tl;dr Jones Snowboards is one of the most popular brands on the market today, and also one of my personal favorites! In this article, we’ll take a look at who they are, what makes them special, and some of their most iconic snowboards for both men and women. If you’re a Jones fan, read on to find which of their boards would be best for you.

Who Is Jones Snowboards?

While Jones Snowboards is a world-renowned brand, they’re also still the new kid on the block when compared to companies like Burton or K2. Jones was founded in 2009 by Jeremy Jones—a familiar name for those into big-mountain snowboarding. The entire brand is based around Jeremy's vision to create high-performance snowboards that can handle the most demanding backcountry terrain: so almost all of Jones’ boards are freeride focused.

In addition, Jones is one the brands most committed to sustainability—right beside Arbor Snowboards. Jones minimizes their environmental impact through various initiatives, the use of eco-friendly materials in their boards, and the support of organizations dedicated to protecting winter environments and our planet. This combination of high-performance boards and an eco-friendly mission has quickly made Jones Snowboards a high-end snowboard company, sort of like the Audi of the snowboarding world.

Expert-Recommended Jones Snowboards

As I mentioned above Jones makes snowboards for the backcountry, it’s kind of their whole thing. With that being said, I’ll be dividing their most popular boards into three categories; all-mountain daily drivers you can take just about anywhere, freeride boards that can hang on the groomers but thrive in off-piste pow conditions, and pure powder boards that are only meant to come out when there’s an abundance of deep snow.

For each of these categories, we’ll be covering 2–3 of the most popular male and female boards. Spoiler alert: many of the female-specific Jones boards feature the exact same technology as the male-specific boards but with a different graphic and model name.

All-Mountain Boards

1. Jones Mountain Twin (Male) /Twin Sister (Female)

The Jones Mountain Twin/Twin Sister are two of Jones’ most popular snowboards. No matter your riding style, it’s hard to go wrong. Built with a medium/stiff flex that’s stable enough for high speeds and sketchy lines, it’s also playful enough for park laps (although it will favor jumps and high-speed rail lines over smaller jibs and butters).

Further, these boards feature a classic camber/rocker hybrid that can be seen in many all-mountain boards—with camber spanning from binding insert to binding insert and rocker in the tips—giving them maximum versatility all over the mountain.

Despite the “twin” name, this board is actually a directional twin and not a true twin; however, it’s still one of the easier boards in the Jones line-up to ride switch with. I’d consider this board if you’re an intermediate-advanced rider interested in Jones and want a “traditional” all-mountain board that you can take just about anywhere.

2. Aviator 2.0/Airheart 2.0

This board is what you get if you take the Mountain Twin/Twin Sister and crank the intensity level up to 11. It’s got the same basic technology and directional twin shape as the Mountain Twin/Twin Sister, but it’s stiffer and boasts a full-camber profile. This extra rigidity and traditional camber give the board even more control when carving, more stability at speed, and overall better performance in gnarly terrain.

I would recommend this model to the rider who needs a board that can step it up on some of the steepest and most technical terrain they can find at resorts, but also still wants a versatile ride. It’s definitely an advanced board and should only be approached by riders who are very confident in their abilities and are ideally already familiar with how to ride camber boards.

3. Frontier/Dream Weaver

This board toes the line between all-mountain and freeride. It’s got a clear directional shape, which makes it appear to be a pure freeride board. However, it’s built with a softer flex than most Jones boards (about a 6/10), which makes it approachable and fun to ride in a variety of terrain (including the park).

These boards also feature rocker in the tips and camber running from insert pack to insert pack. This means they can float through powder, pop off of jumps, carve up groomers, and do just about anything else! I’d recommend this board to any intermediate to advanced rider who’s interested in an all-mountain board with an unconventional shape that’ll allow it to thrive in powder.

Freeride Boards

1. Flagship/Women’s Flagship

The Flagship is a quintessential freeride board that performs just fine on the groomers, but shines in the woods, powder, or any other off-piste adventure you may find yourself on.

It’s quite stiff, which gives it stability and very precise control for technical terrain. Further, it features camber underfoot with a large section of rocker in the nose and a smaller section in the tail. This camber grips the snow when needed, and the rocker helps the board float. It also has quite the taper to it (meaning the nose is wider than the tail), which further helps the nose of the board stay afloat in powder.

I would recommend this board to the advanced rider who is looking to spend their time in the woods, carving on steep trails, and in powder when possible. Think of it like a more powder-oriented version of the Aviator 2.0/Airheart 2.0.

2. Mind Expander/ Women’s Mind Expander

The Mind Expander resembles the Flagship, but it’s the not-so-hard-charging freeride option in Jones’ lineup. Don’t get me wrong, it can still hang on a powder day and hold a mean carve on groomers. However, it’s got a softer flex than most other Jones boards (6/10), which makes it a bit more playful and approachable for more riders.

The blunted tips, full-sized tail, and tight side cut means that maneuverability is the name of the game for the Mind Expander. It’s a board that’s suitable for any intermediate to advanced rider who wants something super nimble that caters to tree riding, snow slashing, and any other tight-turning stunts you can think of.

3. Stratos/Women’s Stratos

The Stratos is one of the most recognizable Jones boards out there. Although it appears to be a pure powder board based on its shape, Jones actually claims it’s an all-mountain/freeride ripper.

It features a very directional shape with a long, rockered nose that plows through powder and a short swallowtail that allows the tail to sink and further elevate the nose above fresh snow. Though looks can be deceiving, as this board isn’t the stiffest (only a 7/10), nor the most aggressive board in the Jones lineup. It’s more built to be a daily driver, not just a powder board.

Despite the unconventional shape, I’d still recommend this board to any all-mountain rider who sees a good amount of powder during their season. It’s one of Jones’ more approachable boards. Plus, it’s a good alternative to the Mountain Twin as an option with more powder performance, or to the Frontier as an option that can handle slightly more aggressive riding.

Pure Powder Boards

1. Hovercraft/Women’s Hovercraft

The Hovercraft is Jones’ short and fat (volume-shifted) powder pride and joy. Its shape makes it excel in powder—the deeper the better—and the small size of it (when downsized properly) means it’s super nimble and surfy through powder fields and trees alike.

It has a massive rockered nose for fresh snow, and camber between the bindings for when you do encounter a groomer (which is hopefully seldom). It has a medium/stiff flex (7/10) which makes it approachable to intermediate and above riders. Overall, I’d recommend it to the rider who’s looking to purchase a secondary board to take out on powder days, but I wouldn’t recommend it as a daily driver.

2. Storm Wolf

This unisex board is designed to be a missile. Its directional shape lends itself to powder. However, the board’s shape as well as a medium/stiff flex (8/10) means it’ll be a harder-charger and better for making tighter and faster carves than the Hovercraft.

This board is from Jones’ “Surf Series”, which focuses on building surfy snowboards that are meant to perform the best on both powder and groomers. I’d recommend this to the advanced rider who understands how to properly carve a snowboard and has the opportunity to ride deep powder. While it could be ridden by intermediate riders, you simply won’t appreciate all this board has to offer unless you’ve truly dialed in your carving abilities.

Picking the Jones Snowboard For You!

I think it’s fair to say that Jones makes some great boards for the big-mountain-loving shredders. However, this doesn’t mean every single one of their boards is going to be great for you. That’s because each board has its own specific use case. So, it’s crucial to find a board that’s suited for your skill level and riding style.

Fret not though, a Curated Snowboarding Expert, like me, is always here to help. We offer free, experience-based advice and gear recommendations. Whether you’re wondering where to start, or just trying to understand how much a certain piece of board tech will actually affect you, Curated Experts can answer all your questions. The process takes only a few minutes, and is the easiest way to avoid analysis paralysis and buyer’s remorse when choosing a snowboard for your next adventure!