Choosing the Right Snowboard Length: A #WeTestWeKnow Guide

Picking the right length of snowboard is a conversation often riddled with misinformation and misinterpretation. Here at Snowtrax, we aim to set the record straight and give you a better understanding of what factors really affect your decision to choose the right length for you.

What size boots?

Yes, I know this guide is helping you determine what size board is best for you but first we need to establish the size of your snowboard boots. If you already have a pair you’re off to a great start but if you don’t, visit our excellent Boot Lab for a snowboard boot fitting, that will get you into the right pair of boots for you! 

Once you have established your boot size, that determines what binding size we need for your boots to fit in to. Each binding company has their own size charts so you can easily match your boots to the appropriate size binding, be careful here as different manufacturers have different size ranges for their bindings, for example a Burton medium binding, like this Mission has a different size range than this Union Force.

 

Don’t be a drag

Now we know our binding size, this leads on to the first (or second) step of choosing the right length for you. And it’s all to do with the waist width of the snowboard. The waist width of the snowboard is the determining factor for what size bindings that particular board works best with. Let’s have a quick look at this guideline table to see where your size bindings sit with a snowboard’s waist width: 

🔺 Determining the correct waist width for you is crucial for eliminating heel & toe drag and getting the most out of your board on the mountain.

Weighing up the options

The next piece of information we need to determine is your weight. This is crucial for finding which lengths of board are appropriate to you. Let’s have a look at another table that can put you in the correct snowboard length bracket.

Great! We are making some real progress in finding our correct snowboard size. Once we know both the waist width and length range we need, we can find the length of our snowboard. Once we have determined our snowboard length, there is one more consideration to make. If your weight and binding size allows you to choose more than 1 length of snowboard, you can choose what would be more appropriate to you:

🔺 A longer snowboard will offer more stability at high speeds and better edge hold, but will take more effort to initiate turns and switch edges

🔺 A shorter snowboard will be easier to turn and switch edges, but will not offer as much stability in higher speed scenarios

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have determined your snowboard length and now know what you want and need, in order to go ahead and shred the mountain! Remember that if you are stuck between 2 lengths, consider what the snowboard is for and your intended style of riding to help you decide, and the rest is easy!