A snowboard size chart matches your weight range, and on some charts your height range, to a boards length in centimetres. Below, three makers' charts are run side by side for one rider. After that comes how to read a single board's weight range, when to size up or down, and how to check width against your boots. Give this a read before you buy a board this fall.
Pick a snowboard length by your weight first, using the weight range printed on the cheat sheet for the exact board you are buying. Use a general chart to set a starting range, then use riding style and height to decide between two lengths. Finish by checking waist width against your boot size, so your toes and heels sit just past the edges without dragging.
Why does every snowboard size chart give a different range?
Charts give different ranges because each one uses different inputs. Some size by weight alone, some by height and weight together, and some list only a minimum weight for each size. Board length is measured tip to tail in centimetres, so every chart lands on a cm number in the end. The table below runs one rider through three charts, at 173 cm and 73 kg (5 ft 8 in, 160 lb).
Lib Tech's Cold Brew spec table lists only a minimum rider weight per size, such as 149 cm from 40+ kg (85+ lb), 155 cm from 45+ kg (95+ lb), 161 cm from 50+ kg (110+ lb) and 163W from 55+ kg (120+ lb).
That is a 14 cm spread for one person. The two charts that give a full range overlap at 154 to 157 cm. Note that overlap, because it helps when a board's own table lists only minimums.
Does height matter, or only weight?
Weight matters most for length: Jones's guide calls rider weight the single most important metric when sizing a snowboard, and says height plays only a small role, mostly through stance width and balance. Check your boots against waist width first, your weight against flex second and your height against length last. Advice built only on height and weight leaves out your boots, and your boots decide the width.
Find your length by weight, and let height and stance width break a tie between two sizes. The width section below covers the boot check.
Why go by the board's own weight range instead of a chart?
Our read: the weight range on the spec table for the exact board you are buying beats any general chart. A chart covers every rider. A spec table is set for one board's flex, core and shape, so two 156 cm boards can suit the same 73 kg rider very differently when one is stiff and cambered and the other is soft and rockered. Rocker lifts the contact points. That leaves a rockered board with less edge on the snow than a cambered board of the same length, and a minimum-only table like the Cold Brew's rules out the sizes that are too small while leaving the rest open.
Open the product page for the board, find the size run, and note every length whose weight range includes you. When the table lists only minimums, narrow it with the general charts' overlap. For the rider in the table, that means 154 to 157 cm.
Should the board come up to my chin or my nose?
Use your chin as the upper mark: Never Summer's sizing page gives chest to chin as its general rule for all-mountain riding or a first board. A standing check can't see your weight, so two riders of the same height get the same answer even when one is much heavier. Stand the board up as a quick check, then let the weight range on the spec table decide.
Between two sizes: should I go shorter or longer?
Go shorter if you're learning or riding park, and longer if you ride fast or chase pow. Jones's guide says beginners often prefer boards 1 to 2 cm shorter than its recommended range. It suggests 2 to 3 cm shorter for freestyle and easier spins. For freeride or powder it suggests 2 to 3 cm longer, for stability, float and grip on firm snow.
We'd rather you size for the riding you do most days. If that means laps on Ontario groomers and in the park, take the shorter size. If you ride fast and hard on firm snow, or your weight sits near the top of the shorter board's range, the longer size will hold its line better.
How do I know if my snowboard is too long?
A board that is too long feels slow to turn and hard to stop, and you end up skidding the tail around to finish each turn. A board that is too short feels nervous at speed and sinks in soft snow. To check, find the length printed on the board and compare it with the weight range for that model and year.
Rule out setup before you blame length. Our list of snowboard setup mistakes covers the stance and binding errors to check first.
Do I need a wide board for my boot size?
Once your boots pass about men's US 10.5: Never Summer's width guide puts men under size 10.5 on regular width, men over 10.5 or 11 on its X wide sizes, men over 12 on its DF sizes, and women over size 9 on a men's board. Waist width is the narrowest point of the board, and it is the number to check against your boots. Aim for your toe and heel to sit just past the edges, with a small overhang on each side.
Too much overhang causes boot out, where your toe or heel drags in the snow when you lay a turn over. Too little overhang makes a board slow to roll from edge to edge. Check overhang with your own boots strapped into the bindings, since sole length varies between boot models.
We fit boots and set up bindings in the shop, so the boot you'll ride matters as much as the board. Bring your boots when you shop for a board, because width only makes sense with the boot that goes on it.
Once the width is right, our binding guide shows how to set up snowboard bindings step by step.
Frequently asked questions
Will learning on a board that's a bit too long hold me back?
We'd rather you learn on a board at the short end of your weight range. A long board takes more effort to turn and stop, and turning is what your first season is all about. Our guide to the best beginner snowboard covers what else to look for in a first board.
The board I found on sale is 4 cm longer than the chart says. Is that OK?
Our read: it can work if your weight still sits inside that board's own range and you ride fast or ride pow. For a first board, 4 cm over is too long. Check the spec table before price makes the call.
What does the W after a board size mean?
W means wide: the same length with a wider waist for bigger boots. A 158W rolls edge to edge a little slower than a regular 158. Pick the W size when your boots hang too far over the regular one, and compare the waist width on the spec table with your boot size first.
Which snowboard size should you buy this fall?
Buy the length where your weight sits inside that board's own range, close to the general charts' overlap, at the end of the range that fits how you ride. Work through it in this order:
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Find your range by weight on a general chart, and note where two charts overlap.
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Open the spec table for the exact board and list every size whose weight range includes you.
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Pick the shorter of those for learning or park, and the longer for speed and pow.
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Check waist width against your boots, aiming for a little overhang on each edge with no drag.
If this is your first board, size it by weight, stay at the short end, and check the width with your boots on. Start with our beginner snowboards picked for learning, then bring your boots in so we can set up your bindings.
