin with, but once you start getting more up on edge, you may well get boot drag issues. Even with low profile Burton boots, I wouldn’t want to go narrower than roughly 265mm at the waist for your boots.

      I think the better option for you would be the 160W Burton Instigator. It’s a reasonable amount wider (265mm waist) and should give you a bit more leeway. Also I think the 160 is a good length for you at this stage.

      Hope this helps with your decision

      Reply

53. Andy says

    November 21, 2018 at 12:53 am

    Hi Nate,

    Super helpful article for a beginner like me. Just learned how to linking turns last season and plan to get my first board to the upcoming season. I already bought my boots last year( HEAD scout pro) which is really comfortable for me. Went through a lot of buying guides and got me really headache to pick up a beginner board. Will be really grateful if you could provide some advice.

    I am 5’10 (around 178cm), 160 lbs ( 73 ~ 74 kg), boots size US men 9.5 (27.5 cm)

    The first pick of my options is Salomon sight, it seems very suitable for a beginner to grow their skills and currently I don’t have any riding style preference, just want to learn.

    I look at the size chart and have some options,
    156 length, 248mm waist width
    159 length, 250mm waist width
    155W length, 256mm waist width ( maybe to wide for my boot size)

    it looks like 156 length will be the better one for me, but then I read some articles saying that it’s ideal to choose a board with 250mm width or so for size 9.5 boots and saying 248mm maybe a bit narrower and may have a chance to drag on toe and heel edge on like doing carving or other more aggressive tricks.

    so my question is will 248mm width be ok for my boots size?

    I also checked K2 standard and have below options
    155 length, 249mm waist width
    158 length, 251mm wasit width

    looks like 158 fits me well.

    I just want to pick a right board and make a big progress this year, so could you help me and give me some advice?

    Reply

    • Nate says

      November 21, 2018 at 11:45 am

      Hi Andy

      Thanks for your message.

      Size-wise I would say something between 154 to 156 for you. So the 156 Sight or the 155 K2 Standard would be what I would choose if I was you.

      In terms of width, with 9.5s, you should be OK with the 248mm waist. Typically I would say anything 251mm and up if you ride with a very straight back foot e.g. if you’re binding angles were +15/+0 or something like that. But with 6 degrees or more on your back foot and I would be confident that the waist on the 156 Sight and 155 Standard would be perfectly fine for you. Even with a completely straight back foot, you’d probably be OK too, especially as a beginner, but it would be pushing it more once you’re more advanced and riding more aggressive.

      Hope this helps

      Reply

      • Andy says

        November 21, 2018 at 11:15 pm

        Hi Nate,

        Thanks. it helps me a lot.
        Now I have a better understanding of how to choose a board, and your articles are really informative, great job!

        Reply

        • Nate says

          November 22, 2018 at 11:05 am

          You’re very welcome Andy. Hope you have an awesome season!

          Reply

54. Carol says

    November 13, 2018 at 1:27 pm

    Hi Nate,

    First, we wan to start by saying we love your website, it is very helpful.

    We have been reading a lot but we can not quite decide what snowboards should we buy. We were wondering if you could advise what snowboards should we buy.
    Boy: 78 kg 178cm and 9.5 boots (USA)
    Girl: 57 kg 168 cm and 6.5 boots (USA)

    I think we are high beginner to low intermediate level. We mostly ride blue and red slopes.
    We are able to link turns and we want to gain more confidence in doing so. I would say we are improving pretty fast so we would want a snowboard that help us to progress.
    We mostly ride in powder but sometimes in icy.
    Not looking to do any park or jumps, just would like to enjoy powder when it’s available, carving and gain confidence to go fast sometimes.
    We also want to start feeling better gaining some speed and backcountry.
    Would you be able to recommend some boards and bindings for us? I think more of the side all mountain or freeride would be the best, right?

    Thanks!!

    Reply

    • Nate says

      November 14, 2018 at 1:40 pm

      Hi Carol

      Thanks for your message.

      By the sounds of it, I think you would both suit an all-mountain board well. And by the sounds of it, you are closer to an intermediate level than a beginner level, so something a little more performance oriented than a beginner board would be a good call, IMO. Particularly as you are going to be wanting some good stability at speed and for getting into the backcountry. I still wouldn’t put you on most freeride boards, just because usually they are for more advanced riders, though there are some exceptions to that.

      I would check out the following for starters:

      >>My Top 10 All Mountain Snowboards

      >>My Top 6 Women’s All-Mountain Snowboards

      I am also looking at publishing a top 5 Intermediate snowboard list. I haven’t finalized how the rating system will work or finalized what boards would be long there, but these are some that I expect will be there.

      Men’s

      ~ Never Summer Snowtrooper (all-mountain)
      ~ YES Typo (all-mountain)
      ~ Rossignol Templar (all-mountain)
      ~ Capita Outerspace Living (all-mountain-freestyle)
      ~ Burton Process Flying V (all-mountain)
      ~ YES Libre (all-mountain)

      The other men’s option that might suit really well is the Ride Wildlife, which is kind of like a freeride board but more easy going and intermediate appropriate.

      Women’s

      ~ Never Summer Infinity (all-mountain)
      ~ Rossignol Frenemy (all-mountain)
      ~ Capita Paradise (all-mountain-freestyle)

      Size wise, I would say:

      Boy: A good length range to look at, IMO, would be 156-158. This is taking into account ability level, so taking off a little bit of length – but not too much, since powder and speed are important factors. Width-wise, with 9.5s should be good at most boards in that length range, but roughly something with a waist width in the range of 249mm to 254mm would be a safe bet.

      Girl: Length range between 144 and 146, again taking the same considerations into account. Width-wise, something between 225mm and 235mm would be a good range to look at in terms of waist width.

      Hope this gives you more to go off for your decision

      Reply

55. Magnus says

    November 3, 2018 at 3:09 pm

    Hi Nate!

    I want to start offf with a massive big up for all the great info on this site. It’s great for a newbie with all the guides and top lists.

    As mentioned i’m a newbie with aprox. 35-40 h riding on a Völkl Steaze 158 with K2 Mach bindings. My boots are Vans Hi-Standard.

    Although the board served me geat learning to ride it started feeling a bit unstable the last day of riding. As i started getting more confident i was riding faster and this is when the board started to feel a bit unstable and wobbly and as a result stopping me from going any faster. So the short version is that i need a new board 🙂

    I’m:

    43 year
    1.83 m
    76-80 kg
    Not very athletic (yet)
    US boot size 10 (Vans Hi-Standard)

    I’m only gonna ride the slopes. At least for the foreseable future but i do want a board that can handle a bit of everything. I have a duck stance (i think its 18 – 15)

    I have a brand new Rome Mechanic 156 (2018 model) but i think that might not be much more stable than the Völkl Steaze i feel is a bit to unstable. I’m also wondering if 156 is a bit to short and to narrow for my size 10 boots. I’m going to the Italian alps in december and probably wont get the chance of trying out my equipment before that.

    Do you think i should bring the Mechanic 156 i already have, by a Mechanic 159 or somethinng completely different? And should i keep the K2 Mach bindings or do you think i should replace them as well?

    /Magnus

    Reply

    • Nate says

      November 5, 2018 at 11:05 am

      Hi Magnus

      Thanks for your message.

      I don’t test Völkl boards, but based on the specs of the Steaze, I’m not surprised it’s feeling wobbly when getting up speed. It sounds like it’s a very park oriented board and not made for speed.

      Unfortunately I don’t think the Mechanic would be that much of an improvement over the Steaze, especially in the 156, but again, this is just based on specs, and I’m not currently testing Rome boards either.

      Since you have some time on a snowboard under your belt, you could step up to something like one of the following, which are more intermediate level boards and would give you a bit more in terms of stability at speed.

      ~ YES Typo
      ~ Capita Outerspace Living
      ~ Yes Libre
      ~ Never Summer Snowtrooper
      ~ Arbor Whiskey

      Still suitable for a high-end beginner/intermediate level, but would give you a bit more stability, IMO. Or if you felt you were ready to step it up a little more, then you could also check out the following:

      >>My Top 10 All Mountain Snowboards

      >>My Top All-Mountain-Freestyle Snowboards

      Size-wise, I think something around 157, 158 would be a good size for you, taking everything into consideration.

      The K2 Mach must have been before my time with testing as I haven’t heard of them. But from the limited info I could find, they look like they’re beginner bindings. But without knowing much about them, not sure whether or not they would still be suitable.

      Hope this helps

      Reply

      • Magnus says

        November 10, 2018 at 2:00 pm

        Yeah, it sure did help a lot!

        Of the boards you mentioned i got really interested in the Outerspace living. It’s gotten rave reviews from riders of all sorts so i decided to go for it. Stumbled on a good deal on the Outerspace living 158 online so it should be on its way as we speak.

        I realized the new board deserves new bindings and picked up a pair of Salomon District M (2018/2019). Also based mostly on great reviews from all sorts of riders.

        I think thuis set-up should last me a couple of seasons. I might want to get a bit stiffer boots but this will do for now.

        Yeah, my currrent board/bindings is probably not ideal now that i have some experience riding but i kinda needed to get a cheap equipment quick at the end of last season so …… And t.b.h. i’ve progressed faster than i thought i would so it probably was a good set-up for a beginner.

        Last question 🙂 I’m guessing the board comes waxed from the factory even if it’s just some basic protective wax etc. Do you think i should wax it before first use. I’m gonnna ride it for 3-4 days in Cervinia/Zermatt in december. Is it worth the effort/prize getting it waxed or is the supposed basic wax enough?

        /Magnus

        Reply

        • Nate says

          November 10, 2018 at 3:11 pm

          Hi Magnus

          Awesome that you have the new gear sorted. Always exciting.

          As far as waxing a new board, you can but it’s not entirely necessary. If it’s a past season board that’s been sitting around for a long time, then it’s probably a good idea, but otherwise not fully necessary, IMO. I actually wrote a post about it a while back, you can check that out too, if you want.

          >>Do I Need to Wax a New Snowboard

          Reply

          • Magnus says

            November 15, 2018 at 1:09 pm

            Thanks a lot for all the helpfull advice!

            I’ve ordered wax, waxing iron etc. so now i should finally be set. I’s crazy how all the small bits and pieces add up to a small fortune.

            I’ve said it before 🙂 but one last question. Should i remove the factory wax with a purpose made cleaning liquid and some hard graft before waxing?

            /Magnus

          • Nate says

            November 16, 2018 at 12:18 pm

            You’re very welcome Magnus.

            No real need to remove the Factory wax, in my opinion. Still give the base a good clean before waxing, but I wouldn’t go to the effort of removing the existing wax, if it was me.

56. John says

    November 3, 2018 at 1:21 pm

    Hi Nate

    Your website is amazing and I really enjoy reading your reviews…:)

    I’m a long time skier, but a newbie making a switch over to the darkside. I’m looking at some snowboards in my area that our on sale, but I could really use some great advice.

    I have some Union Contact Pro bindings and I have some K2 Darko boots (size 10).
    I’m 200 lbs and 5’10”.

    I’m not really a park person, but I am looking for a fun playful board.

    The snowboards that I’m looking at are;
    – Slash Happy Place 158
    – Step Child Weekend 159
    – GNU Asym Credit 159
    – GNU Gnuru 158
    – Capita Outer Space Living.

    Any advice or tips you can offer would be awesome and thank you!!

    Reply

    • Nate says

      November 5, 2018 at 10:47 am

      Hi John

      Thanks for your message.

      I don’t currently test Step Child boards, so I can’t comment there. But for the others on the list:

      ~ Happy Place – very freestyle oriented but certainly beginner friendly and playful – see my review here
      ~ Gnu Carbon Credit Asym – basically the same as above, except this is even more playful. A looser feeling board than the Happy Place
      ~ GNU Gnuru – a little more advanced than the first 2. Not un-doable at a beginner level at all, but I would say high-end beginner/low intermediate level would be more appropriate. A slightly steeper learning curve than the first 2 for a complete beginner (not sure if you’ve had any experience yet or not). On the looser, more playful side too, but not quite as loose as the Carbon Credit Asym
      ~ Capita Outerspace Living – again a more intermediate level board, doable for a high-end beginner. More of a stable, rather than loose feel. Still a little playful but the least playful of the four.

      Size-wise, I think something around the 157, 158 length is a good way to go for your specs/level. So, I think the sizes you’re looking at are appropriate. And width-wise you should be fine on those with a size 10.

      Hope this helps with your decision

      Reply

      • John says

        November 11, 2018 at 1:00 pm

        Hi Nate

        Thanks so much for your reply. I wasn’t sure about a couple of the boards and thought they might be to much for starting out.

        It’s a toss up between the Slash Happy Place and the GNU Carbon Credit Asym or the regular Carbon Credit. Even though I’m not a park person, the Slash Happy place looks like a fun all around board, so I’m kinda leaning towards it.

        I’m excited for the snow season…:)

        Cheers
        John

        Reply

        • Nate says

          November 13, 2018 at 11:34 am

          Hi John

          You’re very welcome. Yeah the Happy Place is a fun little board, and whilst it’s park/freestyle oriented, it’s also a great beginner option, and good for casual/playful riding on the groomers. I’m also itching to get the season started! Hope you have an awesome one!

          Reply

57. Brian says

    November 2, 2018 at 2:44 pm

    Hi Nate

    I was wondering if you could give me some advice, I’ve been getting a mixed bag of advice from shop personnel and being in Canada don’t have many options locally when it comes to board brands sold or being able to purchase online like the folks south of me.

    I went shop browsing the other day and was only really able to find the circuit in store everything else from your beginner list wasn’t really stocked and I inquired and was basically told it had to do with profit and the cheaper beginner boards weren’t stocked due to that. I was told I might be able to have something brought in but at the same time told I should just bypass beginner boards due to my size, which is 6’4 225-230lbs and that those type of boards would just be far to soft and wishy washy for me.

    So I thought you might be able to shed some light on it for me.

    I had sent my gf to a ski snowboard show to see if she could find something and they tried selling her a lib tech t rice board(699)to her for me… than someone tried to sell me on a k2 slayblade?
    Than I was recommended a black board of death or something in a 163 or 164 and told it be great! So I’m really at a loss for what I should be looking at.
    I have a few brands available here to me which are:
    Arbor
    Lib tech
    Gnu
    Jones
    Salomon
    Rossignol
    Capita
    Never summer
    Nidecker
    Niche
    Rome
    Ride
    Yes
    K2
    Bataleon
    Nitro

    Quite a few, yet not one shop stocks any of the so called beginner boards for the most part so I’m unsure what I should be looking for tho most shops had the brands pricier intermediate and advance boards for all those brands.
    Saw the higher end jones, capita, gnu, yes, arbor, lib and never summer boards but really don’t know much of anything cause I was looking for your basic beginner board from your list of 15, saw some higher up the list like 7-15.

    So I’m hoping you might be able to give me a recommendation especially with being told being my size I should just skip beginner boards and go for something further up the food chain and with sintered base…
    Can you help me out on this one?? Really would like to spend most of my free time in the mountains this year and have the option to do so.

    Also on a side note… my gf got roped into some flow nx2 xl bindings for me.. lol any knowledge on said bindings? Would of preferred L cause I’m thinking I’ll be a 11.5 to 12 boot size not 14.
    Also was talked into a gnu b nice board for herself and some flow omni bindings all of which I feel are a little advanced for her yet this man had 30 years shop experience and what not…

    Anyways my apologies for the long winded post but just trying to nail down some info and what I should think.. seems almost as bad as buying a new car.

    There is another ski snowboard show this weekend about a hr and a half away I thought I might take a look at so any feed back would be great tho I don’t feel rushed nor should you feel rushed to reply.
    My experience isn’t much made the switch from skiing to boarding to make it easier for gf to get back into and learn with someone, did it once last year and by noon was linking large turns.

    Thanks for your time Nate and any help.

    Reply

    • Nate says

      November 4, 2018 at 8:41 am

      Hi Brian

      Thanks for your message.

      I’ve heard and experienced a range of advice in stores, from very good to very bad, so it can definitely be a mixed bag – and sometimes you definitely get the feeling they just want to sell you something to make a sale, not to actually match you with the right gear.

      That said, being a bigger guy, there’ something in the idea that you could get something too soft with certain boards, depending on the size you go for. If you’re above the weight recommendations for a board, then that board is likely to feel softer than what it’s designed too. So, in some cases, depending on the board, you might want to go for something a little stiffer flexing, if you’re over the weight recommendations (as it will feel softer). So you’re still essentially going to feel it as the same thing.

      But stiffness isn’t the only thing that makes a board more advanced. Camber profile is another big thing. So, riding a more advanced camber profile is not going to be ideal for a beginner regardless of size, so I don’t agree with recommending boards like the T Rice Pro, Black Snowboard or Death or Slayblade. And there are other things (like sidecut, contact length to effective edge ratio etc, but I won’t get into that).

      So, whilst going for something a little stiffer than would be normally recommended for beginners (and going with a sintered base is fine too), there are other factors that make those poor recommendations, IMO.

      Starting from scratch:

      Size-wise, I would look at something between 162 & 164 at this stage. You could go longer when you’re a more advanced rider if you were to change boards at some stage.

      In terms of width, assuming you end up in a size 12, I would say look at something with at least 260mm at the waist width and that would be the bare minimum, IMO.
      From what you’re describing, I would recommend (hopefully you have one of these options available):

      YES Typo: 163W
      YES Libre: 161W (a little outside the range in terms of size though)
      Capita Outerspace Living: 159W would be the best size but probably too small for you, IMO.
      Arbor Whiskey: 162MW
      Rossignol Templar: 162W
      Or you could even look at something like the following:
      Jones Mountain Twin: 164W
      Slash Brainstorm: 163W
      Rossignol One LF: 161W

      There are more options too, but those were what came to mind first. Hopefully you can find something from that lot.

      In terms of bindings. Again, you could go a little stiffer than normal for a beginner, but I still wouldn’t want to go overly stiff.

      I haven’t ridden flow bindings for a while, so I’m not sure how the NX2 rate in reality but based on their flex rating (8/10) that would be stiffer than I would recommend for sure. I’m not sure if you got a deal on them or not, but as far as retail price goes, you could have got something cheaper too. Something with a 5/10 or 6/10 flex would have been better, IMO. Something like one of these:

      >>Top 5 All Mountain Bindings

      And there are some other slightly cheaper options of that sort, if you were wanting something cheaper.

      Size-wise though, the XL are a good size for 11.5 or 12 boots, so size isn’t an issue, IMO.

      For your GF, the GNU B Nice is a very good beginner option, IMO (assuming the right size) so no problem there, IMO.
      But same goes for the OMNI in terms of bindings. I would have gone with something softer for her. Again, I haven’t ridden flow for a while, but based on flex ratings.

      Hope this wasn’t too much info! And hope it helps with your decision

      Reply

58. Ravi says

    November 1, 2018 at 4:06 pm

    thanks so much for replying,last query is camber important?,from my copius research (aka google) I understand Rocker is where I should focus on,however some sources conflict this as say go hybrid?

    what are your thoughts on that?

    I’m simply not interested in speed but want to do greens and blues and maybe some park stuff(at least that’s the goal within 1 or 2 seasons).

    Cheers

    Reply

    • Nate says

      November 2, 2018 at 12:16 pm

      Hi Ravi

      I prefer to recommend hybrid boards. But to be honest there aren’t that many pure rocker boards out there anymore. Certainly for a beginner board there should be some rocker in the profile. Rocker makes it easier to initiate turns, and makes a board less catchy. Going with a full rockered board is something that will make turns very easy to learn and should be really catchfree.

      Camber is good for a few things. Stability at speed, edge hold when laying down a deep carve, pop for ollies, jumps etc. Mostly things that aren’t necessary for a beginner.

      However, some stability in the board is still a good thing for a beginner, in my opinion. For a couple of reasons. As you get better and start to pick up speed that stability helps. And also it helps when one-footing off lifts. An all-rocker board can feel quite loose when one-footing off lifts.

      That stability doesn’t necessarily need to come from camber it can also come from a flat section. A lot of beginners like the flat-to-rocker profile because the flat section between the feet helps with stability and the rocker towards tip and tail help with turn initiation. And you get that stability without the aggression of the camber. Beginner boards are often flat-to-rocker these days rather than fully-rockered.

      But that stability can also come from camber, which is where Hybrid camber and hybrid Rocker profiles are good. The important thing for a beginner board is that the camber in these sections isn’t too pronounced and there is a good amount of rocker in there and not too much camber. Not all hybrid profiles are made equal. Some can be quite aggressive with a lot of camber.

      So yeah, either a hybrid camber, hybrid rocker or flat-to-rocker profile are the best options, IMO. All rocker is an option too, but not ideal, IMO.

      Hope this makes sense and helps with your decision

      Reply

      • Ravi says

        November 4, 2018 at 12:31 pm

        Thanks Nate,you are super helpful!

        Reply

        • Nate says

          November 5, 2018 at 11:56 am

          You’re very welcome Ravi. Hope you enjoy the rest of your season in New Zealand (if its still going)!

          Reply

59. Ravi says

    October 23, 2018 at 1:26 pm

    Hi Nate,

    Firstly thanks so much for your articles,you have a style of reviews that are non judgmental and concise (especially to us newbies).Awesome stuff!

    I’m going shopping for some second hand gear this week and wanted your advice please.

    height:181 cm
    weight: 92kg
    shoe-size: 11US

    I have only ever snowboarded 3 times and i’m hooked and I wanted to invest in a a board and bindings ( I have the 32 Prion boots).

    My question is,what board would be good for me,I only go a few times a year (maybe 10-15 days max).

    I’m after something forgiving and maybe good for doing green runs and some basic park stuff.happy to upgrade in the future but I do want a nice easy board to learn on.

    Cheers from New Zealand.

    Reply

    • Nate says

      October 24, 2018 at 10:29 am

      Hi Ravi

      Thanks for your message.

      First of all, good choice on the boots. They’re a good beginner option.

      From what you’re describing I think something that’s a nice easy board to learn on and is also a good option for learning some park stuff (so a freestyle oriented board) is a good way to go, especially since you’ll be looking to upgrade at some point.

      Size-wise, I would look at something in the range 157-159, which would be a good beginner length and a good freestyle length for you.

      Width-wise, with 11s, you’ll probably want to go at least 258mm at the waist roughly. If you knew your binding angles you might be able to go a little narrower, but I think that would be a safe bet at this stage assuming you’re not sure of the binding angles you’ll settle on.

      The following would work well, IMO:

      ~ GNU Carbon Credit Asym: 156W or 159W
      ~ Capita Horrorscope: 157 or 157W
      ~ Ride Agenda: 157W
      ~ YES Basic: 156W or 159W
      ~ GNU Hyak: 157W
      ~ Rossignol District: 156W
      ~ Rossignol Sawblade: 155W – although this is probably a bit small for you
      ~ Arbor Formula Rocker: 159MW
      ~ Arbor Foundation: 159MW

      Hopefully this gives you enough options to find something suitable from what’s available second hand. But if you need more options or if you find something and not sure if it would work, let me know.

      Reply

60. Adi says

    October 19, 2018 at 10:46 pm

    Hi Nate,

    Your reviews are just awesome and I want to thank you for all the great info.

    I am 43 yo male and a complete beginner at snowboarding. This will be my first season. I am 6’ 2” tall and weigh 210 pounds without any equipment. Went into the evo store and got sized and tried a couple of boots. It turns out I am US 14 in the left foot and slightly smaller on the right. My right foot is also slightly wider hence my choice of a dual zone boot below. Please see the setup I am thinking off and hoping to order in the next couple of days:

    – 32 lashed double boa in US 14
    – Salomon Sight 162W
    – Union Flite Pro in Large

    Look forward to your feedback and thanks once again!

    Reply

    • Nate says

      October 21, 2018 at 6:37 pm

      Hi Adi

      Thanks for your message.

      Length-wise, anything from 159 to 162 would be a good range to look at, IMO.

      Width-wise, it’s tricky, with 14s. Ideally you would want something around 270mm at the waist, and only then with +15/-15 angles. As a beginner you can probably get away with something a little narrower but not sure that the Sight 162W would be wide enough.

      Also going with a lower profile boot would help with a bit of leeway. If you were to go with traditional lace, that would give you plenty of adjustability for your two different feet. Check out the following for some good beginner options

      >> Top 7 Beginner Boots

      Some of which are traditional lace and low profile (Burton Invader and Vans Hi Standard). Or if you really wanted to stick with Double Boa, then:

      Vans Aura.

      Or something like Burton Concord – which isn’t ideal for a beginner – a bit too stiff (but still not overly stiff – medium flex) but is low profile and doable for a beginner.

      But if you want to stick with your boot choice as you know it fits well, I get that. A low profile boot would just give you that bit more leeway width-wise.

      In terms of wider boards, that are still beginner suitable, the Burton Instigator 160W could be an option – 265mm waist.

      The other option would be the Nitro Team Gullwing – not ideal for a beginner, a little too stiff to be ideal, so would be a steeper learning curve but doable – and the 162W would be a good length and has a 270mm waist width.

      There’s a chance you’d get away with the width on the 162W sight, but I suspect you’d have too much overhang and would likely run into drag issues, especially as you started to get more confident on your turns.

      Hope this helps

      Reply

      • Adi says

        October 22, 2018 at 7:32 pm

        Thank you so much Nate. You are awesome!

        Evo store is getting Lashed in size 14 delivered so I have not tried them on the board yet. But you are probably right on overhang. I would get Vans Aura but do not see them anywhere larger than US 13?

        Would Burton Moto even though a single boa be an option? Really trying to stay away from the standard laces 🙂

        Also I have checked out Burton Instigator 160W online real quick and I am sure Evo has it in store. Looks like a sweet board so I might switch my order to it.

        Thanks again!!

        Reply

        • Nate says

          October 23, 2018 at 10:12 am

          Hi Adi

          You’re very welcome.

          Yeah the Burton Moto would be a good choice for you, IMO. But yeah the only thing to consider is that you won’t have independent adjustments that you can make for the lower and upper parts of the boot.

          Reply

61. Sascha says

    October 15, 2018 at 9:35 am

    Hi Nate,

    Looks like my first post didn’t actually get posted, hope it doesn’t post it twice now.

    First off, awesome website! Your posts are really helpful! Big thanks!

    I’m still not 100% sure what board to buy as my first board and would appreciate your input.

    I always rented my boards before. This year I will be going to Aspen Snowmass for 8 days over Christmas and realized that I could buy a board for about the same money that a 6-7 day rental costs.

    About myself, I’ve been snowboarding on and off since about 10 years but only about 20-25 days in total. So I’d still count me as a beginner. I went sand boarding earlier this year and noticed I had really problems with my turns during the first 1-2 hours, mostly in my head. Last time snowboarding was about 5-6 years ago and I didn’t have such problems, riding blues.
    To keep it short, I’m about 6’1”, 180-185lb, US size 10 and am considering the following boards:
    – K2 Standard 2018 158
    – Salomon Sight (158-159 reg/wide depending on the model year)
    – Burton Instigator 160.

    After having read and viewed many reviews of these 3 boards I’m getting the impression that the Burton Instigator is geared even more towards beginners and would need to be upgraded even sooner. Is that accurate? If so then I’d cross that off of my list.

    I’ll be mostly riding groomers and some deep snow/powder.

    I was also looking at the Burton Custom Flying V and the NS Snowtrooper but I’m afraid I might not be good enough yet. Since I’ll only be snowboarding for about a week each year I’d like to enjoy it and make progress rather than getting frustrated if that makes sense.

    Any recommendations? If you’d recommend the K2 Standard and/or the Salomon Sight, what are the main differences/negatives of each compared to another?

    Sorry, this was way longer than I intended it to be.

    Thanks in advance for your help!

    Reply

    • Nate says

      October 15, 2018 at 10:36 am

      Hi Sascha

      Thanks for your message.

      I got both comments. All comments are moderated before being published which is why it didn’t show up straight away. It’s supposed to give you a message that the comment is under moderation but it doesn’t seem to be working properly at the moment – something I’ll have to look into.

      Yeah, the Instigator is very much a beginner board, but I would say the same about the K2 Standard. The Salomon Sight would give you a bit more time before feeling the need to upgrade but is still something you’d want to upgrade from at some point.

      Since you have a bit of experience (all be it a while ago), I think you would be fine with one of the following, which I consider boards that are not quite there for a beginner, beginner, but great for a high-end beginner, going on intermediate rider, that wants a board that will stay with them as they progress. Which I think sounds a lot like you.

      ~ Never Summer Snowtrooper (as you mentioned)
      ~ Burton Process Flying V (you mentioned the Custom Flying V, but that’s a little stiffer and I think the Process Flying V would suit what you’re describing better)
      ~ YES Typo

      I am looking to create an “intermediate list” shortly (when I can find the time!). And I would say that those 3 will be on it.

      Size-wise, I think anything from 157 to 160 would be a good length for you, given your specs/ability. So I think you’re on the right track size-wise.

      Hope this helps with your decision.

      Reply

      • Sascha says

        October 15, 2018 at 4:53 pm

        Thank you so much for the quick response, Nate! Definitely helps a lot, I was about to pull the trigger on the K2 Standard but now I’ll take a more detailed look at those intermediate boards again.
        I’ll admit, I saw one review on YouTube of a person who literally called the snowtrooper a dead fish and boring board, you might know whom I’m talking about. Anyways that kind of threw me off. But I guess there are always lovers and haters and it’s personal preference too…
        Thanks again! I’ll be looking out for the intermediate board list!

        Reply

        • Nate says

          October 16, 2018 at 11:44 am

          You’re very welcome Sascha.

          I wouldn’t say that the Snowtrooper is full of personality, or the liveliest board going around but I certainly wouldn’t call it a dead fish! But yeah like you say everyone has personal preferences. I had fun on it, but you can’t please everyone.

          Reply

      • Sascha says

        October 15, 2018 at 4:57 pm

        Sorry Nate, one more question, almost forgot. I’m planning on getting a board for my gf as well. She’s 5’7” and about 100lb, shoe size 7/7.5. Was thinking the rossignol gala or the gnu b-nice in 143-147ish? Does that sound about right? Thanks!

        Reply

        • Nate says

          October 16, 2018 at 11:49 am

          Hi Sascha

          Assuming your girlfriend is at a beginner level, then those would be good options. However, for her specs, assuming a beginner level, then I would say more like 139cm-141cm. 143cm would be a good size for her at a more advanced level.

          So for the Gala, I would say 142cm would be the only size that would be suitable, IMO.

          For the GNU the 139 would be a good option, although it’s a very narrow board – could be OK for 7/7.5s though, if she has reasonably angled binding angles. But if you didn’t want to take the risk you could move up to the 142. Or look at the GNU Chromatic in the 141 (similar to the B Nice).

          Hope this helps

          Reply

          • Sascha says

            October 17, 2018 at 11:44 am

            Hey Nate, thanks so much for your help and your time! I thought a little more about it and I think I’ll get the Yes Basic 158 for now. I’m a little afraid that the Burton Process Flying V could still be too advanced for me at this point. And it sounds like the Yes Basic is a board even an advanced rider can enjoy and I hope it’ll help me getting better. I’m thinking if I want something stiffer and more advanced in a year or two I’ll just get a new board then. Also considered the typo but not a huge fan of the graphic.
            I think for my gf I’ll get the B-Nice 142 as you suggested. She’s a total beginner. We tried some boots for her and actually although she wears a 7/7.5 in normal shoes she’ll need a 8 in her snowboard boots. Tried the Burton Mint in 8 and she liked them. She could still feel the front edge with her toes a little bit when standing up straight but I guess that’s normal?

            I’m still trying to figure out which bindings to get with the Yes Basic since I’m not a pure beginner anymore. Found deals on the 2017 Mission which I believe you said is a bit softer than the newer models. Also considering the Flux DS and the Burton Custom (too soft for me?)

            I promise those will be the last questions ?

          • Nate says

            October 18, 2018 at 10:17 am

            Hey

            Yeah it’s fine if she can feel the front edge. That’s the perfect fit if her toes are just brushing the end. They should be touching but not having to curl up at all to fit. Note also that boots tend to pack out a little bit as you wear them. Not heaps but by just a little bit. So yeah, if her toes are touching but not having to curl up, then that should be just right.

            Yeah, with 8s I woulnd’t go narrower than around 232mm, which is what the 142 GNU B Nice is, so that should be good. But yeah the 139 would be risking being too narrow for 8s. Burton boots are low profile so that helps a little – but I’d still stick with the 142 width-wise.

          • Sascha says

            October 18, 2018 at 6:47 am

            Hey Nate, I see my last comment hasn’t been posted yet, hope you weren’t already working out a response. I was actually lucky and after an intensive search I found the 2018 Yes Typo in 158 and ordered it. As I mentioned before, I didn’t like the graphics on the 2019 Typo so I didn’t really consider it. I even got a good deal, $315 and no taxes. Now I just have to find the right bindings for it, I guess a step up from bindings I’d get for the basic. I have a pair of 2010’s Salomon Faction (US size 10), I believe around a 5-6/10 flex. Only used them those 20-25 days I rode in the past so they’re still like new. I was browsing and browsing through your binding recommendations and I am thinking something a little stiffer than the beginner bindings but not too stiff either since I am still learning. Something with a flex of 5/10? Considering Now X Yes, Burton Genesis, Burton Malvita, Flux DS. Assuming Custom would be a little too soft for this board? Any personal favorites or something you think would be a best fit for me?
            I really appreciate your help, thanks to you I am confident to make the right choices in this jungle of options!

          • Nate says

            October 18, 2018 at 10:13 am

            Hi Sascha

            Awesome to hear you got a good deal on the 2018 Typo!

            In terms of bindings, yeah I think something around a 5/10 flex would be best for the Typo and something you should be fine with. Custom’s would be too soft to be ideal for the Typo, IMO.

            I don’t currently test NOW bindings so I couldn’t say for sure but they look like they could work.

            The Genesis and the DS would both be great options.

            The Malavita would work too. Just note that it does have quite a stiff highback. The overall flex feel is around a 5/10 but it has a softer baseplate but stiffer highback. The highback on the Genesis is softer.

            Hope this helps

62. Tom says

    October 7, 2018 at 6:30 am

    I came here looking for answers and now i have only more questions! I thought I was dead set on getting a Nitro Prime as my first board but now I’m not so sure! I like the sound of the yes basic as hitting hard and icy patches was what I really didn’t like while learning, but this might just blow my budget… And the more I think about it the more I want a board that is good for riding switch though I’m more interested in riding the mountain than playing in the park. My local slope relys mostly on snow cannons so can be really hard but also when it gets warm its really slushy. Any tips or opinions (especially any thoughts on the Nitro prime would be much appreciated!

    Reply

    • Nate says

      October 9, 2018 at 11:20 am

      Hi Tom

      Thanks for your message.

      The Nitro Prime isn’t something that I rated for this list (I don’t typically test Nitro currently) but looking at the specs, it looks like it would be a good first board. So, if you’re budget doesn’t allow you something like the YES Basic, then the Prime looks like a good option.

      Based on the only Nitro board I’ve ridden (Team Gullwing) that was pretty good in hard/icy conditions. Not as good as something like the Basic, but pretty good. The Prime doesn’t have any camber in the profile and that can sometimes make it less grippy on hard/icy snow, so it may not be at the level of the Gullwing, but I couldn’t say for sure, having not ridden it or any Nitro boards with the flat-to-rocker profile.

      Hope this helps

      Reply

63. Nate says

    October 5, 2018 at 8:36 pm

    Hi Nate,
    First of all awesome site! I love the reviews and your dedication to providing quality answers to everyone’s questions is impressive. So naturally, I’d like to get your opinion on what I’m looking at.

    My stats:
    5’6″
    125 lbs
    8 US boot

    I’m thinking of getting:
    Yes. Basic 2019 (146cm)
    Burton Cartel bindings (S or M)
    Thirtytwo Lashed boots (US 8)

    Does this seem like a good set up to you? Would these boots and bindings be too stiff for the board? Also, at a size 8 boot most brands have me falling between an small and medium binding, would you suggest going one way over the other? I’d sincerely appreciate your opinion.

    Best regards,
    Nate

    Reply

    • Nate says

      October 7, 2018 at 10:07 am

      Hey Nate

      Thanks for your message – and great name!

      I think the 146 would be a good size for you for that board.

      If not matching flex I find it’s better to have the bindings and boots stiffer than the board, rather than the other way around. I find going with bindings and boots that are too soft, that there’s sometimes not enough power to drive the board. The Cartel are a couple of steps up (6/10) compared to the Basic (4/10) and that’s as stiff as I would go (or the bindings can start overpowering the board). In the case of the Cartel Re:Flex, I do find that they flex really well with the board, so in some ways they take on the personality of the board, which makes me more confident that they would work on the basic.

      The Lashed are rated as 6/10 but I’d say they’re more like 5/10, so they should be a good match to the overall setup, IMO.

      In terms of binding size, for Burton bindings I would go for medium, since you have 32 boots. The profile on 32s isn’t overly long, but they’re not as low profile as Burton boots – and since Burton’s binding sizes are based on Burton boots, in 32s you would be a little bigger than a Burton 8, if that makes sense. Also, Burton bindings tend to have a shorter baseplate than other bindings, so going medium will cover more of the width of the board for more leverage.

      Hope this helps

      Reply

      • Nathan says

        October 9, 2018 at 6:32 pm

        Thanks Nate, really appreciate your taking the time to provide a thought out answer. I’ll definitely be referring back to this site in the future.

        Reply

        • Nate says

          October 10, 2018 at 11:10 am

          You’re very welcome Nate! Hope you have an awesome season this winter!

          Reply

64. Mark says

    September 28, 2018 at 1:58 am

    Hey man thanks for the in depth reply,

    So I’ve spent some time looking at the boards you suggested. I really like the profile of the Burton Process Flying V and think this would suit the riding i want to do.

    What sort of bindings would you pair up with these?

    cheers mate really appreciate it.

    Reply

    • Nate says

      September 28, 2018 at 10:23 am

      Hi Mark

      For Bindings for the Process Flying V – I would go for something that’s 4/10 or 5/10 in terms of flex. Certainly no softer than 4/10 and no stiffer than 6/10. Something from one of the following lists would work well for you, IMO.

      >>Top 5 All Freestyle Bindings

      >>Top 5 All Mountain Bindings

      Let me know if you have any questions about any of those

      Reply

      • Mark says

        October 2, 2018 at 8:34 am

        cheers Nate! So i’m looking at the Cartel. Would this be a good starting point?

        Reply

        • Nate says

          October 2, 2018 at 10:25 am

          Hi Mark

          The Cartels are very solid performing bindings. Can’t really go wrong with them, IMO. They suit a wide range of boards and are good quality bindings. Not as nice, IMO as the Genesis or Malavita, but for the price, they are great option and probably better value for money.

          Reply

65. Mark says

    September 27, 2018 at 8:25 am

    Hey there Nate,

    I had my first season this year on a 2013 Rome Reverb Rocker, paired up with some RIDE Capo bindings

    I’m looking for something a bit more basic to ride. Although the first season went well and by the end of it i was coming off some kickers and jumps and was confident. it felt quite hard work to ride?

    my stats are:

    6′ (183CM) Tall
    210lb
    10.5 US boot size

    I really like the Rome Mechanic or Burton Clash, instigator. But i like the price of the Rossignol boards maybe that could be an option?

    what you recommend man, please helpppppppp

    Reply

    • Nate says

      September 27, 2018 at 10:36 am

      Hi Mark

      Thanks for your message.

      Yeah the Reverb Rocker is a bit misleading in its name, given that there’s only subtle rocker in the profile and its otherwise mostly camber (from what I hear – not a board I’ve ridden). Also the Capo bindings are quite stiff, which would also contribute to a less forgiving/more difficult ride, especially as it was your first season. I would certainly look at changing those to something more forgiving too.

      The Mechanic would certainly be an easier going ride compared to the Reverb Rocker and the Instigator is super easy going – something that you would certainly progress quickly on, but you might also grow out of it quite quickly, given that you have a season under your belt and it sounds like you’re progressing well.

      But yeah anything off this list (assuming they have an appropriate size) will work for sure, especially if you’re willing to upgrade relatively soon, they will help for a quick progression and certainly won’t be hard work to ride. But if you were looking for something that would last you a little longer, but still beginner friendly, you could also check out something like the YES Typo, Never Summer Snowtrooper, Burton Process Flying V, YES Libre, Capita Outerspace Living. These are all high-end beginner, going on intermediate and up. Typically a little more pricey than some of these beginner boards, but would be something you could ride for longer without having to upgrade. But yeah, if you’re willing to upgrade again after another season or two, something here would work as well.

      Size-wise, I would say something between 159 to 161 would be a good length range to look at, at this stage. And something around 255mm in terms of waist width minimum (if you know your binding angles, and ride with a reasonable angle on the back foot, e.g. +15/-15 or something like that, then you could go a little narrower too).

      Hope this helps get you on the right track

      Reply

66. Wojciech says

    September 22, 2018 at 3:58 pm

    Hi. I’m thinking about new board, now I’ve DC Ply and i hate that board. I have much experience in snowboarding but I want to buy more balanced snowboard. I was thinking about K2 Standard and RIDE AGENDA (last year I used Ride Crook and it was great!)
    What do you thing, which one will the better choice?

    Reply

    • Nate says

      September 24, 2018 at 10:22 am

      Hi Wojciech

      Thanks for your message.

      Since you enjoyed the Crook, I’d say that it’s a good idea to go with something similar. The 2018 Ride Agenda is quite a similar option to the Crook but the 2019 model has a different camber profile. If you can find a 2018 Agenda, then that would be an option. Also if you were able to find a Ride Crook. The Crook (which they aren’t making a 2019 model for so you’d have to find a 2018 model) is also a very beginner friendly board – it’s just on the more expensive end for a beginner board, but since you would be looking at a 2018 model, it will be cheaper.

      In general, going for something with a flat-to-rocker profile, soft or medium-soft flex and is otherwise beginner friendly and I think you’ll fine with it. The DC Ply has quite a bit of camber in the profile, so it might be a good idea to skip the camber boards, to be on the safe side, given that you didn’t like the Ply.

      So the K2 Standard would also be a good option for you, IMO.

      From this list, the flat-to-rocker options are:

      ~ K2 Standard
      ~ Burton Instigator
      ~ Burton Ripcord
      ~ Capita Horrorscope

      But like I say you could also look at the 2018 Agenda or Crook as well. The 2019 Agenda now has camber between the feet – more subtle camber compared to something like the Ply but if you wanted to be on the safeside, then the others mentioned here might be a safer bet for you.

      Size is also important. It might be the case that you dislike the Ply partly because of the size you have. If you’d like a size recommendation, if you could let me know your weight, height and boot size and also the size of your DC Ply.

      Hope this helps

      Reply

67. Santiago says

    August 31, 2018 at 8:37 pm

    Hi Nate! Im Santiago from Argentina. I want to but my first table, I was already practicing for 3/4 seasons and I think I’m at an intermediate level. Here i can buy a new Burton LTR wide 157 board
    but I can not find details or analysis of it on the internet, can you help me?
    Other option is the rossignol circuit 156 W or 165, i dont know witch.
    Me: 1,75 m / 90 kg.
    Thank you!!! (Sorry for my english)

    Reply

    • Nate says

      September 1, 2018 at 10:26 am

      Hi Santiago

      Thanks for your message.

      The Burton LTR is one of Burton’s rental boards – not one they actually sell, which is why info is hard to get for it. But from what I know it’s a very soft flexing board and easy to learn on. Maybe a bit below an intermediate level – really just for beginners as far as I know.

      In terms of length, I think something between 156 and 158 is a good length for your specs, as an intermediate rider.

      What width is appropriate would depend on your boot size.

      But yeah if you were to go with the Circuit, then the 156W would be a better option than 165. 165 would be too long for you, IMO.

      Hope this helps

      Reply

68. Santiago says

    August 31, 2018 at 8:21 pm

    Hi Nate, i want to buy my first snowboard, I’ve been practicing for 3 seasons and it could be said that I’m at intermediate level. Here thw store sell me a new board BURTON LTR wide 157, but I can not find details or analysis of it on the internet. Help Me please.
    Me: 1,75 m, 90kg

    Thanks (sorry for my english im from Argentina)

    Reply

69. Jordi says

    August 28, 2018 at 6:14 am

    Hi Nate!

    I struggled a lot reading from various sites and trying to understand what kind of snowboard should I buy! I ordered my beginners snowboard gear two days ago and only today I bumped into your blog! I wish I had found it earlier, it would have made life a lot easier and I wouldn’t have wasted hours and ours trying to figure things out! Everything here is explained thoroughly and in a way that a beginner like me can understand and appreciate! That said, it was a great relief for me finding out that I had made a good choice, since I ordered the K2 standard! At least, thanks to your “my n1 go to site from now on” choosing bindings and boots won’t be that hard! THANX!

    Reply

    • Nate says

      August 28, 2018 at 4:02 pm

      Hi Jordi

      Thanks for your message and I’m glad you find the site helpful and easy to follow – I’m also glad you managed to get a good beginner board!

      Reply

70. JULIAN says

    August 5, 2018 at 12:05 am

    Eyyyyyyyy many thanks for your quik reacction, do you think that anyone that you recomended in you post will be a better option than GNU ? i am open to follow you recomendations ..

    Thank you again.

    Kind Regards.
    Julian.

    Reply

    • Nate says

      August 6, 2018 at 9:08 am

      Hi Julian

      I would say that the GNU options (Hyak & Carbon Credit) are as good am option in terms of beginners as others on this list. The only thing that makes them maybe not quite as suitable is that they are quite loose feeling. This can make it trickier getting off the lifts. Apart from that they are very beginner suitable.

      Reply

71. Julian says

    August 4, 2018 at 3:10 am

    Hi, i am new in snowboard, and i am looking for a begginer board, can you tell me if GNU GNURU 2018 is a good option, or is it better one of this that you recomended. (180cm, 87kg and y use foot size 42.5 – 43 UE) MID WIDE version? and size ?

    Thank you very much in advance.

    Reply

    • Nate says

      August 4, 2018 at 8:58 am

      Hi Julian

      Thanks for your message.

      I would say that the Gnuru is a “not bad” board for a beginner but I wouldn’t say its ideal. If you wanted to go GNU, the Hyak and the Carbon Credit would be their best beginner options, IMO. But the Gnuru would be the next best thing.

      Sizing-wise, I would say, generally speaking to go with something between 156 to 158, as a beginner, for length.

      For width, I don’t thing you would need to go for a mid-wise option with 42.5 to 43 EU. This is assuming a translation to US size of around a size 10. But different brands seem to have different conversions between EU and US sizes. But in any case, I think that 43 would either translate to a 9.5 or a 10 and with either you should be fine on the regular width. I ride US10s and have never needed a wide board.

      So for the Gnuru, the best size for you, IMO, would be the 158. For the other GNU boards I mentioned, I would say:

      Hyak: 157
      Carbon Credit: 156

      Hope this helps

      Reply

      • JULIAN says

        August 5, 2018 at 4:07 am

        Hi again, also i found a very nice offerts as follow:

        Pack Snowboard :
        *Rossignol – One LF (talla 159)
        *Nitro – Zero Skate Or Die (talla M) pack 414€

        and with GNURU:
        *Pack snowboard Gnuru GNU
        *Fijaciones snowboard Custom Black Matte BURTON PACK 414€

        SAME PRICE WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT !!

        this is my last cuestion thank you very much, i do not want to make mestakes on my first decision.

        Regards.
        Julian.

        Reply

        • Nate says

          August 6, 2018 at 9:14 am

          Hi Julian

          I would say that the Rossignol One is more of an intermediate and up board. I’d rate it a 6/10 in terms of flex – so it’s stiffer than what I’d usually recommend for beginners for sure. It’s otherwise a pretty cruisey ride. But yeah, that stiffness wouldn’t be ideal. I don’t have any experience with Nitro bindings, but based on the specs it looks like the Zero are a 6/10 flex rating, which is a great match for the Rossignol One but again not ideal for a first setup, IMO.

          The Custom bindings are a good beginner option, IMO. And we’ve already discussed the Gnuru. So, out of those 2, I think the Gnuru/Custom would be the better option for you.

          Very good idea to get your first purchase right – and I’m happy to answer your questions to try to help you with that decision.

          Reply

72. Bart says

    July 14, 2018 at 2:21 pm

    Hi there Nate,

    So thanks to your guide i finally decided to get my own K2 Standard. Recently I’ve just found quite a good offer for a 2016 version of this board (a new one), which is about 30% cheaper than 2018 edition. In your opinion – does the newer one differ that much that I should pay more? Also – what’s the best choice of bindings to pair with K2 Standard/Burton Moto set?

    Reply

    • Nate says

      July 16, 2018 at 10:39 am

      Hi Bart

      Thanks for your message. Not too much has changed with the K2 Standard in the last few years, so if you’ve found a good deal on the 2016 model, then that’s definitely an option – assuming its an appropriate size for you. If its a matter of compromising on size, then I would pay the extra for a newer model to get the best size.

      In terms of bindings, check out the following that would all be a good match for that board and those boots (just keep in mind if you go with Burton bindings that you get the “Re:Flex” model as the “EST” model (Burton has 2 different styles of bindings) they won’t fit on the K2 Standard):

      >>Top 5 Beginner Bindings

      Hope this helps

      Reply

73. Damian says

    June 2, 2018 at 1:19 pm

    Hello,

    Thanks for the reviews… I’m planning to buy a board for YEARS to come (so I plan to get to advanced level with this one), I only ride like 10/15 days a year but grew tired of rentals.

    I’m an intermediate rider, 80 kg and 8.5 US size. Looking for a do it all board, I might start going to the park but mainly it will be groomers and if lucky trees/fresh snow. I do like to do butters and ride switch. I guess I need a 155 or so.. I don’t want it to be too big.

    I came up with this list with the current prices, is what I can get now… what boards do you recommend?

    RIDE Machete 18 155 —> 346 EUR quiver of one
    RIDE Burnout 18 155 —> 405 EUR aggressive park stuff
    K2 TURBO DREAM 18 156 —> 410 EUR ? GOOD
    K2 Raygun 156 —> 307 EUR —> GOOD but seems the turbo dream is better
    K2 Bottle Rocket 18 156 —> 377 EUR —> GOOD FREERIDE Shifted.. maybe too big as 156
    Burton Trick Ponny 154 —> 440 EUR —> maybe quiver of one?
    K2 After Black 154 —> 432 EUR ??
    Salomon Assassin 18 155 —> 350 EUR —> GOOD quiver of one
    Salomon The Villan Claskics 18 155 —> 364 EUR Seems is bad
    Salomon Ultimate Ride 155 —> 420 EUR —> Good one but aggressive/stiff
    capita Scott Stevens Pro 155? > 400 EUR
    Bataleon Evil Twin 154 > 440 eur
    Burton Flight Attendant 156 > 450 eur
    Burton Free thinker 157 > 480 eur
    Burton Descedant 155w > 340 eur
    Burton killroy custom 154 > 350 eur not good?
    Burton deep thinker 157 > 490 eur

    Keep up the good work.

    Reply

    • Nate says

      June 4, 2018 at 11:07 am

      Hi Damian

      Thanks for your message.

      Here are my thoughts:

      I won’t say too much about length as you seem confident that 155 or thereabouts is good for you – and I don’t have your height.

      RIDE Machete 18 155 – could be an option, but a little lacking for powder and carving, IMO
      RIDE Burnout 18 155 – IF you are a strong, aggressive rider, this is an option. Weakest point is powder – RIDE Burnout Review
      K2 TURBO DREAM 18 156 – Decent all round board as a one board quiver, biggest weakness is carving and pop – K2 Turbo Dream Review
      K2 Raygun 156 – Yeah Turbo Dream better, Raygun more of a beginner board and sounds like you’re looking for something more advanced
      K2 Bottle Rocket 18 156 – yeah, this is a short wide (Volume Shifted) – I would go down to at least the 152 for this for you, for this board (potentially shorter depending on height) also it’s more park/freestyle oriented (though not something I’ve ridden).
      Burton Trick Ponny 154 – this would be a good option for a one board quiver, IMO
      K2 After Black 154 – not a board I’m that familiar with but seems more park/freestyle oriented than do-it-all
      Salomon Assassin 18 155 – a good option as a one board quiver, IMO. The freestyle end of the “do-it-all” spectrum, but still a good option, IMO
      Salomon The Villan Claskics 18 155 – more park/freestyle oriented
      Salomon Ultimate Ride – IF you are a strong, aggressive rider, this is an option. Weakest point is powder
      capita Scott Stevens Pro 155 – really park/jib oriented, IMO. Wouldn’t be suitable as a do-it-all.
      Bataleon Evil Twin 154 – not a brand that I currently demo, but looks like it’s mostly park/freestyle oriented, but could be ok for the rest
      Burton Flight Attendant 156 – more Freeride oriented. Not going to be as good for freestyle stuff in my opinion – not what I would call an “all-mountain”/do-it-all kind of board – Burton FA Review
      Burton Free thinker 157 – IF you are a strong, aggressive rider, this is an option. Weakest point is powder
      Burton Descedant 155w – NOT in a wide, IMO. With 8.5s this will be too wide for you. Also more Park/Freestyle oriented than do-it-all, IMO.
      Burton killroy custom 154 – I haven’t specifically ridden the Killroy Custom, but based on other similar Burton boards, this one would be an option. Probably weakest point would be powder (just based on it being full camber) and it will likely be quite aggressive. That’s either a good or bad thing depending on how aggressive your style is
      Burton deep thinker 157 – more Freeride oriented – not really a do-it-all, IMO

      Hope this helps

      Reply

      • Damian says

        June 4, 2018 at 1:38 pm

        Thanks so much for taking the time to reply!

        I’m 1,72m, on the muscular side :D.

        Reply

        • Nate says

          June 5, 2018 at 9:48 am

          You’re very welcome Damian.

          Yeah something in that 155 to 157 range is a good length for you, IMO, so I think you’re looking at good sizes. Being on the muscular size helps when it comes to riding more aggressive boards, so they can come into play. But those boards are also more technical, so a solid technique also helps with aggressive boards. Also, if that’s the way you like to ride. If you prefer to ride more casual and playful, then aggressive boards not the way to go – but if you like ride fast and carve hard, then those boards would suit. If you like butters, then they can be more difficult on aggressive boards too – especially if they’re stiffer.

          Reply

74. Nick Guglielmi says

    May 29, 2018 at 9:46 am

    Hi Nate,
    thanks for all the analysis! I’ve been doing a lot of it myself but this list is extremely helpful, mainly becuase I was falling into the mistake of going for an intermediate “grow into” board. After having read all of your analysis I am definitely sold on going for a beginner to intermediate board.
    I have been doing some snowboarding over the last season, I’ve put together approximately 10 days overall, and I’ve gone through good progress in this timespan using various rented boards. The fact that I’ve done a lot of skateboarding in my early years (and still do when I can, even though I am now 48…) has probably helped me out a lot.
    Having said this, I am looking to buy a new board for the season to come, and after all of my research I have narrowed it down to the following (I weigh 215 lbs, wear size 11 and am 5″10):
    Salomon Sight 158W
    Ride Agenda 157W
    Rome Mechanic 156
    K2 Standard 156W
    Rome Reverb Rocker 157
    All of these boards are on your list, so I’m assuming you’ll prbably tell me to go with any of these? That is all besides the Rome Reverb…and that is my main question: I’ve read a lot of comments that this is a suitable board for beginners, but I wanted your opinion on this.
    Second issue: I will be looking to spend most of my time on the groomers and then maybe as I progress start soing other stuff, maybe a bit of park. Are any of the above boards preferable specifrically for groomers?
    Thanx a lot for your help!
    Nick from Verona, Italy

    Reply

    • Nate says

      May 30, 2018 at 1:03 pm

      Hi Nick

      Thanks for your message.

      Yeah you’re right, I think any of these would be suitable. And I think you’ve picked some good sizes there too, except for the Rome Mechanic, you might be better off with the 157MW and for the Reverb Rocker the 158MW might be more suitable, with 11s. But the Reverb Rocker might be doable in the 157 but only really if you have binding angles like +15/-15 – or something close to that if you have low profile boots. If you have binding angles +15/-15 (or 15 on the back binding anyway) AND you have low profile boots, then the 156 Mechanic would also be doable.

      The Reverb Rocker isn’t what I would call the ideal beginner board – but it is doable for a beginner, and in your case, given that you have 10 days under your belt, it’s the kind of board that would be fine for you.

      Also, since, you’re looking to ride mostly groomers and then leaning towards park, then I think something like the Reverb Rocker would be a good choice for that. The Agenda is a more park oriented board, but can also handle the groomers. The others are what I label “all-mountain” and can also be though of as “do-it-all” so they are suitable as well for riding groomers and the park, but less park oriented than the Agenda and the Reverb Rocker. The Reverb Rocker better for riding the groomers than the Agenda, IMO – certainly once you start riding faster and do more carving. But the others will do both fine as well.

      I’d say the Reverb Rocker would be a slightly steeper learning curve than the others though.

      Hope this helps with your decision.

      Reply

75. Miguel Ferreira says

    May 6, 2018 at 8:30 am

    Hi!
    Great blog. Big information.
    Very much important.
    One question though:
    – would you say the Rossignol Jibsaw would be a good beginner board?
    Thanks

    Reply

    • Nate says

      May 7, 2018 at 12:07 pm

      Hi Miguel

      Thanks for your message.

      The Jibsaw wouldn’t be the worst beginner board on the planet – but also not the best. I would recommend it more for intermediate and up. It’s a little stiff to be a good beginner board – and probably a little too much camber there too. Doable but would be more for intermediate and up, IMO.

      Hope this helps

      Reply

76. Oscar Rojas says

    April 17, 2018 at 11:28 am

    Hi Nate, I just found this website. A lot of great info.
    Well, I just started snowboarding last month. First time I went and I loved it, to the point that I went back 3 more times. Now the season in here is over (SoCal) but I’m already thinking about next season.

    After reading your recommendations I really like the Burton Process Flying V and the Burton Instigator, but I also would like to know If you have had the opportunity to review the Arbor Foundation, as that’s another option I’m considering. What do you think about that board?

    Reply

    • Nate says

      April 17, 2018 at 2:38 pm

      Hi Oscar

      Thanks for your message.

      I hadn’t tested Arbor boards until this season (2019 models), which is why the Foundation isn’t on this list, but it will likely be in next years list (2019 models). I haven’t ridden the Foundation itself, but I have ridden other similar Arbor boards (but with a stiffer flex) and the Foundation would, IMO, be a very good board to start out on. So yeah those two Burton options and the Foundation would all be good first board choice, IMO.

      Hope this helps

      Reply

77. Luis says

    April 3, 2018 at 2:34 pm

    Hey Nate, amazing site! Thanks for the info. Hope I had found it before…well, here my situation…

    I’ve been boarding only this season but I’m hooked! I already have ~10 days overall and starting to hit the blue runs (Mammoth). I’m 5’6 and 162lbs (kind of athletic) and I think I’ll be all mountain. I like speed — reached 35mph this last weekend — but would also like to make some jumps here and there

    After my first trip I got hooked and bought my boots — 32 Double Boa size 8.5, they were really tight at the beginning but after a few runs they fit like a glove.

    Now I’m thinking about getting a board. Based on this article I’m thinking about these three boards:

    Never summer snowtrooper
    Yes typo
    Capita outerspace

    However if I remember correctly, all the boards I have rented have been 148-150 (Burton and Never Summer). I’ve never ride something longer and I can do good turns with the ones I had used so I don’t know if I should go for the longer ones as your guiding size recommends? Maybe one of the abovementioned boards in 152?

    I would like to invest in something that lasts a few seasons and I can grow with it. What do you think?

    Thanks!

    Reply

    • Nate says

      April 4, 2018 at 10:43 am

      Hi Luis

      Thanks for your message – and awesome to hear you’re loving your riding!

      I think those 3 would be really good options for what you’re describing and are the kinds of boards that are fine to ride as a beginner/intermediate rider but can still be with you as a more advanced rider.

      In terms of size, I would usually say for your specs something between 150 and 152, as a beginner. As you seem to be progressing quite well, and because you want the board to last you a good few seasons, then something 152, 153 is a good bet, IMO. So the 152 for each of those boards would be the size I would recommend. But you could certainly still ride the 149 Typo and 150 Outerspace Living, if you think you’d prefer something shorter (Snowtrooper’s smallest size is the 152). But on balance I’d say 152.

      Hope this helps

      Reply

      • Luis says

        April 4, 2018 at 3:48 pm

        Sweet, thanks! Between those three which one do you recommend more? I think they are pretty similar based on your reviews but is one of them a standout or shall I just go based on availability/price/design?

        For whatever worth I will be riding mostly western US (Tahoe, Utah, Colorado) and hopefully Whistler soon.

        Much appreciated!

        Reply

        • Nate says

          April 5, 2018 at 10:44 am

          Hi Luis

          Yeah they’re all fairly similar, performance-wise, but have a few differences.

          1. The Snowtrooper has rocker between the feet and camber towards tip and tail, where the Typo & OSL have camber between the feet and rocker to tip and tail. This makes the Snowtrooper a looser feeling ride. The Typo and OSL more of a stable (but not locked-in) feel.

          2. The OSL has a centered stance and is a true twin. The Typo is a directional twin with a very subtle 5mm setback and the Snowtrooper is a directional twin with a 15mm setback. So the OSL is slightly more freestyle oriented than the other 2.

          Those are the major differences I can think of off hand. So, if anything there sounds preferable over the other, then go with that – otherwise availability/price/design.

          Reply

          • Luis says

            August 19, 2018 at 4:49 pm

            Hey Nate,

            Back asking after a few months. So I’m ready to pull the trigger and take advantage of the several options online (past season gear has good deals) for this incoming season.

            But now I’m debating. Should I go for the NS Snowtrooper or the Yes Libre/Typo?

            All three are available online for high $300s and in 152 size as you recommended

            My biggest concern is the difference in cam/rocker/cam (NS) and rocker/cam/rocker (Yes). Do you think the Snowtrooper is less stable for this? I don’t want to catch edges and as you know this is my first board and is important to get something good for me.

            For whatever worth — I’m leaning towards the NS Snowtrooper because: I like the design and the discount is pretty good!

            Appreciate your comments!

          • Nate says

            August 20, 2018 at 2:38 pm

            Hi Luis

            Yeah the cam/rock/cam profile tends to be a little looser in feel – so a little less stable feeling, but it’s a nice feel for making catch free turns, IMO. The rock/cam/rock is a little more stable but, depending on how much camber and how much rocker, is often quite catch free feeling too. I’d say the likes of the Snowtrooper would feel a little looser when one-footing it off the lift, but otherwise, it’s not like crazy loose feeling.

            So yeah, if you’re feeling for the Snowtrooper, I think it’s a good option. It’s a really easy going ride, in my experience with it.

78. Dave says

    April 3, 2018 at 7:05 am

    Hi Nate

    Sorry to add another question before you’ve seen my earlier reply, but would think that the Gnu Space Case would be too advanced for me?

    Thanks again

    Dave

    Reply

    • Nate says

      April 4, 2018 at 9:33 am

      Hi Dave

      The Space Case would be a step up from the other 3 (Basic, Gnuru, Snowtrooper). Sill intermediate friendly, IMO, but not really beginner friendly. It’s got what GNU call C2X, which is a little more aggressive a camber profile, compared to the others – it’s got more camber and less rocker. Whilst I wouldn’t say it was a catchy ride, it is something that you’re more likely to catch an edge on, if you get off your game, compared to the other 3.

      Reply

79. Claire says

    April 1, 2018 at 6:12 am

    Hi Nate!
    Enjoying the board and binding that you recommended for me last year. Now, I need your advice for my husband. He’s a beginner 190lbs, 6ft height, size 11.5/12 boots. Don’t know if age is a factor but he’s 63years old. He’s been snowboarding for 8yrs but only riding 1-3times per season, until now he still has a hard time with beginner turns. It’s like his board has a mind of it’s own. Can you recommend a board and bindings for him? Thanks in advance

    Reply

    • Nate says

      April 3, 2018 at 3:25 pm

      Hi Claire

      Thanks for your message (and sorry for the delay in response – have been on vacation and still catching up).

      Glad to hear your enjoying your new gear.

      For your husband I would say to make sure not to go too stiff in terms of flex. I would say one of the bigger things about being an older rider is that the legs probably aren’t as strong as they used to be (but I’m only guessing) – and a stiffer board takes more power in general to turn. But since we’re also looking at beginner boards, softer flex is a good idea anyway.

      So anything from this list apart from the Outerspace Living and the Templar and perhaps the Typo as well, would be a good bet in terms of flex, IMO.

      Length-wise, I think something around 157 to 159 would be a good range to look at, as a beginner with his specs. Going on the shorter side is also easier to turn and makes a board feel softer flexing. Width-wise, with 11.5s/12s, he’ll need to go wide. At least 260mm at the waist, and a little more if he rides with a straight angle on his back binding (e.g. 0-6 degrees). In which case, probably at least 265mm.

      So I’d say the following would be good choices:

      ~ Burton Process Flying V: 159W (260mm waist)
      ~ Never Summer Snowtrooper: 157X (261mm waist)
      ~ YES Basic 159W
      ~ Rossignol Circuit 156W (261mm waist) – a little shorter than the length range but still doable, especially if you felt he wants to go shorter
      ~ K2 Standard 159W

      Do you know what the board he is riding is now? and the size? That might help to determine what he’s finding the most difficult.

      Reply

      • Claire says

        April 5, 2018 at 4:04 am

        He has a K2 Slayblade 163cm with k2 hurrithane bindings. Looked at the boards that you recommended. I’m looking at the Rossignol circuit. The Amptek auto rocker return technology caught my interest.

        Reply

        • Nate says

          April 5, 2018 at 12:02 pm

          Hi Claire

          I’m not surprised your husband has been having difficulties. The Slayblade is quite a stiff board and at 163cm would be quite hard to handle for a beginner with his specs, so I’m not surprised that he’s been having trouble on it. And the camber profile looks like it could potentially be quite catchy/relatively aggressive (all things that aren’t great for learning on!). In fact one review I read on it says it’s very stiff, very aggressive, which is not what you want starting out.

          The bindings are also, IMO, too soft flexing for that board. So not a good match there either. They would however match the boards we’ve discussed very well – so no need to change the bindings, IMO.

          Reply

          • Claire says

            April 14, 2018 at 7:46 am

            Hi Nate!

            Purchased the Rossignol Circuit 156W for him and tried it yesterday for the last run for the season. He felt that it’s a lot easier to turn with it compared to his Slayblade. Thanks so much!

          • Nate says

            April 14, 2018 at 5:49 pm

            You’re very welcome Claire. Awesome to hear that he’s having an easier time on the Circuit!

80. Dave says

    March 31, 2018 at 1:27 pm

    Hi Nate

    Thanks for providing such a valuable resource. Having read through much of your site including recommendations for others, I still feel the need to ask for some guidance please.

    Level – Beginner 3/Intermediate 4
    Boots – DC Control UK 11
    Height – 5″ 11′
    Weight – 184lb

    Although I have only been boarding 7 days in total, I feel that the above level is correct. I am confident linking turns on blues, albeit putting the brakes on a lot of the time.
    Whilst I have now bought my boots, my experience has all been while using rental kit of varying quality and I feel the need to get my own to help me progress.

    Most recently, I was given a Burton Progress 158W board with what appeared to be matching bindings set to +30/0. Although it is just as likely to be my own shortcomings, this board seemed slow to turn, easy to catch an edge and very difficult to control on hardpack snow (e.g. with as much heel edge as I could muster, I just couldn’t stop sliding down a blue run unless I sat down).

    What I would most like from my ‘quiver of 1’ board and bindings:
    Forgiving and less likely to catch an edge (it hurts too much when I highside)
    Responsive and fast to turn
    Suitable for switch, butters and ollies (I can’t do any of these yet but these are the sills I will work on over the next 12 months)
    Decent edge grip (I will never be a high speed carver but need to feel I can use an edge to stop in hardpack)
    As to cost, I don’t want to spend a fortune but like to get value for money and prefer to pay extra for good kit rather than buy budget stuff.

    From what I have read, I am guessing that the Yes Basic is the board I should go for.
    However, the following are the boards I really like the look of:
    Capita Outer Space Living – All looks good, but I read that edge grip is limited
    Gnu Gnuru – Asymmetrical may be tricky, I am guessing from what I have read that this will also be too loose and not confidence inspiring
    Gnu Carbon Credit – Same as Gnu Gnuru

    For bindings I am looking at Union Control

    I would really appreciate your thoughts on the above, recommended widths etc. and would like to know what else there is that you may feel is more suitable.

    Cheers
    Dave

    Reply

    • Nate says

      April 2, 2018 at 10:01 am

      Hi Dave

      Thanks for your message (and sorry for the delayed reply, have been on vacation)

      Yeah, I think the YES Basic would be a really good option for what you’re describing. The Outerspace Living would be a really good option too, but the edge hold in harder conditions isn’t as good. Also, with UK11s, there aren’t sizes that would be wide enough (at least not for the 2018 model – the 2019 model is going to come in wide sizes).

      The Carbon Credit is a very loose board, but the Gnuru not as loose – it’s still on the looser side – looser than the Basic and OSL but not as loose as the Carbon Credit. In terms of the asymmetry, that’s something that I really like, but not everyone does. I find it very quick to get used to, moving from a non-asym to an asym.

      In terms of length, I would say something in the 156 to 159 range would be good for you – and in terms of width, if you’re going to have a back binding angle of 0 degrees, then I would say to go at least 266mm in terms of waist width. If you change to a more angled back foot then you could go as narrow as 260mm at the waist. 30 degrees seems like a very big angle on the front foot, so regardless of what you do with your back foot, I would bring that angle down – especially if you’re going to be trying to learn switch, butters and ollies. If that’s going to be your main focus, then I would recommend +15/-15 or something close to that – and that would also allow you to get on a slightly narrower board.

      So for the YES Basic I think the 156W would be the best bet – it’s on the limit in terms of width, but should be doable, but only if you were to go with +15/-15 angles or similar. The 159W would also be an option, but would be more difficult for learning butters and ollies.

      For the Gnuru, if you were to go for that option, the 158MW would be the best size for you, IMO. Also +15/-15 or similar is highly recommended for the width, and because it’s an asym, it’s even more recommended to go with something like that, as asym’s perform best with a mirror duck stance.

      In terms of bindings, I’m guessing you meant Contact? If so, they would be a good option – but also check out the following for more if you haven’t already.

      >>Top 5 Beginner Bindings

      >>Top 5 All Freestyle Bindings

      Hope this helps

      Reply

      • Dave says

        April 3, 2018 at 2:39 am

        Hi Nate

        Thanks so much for the reply and advice.
        I made a mistake with my boot size, I am UK10/US11 (29CM). Sorry.
        Any chance you could advise on board sizes again for the Yes Basic and Gnuru?
        Just to show how confused I am….
        Reading your review in isolation of the Never Summer Snowtrooper rather than how it did in the comparison, makes this sound like the perfect board for me despite being directional (to narrow down my search I discounted anything directional). How do think that board may suit me?

        Regarding bindings, you’re right I did mean Union Contact. Would this be a good choice for all these boards or can you suggest alternatives taking my medium flex boots into account?

        Thanks again for all your time.

        Dave

        Reply

        • Nate says

          April 4, 2018 at 9:28 am

          Hi Dave

          With US11s, I would say you’d still want something at least 260mm at the waist if you stick with a 0 degree back binding angle. But if you were to go with +15/-15, then you could drop down to a 254mm at the narrowest. For the Basic the 156W would still be your best bet, IMO. And the 158MW is still a good option for the Gnuru – but if you wanted to, if you were to go with +15/-15 or similar, the 158 would be an option too, IMO.

          The Snowtrooper would be a good bet too, IMO. It’s not as good in hard/icy conditions as the Basic and Gnuru, but it’s better than the OSL and the Burton Process, IMO. It’s in between those. In terms of riding switch, it’s not going to be as easy to learn on as the Basic and Gnuru, because of the shape and the setback stance, but it’s still definitely doable to learn switch on. In my experience it was easy to butter and not at all catchy.

          For bindings, if you want something in that mid-flex range, check out the following:

          >>Top 5 All Mountain Bindings

          The Contact would be a good match to these boards, IMO, and would work with your boots. A mid-flex binding would also work with these boards, but I wouldn’t go stiffer than that – both for progression reasons and because they won’t work as well with these boards, IMO.

          Reply

81. Abhi says

    March 26, 2018 at 7:12 pm

    Hi Nate

    Thanks so much for this great list and really appreciate you commenting on everyone’s questions. In fact, you helped my wife pick her board a few months ago and (much to my chagrin) her skill level has far surpassed my own!

    I started snowboarding about a year ago and bought a second-hand board off Craigslist. I didn’t know much about snowboards at the time and I was looking for something that was in good condition and cheap. I ended up getting a Salomon (157cm length by 25-30cm width) board that was much too big for me.

    I’m roughly 5’8″ and weigh 158 lbs, my shoe size is 9.5 and my boot size is 10. I’d still consider myself a beginner (I can ride comfortably on greens and am getting better at blues), but I think my large board has held me back a bit as I struggle to make shorter turns and my edge catches a lot.

    I’m looking for a board that will help me improve my turns on blues and start carving. I’ll be using it mainly for groomed runs and I would like something that will last me for a while. The Salomon Sight seems like a great fit, but it’s a little pricey and I’m looking to spend a little less for.

    Would really appreciate your thoughts and suggestions.

    Cheers
    Abhi

    Reply

    • Nate says

      March 27, 2018 at 10:05 am

      Hi Abhi

      Thanks for you message.

      I agree that 157 is too long for you as a beginner. There could be other things with the board you chose (like stiffness, camber profile) that also make it harder to ride, but it’s hard to say without knowing the model. But yeah, I think something around 151-153 would have been a better beginner size for you. You could probably go up to 156 as an advanced rider, but for now that would be too long, IMO. Since you certainly sound like you aren’t a complete beginner, something around 152 to 154 is probably a good range to look at, at the moment.

      And yeah, something that isn’t too stiff and has a camber profile that isn’t catchy. Those things should make a big difference.

      For the Sight, I would go for the 153. In terms of the waist, it’s 246mm at the waist, so it’s on the narrow side for 10s. But you should be ok, if you ride with binding angles like +15/-15 – or something with a good amount of angle on the back foot (at least 12 degrees). It will also depend on your brand of boot. Some boots have a shorter outersole and some a longer outersole.

      It’s probably the case with most boards at this length that they will be on the narrow end of the range for 10s. But you should fit on most of them, depending on your binding angles.

      For the brands that I test, the Sight is actually one of the cheaper boards. To get something for less (without moving down to the budget brands), I would suggest looking at a past season board (which are usually discounted – and at the moment most boards should be discounted for the end of the season – I see the Salomon Sight at $297 on sale at the moment at evo.com). Or you could try to find something used, if you can find something with the right specs and in the right size.

      The only other boards cheaper that I looked at for this list were the Rossignol Circuit and Rossignol District (both $299 but should be cheaper at the moment).

      If you want more options, then I would say the following, assuming you are looking for something all-mountain:

      ~ Rossignol Circuit 155 (249mm waist) – this is a little longer than the range we looked at, but is still doable
      ~ K2 Standard 152 (249mm waist)
      ~ Rome Mechanic 153 (252mm waist) – more leeway in terms of width
      ~ Burton Instigator 155 (252mm waist) – again slightly out of the range we looked at, but still doable and a bit more leeway width wise
      ~ YES Basic 152 (250mm waist)
      ~ YES Libre 154 (249mm waist)
      ~ Never Summer Snowtrooper 154 (250mm waist) – though if you found the Sight pricey, then this is probably out of your price range

      Hope this helps and gives you some options.

      Reply

      • Abhi says

        March 27, 2018 at 12:11 pm

        Hey thanks a lot for the great response Nate. Really appreciate the clarity!

        Looking at all the options you mentioned, the Rossignol Circuit 155 looks the best as there are some good deals available for it at the moment.

        I’m just concerned that:
        (1) It’s a little on the lengthier side – will that be a problem?
        (2) The reviews suggest it is an entry level to low-intermediate board. While I’m certainly not a full intermediate I wouldn’t want to grow out of this board in just a couple of seasons either. Do you think this board will grow well with me as I improve?

        Reply

        • Nate says

          March 28, 2018 at 2:29 pm

          Hi Abhi

          I’d say you’d be fine with the length of the Circuit 155, just because it’s a really easy going board, but if you are really worried about that length, then one of the other options might be better, so you can choose with confidence.

          The Circuit, Sight, K2 Standard, Mechanic and Instigator are all boards you could ride to a solid intermediate level, but beyond that you probably want to upgrade, IMO. So how long that takes would depend on how often you went riding and how fast you progressed.

          The likes of the Basic, Libre and Snowtrooper are boards that you could keep for longer, especially if you weren’t ever really interested in riding too aggressively. But obviously the price goes up too for those.

          The Rossignol Templar is another option. It’s not something you would have to upgrade from – but it’s going to be a little more challenging to begin with than the others, but still doable for your level. It comes in a 153 (247mm waist). So that’s another option.

          Hope this gives you more to go off.

          Reply

          • Abhi says

            April 5, 2018 at 3:07 pm

            Hi Nate

            Thanks a lot for your help again. I decided to go with the Rossignol Circuit. I found a deal for $150 which just seemed too good to pass up. It’s a little bigger (as we discussed), but hopefully it should be fine.

            Thanks again for your assistance!

          • Nate says

            April 6, 2018 at 9:13 am

            You’re very welcome Abhi.

            Let me know how it goes once you’ve have a chance to test it out.

82. Mariano says

    March 26, 2018 at 9:26 am

    Hi Nate,
    This list is great! Thank you very much!

    I wanted to ask you about my choice:

    I’m 160 cm height and weight 56 kg, my foot size is 8 US and I think I’m at the beginning of the intermediate level (I’m comfortable linking turns smoothly).

    I’ve choose to buy the Rossignol Circuit 145cm but don’t know if it’s more for beginners.

    Do you recommend me this board? Do you know a better one for me? Also, what do you think about the size?

    Thanks again!

    Reply

    • Nate says

      March 26, 2018 at 1:50 pm

      Hi Mariano

      Thanks for your message.

      I think the 145 is definitely the right size for you for this board. A good choice size-wise, IMO.

      As someone moving into intermediate level, I think the Circuit would be a good option. It’s something that you will likely want to upgrade from once you become a high-end intermediate to advanced rider, so I don’t think it’s the kind of board that will last you forever, but I think it’s suitable for your current level and one that should help you advance quickly – just that you’ll probably want to upgrade relatively soon from it.

      If you’re happy to ride this for now and then upgrade once you’re more advanced, I think that would be a good way to go – but if you want something that will stay with your for a long time, I would check out the following – a lot of these But not all) would be appropriate for your level, but also be appropriate when you’re more advanced – but will be a little more challenging to begin with than the Circuit.

      >>My Top All-Mountain-Freestyle Snowboards

      >>My Top 10 All Mountain Snowboards

      Let me know if you do want to go for something else, let me know what looks appealing and I can give you my opinion as to it’s appropriateness for your level. But I think the Circuit is fine for you for now.

      Hope this helps

      Reply

      • Mariano says

        March 26, 2018 at 9:10 pm

        Hi Nate,

        Thanks for the quick reply, you are the best!

        As you said, I’m looking for something that will stay with me for a long time, I don’t see me going to an advanced level, just being in an intermediate level for long.

        I checked both links you sent me but I couldn’t find any of those in my size 🙁

        I saw in other comments that for intermediate you recommended the Burton Custom Flying V and I found this one in boy size:
        Burton Custom Smalls Wide:

        What do you think about using a wide boy snowboard? Would you recommend it? Is there any difference between boy and men snowboards besides the size? Is for some reason better to go for a men snowboard?

        I think my height and weight could fit in a boy snowboard, but don’t know if there is another difference than the size with men snowboards.

        Thanks again for your help!

        Reply

        • Nate says

          March 27, 2018 at 10:31 am

          Hi Mariano

          I don’t know much about boys snowboards, unfortunately, but I have heard that they don’t feature as much tech as men’s boards, but like I say I don’t know much about them. The 145 Custom Smalls would be a good size for you though – and would certainly be quite cheap. My only concern would be weather it would have enough performance-wise (the men’s custom flying V seems to have a lot more features than the boys version) but it might be perfectly fine.

          Another option is the YES Basic 146, if you could find one of those.

          Or Lib Tech Skate Banana 145 – it’s more freestyle than all-mountain, but then so is the Custom Smalls – boys boards do tend to be twins with a centered stance.

          Or Slash Happy Place 146 – again it’s more aimed towards freestyle though

          Or GNU Carbon Credit 147 – again freestyle though (a lot of boards in a good size range for you, for men’s boards are freestyle oriented)

          Or Never Summer Warlock 148 – also quite freestyle oriented.

          If you’re ok with having a centered twin, then there are a few options there. Less options for all-mountain boards in the right size range.

          Reply

          • Mariano says

            March 27, 2018 at 12:10 pm

            Hi Nate,

            Thanks again for taking your time to respond with a very detailed answer.

            I did some research on those snowboards and they are a bit out of my budget.

            I’m looking for something as 300 usd tops (sales season), so this is what I found so far:

            – Rossignol Circuit 145:

            – Burton Custom Smalls Wide 145:

            – Salomon The Villain Grom Wide 145:

            – Rossignol Retox Amptek 147:

            – DC Focus 145:

            – Rome Mechanic 147:

            – Rossignol Retox 147:

            – DC Ply 147:

            Which one would you choose between those?

            Do you have something else to recommend me on that price range?

            Thanks again, hopefully I can decide soon so I can stop bothering you.

          • Nate says

            March 28, 2018 at 2:14 pm

            Hi Mariano

            From that lot, especially if you think you’d prefer something all-mountain oriented, the Circuit is probably the safest bet. You could take a chance on the Custom Smalls or Villain Grom (but like I say I’m not that clued up on youth boards). I think the Retox is probably going to be a bit stiff at this stage, and the Circuit 145 is going to be a better size than the Mechanic 147, for you, IMO.

            I don’t test DC boards, so the Focus or the Ply might be appropriate as well, but I couldn’t say for sure. Certainly the Ply looks to be the more advanced level board – and more of an all-mountain-freestyle option compared to the focus which looks to be mostly for freestyle. The Ply is full camber and looks like quite a bit of camber – so it’s possible that you might find it catchy.

            Hope this helps

          • Mariano says

            April 11, 2018 at 11:37 am

            Hi Nate,

            Thanks again for your help and patience to respond all the answers.

            I finally bought the Burton Custom Smalls Wide 145. I’ll let you know how it goes as soon as I use it.

            Thanks!

          • Nate says

            April 11, 2018 at 1:44 pm

            Hi Mariano

            You’re very welcome. Look forward to hearing how it goes for you.

83. James says

    March 21, 2018 at 4:53 am

    Hi Nate
    Great page, I’ve read through so many of your posts, hopefully you’ll be able to help me.
    I’ve just started snowboarding, I can link turns and feel quite confident. I primarily ride piste but have done some powder. I’ve not been in the park or off a jump.. yet.
    I typically hope to ride at least once a year for a week in europe possible more times if money and holidays allow it.
    I’d like a board which I can take out each year and not struggle on but also something I can progress on.
    I have been borrowing a 2007 Ride DH 157cm. Quite a lot of camber and mid flex, the board is rated as intermediate to advanced which I though was too advance for me but I really like this board and got on really well with it so I would like something similar.
    I am 183cm, 89kg size 9.5 burton boot
    I’ve been looking at soooo many boards 🙂 I’d like to stick with Ride but I don’t want a flat camber.
    I’ve looked at:
    Capita Defenders Of Awesome 2018
    Capita Outerspace Living
    Never Summer West

    Any ideas? Are you able to help recommend something 🙂

    Many Thanks

    James

    Reply

    • Nate says

      March 21, 2018 at 4:25 pm

      Hi James

      Thanks for your message.

      Some people do just get on with Camber. Also, I would say that 157 is on the smaller size for you (which is a good idea when you’re starting out) which will make it an easier going ride compared to the same board in say a 162. Generally speaking in terms of size, I’d say something between 157 and 159 would be a good bet for you, as a progressing beginner, but as a more advanced rider you could be riding more like 161, 162 (if you wanted to, but personal preference also comes into it.

      But, I would say if you do stick with something quite camber dominant, that you also stick to the shorter end of your length range.

      The closest equivalents to the DH in the Ride line would be the Helix, Burnout and the Machete GT – but I would probably stay away from the Burnout at this stage. Given that you like the DH, the Helix or Machete GT would be doable for you – but I’d stick with the 157 for both, if you went for them.

      The Outerspace Living would be a good call too – more forgiving than the DH for sure, but still camber under the feet and between the feet with rocker starting towards tip and tail. Size-wise, the 158 would be the best bet there.

      The Never Summer West is more all-mountain (the others that I mentioned and the DH are all all-mountain-freestyle) – it has a directional twin shape and a setback stance. But that means it will be better in powder. But definitely a different feel to something like the DH. And it’s rocker between the feet and camber under the feet and towards tip and tail. 159 would be the best size for this board for you, IMO.

      Capita DOA is mostly camber with some flat sections (and a small bit of rocker) – so since you like camber, by the sounds of it – it’s certainly also an option. 158 would be your best size, IMO. Though you could go 156 on this board too, if you wanted it to feel a bit more easy going.

      Hope this gives you more to go off for your decision

      Reply

      • James says

        March 22, 2018 at 3:45 am

        Hi Nate
        Thanks for you reply and coming back to me so quickly. I popped to my local snowboard shop last night and had a look at a few boards and the ones that kept coming out top were the Jones All Mountain Twin and the Huck Kinfe.
        I think I prefered the jones board but the chap in the shop suggested the 158cm Wide variant. What do you think? I wasn’t sure I’d ever want to go for a wide version…?
        Thanks
        James

        Reply

        • Nate says

          March 22, 2018 at 3:36 pm

          Hi James

          In my opinion, you shouldn’t go wide with Burton 9.5s. The Mountain Twin wide models are quite narrow as far as wides usually go, so it wouldn’t be ridiculously wide for you. But the 157 would still be the better width for you for that board, IMO. I recently rode the 2019 model for the Ultra Mountain Twin (which is the same dimensions as the Mountain Twin) in the 157 and it’s plenty wide enough at the inserts (I ride 10s). In fact looking at my notes, if you ride it at the reference stance it’s actually 268mm at the back insert and 265mm at the front insert, which is wide at the inserts for a 253mm waist). I rode it with a 560mm stance width (as the 600mm reference stance is wider than I prefer, but even at that narrower stance, it was still 266mm back insert and 263mm front insert, which is still on the wider side for a 253mm waist. I usually ride boards that are between 258mm and 268mm at the inserts and have never had any issues. (sorry that was probably more info than you needed!)

          So I think going 158W would be too wide to be optimal, even if it does run narrow for a wide.

          I think Mountain Twin would be a good option for you – but definitely 157, not 158W, IMO.

          Reply

          • James says

            March 25, 2018 at 1:25 pm

            Hi Nate

            Thanks again for your reply, I’ve discounted going wide now so going to stick with normal. But just one final question…. Why do you suggest I go for a 157 when a 160 is more for my weight range? 🙂

            Many thanks for all your advice, this is so helpful and been the best advice I’ve had also the fact that your not a snowboard shop just trying to sell me whats in stock! 🙂

            Thanks
            James

          • Nate says

            March 26, 2018 at 1:24 pm

            Hi James

            I’d say 157, because I think it’s going to be the best balance in terms of width/length. Also, as a beginner/intermediate rider it’s a good idea to go a little shorter, IMO. Which is why I’d put you on a range of 157-159. You could certainly go to the edge of that range, as it sounds like you’re progressing really well, and so the 160 is definitely doable for you, I would say, but on balance in terms of ability, height, weight and width, I think the 157 is on balance likely to be the better option – but the 160 is close too. As an advanced rider you could even go 162 for this board, but for now, I think that would be too long.

            The 160 is certainly doable for you, so if you think you’d prefer to go longer now so you have a board that can stay with you for longer, that’s an option, but it will just be a steeper learning curve to start with. Weight recommendations aren’t hard and fast rulers, IMO, they are guidelines and other factors come into it.

            Hope this helps with your decision

84. Ching says

    March 21, 2018 at 2:40 am

    Hi there Nate,

    Really great site man…

    Let me do the basics :
    Weight : 70kg
    Height : 167cm
    Shoe Size : US 9
    Experience : Total Beginner, tried snowboarding once and loved it (rental equipment then)

    I recently went to Japan to shop for a snowboard..I almost got the following combo :

    Board : K2 Standard 147 (2017 Model); Price @ 27K Yen (~USD254)
    Bindings : K2 Lien FS @ 20k yen (~USD188)
    Boots : Burton Moto Speed lace @ 20k yen (~USD188); size @ 25.5

    Questions :
    1) K2 Standard is a Directional board, will this be an issue to beginners?
    2) Am I right to not take the 147? Should I take 152 or 155? (they only had stock for 2018’s model for an additional ~USD50).
    3) The combo with K2 Lien FS & Burton Moto, is it alright?
    4) Is the price right?
    5) Which country is generally the best place to buy equipment cheaper, can’t seem to find that info in your site. Currently based in Malaysia which sucks… no snow!

    Thanks loads man, seriously your site is awesome!

    Reply

    • Nate says

      March 21, 2018 at 4:07 pm

      Hi Ching

      Thanks for your message.

      1) Directional isn’t an issue for beginners for riding in your natural direction, but if you were wanting to learn to ride switch straight away, it will make it more difficult learning switch than a true twin board with a centered stance, but you can still definitely learn to ride switch on the Standard (directional twin and setback 20mm), just won’t be as ideal as learning it on a centered, true twin.

      2) In terms of length, generally speaking I would say something around 153, 154 for your specs, if you we’re an advanced rider, but taking off 3-5cm as a beginner is highly recommended. So, something around 148 to 151 would be ideal. So, 147 and 152 are both doable sizes for sure – it would just depend – the 147 will be an easier board to turn on initially as you progress, but the 152 will be more stable at speed and be more suitable once you are a more advanced rider. If you want the board to stay with you for a long time, the 152 is probably the better bet, but if you would be willing to upgrade relatively soon, the 147 would be fine for learning on.

      3) Lien FS and Motos are great bindings/boots for beginners, IMO and would compliment the Standard well, IMO

      4) Those prices sound reasonable to me. From a quick bit of research I found them in the US with the following prices:

      a. K2 Standard (2018 model) = $297 (if you’re 2018 model is $50 more than the 254, then it would be $304, which is pretty close)
      b. K2 Lien FS (2018) = $199
      c. Burton Moto (2018) = $204

      5) I’m not really sure where is the cheapest country to buy. I think the US probably, but I’m only guessing.

      Hope this helps

      Reply

      • Ching says

        March 21, 2018 at 8:17 pm

        Hi Nate,

        Thank you so much for the reply! Definitely a great help!

        Most probably I’ll head down Tokyo a few days earlier to get the stuff before I go snowboarding. The prices seems reasonable for K2 stuff in Japan, other bigger names seems super expensive.

        If I do that, do I have to detune or wax (machine or hand?) the board before I hit the slopes?

        Reply

        • Nate says

          March 22, 2018 at 3:27 pm

          Hi Ching

          I wouldn’t detune unless you are going to be riding a lot of boxes/rails. If you get hard snow (which you might not get in Japan, if the legends are true [somewhere I’ve never been but would love to go!] then having sharp edges is nice to have.

          And waxing would depend. Usually you should be ok on a new board, just with the factory wax, at least for a couple of days, but sometimes if the board has been sitting around a long time (like a 2017 model), then a fresh wax can help.

          For more on waxing a new snowboard, check out the following:

          >>Do I need to Wax a New Snowboard?

          I personally only ever do a hot wax, rather than a rub on wax, just because the rub on just doesn’t last long and you’ve got to re-wax so soon again. A machine wax, like a belt wax, as far as I’m aware, is the equivalent of a rub on wax – but maybe a little better as there might be a bit of heat applied which helps the wax absorb. But as far as I know a hand wax with an iron is going to be a better wax and last longer. But there might be a type of machine wax that does a better job that I’m not aware of.

          Reply

          • Ching says

            March 24, 2018 at 9:11 am

            Japan’s show is awesome man.. it’s soooo flulffyyy…maybe the correct term would be powdery..

            Can’t compare with the rest of the world as I’ve never been anywhere else..haha

            Yeah man.. been reading from your waxing page.. n your binding configuration.. stance page.. almost your whole site.. haha..

            Can’t wait for end of the year/early next year to get my set-up n go boarding!

            Thanks heaps dude.. will update on the set-up i end up with and how it feels like for a newbie like me

            Cheers man! Try Japan! You won’t regret it.. i was in a a place called Nozawa-Onsen

          • Nate says

            March 24, 2018 at 10:10 am

            Hey Ching

            You’re making me want to go to Japan even more now!

            Yeah, definitely let me know what you end up going for and how you find it once you’ve had a chance to test it out.

85. Eric says

    March 18, 2018 at 8:57 am

    Ho there, great web site by the way, you must have a lot of work put into it! As a returning casual snowboarder from 15 years ago, I’m returning on the slopes this year and was considering a board that I did not see on you site. I’m a 6 foot tall 205 lbs rider wearing 12 size boots.

    After many hours of read8ng and going into différents shops, a sale guy showed me a 2018 Arbor Black Element 162MW and I really like the sober style of it. This with union flite pro bindings that brings me on your site and since you put the #1 for beginners this year I’m curious how you see them in relation with the Arbor black element…

    Riding will mostly be in the ski resort like groomed and having fun on the sides of the slope with my two starting kids (7 and 10) and my GF…

    Thanks a lot

    Reply

    • Nate says

      March 18, 2018 at 11:24 am

      Hi Eric

      Thanks for your message.

      I think the Element Black is probably a good option for you. I rode the 2019 Arbor Element (non-black) and it’s a pretty easy going board, that would be a good ride for a casual rider, for the groomers and for someone coming back into the sport – and the Element Black is supposed to be just a little softer flexing. I found the Element felt like a 6/10, which is how they rate it, so I suspect that the Element Black would feel like the 5/10 flex they rate it to be. I would usually say a little softer for a beginner but since you aren’t a beginner but just coming back into, I think that’s a good flex, and you’ll likely get back into it quickly and appreciate that little bit of extra stiffness – but certainly still very easy going and the rocker system is a nice fun, easy going ride too.

      In terms of size, I would say 163 at an advanced level and I’d usually say take off at least 3cm for a beginner, but again, as a returning rider, rather than beginner, I think the 162MW should be fine – and yeah with 12s, that width should be all good too.

      In terms of bindings though, I would go for something a little stiffer flexing than the Flite Pro, to better match the flex of the board. So, something with around a 5/10 flex as well. If a binding is too soft for the board, I find it can sometimes have trouble tranferring enough power in there.

      If you wanted to stay Union and stay on the more budget end of their pricing, then the STR would be a better match to the Element Black, IMO.

      You can also check out the following, though price hasn’t been taken into account in this list:

      >>Top 5 All Mountain Bindings

      If you want some more lower cost binding options, let me know, but yeah Union STR would work well, IMO, if you’re looking to keep costs low.

      Hope this helps

      Reply

86. Calvin Kwan says

    March 10, 2018 at 6:20 pm

    Nate,

    I’m a beginner trying to make the transition from skiing. I go mainly with my family to the Poconos/PA area. I’m trying to figure out what would be best as a first time snowboarder. I made an impulse purchase last year and bought a Burton Blunt 163W and Burton Ruler Wide boots in US12 (thought snowboard boots were same size as regular shoes). Since then, I’ve realized that the boots are too large as they packed out and are too roomy now and the board just felt too large and loose for me.

    I have since purchased Burton Ruler Wide boots in US10.5 that fit much more snugly as they should. I’m searching for a better board to learn and something that I can progress on and was referred to a NS Snowtrooper by the local shop. I’m not sure on what size would be best for me. I’m thinking 160W, but would appreciate your input as well as if you believe there are any better boards to look at.

    I am 5’9″, weigh 240lbs, and in a US10.5 Burton Ruler Wide boot.

    Reply

    • Nate says

      March 12, 2018 at 11:54 am

      Hi Calvin

      Thanks for your message.

      I think the Never Summer Snowtrooper would be a good option. It’s a good board to learn on, IMO, but can also take you past that beginner phase. It’s also pretty good in hard/icy conditions that you are likely to experience a fair bit in PA. Certainly should give better edge-hold than the Blunt in harder/icy conditions.

      In terms of size, I think something around 158 to 160 would be a good beginner size for you – and going to the latter end of that range, is a good idea, given that it sounds like you a have some riding under your belt and that you can ski. So something around 160 is a great option, IMO. However, I don’t think you need to go wide, now that you are in 10.5s. Especially in Burton’s (which have a lower profile than average outer-sole). I think even if you ride with a relatively straight back binding, you would get on the 159. And even the 162 would be a better match than the 160W, IMO. Just that it’s getting on the wide side for 10.5s. If you ride with a bit of angle on your back binding, then I’d definitely say don’t go wide.

      So yeah, I would go 159 or 162, rather than 160W. But I agree that the Snowtrooper is likely a good option.

      Hope this helps

      Reply

      • Calvin Kwan says

        March 15, 2018 at 9:34 am

        Thanks Nate. That helps a lot. I’ve ordered a 159 along with some Burton Cartel bindings as I think that might be best for the icy conditions we have here. Should get here mid next week and hoping to get on the mountain next weekend to try it out.

        Reply

        • Nate says

          March 15, 2018 at 4:24 pm

          You’re very welcome Calvin. Let me know how you get on once you’ve had a chance to ride it.

          Reply

          • Calvin Kwan says

            March 26, 2018 at 7:52 pm

            Just wanted to follow up with an update. Was able to get out to Shawnee Mountain this past Saturday and the NS Snowtrooper was great. I felt so much more confident with the board and made some good progress. Even my wife was impressed with the progress so I think I made the right choice.

            Thanks again for the assistance.

            Calvin

          • Nate says

            March 27, 2018 at 10:08 am

            Hi Calvin

            Thanks for the update. Awesome to hear that the Snowtrooper is going well for you!

87. Jacob says

    March 8, 2018 at 6:14 am

    Hello Nate,

    Thanks for awesome buying advice!

    Could you help me choose my first snowboard? Im 170cm and 62kg. I was standing on snowboard 2 times before and I really liked it.
    I was looking at K2 Standard and Salomon Sight. Can they last for longer time? Will one of these be good after I become better on it? Or should I choose something more advanced?
    Thanks.

    Reply

    • Nate says

      March 9, 2018 at 4:22 pm

      Hi Jacob

      Thanks for your message.

      In my opinion, the fastest way to progress is to get on something that’s super easy to progress on – and then, when you’re ready upgrade to something that can take you to the next stage. However, I understand that not everyone is willing to go through the process of buying another snowboard after 1 to 3 seasons (depending on how many days you ride in a season and how fast you progress) – or want the expense of it/the hassle of selling their old board. In which case, I still wouldn’t go too advanced – but there are some boards that are a good compromise of being easy to progress on but still suitable for a more advanced level.

      Unfortunately I wouldn’t consider the K2 Standard or Salomon Sight to be one of those boards. They’re the kind of boards, IMO, that you would likely want to upgrade from once you become more advanced.

      Some good compromises, IMO, of boards that will last you longer would be:

      ~ YES Typo
      ~ Never Summer Snowtrooper
      ~ Capita Outerspace Living
      ~ Burton Process Flying V

      These aren’t strictly the only options but are really good options, IMO.

      Hope this helps

      Reply

88. Normen says

    March 6, 2018 at 9:55 am

    Hey Nate, wow what a page! Well done. Really helpful for a noob.
    The only thing I am struggling with is the width of the board, I am 6’0/(kinda athletic) 220lbs/size11. I guess I need a wide board? Also, I am someone who buys a wine by its label so I really like the Burton style. So do you recommend the Burton Instigator 160W for my size?
    Thanks and cheers from Basel, Switzerland

    Reply

    • Nate says

      March 6, 2018 at 12:23 pm

      Hi Normen

      Thanks for your message.

      I think something around that 160 mark (anything 159 to 161) would be a good length for you as a beginner – and the Instigator is a great beginner board, so the 160 Instigator is a good choice for you, IMO.

      The only question is really around the width – with size 11 (and I’m assuming US11), you’re kind of on the cusp between wide and regular.

      There are a lot of factors that can affect the width that’s right for you, but the main ones are binding angles and the profile of the boots you choose.

      Binding Angles: with normal profile boots I would say width-wise, for your boot size I would say to look at something in the range of 254mm to 264mm in terms of waist width, if you ride with a reasonably angled back binding (i.e. 12-15 degrees) and between 261mm and 266mm at the waist, if you ride with a fairly straight back binding angle (i.e. 0-3 degrees).

      Low Profile Boots: Some boots have a lower profile outer-sole compared to others. Of the brands that I deal with Adidas, Burton, Ride and Vans have the lowest profile outer-sole. In that case you can treat your boots as if they were around a half size smaller.

      For more details on estimating waist width, see:

      >>Snowboard Width Sizing

      So, if you ride with a reasonable angle on your back foot, then the 160 would be the better bet, and if you have low profile boots, then the 160 would also be doable, even with straighter angles. Otherwise the 160W would be the better option.

      If you mean UK11s rather than US11s, then ignore all of that and go with the 160W.

      Hope this helps

      Reply

      • Normen says

        March 7, 2018 at 5:13 am

        Thanks so much for your quick reply, super helpful !!!

        Reply

        • Nate says

          March 7, 2018 at 10:42 am

          You’re very welcome!

          Reply

          • Normen says

            March 19, 2018 at 3:06 am

            Hey Nate, I ended up with a 2018 Burton 159W Flying V, 2018 Burton Cartel Bindings and some really cool Adidas Tactical ADV Boots. I think I’m gonna love Winter from now on 🙂

            Thanks again for your great advice.

          • Nate says

            March 19, 2018 at 11:54 am

            You’re very welcome Normen. Yep, you’re going to look forward to winter every year now! Hope the gear treats you well and let me know how you get on, once you’ve had a chance to ride with it

89. Tiago says

    February 28, 2018 at 9:12 am

    Hi Nate,

    I was looking for some info on boards on the internet and came across your page – what a superb site with loads of relevant info, well done!

    Right, so this is why I’m getting in touch… I have been snowboarding for 5 years now, only get to go away to the Alps for 2 weeks per winter. So I’d say I’m competent but not the biggest daredevil out there. For these years I’ve rented a board every time, getting anything from manageable to absolutely horrendous to the point of almost spoiling my holiday. I was in Alpe d’Huez a couple of weeks ago and so happened that the board I rented was a Burton LTR – now as you may well know, the LTR stands for “Learn To Ride” and is a beginners board that Burton does purely for the rental market and not for the general public. Although I was a bit apprehensive about renting and riding something so “basic” I had the best experience ever, after all these years! The board was a rocker which meant it was really playful and catch-free – which in turn made me more confident and more adventurous with my riding. Possibly the confidence boost I needed. So after returning from that holiday I got in touch with Burton who confirmed that the LTR is not available for public sale, although they recommended the Ripcord as being quite similar.
    I am now determined that instead of continuing to rent boards, the way to go is to buy my own board – but I want something as playful and catch- free as the board I got in Alpe d’Huez to make sure I keep enjoying boarding more and more. And this is where your advice will be useful – what board should I get? I think I’ve narrowed it down to three contenders… 2018 Burton Ripcord (154?) £199 / 2018 Burton Instigator (155?) / 2018 Burton Process Flying V (152 or 155?) £259

    Here’s a bit of info to make sure you get the full picture:
    1.77m tall / 76kgs
    regular +15/-6
    I have a pair of 2017 Burton Ruler size 9UK
    bindings: Burton Freestyle Snowboard Binding (mariner green) size M which I’ve just bought for £94