Wintersports
Snowboarding
Snowboarding gear: Essential equipment guide
What gear do you need for snowboarding? Find out with this rundown on snowboarding gear for comfort, safety, and performance, from your helmet all the way down to your socks.
Snowboarder Mark McMorris got his start through street snowboarding — and now that he’s a 21-time X Games medalist, he knows a thing or two about the best snowboarding gear. His philosophy is to let his upcoming adventures guide his gear choices.
Mark McMorris at Winter X Games in Aspen, Colorado
© Peter Morning/Red Bull Content Pool
"I choose my board according to the terrain I plan to ride on any given day," McMorris said. "It could be a sunny day at the resort or a final run at the X Games."
Boards are only the beginning of a complete snowboard equipment list. Read on for a comprehensive guide to boots, bindings, apparel, and all kinds of snowboarding gear.
01
Snowboard selection: choosing the right board
“The most important factors in choosing the right snowboard length [are] your weight and riding style,” McMorris shared. “If possible, try and demo as many boards as you can before choosing the one that best suits your riding style."
Choices include:
All-mountain snowboards
With medium to somewhat stiff flex, a conventional camber, a moderate taper, and a nose slightly longer than the tail, all-mountain snowboards are designed for whatever adventures lie ahead. You can use all-mountain boards just about anywhere, but more specialized boards for steep slopes and terrain parks might give you more pop or better stability at speed. Regardless, all-mountain boards are great for beginners and pros alike.
Freestyle snowboards
Ben Ferguson
© Daniel Milchev / Red Bull Content Pool
These short, flexible, light boards are for you if your version of snowboarding involves half-pipe tricks and terrain park travels. Freestyle boards are often on the wider side, so they offer some stability, but not quite enough for big-time carving and speedy descents.
Some freestyle boards are twin-tip, meaning their tail and tip are symmetrical. That’s important since most tricks leave you equally likely to land with either of your feet in the front. Choose the twin-tip setup if you’re new to freestyle — it makes forward and backward riding less challenging. For the same design but with a tail that’s stiffer than the tip, go with directional twin boards.
Powder snowboards
Tapered with a narrow tail and wide nose, powder snowboards give you lift when your board hits deep snow on the slopes. This way, you can land turns without sinking and losing momentum. These boards’ soft or medium flex is another turn-boosting feature, especially when you’re going slow. Use these boards if you’re riding slopes, but avoid them in terrain parks.
02
Essential snowboarding clothing and outerwear
Slide-In Tour
© Content pool
Snowboarding jackets
A great snowboarding jacket pulls off the miracle of keeping you both warm and dry throughout your action-packed day. It’s also breathable — as in, the sweat you work up on the slopes or at the park will actually leave your skin.
Your best bet might be a three-in-one jacket, which comes with an insulated inner liner and an outer hard shell. The shell is breathable and waterproof, and the liner is insulated to keep you warm. You can wear the shell and insulation when it’s especially cold, just the shell if it’s warmer out, or the liner alone if it’s cold but you don’t think you’ll need moisture protection.
Look for jackets with powder skirts to keep snow from getting in your underwear if you fall. Choose a loose-fitting yet warm jacket so that you have plenty of mobility. Staying protected from the elements without overheating — and while still having enough range of motion for top-notch snowboarding form — is the goal.
Snowboarding pants
Water-resistant snowboarding pants are ideal for obvious reasons, but some softshell pants designed for mobility and comfort aren’t the most waterproof. You can also find insulated and uninsulated pants alike — your legs might get warm more quickly than your core, so jacket insulation is more important.
Either way, look for pants with gaiters around the cuffs for snow protection. Zip vents on the inner thighs are also a plus — open them to cool down if you’re getting a bit too hot. Some designs also include a mechanism for connecting your pants to your jacket for maximum snow and wind guarding.
Base layers
This is the layer of clothing closest to your skin, so it should keep you warm when it’s cold and dry when you’re getting sweaty. Most snowboarding pros recommend having both midweight and lightweight base layers in your closet — and avoiding heavy bases that don’t adequately wick moisture from your body.
Break out your lightweight base if you’re hitting the slope on warm spring days or going on a backcountry adventure. For all other snowboarding journeys, your midweight layer is your best bet.
Gloves and mittens
Ben Ferguson in Alaska.
© Tom Monterosso / Natural Selection Tour / Red Bull Content Pool
Snowboard gloves offer more dexterity, while mittens provide more warmth. Choose a pair that’s both warm and waterproof, such as leather gloves or mittens with a microporous membrane. Look for insulation, cuffs that at least somewhat overlap your jacket, and a fleece, wool, or synthetic lining. Consider gloves or mittens with palm, thumb, and fingertip reinforcements for stronger grip and better wear-and-tear protection.
03
Safety gear: protect yourself on the slopes
Helmets
In a way, helmets are the very most essential snowboarding gear. Even a maneuver as simple as a snowboard ollie can go wrong, and if your head hits the ground or a tree, a helmet keeps you safe.
For best protection, your helmet shouldn’t move as you rock your head sideways. If adjusting the straps or using the sizing mechanism doesn’t secure the fit, try a different helmet. Your chinstrap should be snug against your throat, but not so tight you can’t move your jaw. And speaking of comfort, the best helmets also include vents — especially adjustable ones — to keep you cool and dry.
Goggles
Luke Winkelmann
© BLATT
For a less distorted view with less glare, choose goggles with curved spherical lenses over cylindrical lenses. Spherical-lens goggles cost more, but higher-end models typically include anti-fog features that make a huge difference when trying to see on the slopes. And basically all models, regardless of price, protect against the UV rays reflecting off the snow.
Seek out a fit that’s snug and comfortable but not suffocating or painful while wearing your helmet. As with helmets, sometimes, adjusting your goggles is all it takes to get a good fit, but if not, try out an entirely different pair.
Wrist guards
Full-finger wrist guards offer great snowboarding insulation while protecting both your wrists and your hands. Guards with extra foam protection are super important for snowboarding in case of a high-impact incident.
Your wrist guards should be stretchy and allow for dexterity, and neoprene is the best material for achieving this balance. And most importantly, don’t settle for just goggles and a helmet when it comes to snowboarding safety gear. Wrist injuries can keep you off the trails for longer than you’d like.
04
Snowboard boots and bindings
Snowboard boots
Smart boot choices should be at the top of your snowboard equipment list. There are four key factors to consider for boots:
- Flex. Soft flex minimizes foot and leg soreness throughout your big day of freestyle snowboarding. Medium flex is a great match for all-mountain snowboards, and it offers extensive mobility and support. Stiff flex is how you max out your control and edge power when conditions get rough and you’re going fast.
- Lacing. Traditional laces give you full control over tightness but can easily come loose. Quick-pull laces are easier to adjust while you’re wearing gloves but still come loose relatively easily. Boa lacing systems are overall best, but they’re expensive and you can’t easily customize their tightness.
- Liners. Stock liners are the simple everyday option that eventually “break in” around your forefoot like regular shoes. These come with your boots. You can also find thermoformable liners that break in within a day, or you can get custom fits. Whichever you choose, look for adequate insulation, cushioning, and stability.
- Fit. Since liners get softer and expand a bit over time, an initially snug fit might become just a touch looser over time. That said, a fit so tight it cuts off your circulation is a non-starter. Go for boots in which your toes lightly touch the toecap and in which the rear fit is so snug that heel lift almost certainly won’t happen.
Snowboard bindings
Detail of snowboards at the start of Red Bull Edge in Schruns, Austria
© Markus Berger / Red Bull Content Pool
Great bindings maximize your board’s responsiveness to movements for the best performance. They also latch onto your boot securely and snugly while preserving its shape and giving some room for flexing. Their straps shouldn’t dangle too much once they’re secure.
Bindings should always be compatible with your board’s design, your skill level, and your terrain. New or freestyle riders often do best when their bindings have flexible, short highbacks — these make for easy recovery after tricks and softer rides overall. Other riders might lean toward stiff, tall highbacks for full control when going fast, moving through deep powder, or descending down steep slopes.
05
Snowboarding accessories you shouldn't overlook
Socks
Always bring snowboarding socks with you as you test boots so that you know they fit well together. Avoid cotton socks in favor of merino wool or synthetic socks. Both these materials are breathable, and they both keep your feet warm if moisture gets in.
Whether you go for a sock with cushioning is up to you. Cushioning might help if you’re snowboarding in especially cold locations, but it can also put too much pressure on your feet, which already have boots and bindings around them. In any case, knee-length socks with a snug foot fit are ideal.
Backpacks
A backpack that’s breathable where it meets your back and waterproof elsewhere gives you storage for whatever you bring on the trail — safety gear, water, snacks, you name it. If you’re trying out backcountry snowboarding, a backpack with compartments designed for avalanche gear is an absolute must. Otherwise, any snowboarding backpack that feels comfortable while wearing all your other ski gear fits the bill.
Tuning and maintenance tools
Benny Milam waxes his snowboard at Benny's Basecamp in St. Croix Falls, WI
© Ryan Taylor / Red Bull Content Pool
Anything can happen on the slopes, and having the right snowboard equipment for fixes and repairs can save the day. A screwdriver and multitool, combined with extra binding straps for connecting your boots and bindings, can get you back into action in a jiffy.
Most other snowboard maintenance will require you to wait till you’re home. Examples include using a file, file guide, and gummy stone for quick edge tuning and a base repair kit for filling in gouges on your board’s underside. In some cases, big repairs require a trip to your favorite snowboarding shop.
06
Snowboarding gear care and maintenance tips
Once you’ve assembled your snowboarding getup and started getting on out there, give your board a light cleaning after every session. A simple snowboard wax after every three rides is best practice too. That’s also around how frequently you should check your board’s bindings to ensure they’re still secure and in tip-top shape. And, of course, dry all your snowboarding gear as you pack it into your car or once you get home. Although snow is just solid water, moisture is the enemy of all winter sports gear.
Great snowboard equipment means top-notch thrills
From your innermost layer to the gear under your feet, high-quality snowboard essentials make each run the thrill of a lifetime. Resist the temptation to rush through the process of finding the right gear — it’s understandable to be eager to blow through deep snow, but that’s easier with a top-notch set-up. Put the time in now to get the best snowboarding gear, and you’ll have a whole future of incredible experiences ahead.
