dropping in on a powder snowboard

The 5 Best Powder Snowboards 2019-2020

In this post, we have compiled a list and give our reviews of the best powder snowboards for men for this season.

What makes a powder snowboard stand out? The best powder snowboards often do a good job of mirroring the surfing feeling. For the majority of snowboarders, this is possibly the closest they ever get to authentic surfing.

Below, we jump right in and show you our top pick as well as runner up selections for the best powder snowboards this year. The ‘What we like and dislike’ section for each board is to help you better understand the real ups and downs we observed along with any other aspects to watch out for.

Then we’ll lead you through some of the most common questions and describe some of the basic terminologies you’ll need to help select the best powder snowboard for your needs.

Let’s go powder surfing.

Top Overall Pick:

1. Jones Storm Chaser

The Storm Chaser is a powder board with a surf-inspired shape for those sought after deep days. This Jones board outperforms most others in deep powder and encourages boldness with its surfrider shape, making it our top choice for best powder snowboard.

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OVERVIEW

Designed for body-hugging tree runs and surfing unfathomable powder, the Jones Storm Chaser is a directional powder snowboard intended for intermediate to advanced riders. When it comes to riding in epic powder, the Jones Storm Chaser is our clear favorite.

Produced with the legendary surfboard shaper Chris Christenson, this board features the Christenson Surf Rocker (nose rocker from front inserts, tail rocker from back inserts).

The secret to the Storm Chaser’s capabilities starts with its shape, namely the ultra-wide waist, substantial nose, and tapered swallowtail. These features combine to pack the volume capacity of a substantially longer snowboard into a measurably shorter board, which makes it possible for both surf-like turns and spry dances through the trees.

Further enhancing the float is a 3D contoured nose that thwarts hang-ups in deeper snow that might otherwise bog you down.

The medium-stiff flex, surfboard-inspired, rocker profile provides insane float. Jones added a lightweight but strong Bamboo Surf core, as well as Traction Tech 2.0 to the sidecut to support you as you burst out of powder turns. Traction Tech 2.0 also aids in holding an edge on tracked-out slopes.

The storm chaser is surfy, fast, and incapable of sinking, no matter how deep the snow is and is straight-up nutty. I can’t applaud this board enough, it handles well in the steep n’ deep, through the trees, but it shines on REALLY deep pow days. Don’t waste this bad boy on average pow days.

SPECS

  • Lengths available: 142, 147, 152, 157, 160 
  • Flex rating: Medium-Stiff
  • Base profile: Christenson Surf Rocker
  • Shape: Directional Tapered
  • Style: Powder/All Mountain

PROS

  • Boundless float
  • Versatile, responsive and stable
  • Comes factory waxed and tuned

CONS

  • Takes some getting used to
  • Only available in the U.S.

BOTTOM LINE

Of all the boards tested, this one has the best float in the deep, with its big nose, you can float for days with no need to lean back at all.

The Jones Storm Chaser is an absolute champ in the powder and really makes you feel like you are surfing. It rides so far back on the tail, has a nice amount of taper, is pretty wide, and has plenty of rocker that it makes it ideal for an easy floating ride in deep untracked powder. If you are looking for a super fun, surfy ride, this one is hard to beat.

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Runner-up Pick:

2. Capita Spring Break Powder Racer

The ultimate soul boarders wish has been granted. The Capita Spring Break snowboard series has done it yet again with the Powder Racer, by offering a spot-on surf-like shape and profile.

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OVERVIEW

The Powder Racer is the newest edition to the Capita Spring Break collection. This sweet ride is the brainchild of Corey Smith, a master shaper, who partnered up with Capita to create his oversized handcrafted powder surf decks. 

This snowboard is unique from tip to tail. It features a directional tapered shape and a rounded off tail with a Surf Rocker camber profile, reliant on boundless powder for its true performance to be set free.

Perfect for intermediate riders, with effortless speed through deeper snow, this board makes powder snowboarding extremely enjoyable and won’t disappoint that adrenalin rush you’re looking for. 

If you get the chance, grab one of these for a day and see what a transformation a lightweight directional board like this can do for you.

SPECS

  • Lengths available: 151, 154, 157
  • Flex rating: Medium 
  • Base profile: Surf Rocker
  • Shape: Directional tapered
  • Style: Powder/All Mountain

PROS

  • Floats very nice
  • Very durable but light
  • Affordable

CONS

  • Tip and tail chatter a bit
  • Not the fastest down the mountain

BOTTOM LINE

Capita designed the Spring Break Powder Racer to be quick through trees and over flats for a smooth and floaty ride. This board is a lightweight, dependable, and affordable snowboard that is perfect for powder riding or all-mountain.

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Also Great:

3. Bataleon The Surfer

This powder surfer is built for lovers of deep snow and inspiring tracks. The Bataleon Surfer does an astounding job cutting through and riding powder. You can attack steep or low angle pow with minimal effort, so get on that back foot and charge into the abyss.

Last update on 2024-03-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

OVERVIEW

This Directional swallowtail is built to hover in the freshest, deepest snow you can find without losing performance on the groomers. So you get back to the chairlift with style, ready to go again.

This stylish Bataleon snowboard is a surfy powder slayer with a directional swallow outline, a massive 3D nose, a 3D shaped swallowtail, and Triple Base Technology designed specifically for powder.

The directional shape pairs exceptionally well with the deep swallow tail to do a couple of things. First, it provides a solid, edge hold that is enhanced by the free flexing nature of the swallowtail, allowing you to carve turns of varying widths. 

Second, it drops your back end, which brings the nose up, producing absurd float and quick maneuverability for risky tree runs. A medium flex provides sufficient response for speedy turns while giving it a free and surf-inspired ride. 

To cut weight, mixed in with poplar and paulownia wood, is a light core, which includes carbon stringers and hollow carbon tubes to offer a quick to responding ride. 

You’ll experience some serious floating through snow without the feared back leg burn that often comes with ripping through deep tracks.

Not only does Surfer offer the technology needed for epic runs down the mountain, but its distinctive, deep swallow shape and simple aesthetics will have you looking good as you’re cruising. 

Whether you’re rocketing yourself into waist-high powder or shredding through trees, you can bet on the Bataleon’s Surfer to handle it.

SPECS

  • Lengths available: 154, 159
  • Flex rating: Medium-Soft 
  • Base profile: Medium camber, Pow 3BT + SideKick
  • Shape: Tapered Directional
  • Style: Powder/Freeride

PROS

  • Best design
  • Meant for powder and speed
  • Plenty of turn initiation and float

CONS

  • Does not damper ride well
  • Soft for some
  • Pricey

BOTTOM LINE

No, this board isn’t cheap, but these days the market is abundant with affordable powder specific snowboards. But, this is definitely the big stick you want to be wielding when it comes to slaying epic pow.

The profile has become immediately recognizable from every angle, and with a name like Surfer, there is no debating how it’s designed to ride. And boy, does it deliver!

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4. K2 Cool Bean

Built to be ridden short, the shape of the K2 Cool Bean packs a lot of wallop into its small package. Sprightly and playful, the Cool Bean is simplified and versatile by design; feeling at ease on groomers, amongst trees, or riding powder.

Last update on 2024-03-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

OVERVIEW

At first, the Optimistic appears to be just a powder specific board. However, the way it carves, its stability in long and tight turns all with speed and power, make it a solid freeride snowboard as well. 

The K2 Cool Bean is a maneuverable board with a tight turn radius, making it capable of spinning turns faster. Get this board in some trees and you’ll be whizzing in and out with ease. 

The Cool Bean snowboard has a directional rocker in the tip and tail, but is mostly flat. The nose has a more noticeable rocker to prevent it from sinking in the deeper powder. It also has a significant setback, with a long spoon nose and a short stumpy tail, which will keep your weight centered over the back – say adios to that back leg burn when riding powder. 

Pro Tip: The K2 Cool Bean Snowboard should be sized down from your standard board for a better riding experience.

It incorporates the K2 Volume Shift, taking bulk out of the length and instead moves it to the width of the board. This way, you’re able to ride a considerably shorter snowboard, but still retain stability and float for far longer.

The Cool Bean is a snowboard with a peculiar yet delightful shape, but its design is not just for catching the eye in the lift line, every part is precisely thought out and tenaciously calculated. 

Despite its funky shape, the tight, tapered sidecut makes carving on this shortboard a pleasurable reality. It floats, it rips, and it carves – sounds awesome to me.

SPECS

  • Lengths Available: 138,144,150
  • Flex Rating: Medium
  • Base Profile: Rocker/Flat/Rocker
  • Shape: Directional Taper
  • Style: Powder/All Mountain

PROS

  • Facilitates extremely tight surf-style turns
  • Speedy and agile
  • Fun in trees

CONS

  • Somewhat twitchy in the air
  • One style

BOTTOM LINE

K2 Cool Bean Snowboards combine a medium-rise in the tip and a lower rise in the tail for a board that feels like you’re surfing on top of fluffy powder. The Cool Bean’s lightweight core, agile shape, and stiffer flex make it versatile for groomers, tight trees, and cruising through heavy powder. What else do ya need?

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5. YES. 420 Powderhull

The 420 Powderhull, from Yes, has an exciting ride sensation, and it doesn’t feel as short/fat as the standard Yes 420. It’s still more of a powder board but a lot more fun on groomers than before.

Last update on 2024-03-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

OVERVIEW

With the Carver, you get Bataleon’s Triple Base Technology.  This is a patented 3D shape design with a camber profile for good edge control, while it’s turned up edges at the contact points result in it being less catchy.   The Carver goes beyond the traditional shape and has been specked out for faster edge changes that deliver a much snappier ride than the basic shape. The unique base profile on this board also results in good carving ability.

If you want that weightless sensation, like when you’re flying, then nothing beats the feeling after a good powder run. The Yes 420 Powderhull Snowboard is designed to maximize your fun in the deep stuff. This is one of the best surfy and playful boards on the market. 

It is as lightweight and as snappy as they come, this Powderhull handles great in variable conditions and slices through powder like a hot knife through margarine. Honestly, this board is just way too fun not to add to the old quiver. 

At first glance, the Powderhull appears to be a powder specific board. However, with the way it carves, the stability in long tight turns, and descent edge hold make it a solid powder or freeride snowboard.

SPECS

  • Lengths available: 154
  • Flex rating: Medium
  • Base profile: Rocker/Flat/Rocker
  • Shape: Directional Taper
  • Style: Powder/Freeride

PROS

  • Great float and better on groomers than others
  • Surprisingly good turn initiation
  • Holds a good edge

CONS

  • Limited stance options 
  • Not great when riding switch
  • Isn’t super-fast down the hill

BOTTOM LINE

If you’re an advanced powder dog, the Yes 420 Powderhull’s copious features are well worth the ride. The 420 Powderhull takes the original Yes 420 and makes it camber with a hull in the tip and tail, making it a very distinctive board.  

It has a very different feel in deep powder and feels like a board that doesn’t want to cartwheel.

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How to choose the best powder snowboard?

Like to rip through trees? Surf through waist-deep powder? Then purchasing the right board, designed for conquering deep fluff, is the way to go.

Good powder snowboards come in unique shapes and usually run shorter. Most boards specifically designed for powder have wider noses that taper into a slimmer tail. 

This isn’t necessarily a board you would want to take out every day. It intends to permit you to thrive in deep powder, and slaughter turns all day long in the backcountry.

Top features to consider when shopping for a powder snowboard

Snowboard length: As a general rule, powder snowboards are best when you use a shorter length than your typical board. 

Types of snowboards: Powder – Everything about a powder specific boards is designed with deep snow awareness, from the shape of the tail and nose to the flex of the board, and the location of the binding placements. Many powder boards experiment with rocker for better flotation.

Snowboard camber and rocker: Reverse camber shapes help powder snowboards float better. Different rocker profiles also make powder snowboards more or less adaptable, so make sure to take rocker into consideration.

Snowboard width: Powder specific snowboards tend to be on the wider side, more in line with a surfboard.

Snowboard shape: Selecting a swallowtail, reversed cambered or directional powder board, all calculated for maximal float, can be a deciding factor.

What’s the Difference between Powder and All-Mountain snowboards?

Powder: Powder snowboards are a derivation of a Freeride snowboard. They are somewhat alike in shape, length, and flex, yet they often have a wider nose and a narrower tail and have the stance more to the rear to help with floating in deep powder.

Everything from the shape to the rocker profile gets tweaked on a powder board, to elevate it for deep snow performances. Powder snowboards often feature directional shapes, split swallowtail designs, and more rear stances (sinking your tail while rising up your tip), making it easier to surf through deep snow while taking the weight off your back leg. 

All-Mountain: All-Mountain boards are decent powder riders but tend to excel at more of a variety of surfaces where powder boards don’t – whether that’s cruising groomers, riding more freestyle, in the park, or on hard-packed snow.

The all-mountain snowboard is just that, one board that can do-it-all. It is a perfect choice for beginner to intermediate riders or those who don’t wish to be confined to any one style of riding. If an all mountain snowboard sounds more like what you’re looking for then check out our best all mountain snowboards article.

Conclusion

There you have it, our summary of the best powder snowboards.  We’ve reviewed surfing aces, impressive floaters, reverse camber, and directionally shaped snowboard selections for you to ride.

Sure, any snowboard can be taken into the powder and perform adequately, but there’s something about having the right tool for the job. Snowboards specifically dedicated to powder are an absolute fantasy to ride, providing graceful float and letting you make the deep powder your painting canvas.

That’s why we chose the Jones Storm Chaser as our preferred board. Of all the boards we reviewed, it packs the most float in deep snow, with no need to lean back, and is simply a blast to ride.

Do your research and choose the best powder snowboard for your needs. The correct choice will reap rewards out on the mountain, helping make each powder day more epic, and letting you thrive in the deep pow even better.

Thanks for checking out my review and as always enjoy and be safe out there!