Snowboard Size Chart

​Snowboard sizing can be affected by many different factors and a quick way to get an idea of your ideal snowboard size is to use our snowboard size chart.

If you're asking the average worker at a ski chalet when considering rentals, nine times out of ten they will tell you to go with the typical "between your chin and nose measurement".

That's not to say that this is wrong, but height is only one factor to consider when choosing your size, and with multiple other factors to consider including: weight, riding style, ability, and foot size, it can be a bit more complicated than first anticipated.

This is why we created our snowboard size chart, to help you learn how to size a snowboard and determine most accurately what size is best for you. So without further ado, let's look at the factors that are most commonly first taken into consideration:

Factoring Weight and Height for Snowboard Sizing

As previously stated, height is generally going to be the quickest and simplest way to eyeball a snowboard, however, weight is becoming a staple of the basic snowboard size chart.

Your weight is going to affect many things, such as the responsiveness of the board, how well the board floats or sinks on top of snow, the amount of pop that is sufficient, and how your edges dig in.

That all being said, height is still one of the most important factors to consider.

The basic formula for figuring out what height your board should be is your height (inches) x 2.54 (to get centimetres) x 0.88, a.k.a 88% of your height in cm.

The chart below is a good way of amalgamating the two factors to get an approximate measurement. ​

​Snowboard Size Chart

Considering Width of the Board for Snowboard Sizing

The width of your board is very important for multiple reasons.

Firstly, you don't want your toes or your heels hanging over your board; I've personally dealt with this problem and it caused me to lose my edge and crash on multiple occasions.

Secondly, your stability can be compromised if you are riding a more narrow board, and on the other end of the scale, it can be impossible to maneuver if the board is to wide.

Most places will recommend sizing up to a wide snowboard if your feet are sized 11-12 (I personally recommend sizing up at 11).

How wide your snowboard is will affect it's performance on a variety of levels, including: how well it floats in powder, how stable it is on landings, balance on boxes and rails, and balance at high speeds.

With this in mind, figuring out your riding style is often the best way to determine how wide you should go with your board, as outlined below.

Using Riding Style and Ability to Determine Your Ideal Snowboard Size

When you are just starting out, the first 3 factors (height, weight and board width) are likely all that you will have to go on when choosing a board, although you may loosely be able to determine the style of riding you are doing by the hill you're at( regardless of this, it most likely will be slow, gradual, groomers).

Once you start riding more often and gain more insight into the type of riding you wish to pursue, you will have a better idea of the type and size of the board that you wish to purchase.

When it comes to the height of the board, you will generally be trading perks based off the size, i.e-longer boards will be more stable but less responsive, shorter boards are more responsive but less stable.

To clarify, if you are a less experienced rider,, you will be wanting a board on the larger side, while the newer rider would want the responsiveness...in some cases.

Now is where your riding style comes into play.

I have witnessed riders with boards up to half a foot below their chins. I have also seen riders with boards that are taller than they are when stood next to each other. The one definitive similarity between these two riders was this; they knew their area of expertise.

Park/Street Style Snowboard Sizing

The former example given above who was a park-rider had a style that focused mainly on maneuverability. Park riding can be further sub-categorized into jumps or rails, so first we'll focus on the technical side of rails.

This form of riding is slower than big mountain or back-country, for example, and involves a lot of fast spinning. This is where a shorter board can come in quite handy, especially if the spins involve a change in momentum.

Most of these same rules will apply to "street" riding (riding rails in urban settings that are not built for snowboarding), but every rider will still usually find their specific preference based on their style.

With all of that being said, the rules may be flipped for the jump side of the park-depending on the size of the jumps of course.

Medium to big air rider's will definitely want a larger board for the comfort of landing with more stability, and for a comfortable and fast take-off.

Those hitting the smaller jumps while practicing rapid spinning again may prefer a smaller board.

Racing Snowboard Sizing

The latter example that I saw was a racing board; tall, and narrow enough that it could almost be mistaken for a wide ski.

The stance on these boards can vary from around +40 and +15 degrees on the front foot, and +30 and 0 degrees on the back foot, which allows the board to maintain its narrow width.

These boards are designed to be fast and hold an edge, so the length and the narrow width add to the streamlined design of it, allowing for faster snowboarding.

Cross Country/Split Boarding Snowboard Sizing

Split-boarding is the best way to get to difficult to reach spots in the back-country, unless you have a helicopter.

For those who don't know, these boards are called split-boards because they can split in half and be used as cross country ski's to hike to those beautiful, untouched peaks.

These boards are both longer and wider; longer, to accompany the very high speed style of riding which of course requires the stability of a longer board; and wider, which will help the board float above the snow and allows for the skis to not be too narrow.

All Mountain Snowboard Sizing

The all you can shred board ​and definitely the style of board that you will likely want to start out with.

Also known as a quiver killer, these boards are made to do everything on a moderate scale.

While some people may quote the saying "a jack of all trades is a master of none", I have personally found these boards to do exceptionally well on jumps, as they are long enough and stable enough to maintain speed before the jump and hold a steady landing, while they are short enough to allow for effortless spinning and maneuverability.

While they may be a beginners best option, many advanced riders will still have a solid do-everything board, as it allows them to traverse all areas of the mountain and simply just have fun wherever they ride.

Knowing how to size a snowboard for your ability and riding style will improve your snowboarding performance...

It can be a difficult and daunting task investing in your first board, this is where renting a board often comes into play. You may be quick to take the advice of the person who works there, which is not the worst idea, but don't simply listen to what they have to say without testing out and experimenting your options. 

If a board is feeling weird, or you're curious as to how a different size may affect your ride, don't hesitate to try out another board. ​Just remember, it's all about your preference!

The renters at the ski hill may be experts on riding and rentals, but they certainly don't know everything about you, so if you get the chance to discover what size is the best for yourself, you should take it.

Investing in a board that is the right size and style for you is a big step, and depending on the type, boards can range anywhere from $300 to well over $1000 for the board alone. ​

This method of experimenting out on the hill before you decide to buy a board will save you time, money, and frustration in the future when you are trying to buy your own setup. 

​Note: When determining the size of the board, remember to take into account different technology that different companies use which may allow you to reduce the size of your boards. A good example of this is the "rad" reduction on the Burton Nug, while other companies may have different names for theirs. It is also important to take shape and different experimental technologies like this into consideration as they may affect how the board rides and it's stability, which we will be going over further in another article in addition to our snowboard size chart.