What Size Snowboard Should I Get?

A plain-language answer to the most common sizing question — with the height-times-0.88 rule, the weight check, and when to go longer or shorter.

“What size snowboard should I get?” is the first question every new rider asks, and the internet gives eleven different answers. Here is the short, honest version.

Start with the height rule

Stand a board up next to you: most riders want something between their chin and the tip of their nose. In numbers, that’s roughly your height in centimeters × 0.88. A 170 cm rider lands around 150 cm; a 160 cm rider around 141 cm; a 185 cm rider around 163 cm.

It’s a starting point, not a verdict — but it gets you inside the right window almost every time. Our snowboard size chart shows this for every common height.

Then check your weight

Weight matters more than most beginners expect. The board doesn’t know how tall you are — it knows how much force you put through it. Compare your weight against the size chart row for your height:

Well above the reference weight for your height? Add 1 cm for every 5 kg you’re over, up to about 6 cm.
Well below? Subtract the same way.

A heavy 5’6” rider and a light 5’10” rider can both end up on a 150 cm board — that’s normal.

Adjust for style and ability

Park and freestyle: go about 3 cm shorter. Less swing weight, easier spins, fewer edge catches on rails.
All-mountain: the calculator’s baseline.
Freeride and powder: about 3 cm longer for float and high-speed stability.
Beginners: about 2 cm shorter. You will progress faster on a board that turns easily.
Advanced: you can handle 1 cm longer if you want more stability.

Run the numbers once with the calculator on our home page.

Don’t forget width

If you wear US men’s 11 or larger, length is only half the decision. Boots that overhang a narrow board drag your toes and heels through every carve. Check the width chart by boot size before you buy.

Brand charts move a few centimeters

Every brand sizes a little differently. The Burton snowboard size chart ties each length to a rider weight range and marks wider boards with a “W”, while Salomon’s guide explains which of its boards are meant to be ridden 5–10 cm short. Our calculator stays neutral — and close to both.

The one-line answer

Height × 0.88, adjusted for weight, shifted a few centimeters for style, and sized for width if your feet are big. When you’re torn between two sizes, take the shorter one — especially while learning.