What are the best snowboards under 500 dollars that are out there and available to buy, and what benefits come with them? We’re no strangers to boards, and although our best snowboard guide has been helpful for many, we decided to start writing a series of articles that pertain to particular budgets when shopping for snowboard gear. Today, we’ll be met with a pretty lenient range of prices when it comes to boards, as many do fall in this category of $500 or less (typically). Of course, money will also be constrained if you haven’t purchased other snow gear, such as your snow goggles, snow helmets and more.
The best snowboards under $500
Nitro T1
The Nitro T1, rode by athlete Benny Urban, is one of our most favorite boards around and described as ‘fantastic.’ The board has also been described as a multi-award winning board and is known for being high quality for the price and one of the most durable boards around.
Mainly skated on by park-riders, this board is hugely popular among snowboarders needing versatility. Described as more ‘soft and playful’, this board is great for those hangouts and practices with friends. Featuring the ‘cam-out camber’, the Nitro T1 has it’s standard camber from tip to tail helping not only the grip but lift-offs as well. Definitely one of the best snowboards under $500 in the market (for this year, at least).
CAPiTA Defenders of Awesome
The blended radial, true twin snowboards is one of the higher-end boards available. Having won the Transworld Good Wood award for six-years running, it’s no surprise that people tend to pick this board above the rest.
Being high-quality and with its 5.5 flex rating, the CAPiTA Defenders of Awesome really is an all-rounder. The board thrives from its ‘all terrain V2 profile’, meaning that its camber features a mix of both zero and reverse camber ends.
Coming in ten designs, the board can be bought specifically for your needs. Additional features include Special blend fiberglass resin, a SuperDrive base for smooth gliding and an FSC certified dual core for increased power and durability to make it as our second best snowboard under $500.
Rome Ravine
The Rome Ravine is rather unique with its 3D rocker in the nose of the board, meaning that it can get up the deep white walls of snow whilst the cambered tail gives you enough scope to snowboard of any type of surface. With both factors, this is a great combination for any boarder out there.
With a 7 out of 10 Flex rating and a pop-core matrix, the Rome Ravine is responsive, strong and light-weight creating a smooth and steady ride. This snowboard comes with a two-year warranty which means that if there are any issues, you are fully covered.
Usually recommended for the more advanced and experienced boarders out there, the Rome Ravine maybe isn’t suitable for that first board. With it being in one of our higher-priced snowboards under $500, it’s maybe best to look at another one of the options before considering this beauty. Regardless, if you can afford it, grab it fast.
Salomon Sight X
At one of our most middle-priced boards and with five size choices; both regular and wide, the Salomon Sight X is probably one of the best-quality boards around. However, it is only available to be shipped within the US usually. Being a smaller board and much more light-weight, the Salomon is great for quickness and speed.
It is said to ‘perform well in all snow conditions’ and has an arched camber in the middle of the board to help with control and landing stability. This board is great for beginner and intermediate riders with a soft flex and an Aspen strong core for usage and wear.
Arbor Paparazzi
Another snowboard for an under $500 budget at a very reasonable cost and rather popular among the lady snowboarders out there is the Arbor Paparazzi is hugely popular. Its rocker-system profile lends itself to a clean hand with turns and bumps, as well as a medium flex for that little bit of extra speed.
Similar to a surfboard, the Arbor Paparazzi’s parabolic rocker system enables this board to give the rider a more natural and smoother ride. The grip-tech features create a more stable way of gripping onto the board through both the heel and toe contact while also having the spoon head tip to adapt to all snow conditions. With a warranty of three years and a strong design and build, this board is probably one of the best-quality at under $500 for the ladies if the design piques your interest.
CAPiTA Space Metal Fantasy
The CAPiTA Space Metal Fantasy in a four-time ‘Good Wood’ award winner and a five-star rated board, and not without positive reasons! Its shape and rocker profile makes it wonderful as a park ride. However, the Space Metal’s easy-riding flex equally makes it suitable for powder piles and unfortunate side-hits.
There is zero camber towards the middle of the board, which then increases towards the end and its tail. It’s possible to start and end a turn with the same arc on the CAPiTa Space Metal Fantasy due to its clever radial sidecut design.
What’s unique about this board is that the designers use PLT topsheet technology to finish the look off. The surface of the board is left smooth and with a high-quality finish whilst also being environmentally friendly and keeping the weight of the board low and light.
Salomon Huck Knife
With ‘performance, pop and ability’ being some of the descriptions for the Salomon Huck Knife snowboard, it’s clear to see that this board a popular choice amongst riders alike. Being reasonably-priced, this board is one that you’d aspire to get if snowboarding was going to be a serious sport on your agenda.
This board is highly-responsive and perfect for any sort of bumps or side-hits it may encounter which makes it definitely value for money. Terrain wise, this board is best for park and freestyle. However, there’s nothing to say that you can’t try it out elsewhere.
The Salomon Huck Knife comes in six different sizes and weights so that the rider gets the perfect board just for them. With a true twin shape and quad camber with several radii throughout the shape of the board, the ride on this Huck Knife will be true to its ranking as one of the best snowboards under $500 dollars.
Nitro Prime
‘Built for everyone’, the Nitro Prime is great for beginners and intermediates. Similar to a best friend, this board can be by your side or under your feet to help protect as much as much as possible.
With special features such as the Powercore, Bi-lite laminates and premium extruded FH base, this board is one that all young riders are wanting. It’s great as a start-out board and allows new riders to build up their confidence and expand their skillset step by step without needing to purchase a new snowboard too soon.
Coming in eight different sizes and of a reasonable price, this is a perfect gift for any keen rider out there. It’s variable, good on all terrains be an ‘all-rounded mountain’ board and what has been described as ‘unrivaled strength.’ One of the best boards under five hundred bucks in our list? Probably so.
Ride Saturday
Quirky, unique and certainly a looker, the Ride Saturday is a wonderful board to look good with. At one of the higher-end boards price wise, the Ride Saturday is an all-mountain rider. The twin-hybrid rocker means that this board has more of a rocker ration vs the camber. Although, the Ride Saturday does still have a ‘camber-zone’ underfoot to give it speed and agility.
The quadratic sidecut on the board enables ultimate grip, uniquely shaped for riding style. With the combination of bamboo and Paulownia wood, the board remains light while also proving strong. This is more than likely down to the variety of layers on the finish of the Ride Saturday. A mix of Carbon array 3, Linear Carbon, a Single Impact Plate, and Hybrid Glass provides the ultimate stiffness and binding to prevent board breaks.
Salomon Lotus
One of the pretties snowboards for under $500 and one that looks delicate and light, the Salomon Lotus is visually, very pleasing. Not only is it an attractive board, but also at an attractive price as well being one of the lower-end priced boards.
The board has a flat-out style camber meaning that the shape of the board holds itself perfectly for maximum response and stability if needed. Having a soft-flex, this board is also great when at a slower speed while also being ideal for beginner and intermediate riders who maybe prefer more of a loose and freestyle ride.
