Sport & running
What size snowboard do you need?
A length band from height, level and riding style — and the boot size that decides whether you need a wide board.
Quick answer
A snowboard is not sized like a ski. Skis come off your height; a board comes off your weight — every maker prints a weight range for each length, and that range is the real selector. Height is the cross-check: stood on end, an all-mountain board lands somewhere between your chin and your nose. At 175 cm, intermediate, all-mountain, that is around 154–159 cm. A park board sits below the chin on purpose, about 5 cm shorter, because it spins and presses more easily; a freeride board goes past the nose, about 5 cm longer, because length is what floats in deep snow. Then check your weight against the range printed for that exact board before you buy — it differs between models, and it beats every chart including this one.
Board length
154–159 cm
- Board width
- Regular width is fine
- The number that actually decides
- The weight range printed on that board
A board is sold by length, but the measurement that ruins a day is the width. From about EU 45 up, your toes and heels hang past the edges of a regular board and drag in the turn — you catch an edge, and you never work out why. Stand on the board in your boots before you buy: a few millimetres of overhang each side is normal and wanted, a centimetre is not. Length is the easy half. Every maker prints a weight range next to each size, and that range is what actually picks the board — the same 157 cm is sold for a different weight by two brands. Find your weight inside the range for that exact board. If you are at the top of it, the board rides shorter than the number says; at the bottom, longer.
On skis instead? Ski length and poles
Height sets the starting band, level and terrain move it. ⛔ No models and no brands: ranges change every season and the weight ranges differ between them, so a page that lists boards is wrong by next winter. The two things that matter more than five centimetres are the boot — the only piece that has to fit you — and the width, which the boot decides and the length does not.
How it works
| Height | Beginner | Intermediate | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|
| 155 cm | 130–135 cm | 134–139 cm | 138–143 cm |
| 160 cm | 135–140 cm | 139–144 cm | 143–148 cm |
| 165 cm | 140–145 cm | 144–149 cm | 148–153 cm |
| 170 cm | 145–150 cm | 149–154 cm | 153–158 cm |
| 175 cm | 150–155 cm | 154–159 cm | 158–163 cm |
| 180 cm | 155–160 cm | 159–164 cm | 163–168 cm |
| 185 cm | 160–165 cm | 164–169 cm | 168–173 cm |
| 190 cm | 165–170 cm | 169–174 cm | 173–178 cm |
The table is all-mountain, which is why it sits between chin and nose. Park takes about 5 cm off and freeride adds about 5 — and those are choices, not corrections: a shorter board turns and spins with less effort, a longer one holds a line and floats instead of sinking. Where you can be relaxed is the five centimetres inside your band. Rental shops hand you whatever is in stock in that range and you ride fine all week.
Where you cannot be relaxed is the width, and almost nobody tells you. A board is sold by length, but if your boot is big and the board is narrow, your toes and heels hang past the edges and drag in the snow every time you tip it on edge. From about EU 45 up you want a wide board. You catch an edge, you go down, and you spend the day thinking you are riding badly. Stand on the board in your boots before buying: a few millimetres of overhang each side is normal and wanted, a centimetre is not.
The last number is the one this page cannot give you, and it matters more than the rest: the weight range printed next to each size on that specific board. The same 157 cm is sold for different weights by two different brands, because the flex is different. Find yourself inside that range. At the top of it the board rides shorter than the number suggests, at the bottom it rides longer — which is also why two riders the same height end up happy on boards 8 cm apart.
Frequently asked questions
What size snowboard for a beginner?+
Around chin height, so roughly your height minus 20 to 25 cm — at 170 cm that is about 145–150 cm. Short is deliberate: a shorter board turns with less effort and is easier to stop, and the first season is mostly turning and stopping. Check the weight range on the board anyway; if you are heavy for your height, go to the top of the band rather than below it.
Do I need a wide snowboard?+
It depends on your boot, not your height or weight. From about EU 45 (US 11 men) up, a regular-width board leaves your toes and heels hanging past the edges, and they drag in the snow when the board is on edge — which catches an edge and puts you down. The test is physical: strap in and look along the board. A few millimetres of overhang each side is normal and gives you leverage; a centimetre is a wide board instead.
Is snowboard size by height or by weight?+
By weight, with height as the sanity check — which is the opposite of skis. Every manufacturer prints a weight range beside each length because the flex is built for a weight: too light for the board and you cannot bend it into a turn, too heavy and it folds under you. Height only tells you the board is in the right ballpark, somewhere between your chin and your nose for all-mountain riding.
Can I use the same size if I switch between park and powder?+
You can, and most people do — one all-mountain board in the middle of the band covers both honestly. The 5 cm either way is what you buy when a board becomes a second board: shorter for park, where you want it to spin and press, longer for powder, where length is literally what keeps you on top of the snow. It is a reason for a second board, not a reason to compromise your first one.
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