Snowboarding is an exhilarating yet expensive winter sport. With lift tickets, gear, and travel costs quickly adding up, one of the biggest investments you’ll make when taking up snowboarding is buying your snowboard. But exactly how much should you expect to spend on this essential piece of equipment?
Snowboard prices cover a huge range depending on the quality, construction, brand, graphics, and more. Cheap beginner boards may cost around $200, while high-performance snowboards from top brands can run over $1,000. Most average intermediate to advanced riders spend $300 to $700 on their board.
Here’s a detailed overview of the factors impacting snowboard costs and what you can expect to pay at various price points:
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Key Factors Affecting Snowboard Prices
Several key characteristics play a role in snowboard pricing:
Snowboard Type and Shape
- All-mountain – Designed to perform well across the whole mountain. Versatile in different conditions and terrain at an affordable mid-range price ($250 – $600).
- Freestyle – Made for the park and pipe. Flexible with twin tip shape allowing tricks in both directions ($200 – $500+).
- Powder – Wide board with rocker and nose lift to float through deep snow ($400 – $800+).
- Alpine – Rigid, narrow snowboard for high speed carving on piste ($600+).
Snowboard Profile and Camber Type
- Traditional camber – Better edge control suited for all mountain and freeride ($300+).
- Rocker/reverse camber – Easier turn initiation great for powder and park ($250+).
- Hybrid camber – Rocker tip & tail with camber between feet, versatile all-around board ($400+).
Construction Quality and Materials
- Core: wood, foam, or composite affect dampening, flex & weight
- Base: sintered high density vs. extruded low density
- Edges: steel allow durability underfoot and grip on ice
Higher grade materials increase cost but also performance.
Skill Level
- Beginner snowboards – Very affordable but limited in terms of performance ($150 – $250)
- Intermediate/Advanced boards – Offer best balance of price and quality as skills progress ($400 – $600)
- Expert snowboards – High end materials and tech improving speed, precision, and power ($600+)
As your riding improves, you’ll want a board that can keep up with you.
Snowboard Cost Range Examples
To give you a better idea of real world snowboard prices, here is an overview of approximate costs for boards at various quality tiers:
Budget Snowboards Under $250
Best for beginners or those riding very casually a few days a season.
You can find snowboards on sale in this range from brands like:
- Burton
- Salomon
- Rome
- Arbor
- GNU
- Ride
- Capita
While very affordable, the cheaper components limit their long term durability and versatility across different snow conditions and terrain.
Good to learn on, but intermediate and advanced riders will want to upgrade.
Mid-Range Snowboards $400 – $600
The sweet spot for intermediate to advanced riders focused on all-mountain freestyle or freeriding.
Top selling snowboard models from leading brands like:
- Lib Tech
- Burton
- GNU
- Never Summer
- Salomon
- Capita
- Rome
Offer excellent value balancing quality construction with affordable to moderate pricing.
Mid-flexing, all mountain directional twins dominate this price range. You’ll get better responsiveness, pop, and stability vs budget boards to progress your skills.
Pro Tip: Apply for season long 0% financing if needed through sites like Evo or The House when buying a more expensive board.
High-Performance Snowboards $600+
When money is no object and you demand the very best in materials, tech, and performance.
Premium snowboards with elite level pop, precision, stability, speed, and looks from iconic brands:
- Burton Custom X
- Lib Tech Travis Rice Pro
- Salomon Ultimate Ride
- Jones Flagship & Aviator Series
- Niche Story Series
- Capita Kazu Kokubo Pro
Pricing ranges from around $600 up to $1,800+ for the top of the line limited edition collaboration pro models.
While extremely high performing, boards in this price bracket are often overkill for many riders. Carefully consider if you really “need” a premium snowboard or just “want” one.
Do More Expensive Snowboards Perform Better?
Generally, yes – more expensive snowboards feature higher grade materials, tech, and construction that directly impact riding performance:
| Snowboard | Price | Performance Gains |
|---|---|---|
| budget board | $200 | basic all mountain ability |
| mid-range board | $500 | better stability, pop, control |
| premium board | $800+ | elite precision & speed, optimized feel |
However, skill remains the most critical factor influencing how well you can ride. An expert will outperform a beginner on basic gear every time.
Before dropping big bucks on a premium snowboard, focus on advancing your own abilities through proper technique and experience first. You want your skills to match the board’s potential.
Tips for Getting the Best Deal on a Snowboard
While snowboarding itself may be expensive, you can still find ways to save on gear:
- Buy past season models – Skip the latest & greatest for 20-40% off last year’s boards with nearly identical tech
- Shop end of season sales – Retailers offer best discounts in March through summer
- Buy factory second quality boardsthe – Small cosmetic defects mean big discounts if you don’t mind some scratches
- Scour used listings – Let someone else take the depreciation hit then snag a quality used board at a fraction of original cost
- Use cash back & active junky – Stack discounts from Capital One, Rakuten, Active Junky, and more
What’s Next? Gear Up the Rest of Your Snowboard Setup
With your board purchased, complete your setup with binding and boots to hit the slopes:
- Entry level bindings – $100 – $170
- Intermediate bindings – $170 – $250
- Advanced bindings $250+
And don’t forget:
- Snowboard boots – $200 – $400
- Snowboard helmet – $40 – $100
- Snowboard goggles – $30 – $280
Shop smart across your whole snowboard setup to maximize value while minimizing total spend. Used and past season gear can help cut costs substantially.
The sticker price on a snowboard can create some sticker shock. But rest assured quality gear exists even for modest budgets. With strategic shopping and keeping your personal skill level in perspective, you can secure an excellent board for years of winter shredding at a price you feel good about.