Snowboard Sizing Guide: How to Choose the Right Snowboard Size.

How do I make sure I buy the right sized board? And no, your chin has nothing to do with it.

Sizing is one of those things everyone overthinks or doesn't think about at all. Get it wrong and your board feels like a plank or a noodle. Get it right and it just disappears under your feet. Here's how to nail it. 

It's not just height.

Forget the old "stand it up, it should hit your chin" trick. That's not how boards are built anymore. Size comes down to a mix of your weight, what you actually ride, your boot size, and how aggressive you are on snow. Get those four things right and you're sorted. 

Start with weight.

Weight is the biggest factor, full stop. A board's flex is tuned for a weight range, too light for the board and you can't flex it properly, too heavy and it folds under you when it matters. Make sure you note the weight you re now and compare it with the sizing chart on the product page.

Then figure out what you actually ride.

Before you lock in a length, know what kind of riding you're doing. We split it three ways: 

Park and Street: Built for jumps, rails, hips, quarterpipes, wallrides, every freestyle feature inbounds. Usually runs shorter for quick, playful movement. 

Resort Freestyle: For taking the freestyle mindset outside the park. Side hits, rope ollies, natural quarters, rollers. A board that lets you mess around anywhere on the mountain. 

Natural Freeride: Built for natural terrain and deeper snow, inbounds or out. Stiffer, more responsive, made for carving and floating in pow at speed. Runs longer. 

If you're reading this, you're probably Park and Street. Here's how to dial it in further: 

  • Recommended size — balanced and versatile, good all-round park feel 
  • Size down ~2cm — easier presses, more playful, better for jibbing and quick spins 
  • Size up ~2cm — more stable at speed, holds up better on bigger features and harsh landings 

Don't ignore boot size.

This one gets skipped constantly and it shouldn't. If your boot's too big for your board's waist width, you get toe drag, your boot catches the snow mid-carve and it's not fun. If you're a US Men's 10.5 or above, check out the waist widths before you buy. If you're between sizes, go wide. Toe drag is way more annoying than slightly extra width. 

Be honest about ability level 

Beginner: Go shorter, softer flex. Easier to control, less punishing when you're still figuring things out. 

Intermediate: Recommended length is usually right, medium flex. 

Advanced: Stiffer boards handle harder input better. You might size up depending on how you ride, but you already know your preferences by this point. 

What about volume shift boards? 

If a board's labelled volume shift, it's meant to be ridden shorter than you'd expect. The Squonk is a perfect example of this. The length's reduced but the width's increased to keep the surface area, which makes it more maneuverable without losing float or stability. The "size down" amount is printed in the specs, usually 3 to 8cm depending on the model. Don't apply your normal sizing logic to these, just follow what's on the board. 

More News