Hello and welcome to my YES Libre review.
In this review, I will take a look at the Libre as a all-mountain snowboard.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Libre a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how it compares with other all-mountain snowboards.
NOTE: The 2020 model was the last model of the Libre.
Overall Rating
Board: YES Libre 2020
Price: $369 (USD recommended retail)
Style: All-Mountain
Flex Rating: Medium (6/10)
Flex Feel on Snow: Softer side of Medium (4.5/10)
Rating Score: 84.0/100
Compared to other Men’s All-Mountain Boards
Out of the 34 men’s all-mountain snowboards that I rated:
Overview of the Libre’s Specs
Check out the tables for the Libre’s specs and available sizes.
Specs
Style: | All Mountain |
Price: | $369 |
Ability Level: |  |
Flex: |  |
Feel: |  |
Turn Initiation: | Medium-Fast |
Edge-hold: |  |
Camber Profile: | Hybrid Camber (Camrock 4-4-4) |
Shape: | |
Setback Stance: | Setback 5mm |
Base: | Extruded |
Weight: | Heavier than normal |
Sizing
LENGTH (cm) | Waist Width (mm) | Rec Rider Weight (lb) | Rec Rider Weight (kg) |
|---|---|---|---|
152 | 248 | 120-160 | 54-73 |
154 | 249 | 130-170 | 59-77 |
156 | 250 | 140-180 | 64-82 |
156W | 256 | 140-180 | 64-82 |
158 | 252 | 150-200 | 68-91 |
159W | 258 | 160-210 | 73-95 |
161W | 260 | 180-220+ | 82-100+ |
Who is the Libre Most Suited To?
The Libre is great for anyone looking for a do-it-all board that can be their one-board quiver and is available at a really good price.
It’s solid and consistent and doesn’t have any real weaknesses but isn’t going to blow your mind either.
Great option for high-end beginner and intermediate riders who want that one-board quiver and want to progress with a consistent, reliable ride.
If all of the above sounds like you and you often ride in hard/icy conditions, then the Libre should be high on your list.
The Libre in More Detail
Board: YES Libre 2019, 158 (252mm waist)
Date: March 15, 2018
Conditions: Icy in a lot of places, especially first thing but even first thing there were some softer patches. Icy patches decreased and soft patches increased as the day went on. Sunny as! Clear blue skies. So, goes without saying 100% vis.
Bindings angles: +15/-15
Stance width: 590mm (23.2”)
Stance Setback: 5mm (0.2”)
Width at Inserts: 265mm (10.43”) nose and 267mm tail (10.51”)
Weight: 3040grams (6lb 11oz)
Weight per cm: 19.24grams/cm
Average Weight per cm: 18.21grams/cm*
*based on a small sample size of 24 boards that I weighed.
It felt on the heavier side overall, compared to most 2019 boards.
Funny Story: Whilst I was taking pictures of the Libre, it managed to slip out of the snow and went careering across a groomer. Luckily there wasn’t anyway immediately coming down at that stage and luckily, there was a bit of a bank on the other side that stopped it going too far – but it still must have been a funny site watching me sprint after the board! First time that’s ever happened.
Powder
I didn’t have any fresh powder to speak of really, on the day I rode the Libre, but based on the general feel and on specs, I think it would be good but not amazing in powder.
Like the YES Typo it only has a 5mm setback and felt like it would be similar to the Typo in powder. However, it has a Directional Volume Twin shape (a little more volume in the nose vs the tail, which should help with float – also featured on the Standard and the Ghost) and has more rocker in the tip and tail than the Typo – so I’m going to say very subtly better than the Typo in powder.
It does have an extruded base vs the sintered base on the Typo – and I do tend to prefer a sintered base if the powder is a little wet/sticky, but otherwise I think the Libre would just tip the Typo in powder.
Carving & Turning
OK on a carve but not world beating. Not as lively/springy as the Standard and Ghost (other boards from YES) but has a nice smooth even turn radius. Easy to initiate turns and a smooth turn from start to finish. No real personality like the others but consistent and smooth. Quite easy to skid turns on too. Great for high-end beginners and intermediate riders in that sense.
Speed
Not the fastest with that Extruded base. But it’s quite stable at reasonable speeds, for its flex. It has quite a stable feel overall. But when you really get moving, it can start to get a little wobbly.
Let’s Break up this text with a Video
Uneven Terrain
Felt really good in messy afternoon resort snow – and also undulating terrain. No fatigue at all going through uneven terrain.
Jumps
It’s not super poppy – not as poppy as a lot of other YES boards, but what pop there is, is easy to access (i.e. don’t have to put too much effort in to get out the max pop that this board will give.
Landings felt stable and the approach was good for slower approaches for small jumps. But the approach got a bit wobbly when getting up higher speeds for larger jumps.
Overall good for small jumps and side hits but not as good for bigger jumps.
Switch
Apart from the small setback it would pretty much be like riding a true twin. The extra volume in the nose comes after the contact points, so only really changes the ride for powder – so for riding switch on the groomers, it’s only that small setback that makes it feel just that slight bit different riding in the other direction – but barely noticeable.
Jibbing
Felt comfortable on jibs with the Libre. Certainly not the ultimate jibbing board, but you can definitely hit jibs on this board.
Changes from the 2019 Model
As far as I can see the 2020 model is identical to the 2019 model, apart from the graphic of course.
Changes from the 2018 Model
As far as I can tell the 2019 Libre is identical to the 2018 model, except for the graphic.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
RATING | Contribution to Final Score | |
|---|---|---|
POWDER | 3.5 | 10.5/15 |
CARVING | 3.0 | 9/15 |
SPEED | 2.5 | 7.5/15 |
UNEVEN TERRAIN | 4.0 | 12/15 |
SWITCH | 4.0 | 8/10 |
JUMPS | 3.0 | 6/10 |
SPINS | 4.0 | 4/5 |
BUTTERS | 4.0 | 4/5 |
JIBBING | 3.5 | 3.5/5 |
PIPE | 3.5 | 3.5/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 84/100 |
Whilst it’s not the most exciting/most electric board in YES's line, it is very versatile and smooth and great for a high-end beginner or intermediate rider, looking for a solid, consistent, do-it-all board for a price that you just don't see on snowboards this good.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you want to learn more about the Libre, are ready to buy or want to research prices and availability, check out the links below.
If you want to see how the Libre compares to other men’s all-mountain snowboards or want to check out some other options in that category, check out the next link.
Hello Nate,
Firstly, let me begin by saying thanks for the high-quality content you make available in this blog. Secondly, I would kindly like to ask your knowledgeable advice regarding Libre’s setback and stance settings.
I own a Libre 2019 model and notwithstanding the 5mm built-in setback have currently set up a centred stance with both bindings also having a central position with respect to the 5-hole insert pattern (i.e. midpoint of both bindings is over the 3rd hole). However, I would like to try out a narrower stance.
Could you please tell me what the impact of moving both binders closer together is versus leaving my back binding in place and just shifting the front binding closer to the centre of the board. Also, I am curious why in many articles they say you should never have your bindings placed closer to the nose than the tail of the board which in my case would mean leaving the front binding in place and shifting the back one closer to the centre.
Regarding my own style, the “high-end beginner” term you use in the review is probably quite apt to my current level of riding: I like to cruise on blue slopes and ride a lot of switch (!). As a next step rather than going on powder I would like to take it to the Park and start learning jumps.
Many thanks for any feedback you can provide!
Hi Markus
Thanks for your message.
The main reason that you don’t want your bindings closer to the nose than the tail – or even just a little forward on the effective edge (which in some cases you could be forward on the effective edge but still have the back binding closer to the tail than the front binding is to the nose – in the case where the nose of the board (outside the contact points) is considerably longer than the tail – but I digress) – is that it’s just not optimal for riding in your preferred stance. Obviously in the case where you are setup with a setback you’ll always be riding that way when riding switch, but typically that’s not the way you would be predominantly riding. If you’re riding equally in both directions, then a true twin, centered setup is highly recommended.
In terms of your narrower stance, if you move both bindings closer together, by an equal amount, you will essentially be retaining the same amount of setback on the board. So in the case of the Libre, you’d still have that subtle 5mm setback, but with a narrower stance. You’re also moving onto a slightly different part of the camber profile, but in the case of the Libre it’s unlikely you would notice that difference. With a narrower stance typically you will have easier maneuverability but less stability.
If you just move the front binding closer to the center, then you would be increasing the amount of setback. For example, if you were to move the front binding closer to the center by 20mm and leave the back binding where it is, then you would essentially then have a 25mm setback (in the case of the Libre). If you want the best setup for riding switch on the Libre, I would try to arrange it so that you keep to that subtle 5mm setback that’s built in. Some bindings have more or less in terms of micro adjustments you can make to stance width, but if you have good stance width adjustability with your bindings, then moving both in by 10mm, for a total 20mm narrower stance might be a good way to go, unless you really want a bigger difference.
Hope this helps/makes sense
Oh yes, that’s perfect! Answers the main thing very well. I’ll have a go at it next time on the slopes.
Many thanks once more!
You’re very welcome Markus. Happy riding!
Hey Nate,
Thanks for all your work! I love your reviews.
I just ordered the Yes Libre 158 and I’m now looking for some new bindings that won’t break the bank. This is only my second season and I’m spending most of my time on red/black groomers, trying to get more confidence. Haven’t yet hit the park.
Any recommendation?
Hi Pablo
For some good low cost options to match the Libre you could look at:
– Union Force
– Burton Mission
– Ride Revolt
– Salomon District
Or if you wanted to go even more low cost – the Union STR would also work.
Hope this helps and gives you some options
Thanks a lot Nate!
That helped a lot narrowing down my options, and also to understand what kind of bindings would play well with the Yes.
Unfortunately, here in Norway the offer of models is a bit limited, so I narrowed it down to the Burton Missions and the Union Strata (not recommended by you, but the price different is only 28 USD so I’m considering it).
Which one do you think would match the Yes Libre best?
Hi Pablo
Both would be a good match for the Libre.
I slightly prefer the Strata, so that’s what I would put on there. Only reason I didn’t mention them is because I was trying to stick under a certain price. But if you can pay the extra for the Strata, it’s a very good choice, IMO. One thing to watch out for with the Libre is sizing. It has quite a long baseplate – so on the 158 Libre, I would go Medium. What size boots do you have? Assuming you will fit in a medium boots-wise, I think the Strata is a good call.
Thanks Nate!
That’s a point I fear I underestimated :/
This is me, for more context:
Weight: 190 pounds / 87 kg
Height: 6′ 1” / 186 cm
Stance: 22.5” / Regular – 15/+12
I thought that the Libre 158 might be a good fit based on weight, but I did not consider the width. I just assumed that being wider than my current board (5 mm at waist, 7 mm at nose and tail) it would be ok.
Should I have bought the 159W instead of the 158?
My boots are actually US 11 (31 cm footprint), so maybe Missions will be better after all? (I could not find any base plate measurements)
Hi Pablo
Thanks for your message.
Since your boots sounds like they’re fairly low profile (US 11, with 31cm footprint), then I think you’ll be fine on the board width-wise. So I think the 158 should still be fine for you. Also the width at inserts on the Libre is a little wider compared to the waist than most – so that gives you a bit more leeway too. Also, since you were fine on your old board which was narrower, is another indication that the 158 Libre will be fine for you width-wise.
In terms of getting into a medium Strata, I think, because it’s a low profile boot you would probably get in there (but no guarantees) – going with the likes of the Burton Mission Large would be a safer bet. Burton base plates aren’t as long, so you won’t have any trouble getting a large Burton onto the 158 Libre. In terms of size, if you were to go Burton Mission – you could probably get into a medium there too – but a Large will fit on the board fine, and is probably the better bet for you and that board, as you’ll just get a little more leverage off the longer sized binding – and your boots should fit well in there too.
Hope this helps
Thanks again Nate!
In a serendipitous turn of events I found some mint condition Burton Cartels for 140 USD and after checking your reviews, I pulled the trigger 2 hours ago. I hope I’ve made the right call here!
Do you have a paypal account or a way to get a donation? I’d love to buy you a beer or two as a way to thank you for the time you spent on me and the magnific work you do with this site.
Hi Pablo
I think the Cartels will work well with the Libre – and that’s a great price, so I think you made a good call there. If you’d like to contribute to Snowboarding Profiles, check out the link below.
Support Snowboarding Profiles
If you think of it at the time, let me know how you get on with the Libre/Cartel setup, once you’ve had a chance to get it out on snow. Hope you have an awesome rest of your season.
Hi Nate
One of the boards you recommended to me was the Libre, I’m 6ft, 90kgs with a UK boot size of 10, I’ve normally riden a 157 board, my skill is top end beginner lower end intermediate mainly on groomers and powder, what length would you recommend for the Libre 156 or 158?
Great site as always
Thanks Nick
Hi Nick
For your specs/ability, I would go with the 158 for the Libre. Ordinarily I would say it’s too narrow for a UK10 boot (and to go for the 159W), but when I rode the 158 I measured the width at the inserts and it was 267mm at the rear insert and 265mm at the front insert. So, quite wide for a 252mm waist. If you ride with a completely straight back foot (0 degrees), then it might still pay to go 159W, but otherwise I think you would be good on the 158.
Hi Nate,
Sorry to dredge up an old review! I’ve found a new 2020 Libre for a good price and it looks like an ideal board for me to progress.
Only thing I am worried about is the size. The largest available is the 158. I am similar to Nick, above, 182cm height, 86kg weight but I’m a UK11 boot.
Is the 158 going to be just too narrow do you think? I’ve looked at your (excellent) guide to board width and think it would be borderline for my boots, so wanted to ask your expert opinion as well.
Cheers.
Hi Brendan
Thanks for your message.
Yeah unfortunately, I’d say it’s a little too narrow, even being wider than it looks. 267mm at the back insert, even with a good bit of angle on the back binding and low profile boots, would be risking it with UK11s. Not guaranteed that you’d get boot drag, but a good chance of it, IMO. I think the length would work for you, but unfortunately I think the width would be risky for UK11s.
Hope this helps
Thanks Nate, really appreciate you replying.
I kind of knew that would be the answer, but great to get your expert input. I think I will hold off this one and keep looking.
Thanks again
You’re very welcome Brendan. Let me know if you have any questions for other boards you come across.