Comprehensive Snowboarding Gear Buyer’s Guide

Although most people who have even a tiny bit of snowboarding experience likely already know what the essential riding gear items are, the fact of the matter is that the technology is always changing, improving, and being updated. For this reason it can be very beneficial to continually review what the yearly updates to snowboarding gear items are going to be, so that one can make the most well informed decisions possible with regard to which snowboarding gear items they are going to select for their next boarding season.

From boots, to goggles, to outerwear and beyond, different companies are always coming up with new innovations on these designs that sometimes end up revolutionizing the standards for what snowboarders expect in these critical equipment items. For example, some companies work on pioneering new goggle lens technologies for the purposes of reducing lens fog, sun glare, and other aspects of being in the elements that can obscure or diminish the performance of a pair of goggles. These kinds of updates can make a significant difference in the quality of one’s snowboarding experience, and for this reason buyer’s guides like this one can end up providing a helpful and necessary service for snowboarders all over the world.

Again, while snowboarders of virtually all skill levels know that goggles, gloves, boots, bindings, and snowboards are all critical gear items for riding, not everyone knows about the more diverse aspects of snowboarding and that there are so many ways of approaching the sport. This is to say that while a beginning snowboarder may assume that there is really only one main type of snowboard with only slight variations, it might surprise them to learn that there are actually several different variations of board types that are purposed for completely different approaches. One great example of this can be found in the splitboard style snowboard. A splitboard snowboard is essentially a board that is comprised of two main panels that are capable of being disconnected from each other and reattached at any time.

The purpose for this is such that a snowboarder using this technology would separate the board into its two panels, apply friction-inducing skins to the panels, and wear them on their feet to act as a kind of snowshoes for alpine climbing. Once the desired location has been reached, the boarder can then reattach the two panels into a single snowboard and complete their descent on that board. Another great example is known as the powder board; the powder style snowboard is basically one that has a much wider board width, and unconventional shaping to increase surface area and float over very light powder conditions. Both splitboards and powder boards represent types of snowboarding gear items that the beginning rider may not be familiar with, and these types of less conventional items will be included in this 2017 snowboarding buyer’s guide to help inform readers about the full spectrum of options when it comes to their snowboarding pursuits.

Best Snowboarding Helmet for 2017

As any snowboarder who rides with a helmet on a regular basis already knows quite well, helmets are one area of riding gear where there is a lot of variability between different designs. With this being said, The 2017 Oakley Mod 5 helmet is one design that really brings a lot of new innovations to the table. For one thing, while many helmets looks big and bulky with rather cumbersome designs, the Oakley Mod 5 is actually quite streamlined and honestly looks a bit like an updated version of the Star Wars stormtrooper helmets (in a good way). In terms of design innovations, this white and black 2017 Mod 5 helmet by Oakley bears a new Oakley patent known as the Modular Brim System.

The implications of having the Modular Brim System on the new Mod 5 helmet design are such that riders can actually take off the brim of their helmet at any time to create more space for accessories. There are two replacement brims that can be attached, each at different sizes. These variable replacement brims are a wonderful design innovation on the part of the brilliant folks over at Oakley, mainly for the way they permit riders to have goggles of all different sized be compatible with their helmet, which in the past has been a big problem for some people.

This is actually the main reason Oakley got into the helmet side of snowboarding gear according to more than a few sources; the ability to perfect a goggle-helmet combination was their ultimate aim. With an ABS plastic outer shell construction and a BOA tensioner reel on the inside, this is an extremely sturdy helmet that fits most riders like a glove. At a starting price of $200.00 the Oakley Mod 5 helmet is certainly on the premium end of helmet designs today, but in this case buyers are definitely getting what they pay for. There are virtually no other helmets that offer this much accessory versatility and this much comfort all at the same time.

Best Snowboarding Bindings for 2017

For the 2017 buyer’s guide, the objective was to identify a 2017 binding model that encompassed everything a rider could want out of their brand new bindings. Although it is possible for binding manufacturers to specialize their binding designs to meet the specific needs of a park rider, or a big mountain rider, or some other specialized snowboarding discipline, the reason the 2017 Union T. Rice made our pick for bindings is that it is excellent for all riding styles.

The 2017 Union designed model T. Rice bindings are looking extra clean with an all black and red hardware scheme, and traditional binding tensioners. Beginning with the straps, Union saw fit to beef up their overall durability by adding magnesium buckles. Also in the realm of durability enhancement, on the 2017 Union T. Rice bindings the designers included forged carbon as a primary material used in the composition of these bindings, for the backing and other smaller support components.

This forged carbon allows for an extremely rugged and long lasting binding design, and one that can take virtually anything a snowboarder can throw at it. One of the biggest innovations on the 2017 Union T. Rice bindings is the inclusion of a feature the designers termed the “gas pedal”, which is an angled-up binding footbed that gives a rider enhanced speed and ollie power. Debuting at $320.00, the 2017 Union T. Rice bindings are anything but cheap, but then again neither are the materials that constitute them.

Best Snowboarding Backpacks for 2017

In keeping with featuring mostly high-end premium products on this 2017 snowboarding gear buyer’s guide, the 2017 Black Diamond Saga 40 JetForce snowboarding backpack is without a doubt among the most elite snowboarding equipment coming forward in 2017. With a relatively large carrying volume of forty liters, the Saga 40 JetForce backpack is already in a league of its own in terms of the immense amount of gear and supplies that can be hauled around the mountain in it. But aside from its impressive storage capacity and general high level of durability, the 2017 Black Diamond Saga 40 JetForce backpack has one huge trick up its sleeve in terms of breakthrough innovations.

In this case, the break through innovation happens to be an integrated system that permits the rider to be quite secure in the event of an avalanche or snow burial while out riding. As many snow riders already know and understand quite well, the threat of avalanche and snow burial is very real depending on the area and environment one is riding in, and what the conditions are like. The way in which the 2017 Saga 40 JetForce pack functions in the event of a snow burial is that a high-powered fan kicks on, and this in turn rapidly inflates a 200 liter capacity airbag in a timespan of roughly four seconds flat.

Then, after about three minutes, the airbag deflates which is designed to create an internal air pocket within the snow burial location, giving the buried snowboarder the ability to move around a little bit beneath the snow and actuate communications or locator GPS hardware at that time. Retailing at $1,500.00 in 2017, the Black Diamond Saga 40 JetForce backpack is no joke. This is a serious pack for serious riders, and is generally going to be necessary for riders that frequent big mountain and deep powder riding environments.

Best Splitboard for 2017

With regard to some of the best new splitboard designs coming forward in 2017, few offer the style and functionality possessed by the 2017 Rossignol XV MagTek splitboard. This is a splitboard that genuinely has it all; from its detailed and artistic visual looks, to its fundamental design characteristics, to its overall comfort and geometric dynamics for both riding and walking, this board’s designers definitely covered all the bases. One of the primary features of the 2017 Rossignol XV MagTek splitboard is vibration dampening and rattle reduction through Rossignol’s proprietary Magne-Traction system.

As any splitboard rider already knows, one of the biggest potential problems that is usually faced has a lot to do with the vibration and rattling of the splitboard, due to the fact that these boards are actually sectioned into two main pieces. The 2017 XV MagTek owes its supreme stability and traction to its Magne-Traction system, which deserves being mentioned again since this is the main design feature that gives this splitboard its superior freeriding big-mountain feel. Debuting at a price point of $700.00 in total, the 2017 Rossignol XV MagTek is worth every penny for serious splitboard riders who want the next level technology heading into the new season.

Best Powder Snowboard for 2017

One of the most exciting pieces of snowboarding gear coming up in the fast-approaching 2017 season happens to be in the category of powder snowboarding. It isn’t every year that we see truly profound innovations come forward in the world of snowboarding design, but 2017 is definitely one of the years of innovation. Say hello to the 2017 Franco Snowshapes Batwing 2, which is simply one of the best things to come along in the realm of powder snowboarding in a long time. The Batwing 2 has, hands-down, revolutionized the sport of powder snowboarding.

Since the dynamics of snowboarding on powder can be much different from a more conventional snowboarding approach, it is critical to develop boards that reflect this sort of less-conventional powder riding schema. The board’s designer, Mikey Franco, reports that it took him multiple tries to actually perfect this board design, probably because it was such an ambitious leap in design that he was seeking to take. This powder board is built to have a much softer and rockered front end, with a tail end that gets more and more stiff as the tail is reached.

Additionally, the tail end of the board is sort of feathered with two main prongs extending out for the tail design, giving the rider a greater edge and ability to cut into the riding surface on hard leaning turns. This dual pronged tail design gives the board a very distinctive look, and like has a lot to do with why the board is called the Batwing. Another critical design aspect of the Franco Snowshapes Batwing 2 is its inclusion of basalt fibers in the board construction, since this added element creates conditions where board vibrations are dampened to a great degree. Retailing at $1,800.00 the Franco Snowshapes Batwing 2 is one of the most expensive powder boards on the market today, but it is also one of the most innovative and unique designs ever put forth into the world of powder-exclusive snowboarding.