All-mountain snowboards are versatile and durable, suitable for various snow conditions and terrains. These boards are designed to handle different riding styles, making them a great choice for most days at the local ski mountain. However, each model has a unique shape, profile, edge control, and flex, so it's important to choose the right one based on your riding preferences.
When testing all-mountain snowboards, several factors are considered, including versatility, stability, flex, stiffness, carveability, edge hold, and overall value. Each snowboard is scored on a 1-10 scale for Shape, Flex, Profile, as well as Core and Construction.
Understanding Key Snowboard Features
Shape
Shape influences how the board feels. Directional twin is the most common all-mountain board shape, followed closely by a true twin. While there are playful shapes for powder riding, a more traditional or directional shape is generally needed for riding everywhere on the mountain.
Flex
The sweet spot for flex is 5-8 for variable conditions. A softer flex allows easier turns and a more playful feel under boot, while a stiffer flex prevents fatigue and helps you charge through chunky snow or hold an edge in tough terrain, providing stability.
Profile
Most boards have a hybrid profile, blending camber and rocker (reverse camber) to provide a balance between grip, pop, float, edge hold, and stability.
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Core and Construction
Various materials influence how the board feels. A wood core, often poplar, paulownia, or bamboo, offers strength and responsiveness. Adding carbon or basalt stringers increases reactivity, pop, and dampening without a weight penalty.
Imagine looking straight down at a snowboard that’s flat on the ground. Together, the board’s shape and profile create a unique feel underfoot.
- Camber: With a cambered design, the center rises, and the far ends of the board meet the ground where the nose and tail upturn. This is the most traditional, old-school snowboard profile.
- Rocker: Rocker is the opposite of camber, and it’s often called reverse camber. Instead of camber, the belly of the board presses into the ground, so it’s a convex or U-shape.
- Flat: Flat boards are exactly what they sound like: flat. But without the camber and upturned edges, those can more easily catch.
Some riders prefer the stability of camber or flat with the playfulness of rocker. One hybrid, for instance, is to have rocker between the feet, camber underfoot, and rocker on the nose and tail - a mustache, if you will. Others have a dual combo of flat or camber underfoot followed by a healthy dose of rocker throughout the nose and tail (or vice versa).
With a directional design, the nose is a different shape than the tail and has unique attributes. Generally, this means the tail is more rigid, providing an anchor when cruising fast. A directional twin is when there’s a slight variation on a twin design. For instance, the profile could slightly differ between the nose and tail. The tail might have a stiffer core and flex compared to the nose. Possibly, the stance is setback rather than completely centered. You know how the front of your body is proportionately different from its backside?
If you were to draw a line across the centermost width of the board and fold it in half, each side would be the same. This design has a symmetrical shape (including the nose and tail and sidecut radius), flex pattern, and profile.
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The core of a snowboard is the material in the very center, sandwiched between the base and topsheet. Most cores are made from strips of poplar, bamboo, birch, or aspen wood.
There are two ways asymmetry can be introduced in a board. A snowboard can have an asymmetrical sidecut, meaning the heel side is shorter and deeper. In contrast, the toe side is longer and shallower. Some snowboard designs alter the core with softer materials beneath the heels along the backside of the board, compared to firmer materials along the toeside portion. This design combines asymmetrical design features with twin features. The nose and tail will have the same shape, profile, and flex.
A snowboard’s construction and materials fundamentally affect its riding ability and performance. Perhaps the most foundational part of every snowboard is the core. Most cores are made from strips of poplar, bamboo, birch, or aspen wood.
The price of every snowboard is a product of the quality of its materials. An all-mountain snowboard is designed to ride in a wide variety of styles and conditions.
Types of All-Mountain Snowboards
On this list, we’ve included many types of all-mountain snowboards. Each leans toward a certain style of riding. For example, our pick for the best powder-leaning all-mountain snowboard will certainly rip all over the mountain, but it will truly shine when riding pow. Powder-leaning all-mountain snowboards are the perfect tool for the deepest of days.
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Generally, snowboards in this category have a directional shape with a large, wide nose and a tapered-down tail. Additionally, powder-leaning all-mountain snowboards usually have a rockered or hybrid rockered profile, which creates lift and keeps you happily afloat.
Freestyle-leaning all-mountain snowboards will display their full potential in the terrain park. Most freestyle-leaning snowboards have a true twin or slightly directional twin shape. Boards in this category tend to have relatively flat or mildly rockered profiles, though there are some exceptions to this.
For example, if you’re looking for a fun, edge-holding directional board that responds quickly in the glades, check out the Stranda Descender or Rome Ravine. For something that offers more flex and play, look into the Jones Rally Cat. Or, if you’d like the balance of a true twin, scope out the Never Summer Proto Type 3. For a more pliable twin, scope out the Burton Stylus Flat Top Snowboard. If you like power-packed laps with speed and steeps, go for a stiffer flex.
Snowboard Sizing and Compatibility
Though some riders believe in hard and fast rules for selecting the correct snowboard length, it’s ultimately a matter of personal preference. Most snowboards come in multiple lengths.
When you choose a board, the brand will have a recommended size chart based on weight and boot size. You’ll also want to consider your height and the type of riding you want to do. Back in the day, folks would stand the snowboard next to themselves and if the board reached between the chin and nose, that indicated the correct size.
Generally, longer boards offer a more aggressive ride and are preferred for hard, large-radius carves. If you want to ride more aggressively and in steeper, faster, rugged conditions, a longer board can help drive more control, damping, and power. A shorter board will be snappier, quicker to steer, and easier to ollie.
Waist width is the width of a snowboard at its narrowest point. Ideally, the waist width of your snowboard will allow your boots to just slightly hang over the edges of the board when placed in your bindings. If your board’s waist width is too narrow, your boots will overhang excessively, and your toes may scrape the snow while carving.
Most snowboards are compatible with most snowboard boots and bindings, but there are a few key factors to consider when rounding out your setup. In the same way that some snowboards are designed to thrive in powder, boots and bindings are each uniquely crafted to perform best in certain conditions. In other words, we recommend you match your board with boots and bindings with similar rigidity.
When purchasing boots and bindings, be sure to select sizes that are compatible with the width of your board. Furthermore, make sure that the attachment pattern for your bindings is compatible with your snowboard.
No all-mountain setup is complete without a good set of boots and bindings. Just like boards, boots and bindings exist on a spectrum from soft and flexible to stiff and aggressive. Softer boards generally pair well with softer boots and bindings.
Often the biggest differences between men’s and women’s snowboards are sizing and shape. This includes the length.
Flexibility and Dampness
The flexibility of a snowboard defines its riding experience. There are two primary kinds of snowboard flex. Longitudinal flex refers to how much the board bends along its length. Snowboards on the soft and flexible end of the spectrum are generally geared toward beginners and freestyle riders. These boards require less force to turn and maneuver and are often described as playful. Stiff boards are better for hard-charging and aggressive carving at high speeds.
Dampness is a positive trait that refers to a board’s ability to cruise at high speeds without sending uncomfortable vibrations into your feet and lower body. Many all-mountain snowboards fall somewhere in the middle of the flexibility spectrum.
Snowboards that are more flexible and forgiving typically lack materials that drive up the cost. These boards can also be more squirrel-y on ice, in the steeps, and not offer as much rebound and power if you’re whipping at a top rate - so they’re more ideal for beginners and those who want to keep the shredding to mellower terrain or park riders that want a lot of spring.
Additional Snowboard Features
This is the portion of the edge that connects with the snow while in a turn, which influences how a board feels. The sidewall is the material along the edge of a snowboard. Generally, it’s a plastic that protects the sides of the sandwiched core layers. Or, the fiberglass and topsheet layer could be extended to conceal the edge.
Each side of the board is curved along the edge. The depth and curvature of that sidecut influence the type of turn the board will make as well as how the ride feels. To measure the depth of a sidecut, examine the width of the board at its centermost, narrowest point. To conceptualize the complete turn of a snowboard, you can visualize the sidecut extending to create a full 360-degree circle. The sidecut radius is half of that imaginary circle.
A snowboard’s base is the layer of material that makes contact with the snow as you ride. There are two kinds of snowboard bases. Extruded bases tend to be found on entry-level and park-leaning snowboards. Made from melted polyurethane pellets, these bases are essentially one large piece of flat plastic. The main benefit of extruded bases is they require minimal maintenance. Most extruded bases come pre-waxed when purchased new.
Sintered bases are found on most midlevel to high-end snowboards. To keep sintered bases functioning at their best, frequent waxing is essential. Repairing a sintered base tends to be more expensive than repairing an extruded base.
Sustainability in Snowboard Design
Some snowboard designs incorporate sustainable, eco-friendly materials. For example, the Jones Women’s Flagship Snowboard incorporates recycled plastic for the sidewalls. A leader in the realm of sustainability is Arbor. For instance, the Swoon Rocker has recycled steel edges, sustainably harvested bamboo, and bioresin from waste products that replaces petroleum-based resin. Arbor’s wood and bamboo cores and the majority of their top sheets are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, a third-party nod that the materials are derived from responsibly managed forests.
What TYPE of Snowboard Should You Buy? // Beginners Guide
Top All-Mountain Snowboard Picks
On this list, we’ve selected the Burton Custom Flying V and the Lib Tech Cortado as our picks for the best all-mountain snowboards for beginners. Both of these snowboards are progression-oriented.
The majority of our picks are in the neighborhood of $600. You’ll typically find higher-end materials and more complex profiles and construction. A few examples include the Jones Stratos ($630), GNU Ladies Choice ($630), and the Stranda Descender Snowboard ($679). Reaching towards $700, you’ll find the WNDR Alpine The BelleAire ($699), Stranda Biru ($690), and Jones Flagship Snowboard ($700) - the most premium builds.
Here's a comparison table of some popular all-mountain snowboards:
| Snowboard | Price | Profile | Shape | Flex | Sizes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burton Family Tree Hometown Hero | $680 | Directional Camber | Freeride Directional Twin | - | 144, 148, 152, 156, 160, 156W, 160W, 165W |
| Jones Women’s Rally Cat | $480 | True Camber | Directional Twin | 4/10 (Friendly Flex) | 142, 145, 148, 151, 154 |
| Stranda Descender | $749 | Camber, Rocker | Directional | 7 (Medium) | 152, 148 |
| Rome Ravine | $530 | Rocker to Camber | Directional | 7 | 144, 147, 150, 153 |
| Never Summer Nokhu 161 DF | $690 | Hybrid Triple Camber | Directional | 5 (Medium) | 152, 155, 158, 161, 161DF |
| Never Summer Women’s Proto Type 3 | $500 | Triple Camber Hybrid | True Twin | 6/10 | 139, 142, 145, 148, 151 |
| K2 Passport | $600 | Hybrid Camber | Directional | 7/10 | 146, 149, 151, 154, 157, 159W, 160, 162W, 163, 151W, 154W, 157W |
| Burton Custom Flying V | $680 | Camber, Rocker | Directional Twin | 3 (Soft) | 150, 154, 154W, 156, 158 |
All of the snowboards on this list have been designed with in-bounds resort riding in mind. With that said, many of them would work in certain backcountry situations if you do not have a splitboard or your tour doesn’t require split-skis. If you’re considering riding in the sidecountry or backcountry, it’s extremely important to be well-prepared. Splitboards divide in half and can be used with skins just like backcountry skis.