Snowboard - Buying guide and measurement table
Our staff of professionals has prepared a detailed guide, to help users identify the most suitable products for the technique and style practiced.
We can help you choose by determining:
Skill level
Snowboard width
Snowboard lenght
Favorite style and terrain
These factors play a crucial role in choosing the right snowboard. There is a lot of information, aspects and models to know, choices to make... and that's why we created this simple snowboard guide, to help you narrow it down.
Type of terrain
What kind of snowboard should you use? Although you can use any snowboard on any type of terrain or in any snow condition, there are specialized snowboards for certain applications and terrain conditions. For example, it might be more fun to ride a fresh snow board in the fresh snow and a park board in the park. And in order not to have to analyze the multitude of offers available today, the following descriptions will give you a good idea of the main categories of tables on the market.
All-Mountain
All-mountain snowboards are designed to work well in all snow and terrain conditions. They feel at home on freshly beaten slopes, in the fresh snow, in the parks and in everything in between. The vast majority of snowboarders choose an All-Mountain board for their great versatility. Whether you're a beginner or don't know what exactly you need, an all-mountain snowboard is a great choice.
Freestyle
Freestyle or Park snowboards tend to be a bit shorter and love terrain such as parks, rails, ducts, bins, tree trunks, walls and much more. Freestyle boards often have a symmetrical shape and are typically chosen by those who want to have fun in the park. A more versatile variant of a freestyle board is the Freestyle/All-Mountain one, which combines the versatility of a snowboard suitable for all conditions with the playfulness of a freestyle board.
Freeride
Freeride snowboards are designed for those who spend most of the day escaping the beaten slopes and in various terrain conditions. They typically have a stiffer flexion and are created in longer sizes than freestyle snowboards. They often have a directional shape designed specifically to optimally follow in only one direction.
Powder
Powder snowboards love fresh snow. Often associated with freeride snowboards, fresh snow boards can have a wider tip and a narrower, tapered tail. Binding inserts, which determine the position of the snowboarder, are often positioned further back to facilitate the buoyancy of the tip of the board when the fresh snow is deeper. Powder snowboards sometimes also feature the rocker version, a design feature where the curvature at the tip (and tail) starts first in the board, so as to help the snowboarder keep the tip more raised in the fresh snow.
Splitboard
A splitboard is built specifically for off-piste snowboarders. Splitboard snowboards are designed to split in half and separate to face the climb (with seal skins). They also have special attacks. Once you've reached the top, you can reconnect the two halves for the descent and descend normally. Don't forget avalanche safety equipment and the necessary skills, as well as knowledge of terrain, weather and snow when venturing off-piste on your Splitboard.
Lenght
How do you choose the correct length for your snowboard?
The length of your snowboard varies depending on your body weight and the type of use you intend to make of it. In general choosing the right size means standing next to the snowboard resting vertically and if the top of this hits the chin, great, it is done! However, although this can be a good starting point, weight is also a very important factor in determining the appropriate length of the board. Finally, another important aspect is the type of use you are going to make of it.
If, for example, you're going to be mostly freeride, consider a slightly longer board for greater stability and speed. If you're looking for a freestyle board instead, you need to consider smaller sizes that will be easier to turn around and maneuver in the parks and half-pipes.
Remember, nothing is more personal than choosing the length, so don't stick too much to the general standards if using a more or less long board you find yourself better...
Use the table below as a starting point:
| Snowboarder height (cm) | Snowboard length (cm) |
|---|---|
| 147 | 128 - 136 |
| 152 | 133 - 141 |
| 158 | 139 - 147 |
| 163 | 144 -152 |
| 168 | 149 -157 |
| 173 | 154 -162 |
| 178 | 159 -167 |
| 183 | 160+ |
| 188 | 160+ |
| 193 | 160+ |
Skill level
What is your skill level? There are snowboards designed specifically for every skill level, need and specific addressing of the individual snowboarder. Bending, shape, length, constitution, materials, design and intended use are all important factors when working on a snowboard for a particular skill level. Be realistic about assessing your ability when looking for a new snowboard. Finding the right snowboard for your personal characteristics, including your skill, will help you make the driving experience more enjoyable and help accelerate learning.
Width
How do you choose the correct width for your snowboard? When the width of a snowboard is correct the boots will come out slightly from the edges of the snowboard, but not enough to touch the snow when the board is on the edge (see the pictures below). Extending your fingers and heels slightly beyond the edges of the snowboard allows you to apply leverage on the board and modulate the pressure with your ankles. If the boots extend too far over the edge, they will hit the snow in tight turns and drop you.
Shape
The size of snowboard boots varies depending on the manufacturer and also depending on the individual model within the line of a single manufacturer, and this means that manufacturer A's Size 11 boot may be slightly longer than manufacturer B's Size 11 boot. Similarly, some boots are specifically built with a short profile. The smaller outs of a short-profile boot allow you to use a narrower snowboard. In addition, the ramp angle of the snowboard bindings also partly determines the size of the boot: a greater ramp angle allows the boot to stay more lifted from the board and therefore allows to use narrower boards.
Directional
Common to freeride and all-mountain snowboards, the boards are designed to be driven mainly in one direction. They are often stiffer in the tail and softer towards the tip to maintain stability during high-speed carving. Typically, bindings are inserted in a backward position (closer to the tail of the snowboard) up to an inch further away.
True Twin
The twin shape (also known as true twin) is completely symmetrical, in which the tip and tail have identical shapes and the inflection values are the same. The bindings are mounted in the center. Often this shape is found in freestyle snowboards because it is ideal for parks, thanks to the ability to be juded in both directions.
Directional Twin
A combination of Directional and True Twin snowboards, directional twins are a mix of both shapes. The symmetrical shape (similar tip and tail size) in combination with a directional core (softer tip of the tail) is common, but the opposite is also present: a directional shape with a symmetrical core. Directional Twin boards give their best both in all-mountain and on freestyle terrain.
Profilo
Camber
Camber is the traditional profile for snowboards, and still popular among high-level Park&Pipe athletes because it offers the maximum in energy and elasticity. A Camber board has a slight arch under foot and touches near the tip and tail when not under weight; when you add the weight of the snowboarder you create a long and sliding surface and edge, with uniform pressure.
Rocker
A side profile of the Rocker board is the opposite of that of a camber board, as it has a uniform curvature down and fewer contacts when placed under the weight of the snowboarder. Rocker boards float well on fresh snow and curve more easily. They also tend to be more responsive, both pointed and tailed, and better to better deal with landing and bend maneuvers when you don't have enough space.
Flat
A Flat profile is just as the name describes: flat, from just before the tip of the board until just before the tail. This shape is completely detached from the camber and rocker models, with a more indulgent steering capacity than a completely Camber board and a more precise edge than a completely Rocker.
Rocker/Camber/Rocker
The Rocker/Camber/Rocker shape allows you to have both an excellent edge grip on beaten snow thanks to the Camber shape present under foot, and a greater ability to steer and float in fresh snow thanks to the Rocker tip and tail. This profile is increasingly popular among freeride boards designed mainly for soft snow.
Rocker/Flat/Rocker
The Rocker/Flat/Rocker shape is another variation on the rocker theme that tries to provide a little more edge hold and control over hard snow than a full-rocker board, while maintaining ease of steering and floating. The performance is between a completely Rocker board and a Flat board.
Camber/Rocker/Camber
The Camber/Rocker/Camber is a specific profile that works because the weight of the snowboarder flattens the two camber areas. This design produces an area of strong pressure and tightness between the feet while maintaining support and precision at the tip and tail.
So, which one is the best?
The answer is that no profile beats the other, everything is mainly based on your personal preference. Typically, the Camber profile offers better grip and more stability on hard, high-speed snow, while the Rocker offers more ability to float in fresh snow and ease of maneuver. Some rockers are recommended for beginners because they make it easier to tackle curves. However, even advanced snowboarders who like to have a loose gait can love a snowboard rocker model.