If you’ve landed between two snowboard sizes, welcome to the club. This is easily the most common sizing question we get.
The bad news?
There isn’t a magic answer hiding on the internet that everyone else somehow missed.
The good news?
Being between sizes usually means both options will work. The trick is choosing the one that fits how you actually ride.
I’ve worked in snowboard shops for almost a decade. Here is my hard-learned thought process.
Quick answer
If you’re choosing between two snowboard sizes, the shorter one will feel quicker and more forgiving, while the longer one will feel steadier at speed and in rough snow. The difference is usually subtle, so don’t overthink it. Just avoid riding right at the extreme top or bottom of a board’s weight limit unless you know exactly why you want to be there.
1. Check Your Weight
If one size puts you near the edge of the brand’s weight range and the other puts you comfortably in the middle, the decision is already made for you.
Boards are built to flex properly under load. If you’re heavy for a size, the board will feel softer, less stable and a bit vague at speed. If you’re light for it, it’ll feel stiff and dead. Height barely enters the conversation unless the numbers are truly borderline.
This is exactly why my recommended snowboard size chart uses weight-first. It’s the part people still get wrong most often.
2. Check Your Preferences
If both sizes sit squarely in your weight range, now it comes down to feel.
The shorter option will:
- turn quicker
- feel easier in tight spots
- be less tiring over a full day
The longer option will:
- feel more stable when things speed up
- track better through chopped snow
- hold an edge a bit more confidently
Neither is “better.” It’s personal preference based on where and what you’re planning to ride. The shorter of your options will probably be better for freestyle riding, the longer will be better for freeride, carving and hard charging.
3. Check Your Ego
Yep, I’m talking to you. Be honest with your ability and goals this season.
People convince themselves they should be on the longer board because they’re “not a beginner anymore” or because they want to grow into it. Then they spend the winter fighting a board that never quite feels right.
A slightly short board is forgiving. A slightly long board is work. Unless you already ride fast, carve hard, or live for steeps, most riders are happier erring shorter.
You’ll still progress. You’ll just enjoy it more.
4. Check You Board Shape
If the board you’re looking at is tapered or volume-shifted, brands often expect you to ride it shorter anyway. In those cases, the shorter size is usually the correct call even if your instincts say otherwise.
Always check the board’s intended sizing before defaulting to length alone.
Final Thoughts
If you’ve read all this and you’re still stuck, choose the size that sounds more fun. That’s the whole point of this ridiculous sport right?
It also takes a pretty dialled rider to genuinely feel the difference between something like a 155 and a 157. Two centimetres sounds like a lot when you’re staring at a size chart. On snow, for most people, it really isn’t.
Buy the board, stop stressing, go ride it. By day two, this won’t even be a question anymore.
Hope that helps!
