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Last Updated on April 15, 2024 by Paul Clayton
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The 12 Best Snowboard Brands
When it comes to winter sports, snowboarding stands out as a thrilling and popular choice. The quality of the snowboard plays a crucial role in enhancing the overall experience.
- Burton
- The Arbor Collective
- DC Shoes
- K2
- Lib Tech
- Ride
- Salomon
- Gnu
- Jones
- Rome
- Capita
- Rossignol
Brands do matter greatly when shopping for anything. If you’ve had a positive experience with some brand, you probably will return to it and won’t be thinking about finding someone new to work with.
The same applies to snowboards. But if you are a beginner, which snowboard brands should you start with? There are so many brands to choose from on the market, and newbies are likely to get overwhelmed and be unable to make a decision.
Well, our overview of the 12 best snowboard brands may be able to help you. We’ve picked 12 brands that we think are the best, and we’ve identified their key features to help you get a clearer idea of what you are dealing with.
Let’s see what those 12 brands have to offer!
The 12 Best Snowboard Brands of 2024
1. Burton
If you ask any experienced snowboarder what the best brands are, you will likely see Burton in the top spot. And it’s no wonder—Burton is one of the older players on the market and the most recognizable snowboarding gear brand overall.
Starting from just a barn in 1977, Burton now manufactures a wide range of snowboarding gear for pretty much any skill level. Burton has everything to offer aspiring snowboarders: snowboards, boots, bindings, protection gear, jackets, and hats.
Burton is represented particularly well in the high end, making this company more appealing to experienced snowboarders. Skilled athletes probably don’t need to be introduced to Burton.
Burton snowboards also boast the proprietary Channel mounting system that allows users to create a personalized boarding experience within the Burton product line.
Conventional bindings have far less flexibility than Channel, and Burton snowboards should allow you to get an experience tailored for you.
One thing you may particularly like about Burton is that the company is pursuing a sustainable manufacturing process. Compliant with the Fair Labor Association, Burton claims to provide workers a safe and healthy environment.
Burton also claims that their products are produced without the use of harmful substances like heavy metals, phthalates, or chlorinated solvents. The company works hard as well to minimize air and water emissions during the manufacturing process.
All this may not contribute much to the performance of Burton products, but it certainly makes the company stand out.
With all that being said, Burton snowboard gear tends to be pricier than gear from other companies, so they may not be the best for those on a tighter budget. But it’s well worth it for buyers who want excellent performance for the money.
2. The Arbor Collective
The Arbor Collective doesn’t just produce solid snowboards – you can buy skateboards from them, too.
In contrast with Burton, The Arbor Collective’s focus on snowboarding is a little weaker—while they offer a comparable snowboard line, they don’t sell snowboard boots, jackets, and other items you would need for your snowboarding journey.
You may need to mix components from different brands, which doesn’t always work perfectly.
With that being said, founded in 1995, The Arbor Collective is nearly 20 years younger than Burton, so they are yet to conquer the heights that Burton is at today.
The snowboard selection is excellent, though. With The Arbor Collective, you can find snowboards for any preference and skill level.
Whether you want a soft or stiff snowboard or one that can ride in powder, you should be able to find a suitable model from this company.
Like Burton, The Arbor Collective boasts sustainable practices throughout its manufacturing process. It claims to be the first action sports brand explicitly established with consideration of the environment.
Since its founding, The Arbor Collective has donated to groups that protect and restore forest areas. The company’s donations primarily benefit the preservation of the Koa forests of Hawaii.
Under The Arbor Collective’s partnership with the Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative, over 300,000 Koa trees were planted on 800 acres of former forest areas.
The Arbor Collective also supports environmental organizations like The Conservation Alliance, the Surfrider Foundation, and the Arbor Day Foundation.
3. DC Shoes
DC Shoes probably isn’t the brand that comes to mind when discussing snowboarding. As you may be able to guess from the name, this company started as a manufacturer of skateboarding shoes.
And their skateboarding shoes are indeed outstanding!
That said, DC Shoes is a major player in the snowboarding market. Since skateboarding and snowboarding are similar sports, it’s not difficult to switch.
Furthermore, DC Shoes offers quite a good selection of snowboard gear. They are much less represented on the skate market – to be more precise, and you can find only skate shoes and some accessories on the DC Shoes website.
In contrast, the company’s snowboarding inventory includes snowboards, boots, neck warmers, jackets, and other must-have gear.
And just like Burton, DC Shoes offers a selection of snowboards for kids, women, and men, though Burton has many more options.
Burton is also better represented in the high-end and remains one of the few snowboard brands producing professional gear. However, DC Shoes could be a better option if you are looking for middle-end snowboarding gear.
4. K2
K2 has been on the market since 1962, and the guys at K2 know what they are doing. This company isn’t as well-established in snowboarding as Burton despite being 15 years older, but it still is a reputable brand with a good selection of snowboards to offer.
Overall, as of September 2022, K2 featured 27 snowboard models, which is a good enough selection for most people.
The snowboard boot selection likewise consists of 27 good-looking models, and you also have 18 bindings to choose from. K2 also offers apparel, which isn’t the brand’s strongest suit.
In contrast, K2 is somewhat better represented on the ski market with over 50 ski models, 16 poles, and 25 boot models.
Finally, K2 also has a sustainability initiative aimed at:
- Developing high-quality products with a long lifetime.
- Making smart material choices with minimal harmful chemicals and aiming at recycled content.
- Improving manufacturing processes to use cleaner energy, reduce waste, minimize shipping, and reduce its footprint.
5. Lib Tech
Lib Tech isn’t just about snowboarding—this company is also strongly invested in other board sports. Those interested in skiing, surfing, wake surfing, or skating could also find the right equipment from Lib Tech.
Lib Tech’s selection of snowboards is pretty solid – they have over 30 models to choose from, though the vast majority of the available snowboards are in the men’s category.
Particularly remarkable is the Skate Banana freestyle snowboard model. The snowboard is named after its unique rocker/camber shape, which curves up from the middle. This shape allows for better weight distribution and improved contact points.
Regarding pricing, Lib Tech’s snowboards are in the middle and high end.
At the time this post was written, Lib Tech wasn’t represented in the lower end of snowboards, so it isn’t the best option for snowboarders on a budget or beginners. Experienced snowboarders, though, should find a few good models here.
With that being said, when it comes to apparel and accessories, the selection of Lib Tech isn’t as good.
Boots, bindings, clothes, and other crucial pieces of snowboarding equipment will have to be purchased from other brands—for example, Burton, which offers a huge range of snowboarding accessories.
Lib Tech is more focused on boards. You can find some great boards with them, but you may dislike the fact that you can’t buy all the necessary equipment from one place. This won’t be a problem if you only need to replace your old snowboard.
6. Ride
Ride’s line hit the snowboarding market in 1992 with just four models, but the team’s hard work and a great ad campaign have ensured the brand’s lasting success.
Back in the day, the snowboard gear available on the market wasn’t beginner-friendly. Recognizing this, Ride has paved their road to success by filling this gaping hole in the snowboard market.
The modern Ride snowboard gear is far more complicated than back in the day, and the company is well-represented in the more expensive price range.
Their bindings are some of the most trustworthy on the market, and Ride’s Preston proprietary mounting system has built the company a solid reputation.
Today, the Ride snowboard gear line includes snowboards, boots, and bindings, with a good selection in each category.
Ride Again is better represented in men’s snowboard gear, but they have a solid line of women’s gear and 2 models of snowboards, boots, and bindings for the youth.
This is far behind what giants like Burton offer, but Ride may be the brand if you already have apparel and want to update your core snowboard gear.
7. Salomon
Salomon is a reasonably solid alternative to Burton. This company’s snowboard gear selection is perhaps not as comprehensive as Burton’s, but there are many things you could find from them!
As of September 2022, Salomon offered 21 men’s boards, 8 women’s boards, and 6 youth boards, which is quite a solid assortment, but again, it’s not as wide as Burton’s.
That said, Salomon’s snowboards are well-represented across all price ranges. These guys have a few lower-end models, a few higher-end ones, and a wealth of middle-end snowboards.
The boot and binding selections are also pretty solid, with prices again ranging pretty widely, so beginners and more experienced snowboarders alike should be able to find what they are looking for with Salomon.
Salomon’s apparel collection is also remarkable – you can find many jackets, tops, mid-layers, and other pieces of clothing equipment with them. Not only that, but Salomon offers a good range of protective equipment.
Finally, it should be noted that Salomon also boasts an excellent ski & accessory lineup, so if you are into skiing, you may look no further than Salomon.
8. GNU
GNU’s lineup is more focused on freestyle snowboarding. While this company does offer a few powder, jib, and all-mountain boards, its selection is noticeably more geared toward freestyle snowboarding.
Part of GNU’s orientation is its use of banana technology, which is used in Lib Tech’s Skate Banana snowboard.
Many of Gnu’s snowboards have a banana shape, which offers great speed, control, and float.
Regarding pricing, GNU’s snowboards are skewed towards the middle end, so they are probably better for more experienced snowboarders. What may particularly matter to you is that GNU offers a great women’s lineup, with 10 models available versus 12 in the men’s line.
The youth line, including 3 models, isn’t the most versatile, but it should also allow kids to get started in snowboarding.
You probably have to look elsewhere for snowboarding gear other than the boards themselves.
9. Jones
Jones, who Jeremy Jones owns, certainly knows what snowboarders need. Having put countless hours into perfecting its craft, this brand has been prominent in the industry since the mid-90s.
Also, Jeremy Jones initially desired to manufacture snowboarding equipment using sustainable methods, and he continues to follow these techniques today.
Jones offers snowboard models on the higher end, so we’d say this brand is a good option for the more skilled snowboarder. That said, Jones does offer a few youth models to help kids get started with snowboarding.
In terms of accessories, Jones isn’t on the strong side – it offers a few bindings, but when it comes to boots and safety gear, you will have to get them from other brands.
Aside from snowboards, Jones also manufactures split boarding gear, which may interest some people out there as well.
And, as mentioned above, Jones pursues to use of environmentally-friendly manufacturing methods. Particularly, the company has contributed to non-profit fundraising campaigns and also harnessed the 200k combined social media following to help keep the planet a better place.
10. Rome
The history of the Rome brand is pretty interesting.
It all started in 1985 when snowboarding was in an embryonic state. The founders of the company – Paul Maravetz and Josh Reid – first tried out snowboarding in 1985 when they were seniors in high school.
Separated by hundreds of miles, they knew nothing about each other but were connected by a common interest – snowboarding.
But Rome’s establishment didn’t happen until 2001. It’s just that the guys became deeply involved in snowboarding in the mid-80s.
The future founders spent years struggling to study, work, and find time for their favorite activities. In the late 1990s, they saw the business potential of snowboarding.
In 2000, Paul and Josh decided to take the opportunity to fill the void in the yet very young snowboarding.
Their first concepts were conceived in a garage in Stowe, VT. In the winter of 2000-2001, The Rome Snowboard Design Syndicate was born to “put snowboarders in control of snowboarding.”
Now, Rome catches the eye with a wide selection of snowboards in any style, though Rome snowboards are a bit more powder- & freestyle-focused.
To complement this, Rome offers mountain apparel, boots, bindings, and other stuff that would help a beginner get started with snowboarding.
A pure snowboarding company like Burton, Rome, has been particularly praised for its customer support. These guys seem to truly care about their products and customers, which is a massive plus for any company.
11. Capita
We love how Capita represents its products on its website.
Each snowboard model—and there is a good selection of them—is characterized by vivid graphics that tell buyers what a given snowboard is best for.
Visual information is easier to digest, and you can determine whether a snowboard is suitable for you just by looking at its product page.
Simple yet informative – this is how one could characterize how Capita introduces its snowboard lineup to buyers.
Whether you are interested in a stiffer snowboard, one that’s more focused on all-mountain performance, or something that has a positive camber, you should be able to identify the suitable snowboard model for you quickly.
Capita also has an extensive guide explaining all the key pieces of technology used in snowboarding. The tech descriptions may be filled with marketing jargon, but you can still know what to expect from the company’s snowboards.
The guide also covers the key things to look for in a snowboard, including the flex rating, the side, and blend zones.
In short, it’s incredible what Capita has done to ensure that all the advanced stuff is more accessible to buyers.
Capita is well-represented in the middle end of the snowboard assortment. With a few not-too-expensive models, this brand should be suitable for beginners, while the pricier models should be able to satisfy the more skilled snowboarders.
And yeah, the research and production facility of Capita should also be mentioned. Dubbed MARS1 (Mothership Advanced Research Station 1), it is 100% hydro-powered and, as claimed by Capita, has zero ozone depletion and global warming potential, as well as zero CO2 emissions.
As claimed by Capita, they are the only snowboard manufacturing company to use 100% hydro-powered facilities, which is pretty cool.
12. Rossignol
Established in 1907, this French company was one of the first companies in the world to produce plastic skis. With over a hundred years of industry experience, Rossignol knows how to make excellent skis, apparel, and accessories.
Snowboard production at the company’s facilities began relatively recently – in 1987 – but with a wealth of experience in snow sports behind its shoulders, Rossignol likely didn’t have difficulties with the new discipline.
The boot selection of Rossignol is relatively limited, but it has quite a few snowboards and bindings to offer. The company also offers a couple of safety goggles and helmets to choose from, as well as an expansive collection of apparel.
Aside from snowboards and skis, Rossignol also has 12 mountain bike models to offer, with prices ranging from about $400 to over $4,000.
With this in mind, Rossignol seems like an excellent brand for those deeply involved in mountain sports, albeit it isn’t the very best regarding snowboarding.
What’s the Best Snowboard Brand for You?
So, we’ve reviewed the 12 best snowboard brands. As you may have noticed, each brand has unique characteristics that make it stand out.
That said, as a buyer, you must choose here. Should you pick one brand or several? Which one(s) should you like exactly?
Well, this will depend on your needs. Below, we want to provide you with a little guide on how to choose the right brand for your demands and discuss what you should pay attention to in each brand.
Snowboard Selection
First, of course, comes snowboard selection. A snowboard isn’t the only thing you may need to buy, but it’s the most important one.
Each brand offers a varying number of snowboard models. Even with the same number of boards, brands may have vastly different model lines due to differences in price, snowboard type, etc.
So, when researching a brand’s snowboard selection, pay attention to the following things:
- How are snowboards priced, and does the brand offer models in the desired price range?
- The styles of snowboards – e.g., powder, all-mountain, or freestyle – and whether the brand has the right kind of snowboard for you.
- Lines for men, women, kids, and how much variety there is in each line.
Use the search filters on the brands’ shop pages to help you find the desired models.
Then comes your usual buying process, which involves researching snowboard specs and features and comparing snowboards from different brands. Needless to say, which snowboard and brand you choose ultimately comes down to your needs and preferences.
To recap, you first identify the brands that cover the desired price range or snowboard style, and then you compare whatever snowboards those brands offer in the chosen category.
Then, you may need to look for other snowboarding gear and accessories if necessary.
Boot Selection
If you are new to the world of snowboarding, then you will need to buy not only a snowboard but also all sorts of other gear to ensure safety and comfort. One of the items that you will need to buy is boots.
The approach to selecting a brand of boots is similar to how you’d do it with snowboards – you look at what each brand offers, pick brands that cover the desired range, and compare from there.
There is one thing that you should keep in mind, though.
Some brands sell only snowboards, while others sell boots, bindings, and other snowboarding equipment.
Buying from one brand may be a bit more convenient since you won’t have to track several orders, and you may also be able to save money on shipping or when buying bundles from a single brand.
You may buy your snowboard, boots, and other items from different brands, but you could run into the issue of compatibility if you aren’t careful.
Binding Selection
Speaking of compatibility, you should very carefully consider bindings for your snowboard. Again, if you are a newbie, you must buy bindings, but if you want to upgrade from your old snowboard, you may not need new bindings.
Bindings are an integral component in ensuring your connection with the board. It’s important to choose the right bindings for your style of snowboarding and to make sure that they are compatible with the snowboard and the boots.
First, you need to look at a snowboard brand’s binding selection. Like snowboards or boots, you need to pay attention to price, style, and other binding features.
Then, it would help to consider how the bindings attach to the snowboard and how they fix your boots. For example, Burton has the so-called step-on bindings that only work with Burton step-on boots. You won’t be able to use other kinds of boots with these bindings.
Some brands may have their proprietary mounting systems that work only with a limited selection of boards and boots. If you don’t want to make an expensive mistake, then make sure to research what kind of mounting systems the desired bindings are compatible with.
And again, for convenience & money saving, you may want to buy all your stuff from a single brand unless buying from different brands is going to be more cost-efficient for you and if a single brand can satisfy your snowboarding needs.
Apparel & Safety Gear
A snowboard, boots, and bindings may be the key pieces of equipment for snowboarding, but you can’t go sliding yet until you have proper apparel & safety gear.
Brands like Burton or Salomon offer not only snowboarding gear but also apparel and safety equipment. Other, smaller brands often don’t go beyond the core snowboarding gear, so you will have to look for apparel elsewhere.
Regarding snowboarding apparel and safety gear, things are arguably a bit easier than snowboards, boots, or bindings. You will have fewer variables to consider, and you won’t have to worry about compatibility.
We suggest you go for brands with a wide range of apparel & safety gear, such as Burton or Salomon. They will have a more extensive selection of styles and price ranges.
Informativeness
It is also very important how informative a snowboard brand is about its products. After all, the more information you have, the easier it is for you to compare boards within or between different brands. And ultimately, it will be easier for you to make a choice.
As mentioned in our brand overviews above, Capita had the most eye-catching approach among the 12 brands. They’ve provided plenty of information on each of their boards, and their approach was very visual and easy to read.
Burton also goes pretty detailed with its snowboards, providing information about the tech used in the boards, their terrain style & personality, shape, bend, and other things that matter in snowboards.
One thing to keep in mind here is that no matter how informative brands are, you can’t always directly compare metrics provided by, say, Burton and Capita. Their measurement approach may and probably will vary.
With that being said, the info provided by snowboard gear manufacturers can provide you with a point of reference for comparison. Just don’t expect it to be 100% accurate.
Aside from informativeness, it would be great if the brand provided in-depth measurements on their boards.
Some brands go into more detail than others, and the more info you have, the more you will know about the available snowboards, and the more likely you will buy the suitable model.
Warranty
Whatever snowboard gear you buy, you may want to ensure that a warranty backs it up.
Snowboards are usually backed by 3-year warranties where you can have your board repaired or replaced for free. However, you will need to research the warranty of each brand separately, as well as check which cases the warranty covers and which it does not.
A 1-year warranty typically covers Boots, while the warranty on bindings may vary significantly.
For example, Burton and K2 back up their bindings with a 1-year warranty, but Burton additionally covers the binding baseplates with a lifetime warranty. Such slight differences demonstrate why you should carefully read the warranty terms of each brand.
Gear for Other Sports
This point goes a little beyond snowboarding, but it may be necessary for some people.
Most snowboard brands are probably snowboard-specific. Burton sells snowboard gear, Capita only sells snowboards, and brands like K2 also offer ski equipment.
As mentioned above, buying from one place is convenient. If you already have some positive experience with a brand, you will be confident when buying gear from it in the future.
All we know is that brand reputation matters a lot, and if you can buy most of the necessary gear from one good brand, you should do so.
Sustainability
Many snow sports brands pursue sustainability nowadays. While the quality of the gear may not necessarily change due to sustainable manufacturing, environment-friendly production practices today are more important than ever.
Brands may implement sustainable manufacturing in a variety of ways – they may avoid using harsh substances in production, they may only use hydropower (like Capita), and/or they may contribute to the cause of certain environmental organizations.
By buying from a brand that strives to follow environment-friendly practices, you will be voting with your money to preserve your surroundings and contribute to making the planet a better place.
So, strongly consider buying from a brand that follows safe practices, which many snowboard manufacturers follow.
Prices
We’ve already briefly touched upon pricing, but there are a few things we should elaborate on.
Each brand is going to offer products in different price ranges. Some will be better represented in the middle or high end, while others will be equally focused on all price ranges.
First and foremost, prices matter for your pocket. If you have a limited budget, there’s no point in choosing a brand that primarily focuses on expensive stuff. You must identify the brand whose selection covers the desired price range.
Your skill level will also matter. We recommend beginners go for cheaper snowboard gear for two reasons: newbies don’t yet know their snowboarding style, and newbies probably won’t be able to use the advanced features of pricey boards.
The latter is pretty straightforward, but we should elaborate on the former.
If you, as a beginner, don’t know yet which snowboarding direction you would go, then it wouldn’t make sense to spend, say, $800 to buy a high-performance all-mountain snowboard, for example.
What if you gain experience and discover you want to do freestyle snowboarding? Those $800 would be a waste of money!
Lower-end snowboards cost around $300, and while this still is a lot of money, the price difference between a low- and middle-end snowboard is still considerable.
It’s better to buy a cheap (but good) snowboard and then move up once you understand what you need than to purchase a pricey model and find out it’s not right.
The same applies to boots and bindings.
As a beginner, we suggest that you opt for brands represented in the lower end, while more skilled snowboarders may go for something more expensive.
User Feedback
Finally, consider what other people think of the brand in question.
Each brand has its own strong and weak sides. Among the things to pay attention to are:
- How good the brand’s interaction with customers is.
- How reliable the brand’s gear is.
- Whether the brand’s gear lives up to its price.
- If there are any issues or manufacturing errors that many people have encountered, you may want to be more careful if there is something many people are discussing.
A brand’s reputation is critical in snowboarding and any other field, whether footwear, electronics, or photography gear.
Established and experienced brands will probably have a reliable product line, many options to choose from, good customer support, and no hiccups when dealing with issues or warranty claims.
Final Words
While you should try to find one or two good brands to buy gear from, don’t be afraid to purchase equipment from other manufacturers.
Brands that have been on the market for a few decades probably know what they are doing, and the very fact that a snowboard production company has been operating for a long time shows that their products have been successful with their customers.
In conclusion, snowboarding is rife with numerous prominent brands delivering unique value and quality.
Burton, for instance, is globally recognized for its cutting-edge technology and design, while The Arbor Collective distinguishes itself with eco-friendly, handcrafted boards.
Although primarily known for footwear, DC Shoes has established a strong foothold in the snowboarding industry with its high-performance snowboards.
Similarly, K2 and Lib Tech are amongst the best snowboard brands, known for their innovation and diversity in board designs. Ride and Salomon are renowned for producing versatile boards suitable for different terrains and skill levels.
Snowboard enthusiasts widely appreciate Gnu, Jones, and Rome for their superior quality and performance.
Capita is another noteworthy brand, offering a blend of style and functionality that appeals to many riders. Lastly, Rossignol’s long history in winter sports is reflected in their high-quality snowboards.
These brands have contributed significantly to the industry, providing snowboarders with various choices to suit their preferences and needs.
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