Whether you’re just starting out or upgrading your equipment, one of the first decisions is determining the order of purchasing your core snowboard gear: boots, bindings, or snowboard.
While a board may seem like the most exciting piece, it’s important to choose your gear in the proper sequence to ensure compatibility and a good fit.
If you have a limited budget, you may also wonder which piece to purchase first assuming you can borrow or rent the remaining gear.
This post will help you understand the best process to outfit yourself with snowboarding equipment that works well together so you can have a blast out on the slopes.
Boots should be the first purchase!
When starting out in snowboarding, the boots should always be the very first item you purchase. The boots are arguably the most important piece of equipment. A proper fitting boot will make or break your experience on the slopes.
Boot fitment is essential for comfort and performance when snowboarding. An ill-fitting boot can potentially ruin your experience and even cause injury. Take the time to find the right boot for you, it will be well worth it.
When trying on boots, pay close attention to how they feel in the toe box and heel cup area. Your toes should have slight room for moving but not be able to slam against the front.
Make sure your heels are held securely in place but don’t feel painfully tight. Some pressure is normal as boots pack out and mold to foot shape with use.
Your boots should accommodate any problem you have like bunions, high arches, or wider forefoot widths.
Note that features like boa closures, dual zones, and flex levels can also affect your fit. Make sure to try walking around the store in boots to check for pressure points that might cause blisters.
Proper fitting is especially important if you have narrower feet to avoid pinching, higher volume feet to avoid slipping. The sales associate should be able to do some range of motion tests to ensure comfort in all positions expected
Bindings are the next purchase after boots
When you are ready to buy your snowboard gear, you need to get boots first before bindings. This is important because your boot size will determine what size bindings you need.
Boots come in different sizes, just like shoes. But the sizes do not always match regular shoe sizes. When you find boots that fit your feet well, the salesperson will tell you your boot size.
Then you use that size to pick out bindings. Bindings hold your boots securely onto the snowboard. They clip into the boots. But a binding has to match the boots it holds – you can’t put size 9 boots into size 7 bindings!
So picking boots lets you know what size bindings to look for. Some bindings even have different sizes for men’s and women’s boots. Getting boots first helps ensure your bindings will fit perfectly with your new boots.
Consider binding flex for your ability
When choosing bindings, you’ll also want to think about your skill level. Binding flex affects how easily they bend while riding.
Beginners usually want a softer, more flexible binding. This makes turning and controlling the board feel easier at first. As you progress, you’ll likely evolve toward a stiffer binding.
Bindings are labeled “soft”, “medium”, or “stiff” flex ratings. A soft flex is good if you’re still learning. It gives a little when pressing edges into turns. Medium is for intermediate riders ready for more power.
As an advanced rider, you might like a stiff flex binding. This provides maximum energy transfer from your legs to the board. But stiff takes more strength to turn if you’re just starting out.
Ask the shop which flex would be best for your ability. Pick bindings that match your skill level now and can grow with you as you progress.
Now you’re ready for a snowboard
Once you have boots and bindings picked out, it’s time to choose your snowboard. When selecting a board, your height and weight are key.
Generally, taller and heavier riders need a longer, wider snowboard for stability at speed. Shorter or lighter riders can manage with a shorter, narrower board.
Boards intended for beginners usually have a softer flex and have effective edge shapes for learning. As you improve, you’ll move toward something stiffer for more control at higher speeds.
You also need to match your snowboard size to your boot size. All snowboards list the boot size range they work best with. Pick one that fits your new boots well.
Is it bad to buy your snowboard first?
Sometimes you might find an amazing deal on a snowboard that’s just too good to pass up. But is it OK to buy your board before getting boots and bindings? In most cases, it can work out fine if you plan accordingly.
If you purchase your snowboard first, you’ll know the board’s size range and can use that to choose compatible gear. However, the board’s width range may restrict your choice of boots as they need to fall within that width. This could limit your options depending on the board.
Selecting boots based on the board may in turn restrict your options for bindings as not all bindings are compatible with all boot sizes.
While a great board deal isn’t necessarily a problem, be aware it can narrow your selection for other gear. You’ll need to find boots and bindings that are guaranteed to mesh with your new snowboard based on sizing.
So buying the board first can certainly work, but go into it knowing it may limit your choices compared to starting with boots.
So let’s say you found a great deal on a Burton Instigator snowboard in a 156cm length. Checking the specs, you see the Instigator is intended for boot sizes 8-11 with a maximum width of 270mm.
Knowing this, you would then look for boots in sizes 8-11 that are 270mm or less in width. Some options that would work are:
- Burton Ruler boots in size 9 (width 260mm)
- DC Control boots in size 10.5 (width 265mm)
Once you’ve selected boots, you check binding compatibility. Many bindings work with multiple boot sizes, but to be safe you would choose ones made for your new boots. Good binding choices for the Ruler boots would be:
- Burton Cartel bindings (designed for sizes 8-11)
- Union Force bindings (rated for sizes 8-11.5)
These boots and bindings are guaranteed to mesh well together and with the Instigator board you scored in the deal.
On the other hand, here’s an example of boots and bindings that would NOT work well with the Burton Instigator snowboard:
- DC Judge boots in size 13 (too large at 315mm width, outside the 270mm max width for the Instigator)
- Rome Katana bindings (designed primarily for larger boot sizes 11.5-13.5)
The size 13 DC Judge boots are too wide at 315mm for the Instigator’s 270mm maximum width spec. They would not fit on the board.
The Rome Katana bindings are meant for much larger boot sizes than the 8-11 range the Instigator accommodates. While they may technically fit a size 10.5 boot, they wouldn’t provide the responsive feel intended between binding and board.
Choosing gear outside the recommended size ranges for a board purchased first will possibly result in a poor fitting, unstable set-up.
If your boots and binding must be selected based on an existing snowboard, try to stick to options within the board’s given limits for proper compatibility.