Choosing a snowboard: how makers say to size one.

No standard, so read the maker's chart

We found no standard that sets how long or wide a snowboard should be for a rider. Burton's buying guide calls size charts general guidance and says sizing varies between brands, so it suggests comparing several. Burton says each board size has its own suggested minimum and maximum rider weight, usually printed on the board's sticker or product page, and Jones puts a size calculator for that exact model on each board's page, so the figure for the exact board is the one to check. Burton calls those ranges suggestions, not rules, and ends its sizing article by calling board size a matter of personal preference.

The instructor standards read for this guide do not publish sizes either. PSIA-AASI's snowboard certification standards (September 2022) give no board lengths, flexes or profiles; they ask a Level I instructor to be able to describe beginner equipment and how equipment choices and stance set-up affect riding.

Length: weight first, or height first

The makers disagree on where to start.

• Weight first: Burton and Jones. Burton says board size depends mainly on rider weight and boot size, and calls the old rule that a board should stand between your chin and nose a myth that may happen to be true but leaves out key information. Jones says weight is the main input because it decides how the board flexes under load, and that height plays only a small role.
• Height first, then weight: K2, Ride and Rossignol. All three give the chin-to-nose rule of thumb as the starting point and then adjust for weight: K2 and Rossignol say heavier riders, or riders near the top of a size's weight range, may go longer and lighter riders shorter, and Ride's chart lists a rider weight range for each model and length.
• Both at once: Never Summer. It asks riders to combine height, weight, boot size and riding style, and its chart has rows by height and weight together.

Two examples show how the charts read. Jones's chart lists 150 to 155 cm for a rider of 65 to 72 kg (145 to 160 lb). K2's table lists 148 to 154 cm for a rider 5 ft 4 in (163 cm) tall weighing 130 to 180 lb. Each figure is that maker's claim for its own boards; another maker's board of the same length can be rated for a different weight.

When a rider's weight falls in two of its size ranges, Jones says to pick the middle size, going shorter for a more playful ride or longer for stability and float.

Ability

• Never Summer: beginners and intermediates should use slightly shorter boards, the shortest their height, weight and boot size allow, because shorter boards are easier to turn and manoeuvre; for a beginner, it adds, a shorter board is a little easier to learn on.
• Jones: beginners often prefer slightly shorter (1 to 2 cm) or softer-flexing boards; intermediate to advanced riders benefit from the recommended size, though its FAQ says advanced and expert riders often size at or slightly above the recommended range; experts often choose a slightly longer or stiffer board.
• K2 and Ride: beginners slightly shorter with a soft flex and rocker; intermediates a medium flex and hybrid camber; advanced riders a stiff flex and traditional camber.
• Rossignol: uses body landmarks: beginners between the shoulders and the chin, intermediates between the nose and the forehead, advanced riders from just above the chin to the top of the head.

Riding style

Every maker sizing page read says the same direction, in different amounts: shorter for park and freestyle, longer for powder and freeride. K2 gives 2 to 4 cm either way. Jones gives 2 to 3 cm, and adds that freestyle riders hitting big features may go 2 to 3 cm longer for landing support. Rossignol puts park boards at roughly chin to shoulder and powder boards up to about the top of the head. Jones says its volume-shifted boards, which put a longer board's surface area into a shorter, wider outline, are designed to be ridden shorter and wider.

Width: when your boots need a wide board

Burton explains the reason for width: if the board is too narrow, toes or heels hang over the edge and drag in the snow, which stops the rider getting up on edge; too wide, and going from edge to edge is harder. K2 suggests boots overhang each edge by about 1 to 2 cm. Each maker gives its own boot size for a wide board (Burton, Jones, K2 and Ride in US sizes):

Width and length interact. Burton's example: a men's 12 boot may have enough width on a 160 cm all-mountain board but benefit from a wide model on a 151 cm park board, since, Burton says, width is related to length. Jones says riders with big feet most need the right waist width, because what it calls "heel cupping" can be dangerous on steep terrain.

Profile: camber, rocker, flat and hybrids

Burton describes a board's side profile as built from three bends, alone or combined into a hybrid. These are the makers' own descriptions, and brand names for the same idea differ:

• Camber: an upward arch between the feet that springs back under load. Burton, Jones and Never Summer credit it with edge hold and pop, and Rossignol with stability and edge grip.
• Rocker (reverse camber): raised nose and tail. Burton calls it loose and playful, floating at low speed in powder and slush but less precise and stable on hardpack.
• Flat: flat between the feet. Burton calls it stable and predictable, and says softer flat boards suit beginners and intermediates.
• Hybrids: one maker's hybrid can be the reverse of another's. Jones's camber-rocker puts camber underfoot and rocker in the nose, which Jones says is the most common profile on all-mountain and freeride boards. Lib Tech puts rocker between the feet and camber toward the tips and tails; Never Summer describes an overall rocker shape with camber on the nose and tail; Burton's Flying V puts rocker between the feet with small sections of camber under the feet.

The makers do not agree on the best first board. Burton says softer flat boards are great for beginners and intermediates, while adding that no one profile is correct for every rider; Lib Tech says its rocker-dominant contour is the best one to learn on; Rossignol suggests beginners pick more rocker than camber, to reduce edge catches; Jones recommends a soft camber or camber-rocker board in a directional twin shape.

Flex: every maker uses its own scale

No shared flex scale was found. Jones rates its boards on a 5-point and a 10-point scale side by side; Rossignol uses 1 (soft) to 9 (stiff); Burton's buying guide gives no number. A 3 on one scale is not a 3 on another. Burton also says a rider heavier than a board's suggested range may feel it as softer, and a lighter rider as stiffer, so the same board can flex differently under different riders.

On beginners the makers read agree: Burton, Jones, K2 and Ride point to a soft flex, and Rossignol says soft is more forgiving and to choose the middle of its scale if unsure.

Shape: directional, twin and directional twin

• Directional: a longer nose and the bindings set back. Jones describes it for freeride terrain and carving, Rossignol for all-mountain riding and speed.
• True twin: the same nose and tail with a centred stance, riding the same forwards and backwards (switch). Jones describes it for freestyle and park riders, Rossignol for freestyle and switch riding, and Burton says park boards often use it.
• Directional twin: a symmetrical edge with a slightly longer nose and a setback stance. Jones calls it the most versatile all-mountain shape and a good beginner choice.

Kids' boards

Burton sizes children's boards by weight and boot size, not height. Burton and Jones both warn against sizing a child's board up for growth: Burton says a first-timer should stick within the maker's recommended length, and Jones says not to size up too much, because a board that is too big makes first turns harder, and slightly small is better than too big. Burton allows a slightly oversized board only for experienced children. Burton suggests soft, forgiving boards for beginner children, and boards wide enough that the boots do not hang over the edges. Children's helmet laws are on youth helmet rules.

Buying online: bindings and warranty

Mounting patterns. The binding has to fit the holes in the board. Burton names four layouts: 4x2 (also written 2x4), which it says is common on boards from other makers; 4x4, mostly phased out but still on some youth and specialty boards; 3D, used only by Burton and common on its boards made before 2014; and The Channel, two tracks on Burton boards. Burton says its EST bindings fit only The Channel, while its disc bindings fit any of the four with the right disc, and that most binding makers sell adapter discs for other boards. Check the binding maker's compatibility list before buying the two separately.

Warranty. The two warranties read both depend on buying from an authorised dealer and keeping proof of purchase. CAPiTA covers manufacturing defects for two years for the original buyer, excludes boards bought second-hand on marketplaces, and registers a board by scanning a chip in its nose with a phone. Jones's European warranty is two years, extended to three by free registration, and counts authorised online dealers. Terms differ between makers, and the Jones terms read here are its European ones, so read the one for the board you buy.

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