When I worked at my local snowboarding shop, the most frequent question I always received was whether weight or height matters more for snowboarding.
When it comes to choosing your snowboard size, weight is a far more important factor than height. If you choose a snowboard that you are too light for, you won’t be able to flex the board whereas if you are too heavy for the snowboard, your board won’t be stiff enough for your weight to be stabilized.
Your weight will generally be in the range of 2 – 3 different snowboard sizes, if you want a more stiff ride with stability you should size up. If you want a more playful and flexible ride, you should size down.
Let’s get into some more information about snowboarding sizing.
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Does height matter when choosing a snowboard?
Although weight is far more important to take into consideration when you are looking to get a new snowboard, height does play a small role.
Taller riders tend to have more leverage, meaning they can get away with riding a longer board than your weight would suggest. Also, people that are taller tend to have wider stances, which would require a longer-sized board.
Generally, though, weight is king and should be the main influence on deciding which snowboard size is right for you.
Are men’s and women’s snowboard sizes the same?
Snowboards can be gendered and have their own size charts. Typically, women’s snowboards are made to be narrower and more flexible than a snowboard designed for men. This is because women generally have smaller feet and weigh less.
That said, any person can ride any snowboard as long as the fit is right.
So, if you are a woman who likes the style and fit of a snowboard that hasn’t been gendered as a women’s snowboard, you would have no problem riding it so long as it fits you.
Snowboard sizing chart by weight
The majority of snowboards out there will have their own specific sizing charts you should look at before buying. However, this snowboard sizing chart was put together based on hundreds of different snowboard specs to give you a general idea of what size snowboard you should be looking for.
As stated before, your weight will put you into a range of snowboard sizes. How you like to ride is how you’ll choose whether to go up or down in size.
Kids snowboard sizing chart by weight
Just like with adult snowboards, weight will play a major role in deciding which snowboard size you should get your child.
The longer the snowboard, the harder it is going to be for kids to control the board. This is why it’s important you equip them with youth-sized snowboards rather than a small-sized adult board you want them to grow into.
Should your snowboard be as tall as you?
It is a common misconception that your snowboard should be as tall as you. This myth started circulating in the 90s. As snowboard technology has grown, we have come to realize snowboard length does not need to match your height for an enjoyable riding experience.
Your snowboard does not care how tall you are, but it does care about how much you weigh. Your height is very low on the totem pole of things to consider when looking to purchase a snowboard.
Is it better to have a short or long snowboard?
Whether you should get a short snowboard or a long snowboard depends entirely on the type of snowboarding you plan on doing.
Freestyle and park snowboarders tend to use shorter snowboards, this is because shorter snowboards provide far more maneuverability. A longer snowboard would best suit your everyday mountain powder shredding rider.
Narrow vs Wide Snowboards
Narrow snowboards are better for when you are riding really hard and compact snow. Wider snowboards will produce far more chatter on hard snow than a narrow snowboard, leading to a not so enjoyable ride.
Wide snowboards are great for when you want to rip through some fresh and loose powder & will perform much better than a narrow board. Whereas, if the snow starts to compact and get a bit bumpy or rough, you’ll want to move to a more narrow board.
If you don’t know what kind of snow to expect or are just a hobby rider who goes a few times a year, a mid-width snowboard will be right up your alley, as it can handle most all snow conditions.
Final thoughts
Finding your right snowboard size at first can be confusing, there is a lot of miss-information out there.
Nothing will be more important when determining what size snowboard to get than your weight. So before you head out to pick up your new board, make sure you weigh yourself.
See you on the slopes!
