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Specs

Flex: Stiff
Shape: Directional Twin
Style: All-Mountain
Sidecut Radius: 8 meters
Snowboard Profile: Rocker
Effective Edge: 120.8 cm

Features

Rocker Profile Is Manipulated To Deliver More Stability At Higher Speeds
“Grip Tech” Delivers More Contact With Snow Resulting In Better Turning Ability
Uses Recycled Materials And Sustainable Lumber Approved By The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)

BEST FOR: LONG-TERM INVESTMENT IN SNOWBOARDING

The Coda Rocker by Arbor is your best bet for long-lasting quality that can deliver in just about any slope condition. Are you a total newbie that needs a little help nailing the basics? The Coda Rocker gives room to cheat by making initiating and exiting turns a breeze.

Or perhaps you’re an advanced beginner looking to hit fresh powder? The rocker profile helps you float above the snow and feel like a pro. Need a little help when hitting the terrain park? This twin shaped board will help you navigate when riding switch and give extra “oomph” when grinding that rail or making that jump.

Regardless of your skill level or desired terrain, the Coda Rocker delivers well on all fronts. The only drawback may be for more experienced riders desiring specificity from their board. While it certainly delivers A- quality across all categories, it’s “generalist” approach will never fully deliver an A+ on any one type of terrain.

Overall, this board will satisfy the majority of snowboarders and is a dream for any and all beginners.

Burton Instigator

Specs

Flex: Soft
Shape: Directional Twin
Style: All-Mountain
Sidecut Radius: 7.4 meters
Snowboard Profile: Flat
Effective Edge: 122 cm

Features

Flat Profile Makes Turning Much Easier For Beginners
Unique Styling Excels In All Conditions: Groomed Runs, Off-Trail, & Powder
Lighter Overall Weight Feels Less Cumbersome And Shortens The Learning Curve

BEST FOR: TRUE BEGINNERS

If you’ve never stepped foot on a snowboard before, then this is the board for you. A true All-Mountain board, the Burton Instigator can handle just about any condition you test it in. It excels at groomed resort trails, floats on powder, and provides all the stability you want and need, especially when tackling icier east coast conditions.

The Instigator’s directional twin shape means you’ll have no problem riding switch (left or right foot forward) while also nailing down the fundamentals of snowboarding. The flat profile of the board means that you’ll have more contact with snow, allowing you to have a better “feel” of the ground beneath you and thus more control.

Arbor Element Rocker

Specs

Flex: Stiff
Shape: Directional Twin
Style: All-Mountain
Sidecut Radius: 8 meters
Snowboard Profile: Rocker
Effective Edge: 121.6 cm

Features

Production Reduces Carbon Footprint By 40%
Lighter And More Responsive Than Previous Model
Made From Sustainable Lumber Approved By The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)

BEST FOR: THE ENVIRONMENTALLY-CONSCIOUS SNOWBOARDER

Arbor Collective has been crafting superb quality boards since 1995, relying on sustainable forestry initiatives that respects and honors the trees who give life to these epic snowboards.

The Arbor Element Rocker is the embodiment of ecologically friendly and environmentally responsible snowboarding. The wood used in all Arbor boards comes from sustainable forests that are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FCS), an organization that focuses on fostering a mutually beneficial ecosphere for both people and planet.

Taking things a step further, the Element Rocker’s sidewalls are made from recycled plastics and the deck is finished with a resin made from waste products rather than the traditionally used petroleum-based resin, reducing it’s overall carbon footprint by 40%.

Aside from giving you ecological peace of mind, the Element Rocker is a great general purpose snowboard capable of tackling a variety of conditions. Riders of all skill levels, from beginners to experts, will enjoy its easy turnability, the feeling of “floating” across fresh powder, and it’s surprising ability to hold its own in the terrain park.

As with most “Jack-of-all-Trades” items, this board is “Master of None.” Those desiring more specificity and results from their board for powder or the terrain park may find the Element Rocker to be slightly lacking. The majority of riders, however, will likely love this board and it’s “go anywhere, do anything” usability.

Arbor Foundation Snowboard

Specs

Flex: Soft
Shape: Directional Twin
Style: All-Mountain
Sidecut Radius: 7.9 meters
Snowboard Profile: Rocker
Effective Edge: 123.7 cm

Features

Feels Like Surfing And Initiates Turns Very Easily
Rocker Profile Provides Great Stability Through High Speeds
“Budget” Design Never Sacrifices Quality And Is Backed By Extended 3-Year Warranty

BEST FOR: THE BUDGET-CONSCIOUS BEGINNER

Are you looking to venture into snowboarding without breaking the bank? We feel you on that! Especially since you still have to buy boots, bindings, goggles, and more. The Arbor Foundation is the perfect jumping off point for any beginner. After all, you’re going to drop some serious coin on the sport – might as well get the best bang for your buck.

Arbor has a rich history of producing high quality snowboards with a penchant for eco-friendly building techniques. The Foundation draws from this tradition by incorporating the same practices into a budget-friendly board.

The board’s profile includes rocker that assists beginners with making turns yet has the longest effective edge of all the Arbor boards made with rocker. The effective edge is how much of the board actually makes contact with the snow, translating into more traction and stability.

While this benefit is highly advantageous for beginners with no experience, more experienced riders may find the longer effective edge to feel more like training wheels and thus hard to shed once their skills improve.

Aside from budgetary considerations, a good way to determine if this board is right for you is whether you’ve ever ridden a skateboard or longboard before. If not, then this board will be just right for you. If you have, then this will still be a good board but you may find that you quickly outgrow this board (depending on your skateboard skills, of course).

Capita Mercury

Specs

Flex: Stiff
Shape: Directional
Style: All-Mountain
Sidecut Radius: 8.15 meters
Snowboard Profile: Camber/Rocker
Effective Edge: 121.7 cm

Features

Construction Is Light Yet Very Durable
Camber/Rocker Profile Delivers High Performance Responsiveness
Directional Shape Is Good For Powder, Groomer Runs, And Carving

BEST FOR: ALL SKILL LEVELS

A true “Every Man’s” board, the Capita Mercury can be ridden by experts or by those who’ve never stepped foot on a snowboard before. This board’s design is exceptional in that it handles carving and deep, soft powder with ease.

The Mercury’s Camber/Rocker profile is a hybrid that blends arch beneath the feet with enough contact points with the snow to surf through powder. The Cambered aspect creates a “pop” or “spring” that is responsive to high energy turns while the Rockered portion creates a feeling of floating on the snow.

True beginners may find this board a little more difficult to ride at first, but advanced beginners will have a field day. Better yet, as you move beyond the beginner stage, you’ll find the Capita Mercury will continue to surprise you as it matches your skill level. The more skill you put into it, the more results you’ll see.

If you’re a beginner without any riding experience, fret not! The learning curve for riding a snowboard is exceptionally short. In fact, it’s recommended to buy a board a level above where you are since you’ll likely achieve that goal pretty quickly. This will ensure you don’t “outgrow” your board too quickly.

Capita Super DOA

Specs

Flex: Stiff
Shape: True Twin
Style: All-Mountain
Sidecut Radius: 8.2 meters
Snowboard Profile: Camber/Rocker
Effective Edge: 120.6 cm

Features

True Twin Shape Rides The Same Forwards And Backwards
Stiff Flex Provides More Stability At High Speeds And In Powder
Wrapped In Kevlar - Military Grade Bulletproof Fiber Known For Strength And Lightness

BEST FOR: ANY AND ALL CONDITIONS

Before we begin, let’s clear up what DOA means (hint: it’s not “Dead on Arrival”). According to Capita, it stands for “Defenders of Awesome.” Considering this board will shred in any and every condition you test it in, I’d say it’s an appropriately named snowboard.

This All-Mountain, True Twin board excels on groomed runs, backcountry trails, the terrain park, ungroomed resort trails, and fresh, soft powder. Better yet, if you’re learning to ride switch (switching between left and right foot front), then this is your board!

Backwards, forwards, upside down – it doesn’t matter how you ride it, the Super DOA is there to perform at your whim. As with most “Do it All” boards, it won’t ever earn a perfect 10/10 on any particular run. Pickier snowboarders may find this attribute frustrating, but most beginners should end up enjoying the heck out of its versatility.

Jones Hovercraft

Specs

Flex: Medium
Shape: Directional
Style: All-Mountain
Sidecut Radius: 9.5 meters
Snowboard Profile: Camber/Rocker
Effective Edge: 125.7 cm

Features

Directional Shape Feels Like Surfing On Snow
Upturned Nose And Tail (Ends) Make The Board “Float” In Powder
Medium Flex Provides Stability At High Speed & Flexibility While Turning

BEST FOR: CARVING

If you’re looking for a board that will get you into the “flow” of snowboarding and help you carve down a run with ease and elegance, then look no further than the Jones Hoverboard. Sporting a directional shape (meaning it goes one direction) and a slightly off center stance, the Hoverboard excels at riding down steep hills by creating more stability in the stance.

This board has both the longest effective edge and the longest sidecut radius in our lineup, meaning more contact with the snow for more control and smoother turns when carving, respectively.

True beginners may find the Camber aspect (arch in the board’s profile) a little trickier to manage when first starting out, but it is this feature that will assist you in powering through turns as you carve down a mountain. Mate that with the Rocker aspect (upturned ends) and you’ve got a board that will also float in deep powder.

Best suited for advanced beginners who want a more specific board for carving down mountains, a true beginner should still consider the Jones Hovercraft if their goal is to focus on carving and enjoying the ride.

Burton Flight Attendant

Specs

Flex: Medium
Shape: Directional
Style: All-Mountain
Sidecut Radius: 7.6 meters
Snowboard Profile: Camber/Rocker
Effective Edge: 121 cm

Features

Offset Stance Provides Stability On Steeper Runs
Camber Profile Uses Available Kinetic Energy To Make Turns More Powerful
Construction Is Light And Durable, Providing Extra Pop When Making Jumps

BEST FOR: PROGRESSING WITH SKILLS

Snowboarding has a short learning curve and as such, beginners often find themselves outgrowing their board halfway through the season. To avoid feeling “held back” by your board once you’ve polished your skills, it’s best to invest in a snowboard that will “level up” with you, unlocking new abilities as your skills progress.

Burton’s Flight Attendant is just the right board for the job! Whether you’re looking to float in powder or gain speed on groomed runs, this board can do it all. Need some extra pop to assist you in the terrain park? The Flight Attendant has that too.

What makes this versatility possible is the hybrid Camber/Rocker profile. Camber adds arch in the center of the board, delivering power through turns especially on groomed runs. The Rocker adds an upturned nose and tail (the ends of the board) to increase floatability in powder and makes turning easier overall regardless of where you ride.

The only drawback with this board is that, as a Directional board with an off center stance, you won’t be able to ride switch (changing between left/right foot forward). This means that if you land a trick backwards, you’ll need to make the effort to switch your stance back before continuing. Many, however, see this as a minor inconvenience considering the versatility of the board.

Float in the pow, fly in the park, cruise at ease, and carve as smooth as butter. This Flight Attendant has turned the fasten seat belt sign “off”, you are now free to move about the mountain.

Capita Navigator

Specs

Flex: Medium
Shape: Directional
Style: Powder
Sidecut Radius: 8.3 meters
Snowboard Profile: Flat/Rocker
Effective Edge: 114.4 cm

Features

Offset Stance Provides Stability On Steeper Runs
Made From Sustainable Lumber Approved By The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
Carbon Fiber Added To Construction Materials to Increase Strength While Staying Light

BEST FOR: FRESH POWDER

This is the one.

You’ve been dreaming of this for so long – floating in powder, carving down smooth, buttery snow. The Capita Navigator is specifically designed for fresh powder.

Its Flat/Rocker profile gives you more contact with the snow, allowing you more control beneath your feet to “feel it out” and respond to changing conditions. The Rocker aspect causes the ends to curve upwards, allowing you to float in deep snow without getting bogged down in the powder.

As a Directional board with a focus on giving the best ride in powder, it’s important to understand that the Navigator won’t punch as well as other boards on traditional groomed runs. Consider this before purchasing: do you intend to stick mostly to the groomed runs? If so, it’s best to consider another board. But if you think you’ll spend most of your time off on your own, exploring the powder, then you’ve got a gold medal winner right here.

It’s worth mentioning that this board is best suited for an advanced beginner who’s had some time on the mountain. Otherwise, this may be too specific of a snowboard for a true beginner without any experience.

Arbor Westmark Camber

Specs

Flex: Medium
Shape: True Twin
Style: Freestyle
Sidecut Radius: 7.8 meters
Snowboard Profile: Camber
Effective Edge: 122.3 cm

Features

Cambered Profile Adds Power And Speed
True Twin Shape Can Be Ridden Forwards Or Backwards
Long Effective Edge Provides More Contact With Snow And Better Control

BEST FOR: LEARNING TRICKS

Advanced beginners wanting to push the envelope and attempt tricks in the terrain park are going to need a little help. If that’s you, then the Arbor Westmark Camber will be your new best friend.

This True Twin will give you the versatility to ride switch (backwards and forwards), which especially helps when landing moves and transitioning to your next trick with ease. The Cambered profile delivers more power on groomed runs and delivers extra punch when jumping into a bowl or a halfpipe.

The Westmark Camber’s medium flex provides stability at high speeds yet the flexibility necessary for initiating turns and landing tricks. As a Freestyle board, this is the ultimate board for the terrain park. While it also shreds groomed runs, its expertise stops there – this board is not for powder or ungroomed runs.

True beginners and intermediate beginners may want a more versatile board that can handle all conditions, such as the All-Mountain boards ranked higher on this list.

Note: Measurements are based on a 156 cm board, sized down to accommodate Freestyle snowboarding. For more information on sizing, see the section on Length in the Things To Consider below.