Fall in love with snowboarding? We all do!
The first thing we need for snowboarding is, of course, a snowboard — more specifically, the best snowboard that fits you. Because your snowboard is probably your most important partner while you are out there at the big white mountain.
Therefore, picking a great snowboard that suits you would make your life as a snowboarder so much easier, no matter you are a beginner or an expert rider.
There are many factors in determining whether a board suits you or not. The size of your snowboard is definitely one of the most important factors, so in order to make it easier for our beloved readers (especially those of you who are beginners to intermediate level riders) to pick a board that suits your need, we’ve decided to make a snowboard size calculator.
Just input your details by answering the six questions above, you should get a rough idea of what length and width of a board would be most suitable for you. For sure, it’s impossible to have a fixed standard of size/ flex/ shape/ profile that is most suitable for a rider, at the end of the day, it’s your own choice based on your own style and preferences.
Therefore, rather than giving you a fixed digit or range, we are adding some explanations here aiming to make it easier for you to understand the concept behind this snowboarding calculator.
Note that this snowboard size calculator is mainly designed for beginner to intermediate riders, but I welcome snowboarders of all levels to take a look, give it a try, and perhaps leave some feedback for us so we can improve it in a future version.
Find this calculator useful? The best way to show your appreciation is sharing it out in your snowboarding communities or with peers who love snowboarding. If you happen to run a website (like I do), I’d appreciate it if you can kindly add a link to this page on your website, somewhere like blogs or resources pages.
Alright, here are the general rules we used for doing the math.
Picking The Length of Your Snowboard
The most common principle is picking a snowboard between your chin and your nose. Most ski shops would use this rule to pick the board for you on a busy day. However, you’ve got to take your weight into account too. A heavier person would need a bigger board (longer, wider, or both) than an average weighted person. So when picking the board, be sure to check with the weight size chart provided by the manufacturer.
The next thing to determine your snowboard size is your riding style. Shorter boards are great for ground tricks and park lovers as they provide you with more maneuverability, lighter, easier to spin and press. Freestyles lovers who like big jumps and half pipe, you still need a short board but a bit longer than the ground trick lovers one. A longer board (with longer running length, and more effective edge) is great for backcountry and freeriding because it could offer more stability at higher speed and float better on powder.
Generally speaking, we recommend:
- Checking the manufacturer’s suggested size chart base on your height and length.
- Freestyle (Ground Tricks Lovers) – the shortest within the range (more maneuverable).
- Freestyle (Jumpers and half pipe) – 1 to 2 cm longer than a ground trick board.
- All mountain (you want to do a bit of everything) – go for the mid range boards.
- Freeride (the whole mountain is your playground, may ride on a lot of powder and carving – go for those longer end one (more stable at higher speed).
Additional Tips: If you are a beginner or intermediate rider, go for an all-mountain snowboard or a bit shorter so you can do a bit of everything and it’s easy to turn. But you may need to change your board very soon if you love riding fast. For intermediate to expert riders, you should know what you want though.
Also Read:
- Best Women’s Snowboards
- Best Snowboard for Buttering
- Best Snowboard for Trees
- Best Snowboard for Big Guys
- Best Snowboard Bindings
- Best Carving Snowboard
Picking The Width of Your Snowboard
We consider your boot size as the main factor in determining the width of your snowboard. Normally a regular board should be fine for those of you wearing shoe sizes below 10 (UK standard). If your shoe size is over 11, you may need a wider board.
Okay, I hope you get a basic picture of how to pick the suitable size of your snowboard now. But there are things way more than these.
These days there are many snowboard designs and they are totally different stories, a good example is the volume shift boards (a much wider and shorter board, the difference could be 5 to 10 cm less!). Obviously, it’s with much shorter running length and effective edge, however, consider the overall surface area of the base, it will act just like a normal snowboard.
It is always a good idea to give your information to the manufacturer and ask them which is the most suitable one for you. Also, try snowboards of different sizes, shapes, flex, tech, etc. so you get a better sense of what you really want. In addition, depending on your riding style, there are many other factors you got to take into account too, flex, shape, camber profile, your boots, etc.
What if you found the board you are using is with a different length and width? Don’t worry, that’s totally okay as long as you can handle it. As I mentioned before, it’s always good to try something different, right? Perhaps you can just rent one with a different length and see how it feels?! I had been using a 149cm board for three years then once I rented a 156 and I discovered a whole new world! Now I just don’t want to ride on anything that’s shorter than 154cm.
Final Words
I hope you like this snowboard length/width calculator and find it useful. It took me and my geek friend several months to put together, so the cost is huge (more than I expected) but it’s finally alive and I’m very happy that we made it.
Well, a tool is just a tool. If you still aren’t sure about how to pick a snowboard, you’re always welcome to drop me a message. You can use this contact form to get in touch.
Again, sharing is caring! If you like this tool, please share it out with your snowboarding communities, I’d love to hear what other fellow snowboarders have to say about it.
Cheers,
Lorraine
P.S. I’m about to leave for Japan soon, delay in response is expected but I do check emails from time to time. Enjoy the snow and the ride!
Last Updated: Jan 1, 2021