How to choose the right snowboard size

The old rule of thumb says a snowboard stood on its tail should reach somewhere between your chin and your nose. Burton’s sizing advice for parents describes exactly that method and says it “may provide a good ballpark size,” but that Burton’s experts recommend sticking with weight and boot size, for kids and adults alike. So use the chin-to-nose check only as a quick sense-check in a shop, never as the answer.

Why weight? A snowboard is designed to flex under a rider, and how much it flexes depends on the weight pressing on it. That is why manufacturers’ size charts list a recommended rider weight range for each length of a model. Burton’s buying guide explains that a rider heavier than a board’s suggested weight may find it feels softer, and a lighter rider may find it stiffer. Two riders of the same height can need different lengths, and two boards of the same length can ride very differently.

To determine your snowboard size, then, you need three things: your weight in riding clothes, your boot size, and the chart for the board you want. If you fall between two lengths, your ability and riding style (below) help you choose.

Width matters as much as length. The narrowest part of the board, the waist, needs to suit your boot size; Burton’s buying guide calls waist width “the primary indicator” of which boot and binding sizes a board suits. If the board is too narrow, your toes or heels can hang over the edges and drag in the snow when you turn, which can catch and throw you off balance. If it is much too wide, the board can feel slow to tip from edge to edge.

• Size charts usually show the waist width of each length, and many brands suggest a boot size range for their regular and wide (W) versions.
• If you have large feet, look for a wide model or check the brand’s boot-size guidance for that model.
• Boot sizes are not identical between brands or sizing systems, and boots with a reduced outer footprint change the picture. Check the boot and board makers’ own guidance, and see how snowboard boots should fit.
• Binding angles also affect how far your boots overhang. Our guide to adjusting binding angles and boot centering shows how to check for toe and heel drag.

The fit profile at the top of this page brings together the details a size chart asks for: your weight, boot size and sizing system, riding level and preferred terrain, plus the model you are considering. It does not calculate a length. Instead it gives you a checklist to use with that model’s official chart, because recommendations differ between models, even from the same brand.

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Each board model has its own size chart, usually on the product page or in a size guide on the manufacturer’s website. Men’s, women’s and kids’ models often have separate charts, so open the one for the exact board. A typical chart lists, for every length:

• Length in centimeters, often part of the model name (a “156” is 156 cm long).
• Recommended rider weight range.
• Waist width, and sometimes a recommended boot size range.
• Other specs such as effective edge, sidecut radius and stance width. Burton’s guide to snowboard measurements defines each one. You don’t need them to choose a size, but they help you compare models.

1. Find the lengths whose weight range includes your weight.
2. Among those, check that the width suits your boots.
3. Use your level and terrain to pick between the lengths left.

If your weight sits across two lengths, the manufacturer or a knowledgeable shop can tell you how that particular model rides.

Within the lengths that fit your weight, your riding goals help you choose:

• Beginners often find a board toward the shorter end of their range easier to turn and control while learning.
• Park and freestyle riders often prefer a shorter, more maneuverable board for spins and features.
• Powder and freeride riders often choose a longer board, or a model shaped for float, so the nose stays up in soft snow.
• All-mountain riders usually sit in the middle of the range.

These are tendencies rather than rules, and a board’s shape, profile and flex change how a given length rides. To work out which type of board suits you in the first place, see our board-buying guide. Sizing for children works a little differently; see kids’ snowboard sizing.

If you already own a board and want to figure out its size:

1. Look for the printed length. Most boards show their length in centimeters on the topsheet, base or sidewall, often next to the model name. A “W” after the number usually means a wide version.
2. Measure the length yourself. Burton defines snowboard length as “the total distance from nose to the tail.” Lay the board base-down and measure in a straight line from tip to tail. Your result may differ slightly from the listed length because of how the tip and tail curve up.
3. Measure the waist. Burton defines waist width as the distance across the board between the feet at the narrowest point. Measure across the base there.
4. Look up the model. With the model name, length and approximate year, you can often find the original size chart and compare it with your weight today. If you are buying second-hand, our used-board checklist helps you identify it.