Ultimate Guide to Choosing The Right Snowboard Width

JUMP TO: WHAT IS SNOWBOARD WIDTH | SNOWBOARD WIDTH CHART | COMMON QUESTIONS

Author: Holly Price | Updated: Nov 7, 2023
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Since the early days back in the late 90s, the snowboard market has grown to become hugely varied with iconic brands offering a vast range of beautiful boards. However, with great variation comes a lot of features to wrap your head around. Every single snowboard has its own dimensions, shape, profile, length and width to consider.

Along with the type of riding style it is designed for, the width of your snowboard is an incredibly important feature that will directly relate to how you ride (unlike that very cool, artsy top deck that made it stand out in the first place). In order to understand snowboard width, and discover what width of snowboard is best for you, simply read on.

If you’re a beginner snowboarder and don’t know where to start, we suggest also checking out the rest of our Snowboarding 101 guides, where you can find out everything you need to know from camber vs rocker through to how to get your snowboarding stance dialed.

WHAT IS SNOWBOARD WIDTH?

The width of the snowboard is the distance between the front and back of the board, from your heel to toe edge. You can get this measurement by measuring across the board’s surface at its narrowest point. It’s sometimes known as the ‘waist width’.

The different snowboard widths tend to range from 23 to 27.5 cm and the suitable bracket for each rider will correlate directly to their shoe size – so see our boot size to snowboard width charts in the next section to dial in the right size for you.

Broadly speaking though, there are four categories that are sometimes used to describe approximate ranges:

  • Narrow/Women’s : <24.5 cm

  • Regular: 24.5 - 25.2 cm

  • Mid-Wide: 25.3 - 26 cm

  • Wide: >26 cm

HOW WIDE SHOULD MY SNOWBOARD BE?

As we touched on above, the size of your snowboard will relate directly to the size of your boots. This is to ensure safety, comfort, and effective turn initiation while out on the mountain.

When measuring your feet, remember that your boots will also add an extra few centimeters. Certain binding and boot designs will affect how much your feet overhang on the board, including the outsole design of your boots, which may taper away from the edge in order to minimize overhang and any drag. A good rule of thumb is that up to half an inch of overhang for toes and/or heel will be okay – this ensures you will be able to enter turns effectively, but without catching your toe or heel in the snow.

It’s therefore better to ensure that you already have your boots before buying a board so that you can stand on the board wearing them and ensure there’s not too much of an overhang. Buying your gear in this order will make sure you’re comfortable and confident on the mountain - it’s well worth being patient and doing your research!

The tables below give you a rough idea of what snowboard waist width you should opt for based on your shoe size.

Snowboard Width & Boot Size – Male

 
Snowboard Waist Width (cm) Shoe Size (US) Shoe Size (EUR)
23 to 24.5 5.0 to 7.5 37 to 40
24.6 to 25 7.0 to 9.5 39.5 to 42.5
25.1 to 25.4 8.5 to 10.5 41.5 to 44
25.5 to 25.9 9.5 to 11.5 42.5 to 45
26+ 11.5+ 45+
 

Snowboard Width & Boot Size – Female

 
Snowboard Waist Width (cm) Shoe Size (US) Shoe Size (EUR)
22.5 to 23.5 Up to 6 Up to 37
23 to 24.5 6 to 8.5 36 to 39.5
24.6 to 25 8 to 10.5 39 to 42
25.1 to 25.4 10+ 41.5+
 

COMMON QUESTIONS

What is the ideal snowboard width for a beginner? For beginners, snowboard width does not relate to ability. During the early stages of snowboarding, you’re not going to be attempting to euro carve or angle the base of your board in any extreme way which relates to the width - you’re simply just going to be getting down the mountain safely and hopefully starting to enjoy yourself.

So, if you’re a beginner, simply ensure that your boots aren’t miles over or under the sides of your board when you step on it - this can be done with or without the bindings mounted. A good rule of thumb to apply is that up to half an inch of overhang will be okay and provide control.

What is the ideal snowboard width for an advanced rider? If you’re an experienced rider you might consider buying a wider board, since the additional width will allow you to carve harder and float in deeper powder. If that sounds like the type of aggressive riding that interests you, then check out our ‘Can I ride a wider board?’ in the common questions below.

How can I tell if my board is too narrow? Your chosen board width is too narrow if your boots are overhanging dramatically on the heel or toe. If the board is too narrow when you’re riding down the mountain, you’ll experience some drag which can make your turns hard work or unstable. You could also experience heel cupping, which is dangerous in steep terrain. The half-inch overhang rule on either side is good for control and responsive riding, but any more than that and you’ll likely have difficulties.

Can I ride a wider board? There are many experienced and professional riders who recommend riding a wider board, especially if you’re looking to carve hard. Riding a wider board will allow you to ‘lay trenches’ in the snow and really lean into the carve without your edge slipping out. This is something worth considering if you’re hoping to progress into freeriding, or want to try out fun jibs and tricks that require optimum edge hold.

A larger board surface area ultimately means more volume too, so you will also float better in powder - but we definitely recommend looking at the other tech specs of good powder boards before going ahead with your purchase.

How does snowboard width affect performance? If your snowboard board is too narrow, your feet will overhang a dangerous amount and cause dragging or cupping. Too wide, and inexperienced riders may not be able to initiate turns properly. To make sure the width of your snowboard is appropriate, match your snowboard width to your boot size by following the sizing chart and general principles we’ve outlined in this article.