Sometimes you need a great snowboard on a budget. Curated experts make sure to take each snowboarder's budget into account every time they make recommendations. This list brings together their top recommendations for boards under $500. Want a more personalized fit? Don't forget to talk to a Snowboard Expert here on Curated for free advice and recommendations on the best board for your needs.
- Arbor Foundation Rocker Snowboard · 2023
- Salomon Pulse Snowboard · 2023
- Yes. Basic Snowboard · 2023
- Arbor Ethos Rocker Snowboard · Women's · 2023
- Jones Mountain Twin Snowboard · 2023
- Nitro Prime Raw Snowboard · 2023
- Salomon Lotus Snowboard · Women's · 2023
- Lib Tech Cold Brew Snowboard · 2023
- Nitro Lectra Snowboard · Women's · 2023
- Burton Ripcord Snowboard · 2023
Arbor Foundation Rocker Snowboard · 2023
The Arbor Foundation Snowboard is a medium flex board that is ideal for hitting whatever features you can find on the mountain and the grip tech underfoot ensures you have control when you need it. This classic, all-around, all-mountain board has a parabolic rocker that is ideal for a surfy ride, natural float, and buttery turns and spins! This board will cruise the groomers and ride the park with ease.
The Arbor Foundation Snowboard is a medium flex board that is ideal for hitting whatever features you can find on the mountain and the grip tech under foot ensures you have control when you need it. This classic, all-around, all-mountain board has a parabolic rocker that is ideal for a surfy ride, natural float, and buttery turns and spins!
A high-quality do-it-all board. System Rocker profile so it is shaped like a "banana" and the points of contact are between your feet. Easy to turn and playful. Great for cruising groomers and riding park. GripTech for added edge hold on those icy days.
Salomon Pulse Snowboard · 2023
The Salomon Pulse is designed for riders wanting to gain more confidence on the slopes. It has a flat our camber profile to give additional stability across the center of the board, with bite free edges to avoid catching edges. The camber under each foot will give added response and allow for easy turn initiation as you learn to carve up the mountain!
This option from Salomon is the perfect board for progressing riders. Featuring a softer flex, learning how to ride will be relaxed and easy on the Pulse. A flat-out camber profile will help build confidence in those newer riders without feeling too aggressive. One of my top choices for a beginner rider who wants to learn some new tricks!
Great for all-mountain riding. Handles everything you can throw at it. Flat/camber/flat profile for extra stability for those starting out and looking to get good fast! Nice and soft with a bite free edge bevel. This is a beginners dream here.
Yes. Basic Snowboard · 2023
Yes! This smooth ride will take you all over the mountain, comfortable for laps on fresh groomers and not afraid to venture out into the woods. Full tip to tail Poplar wood core proves to provide durability, consistent flex and lightweight. From the top to the bottom the Basic is built to take your riding to the next level. With a Cam-Rock profile that gives you the best of both worlds when considering edge control.
Arbor Ethos Rocker Snowboard · Women's · 2023
This is a fully rockered deck that will be quite noodly and playful. This means that the edges curve away from the snow instead of towards it, so turn initiation is easier and catch free. If you like to get buttery and and surfy, this is the deck for you!
Jones Mountain Twin Snowboard · 2023
Jones premier all-mountain freestyle board designed for the rider who loves to the park but really shines all over the resort, off-piste, and backcountry hits. Jones call it when "freestyle meets freeride). They stiffened it up a bit this year with a mid flex feel at (7/10), with a 3D contour base spoon shape to the nose and tail gives this board quick and effortless turn initiation and exceptional float for a true twin. Cam rock profile - camber underfoot and plenty of rocker to the nose and tail. For Jones, this board is very playful, it can jib and press, spin on the flats, and you can send it in the park or resort side hits if you like. The profile makes it a great board to carve up the groomers. Sustainable source wood core. Intermediate to advanced riders will love this board for you one board quiver daily driver!
The Jones Mountain Twin is an extremely versatile directional twin designed with all-mountain rippers in mind. This board is a jack-of-all-trades and a one-stop shop for multi-terrain fun. Traction Tech edges paired with the CamRock profile and a 3D Contour base make sure you are locked in on turns in any condition, while still providing the forgiveness you need when you decide to get jibby. The blunted tips offer reduced swing weight for spinning off of side-hits and transitioning through the trees. The Sintered 8000 base ensures easy maintenance and high speeds. What more could you ask for?! This baby has it all!
One of the most playful options coming from Jones, the Mountain Twin is designed for the Freerider who can turn the mountain into their own painting canvas. From dropping deep pillow lines to hitting tree jibs in the secret park, the Mountain Twin will allow you to tweak and style out all of your airs while being able to hold up on some big landings. A directional Twin with the option to set back those bindings for the super deep days. Coming in with a playful 7/10 flex will feel very solid when charging hard yet poppy and spring loaded when taking those tricks out of the bag.
Nitro Prime Raw Snowboard · 2023
An all mountain forgiving ripper, with a flat to rocker profile, great for learning on or for those who want to jib and press. 5/10 flex. Directional twin, with their all mnt pop, provides tons of versatility on all types of terrain. This is one of the best budget budget boards ever made and can be ripped hard all over the resort or for the first timer learning how to make some smooth turns. Take to to the parks or streets to get steezy!
Will take you from "trying out" the blacks to crushing them. Not only will this board help you grow as a snowboarder, it won't get boring as you progress. Some learner boards will not perform as you outgrow it. Not this one!
Salomon Lotus Snowboard · Women's · 2023
Summary: The Salomon Lotus is a beginner/intermediate board that's great for pushing your boundaries and conquering new terrain! It's a very forgiving board and will make you quite confident in your progression! It's soft flexing and therefore playful so you'll never feel like you have to fight it and will have full control over your riding!
Notable Features:
- The edge of this board is fully detuned straight from the factory, this means that you're less likely to randomly catch and edge and fall on this board than you would be on other boards!
- this board is a directional twin which means it's nearly identical from end to end. This makes it super versatile and great for riding in either direction if you want to explore riding with either leg forward! The nose is just ever so slightly bigger than the tail which helps it cruise through deeper snow on powder days!
Personal thoughts: this is one of those boards that is great if you're a beginner but it'll also totally stand up to more technical riding, making it great for intermediates as well!
Lib Tech Cold Brew Snowboard · 2023
Summary: This is an awesome choice if you're looking for something that can rip up the whole mountain and are planning on doing a lot of riding in deeper snow or riding off-piste (riding in the woods, on ungroomed snow, etc). It's versatile enough that it'll be plenty fun on your average groomer day, but it is a freeride board at heart so on those powder and/or woods days this thing is going to let you charge!!
Top features:
- It's got a setback stance and a big ol' nose meaning that it'll easily cruise through deep snow or over bumpy terrain without your legs burning from leaning back! Less leg burn=more fun!!
- Lib Tech uses "magne-traction" on all their boards including this one. it's essentially a finely serrated edge which digs into hardpacked snow and gives you better traction! Great for icy days when everyone else has no edge control!
Why I personally love it: I enjoy the fact that that Lib Tech decided to use a ECO Sublimated TNT base (Yes I geek out on things like this). This style of base is eco-friendly AND is super easy to maintain and keep waxed so it'll continue to ride "like-new" even if you hardly ever do any maintenance.
Riders who are looking for a fun, directional all-mountain board that will have your back in all conditions. Lib tech’s C2 profile gives you the rocker in the middle and the camber under the feet for that increased edge hold when you need it and the float when you don’t! The Magne-traction tech from Lib Tech will ensure that same edge hold when you are riding through those icier conditions and keep you gripped into that hard pack! This board is a mid-stiff flexing board that is stable and fun to ride. It has tons of pop, so you can also hit those jumps and side hits with no issue. Although it’s considered a directional board, it isn’t overly directional, making switch riding still definitely possible with minimal extra effort!
All-mountain freestyle/freeride board that does it all from park to pow, especially when things get deep! Incredible carving ability like the rest of Mervin Manufacturing's lineup is equipped with Magne-Traction that gives tons of edge hold even on the iciest of days, "turns ice into pow" is the motto Magne-Traction carries and it holds true anywhere. A mid to stiff flex offering a perfect balance to charge hard but not too stiff to hinder its playfulness. C2 hybrid camber profile is a perfect profile for a playful ride and powerful camber under foot for carving, edge hold and pop.
Nitro Lectra Snowboard · Women's · 2023
Lightweight wood core give you the power and response in the pop you need without sacrificing strength and durability. Hybrid flat camber profile has nose and tail lift before the traditional contact points for catch-free and effortless turns. Float, press, and explore all over!
Burton Ripcord Snowboard · 2023
Solid deck for progressing on, with its flat profile, you'll get a catch-free ride so you get tons of room for freedom of trying new things and keeping your confidence levels up! The softer flex gives you a ton of opportunities to get jibby in the park if you so desire but keeps the ride as a whole, mellow. Not much this deck won't be able to do all over the mountain.
Softest of the three, an amazing bang for buck and a similar vibe to what you have already been riding. Easy edge transitions, ready to tackle the whole mountain!
K2 Standard Snowboard · 2023
The K2 Standard Snowboard is a great choice for those just getting started in the sport, or for intermediate riders looking to improve their skills on a forgiving, playful deck. It's made with a Catch-Free Rocker Baseline that moves the contact points off the snow for an intuitive and easy-going ride. Combines a soft flex and snappy Aspen wood core. Biaxially woven fiberglass hugs the aspen core and gives the board edge hold needed to handle higher speeds as you progress and explore new terrain. Directional twin, so you can play while moving in either direction as you fine tune your skills. It also uses Rocker Profile, featuring K2s Catch Free tune-that is flat in between the bindings and rockered just outside them as well. This results in easy release and initiation of each toe side or heel side turn. Easier turn release from the turns will equal faster progression. The package is rounded out with an Extruded 2000 base which is forgiving, durable and always ready for more fun.
Roxy Dawn Snowboard · Women's · 2023
A forgiving and playful twin shaped board designed for the progressing rider, the Roxy Dawn is perfect for any beginner or intermediate rider looking for an easy flexing board that they can learn new skills on! Flat profile between the feet with an easy rocker section at the nose and tail will allow this board to be super easy to control. Magnetraction built into the edges for a stable and secure ride that can hold its own on some icy or hard pack terrain.
Arbor Element Camber Snowboard · 2023
The rider who is looking for a tried and true legacy all-mountain board with a twin shape for a freestyle feel. Mid flex to the board is balanced to provide enough stability to charge hard and enough flex to play around the park and lock in some presses. This camber profile reduces edge catching at the contact points, and has a precise crisp snap out of turns, great for carving, and quick initiation in tight spaces. Grip tech adds extra edge hold in icy conditions when you need it. A do it all workforce for the rider who wants maximum versatility for all sorts of conditions and terrain you find in resorts.
Dreamscape by Decathlon Park & Ride 500 Snowboard · 2023
Medium flexing all-mountain freestyle board guided more towards intermediate-advanced riders! 6/10 flex for all-mountain versatility. Directional twin with a combination of rocker and camber for a stable ride. Sintered base on this board makes it built for speed!
A wide board great for on-piste and hitting up the park. You can also set the bindings back far for powder!
Jones Dream Weaver Snowboard · Women's · 2023
This is Jones go to All-mountain Freeride Board. I have been really wanting this board in the men's version for a while. It has rocker-camber-rocker profile which all three boards have. This is the kind of camber profile I ride, and going from the Skate Banana, your turns and stability will feel so much better. This board can do everything from steeps, to low angle tree pow, to ripping groomers, to even a few park laps if you really wanted to. It also has some 3D base shaping which means the nose and the tail of the board lift up at the sides and front and back, creating a base that funnels snow out better.
An everyday daily driver that is designed for slaying pow to piste, and down for a few laps in the park. A Directional twin freeride shape with a mellow flex. Versatility is the strength of this board, with a mid flex, and a Directional Rocker profile, which basically means it has camber underfoot for good precision in turning, edge hold and pop, and a longer rockered nose to increase pow float and turn initiation. Features Jones 3D spoon shaping to increase float and edge-to-edge response. Traction tech increases edge hold in icy conditions. This is a swiss army knife for the lady ripper
Decathlon SNB 100 Snowboard · 2023
This board is meant to hit the whole mountain! It's a super versatile deck that floats well in deep powder, has very soft torsional rigidity, and great edge grip. It will be a lively board, but it still gives you a touch of control.
Ride Twinpig Snowboard · 2023
This snowboard is a great twin option for floating in pow, hitting up the park, and cruising! The stability of the wide platform let you size down and still reap the benefits of a snowboard a few sizes larger!!
K2 Raygun Pop Snowboard · 2023
The 2023 K2 Raygun Pop is a very well known intermediate board in the all mountain realm of snowboarding. It can jib, jump, stomp and slash, so in other words it is one of the most versatile decks on the market. It loves resort groomed runs just as much as park laps and coveted stashes of pow. A nice blend of camber and rocker, it gives reliability and stability without being too aggressive. Better yet, it wont break the bank! Intermediate and advanced riders unite!
An award winning all-mountain board comes at a killer price for the quality construction and versatility. Directional twin that has great control, a bit extra pop, yet with a nimble and playful feel suited to those in the beginner-intermediate range. A great board for progression at an even better price.
Groomer-cruisers, freestylers that like to jump and hug rails, any boarder looking for a quiver of one.
GNU B-Nice Snowboard · Women's · 2023
Anyone who is looking for a forgiving board! Whether you are a rider who is learning or you're an experienced rider who is looking for a fun park board! The GNU B Nice has something for everyone!!
Ride Manic Snowboard · 2023
Summary: This snowboard is an all-rounder powerhouse that you can ride on groomers, down steeps, in the trees, on ice, in the park, heck you could probably even ride it through the parking lot (please don't though)! It's a very durable all-mountain board that's friendly towards learning and will serve as an great choice for the beginner/intermediate who strives to shred harder!
Top features of this snowboard:
- Rocker in the nose and tail and camber between the bindings makes this a versatile board you can easily take all over the mountain!
- It's "quadratic sidecut" makes it exceptionally easy to get into turns and really gives you good grip and control when making those turns!
- With a soft-medium flex, this board is plenty playful and forgiving as you progress, giving you a smoother style!
Why I personally love it: I personally really like that Ride uses something called "slimewalls" which is exclusive to their brand. These slimewalls absorb vibration and create a much smoother ride when cruising down the hill!
All-mountain resort rider. Will take care of performance while still being forgiving!
GNU Money Snowboard · 2023
Budget conscious riders that want a ton of great tech packed into a price friendly option. GNU's accountants got mad at the board builders for letting this board out of the factory at such a low price. Magne-Traction edges, C2 rocker camber hybrid, sustainable wood core, and eco-sublimated graphics make the Money strong and poppy with precision control. True twin shape is at home in the park and rips everything you can find at the resort. Intermediate to advanced riders looking for a freestyle focused board that performs well anywhere you take it on the mountain.
It has full rocker and a mellow flex for easy turn initiation and forgiveness. It will carve nicely because of its asymmetrical edges and magne-traction. It will hold an edge in icy conditions and be easy to ride anywhere. Camber underfoot for added response and pop.
C2 Rocker Camber hybrid profile is where it's at! This board gives you that and then some. With a freestyle-oriented profile, this board is fun and easy to ride and you will enjoy progressing on it easily!!!
Arbor Formula Camber Snowboard · 2023
The Formula from Arbor is the perfect recipe for a great time all over the mountain. Thanks to its twin shape, a mid-flex and the rocker profile you will be hitting anything from park, groomers, or powder. In this particular model with camber it will make less aggressive when leaning on the edge. The Formula will provide incredible grip, pop and reliability from someone starting out to someone looking to improve their skills.
If you are looking for a lively board that is going to pop when you want it to and hold and edge when you need it to, look no further! The Arbor Formula Camber is designed for the all-mountain rider who wants a solid board that can handle some hard charging and not feel too stiff. Coming in with a mid-flex and twin shape, riding switch or learning some new freestyle tricks will come with ease.
A true all-mountain twin that can handle all areas of the mountain with ease!! Parabolic camber keeps you locked in on the carves, and gives you nice pop as well! Equally as comfortable in the park as it is in the pow and on the steeps! GripTech so handles well on ice.
Dreamscape by Decathlon Endzone 500 Snowboard · Women's · 2023
A fun flexing, easy to turn, true twin. This board is great for beginners looking for a forgiving ride, that is catch-free, and playful due to its flat to rocker profile, and its softer flex. Also, due to those same traits, this will make any freestyle rider happy with how easily it butters, and turns at slower speeds. Very solid board for the price! Beginner-intermediate riders looking for fun, easy to turn, flexible board that won't break the bank.
Burton Cartographer Snowboard · 2023
Intermediate and advanced All-Mountain riders who like a playful, intuitive board that still rips hard when you need it to. This directional shape has a tapered nose for easy turning and plenty of rocker up front for endless float through pow. Directional medium flex allows for more pop in the tail with a resilient nose that's easy to control. A durable, sintered base keeps you going fast all day and holds tough when you're not being gentle. Riders who love to explore the entire mountain and hit a mix of terrain, will love this one!
This board is make for speed and carving, but still has a mellow enough flex to be playful when needed. Directional shape, with traditional set back camber for driving carves, and a long nose for those deep days in the pow and added float. Stiff nose blasts through chunder. This board can be ridden in any terrain!
Yes. Standard Snowboard · 2023
This is another directional twin! I can't speak highly enough about this profile. Symmetrical stance, sidecut, identical nose/tail lengths with SLIGHTLY less volume in the tail makes this a switch-riding dream, while giving you a bit of added confidence for when you encounter the pow stashes out est. I've got a few directional twins in the quiver and it is truly the most versatile profile out there for any and all terrain you may encounter.
Directional twin freestyle all mountain machine...One of Yes' best selling and iconic boards. Great for riding park to the pow. Cam-rock profile, great for carving groomers, doing tricks and side hits, butter and tail presses or slaying some pow. Underbite technology provides extra edge hold and precision on turns.
Ride Warpig Snowboard · 2023
A directional, playful, volume shifted deck, designed for the rider who loves a freestyle feel in their freeriding. Very wide waist allows you to size down 5cm or so, and the wide waist adds stability and float in powder. Hybrid camber profile, with a set back camber zone under foot for solid edge hold carving and pop off of side hits, and loads of rocker to the nose for pow floatation. The tail and nose are not too stiff, so this board can butter nicely and lock into presses. Slimewall edge tech reduces chatter adds stability on landing. This board is a blast for the rider looking for a directional shaped board for all terrain riding, looking for a surfy feel in the trees and a dream in the pow.
From laying deep into carves to big mountain lines, freestyle laps in the park to powder stashes in the trees, this Volume Shifted option from Ride is designed to feel playful and be durable. The Warpig is a true weapon of choice when it comes to all-mountain riding. Naturally a wider board, you can size down a few cm for a more nimble ride. A true mid flexing directional board for the intermediate to advanced rider.
This board is super fun. It's a volume shift board allowing you to ride it shorter but get the same feel as a normal size board. The directional zero camber profile allows for float in pow and super easy turning. The tapered bi radial sidecut and carbon 3 array give it stability when getting deep in the turn as well as getting pop when you wanna get some air. The Warpig is so versatile and so much fun!
Salomon Wonder Snowboard · Women's · 2023
This board features a directional twin shape with a rock out camber profile. What does this mean? The best of all the worlds. You get stability and control on steeper terrain, without sacrificing the pop and playfulness that you will want in freestyle situations. Flat between the bindings for stability, with camber near the feet for locked in carves, and rocker in the tip and tail for pressability. A great board for anyone wanting to explore more diverse terrain or try out park!
This board is going to kill it all over the resort and in the park! Medium flex, combined with a rocker/camber/rocker profile gives this board tons of pop, great edge hold, and control at all speeds. Go through the trees, bomb the runs, hit some jumps, and get those nice turns in! Directional twin so you can ride it either way, but it'll ride a bit better your normal direction!
The Wonder is a great all-mountain option with side country and powder in mind. Floaty, yet the rock out camber offers supreme edging due to the camber underfoot, while the flat between the bindings offers stability for less than ideal conditions, or just support for going fast!
Roxy Raina Snowboard · Women's · 2023
This board has a playful, medium-soft flex that was designed to help you progress all over the mountain. The directional twin shape + c2 camber/rocker makes it a great board for progressing your turns, learning/riding switch, and will float well in pow. MagneTraction will ensure that the board is gripping no matter what type of terrain you're riding.
Rossignol Soulside Snowboard · Women's · 2023
Intermediate riders and up. It'll hold an edge and have pop, but will still be forgiving enough so allow for maximum progression.
Never Summer Snowtrooper Snowboard · 2023
Never Summer calls this their swiss army knife, designed for the rider who cruises the resort, does a bit of it all, and wants a board that can perform well in all types of conditions. All mountain freeride style, directional board, with a hybrid rocker camber profile - which means it has rocker in between the feet and mild camber underfoot. This gives you a very playful, nimble and surfy feel with the rocker, and enough camber to lock into turns and get the edge hold you need. Mid flex, is not overly stiff, so it is an easy board to maneuver around, nice for buttering, and freestyle riding. High-quality construction, with a texture top sheet, is practically scratch resistant, and you really no not even have to use a stomp pad. If you are looking for a solid middle-of-the-road board to slay some pow, surf the trees, grab some side hits, and cruise the trails, this may be the board for you.
Curated Experts don’t get paid by the manufacturer to write these reviews. All of their opinions are their own and unbiased. Want to learn more about our experts? Check out the video or view some of their profiles to learn more!
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