How tall should your snowboard be to your height?
A common answer is that the board height should be between your chin and the tip of your nose. And while this is a good guide, there's more to it. In reality, a correctly sized snowboard could fall anywhere between your collarbone and forehead.
Choosing Your Length
So for example if you're a freestyle rider you might take 3-6cm off that and go with a 154-157cm board. If you are a beginner you might go with a 155-157 and if you are a dedicated free-rider then you might bump it up to 162, 163 or 164.
Okay, so they probably weren't talking about snowboard size, but one reason why your snowboard size matters is a board that's too long or too short can mean it's harder to control. Two key things to remember: Having a board that's too short will make controlling it at high speeds more difficult.
Short snowboards will be easier to turn, making them great for beginners. A longer board will be more stable and have more contact with the snow ensuring they are perfect for carving. Advanced snowboarders who favour park may choose to downsize their board by around 2-4cms.
Generally, smaller snowboards are easier to manoeuvre, allowing you to carve smaller turns. Longer snowboards, on the other hand, will be harder to control when going slow but will be more stable at high speeds.
Snowboard length: As a general rule, if you stand a board on its tail, the nose of the board should reach somewhere between your nose and chin. You can use size charts and recommended rider weights to get more precise. Types of snowboards: Your choices include all-mountain, freestyle, freeride, powder and splitboards.
Rider Height | Range of Board Length (Centimeters) |
---|---|
5'2″ | 135 – 145cm |
5'4″ | 140 – 148cm |
5'6″ | 145 -152cm |
5'8″ | 147 -155cm |
Rider Height (in) | Rider Height (cm) | Snowboard Size (cm) |
---|---|---|
5'6" | 168 | 149 -157 |
5'8" | 173 | 154 -162 |
5'10" | 178 | 159 -167 |
6' | 183 | 160+ |
Take off 3 to 5cm if you are a beginner. Take off 2 to 6cm if you are a freestyler. Add 1 to 4cm if you are a freerider. If you are an all-mountain rider and an ability level of intermediate or above, then use your standard length.
As a general rule for all mountain riding or getting your first board you don't want to have a board as tall as you or one that is below your chest. You want something that comes around your chest to chin.
What size snowboard do I need if I'm 5 10?
Rider Height (ft/in) | Rider Height (cm) | Snowboard Size (cm) |
---|---|---|
5'9″ | 175cm | 153-157 |
5'10” | 178cm | 154-159 |
5'11” | 180cm | 155-160 |
6′ | 183cm | 156-162 |
Older snowboarders have the advantage of being more mature and aware of their boundaries than younger snowboarders. After 40, if you've been riding since you were a kid, you might want to ease off on the jumps and rails. However, if you're in good form, there's no reason to cut back any further on your riding.

Here's what I found. The average snowboard lasts between 150 to 200 days of riding. A snowboard's performance peaks during the first 75 to 100 days of riding, after which performance starts to gradually decline.
Rider Weight | All Mountain Length (CM) | Freestyle Length (CM) |
---|---|---|
Up To 80 lbs (36 kg) | 137 | 132 |
80-120 lbs (45-59 kg) | 140 | 135 |
100-130 lbs (45-59kg) | 143 | 138 |
110-140 lbs (50-64 kg) | 147 | 142 |
Short boards are easier to turn and spin for tricks but would be slower than an equal quality board that is longer. You will also feel a little more chatter at high speeds. Longer boards are faster and more stable at high speeds but take more effort to turn.
With skiing, your legs remain separated so at low speeds, you can throw one leg out if you start to fall to help re-balance yourself. Snowboarding, on the other hand, requires that your feet are attached the board and this can feel awkward and restrictive at first - and can take a little getting used to.
Longer snowboard will be faster and more stable, making them good for great for heavier, more advanced, or aggressive freeriders.
For most beginners, we recommend the True Twin style board, as these are symmetrical both in shape and flex, with a centred stance. Not quite figured out what style of beginner's snowboard you may need? Speak to one of our expert snowboarding instructors, and sign up to our Beginners' Snowboarding Lessons!
Softer, shorter snowboards don't float well on powder and don't lock into high speed carves with the precision of a good all-mountain snowboard. Overall, softer, shorter snowboards tend to be less stable at higher speeds.
Skiing Or Snowboarding For Beginners? Skiing is generally easy to learn initially but is harder to master. Snowboarding is harder to learn but reaching an advanced level is easier. Although there are exceptions to this rule, it generally holds true and you can use it to inform your snow sports choice.
Should I size up or down for snowboard?
The fit should be snug, but not uncomfortable. Keep in mind that liners compress ("pack out") with use and will end up roomier at the end of the season than when you bought them, so if you're deciding between two sizes, it's best to size down.
The best shape for a beginner snowboard is a true twin shape. A true twin shape is perfectly symmetrical - like having a centered stance this makes it easier to find and keep your balance. This is more so the case if you are looking to start learning tricks, and want to learn how to ride switch from early on.
The most popular size for average size guys is the 157 cm. With the blunted tips, the 157 cm floats like a traditional 159 cm but is still a great park size. If you are a little bigger or heavier than average, or you're looking for a pow board, check out the 160 cm or the 162W cm.
It's unanimous. Just as health experts have been saying for years about exercise and fitness programs, ski industry experts say it's never too late to start, whether it's downhill skiing, snowboarding, cross-country schussing, or snowshoeing. And never too old to stick with it.
Rider Height | Range of Board Length (Centimeters) |
---|---|
5'8″ | 147 -155cm |
5'10” | 154- 163cm |
6'0″ | 157-165cm |
6'1″ | 160-168cm |
As a general rule for all mountain riding or getting your first board you don't want to have a board as tall as you or one that is below your chest. You want something that comes around your chest to chin.
The width of your snowboard should allow your toes and heels to overhang the edge of your board by around 1/2 an inch. By having this slight overhang, your toes and heels will be directly placed above the edges of your snowboard.
Stance Width
For guys of average height, it's likely to be around 21 inches (53 cm); for women, it will be more like 19 inches (48 cm). Screw the bindings down at this position and stand in them to see how it feels. Your feet should be slightly wider than shoulder width apart.