Jones Howler Review 2027: Same Board, Different Sizes, and Why the Women’s Beat the Men’s for Me

The Howler is listed as Jones’ new stiffer 8/10 flexing, directional freeride snowboard. However, in 2027, I found it felt much softer at a 5/10 medium flex, which made it far more approachable than its stiff-flex rating might make you believe.

The Howler’s highlights are its locked-in and grippy carving experience, its ability to ride ice, groomers, and powder exceptionally well, and the added confidence you’ll get from riding an approachable directional board that’s really tuned for dampness and stability.

For this review, I want to do something different from everyone else’s. I am going to compare the Jones Women’s Howler to the Men’s version. I got to ride both of them, and I actually liked the Women’s version a bit more. I’ll cover why they might feel different underfoot, while still having an identical construction, shape, and profile.

We’ll cover:

• Does the Men’s Howler Ride Differently Than the Women’s?
  
• What Happens When You Size the Jones Howler Down by 3-6cm (And the Benefits of Doing That)?
  
• What Happens When You Size the Jones Howler Up by 3-6cm?

Review Details

Size I Rode for This Review

I rode both the men’s Jones Howler in a 158cm and then the Women’s Howler in a 148cm back to back at a demo event in Vermont. For reference, I weigh 142 lbs with a men’s size 9 boot. My usual size range for decks is between 150cm and 155 cm, so neither of the 2027 Jones Howler decks I tried would have been quite right for me, but it’s all that was available.

	Men’s 158cm Howler	Women’s 148cm Howler
Weight range	160-210+ lbs	110-160 lbs
Waist width	25.7 cm	24.5 cm
Effective edge	123 cm	114 cm
Sidecut radius	8.4 m	7.6 m
Boot range (US)	9-11	7-10

At 142 lbs, I fit closer to the weight and boot range of the women’s board. The men’s version was a bit big for me.

Images of the Boards

Where to Buy

Summary for How Both Boards Felt & Which I Liked More

Here is the quick summary for how they both felt.

The 2027 Men’s Jones Howler in the 158cm size (the sized up version) felt more like a freeride charger of a deck. It locked into its carves and wouldn’t budge until the turn had completed its arc, which then set me up for the next turn with a boost of power.

The 2027 Jones women’s Howler in the 148 cm size (the slightly sized down version) felt like more of a well-rounded, all-mountain deck. It was playful and pressable, while still retaining some of that locked-in carving experience that felt stable at speed.

Neither deck felt like it had the fastest base, but it definitely wasn’t the slowest.

Both felt like they offered some float, but the larger deck handled it better.

Both offered pop for jumps. I found the smaller Women’s version more forgiving to land with, though.

Both could jib, but the smaller women’s version was a pinch more pressable and locked on to rails better.

And strangest of all the details, neither of these decks felt stiff to me.

Review Rating: Jones Howler

The Jones Howler earned a review score of an 85.38 out of a possible 100 (or a score of 4.26 out of 5 stars) in our all-mountain scale. This rating scale prioritizes performance across the entire resort. The weighting column of the score will give you an idea of how much each consideration contributed to the overall score.

Considerations	Rating Out of 100	Weight or Importance to Score
Resort Riding / Versatility	95	10
Pop / Power	90	10
Powder	80	5
Carving / Turns	90	10
Responsiveness	85	10
Speed	70	10
Ice / Poor Conditions	90	10
Switch	70	5
Jibs	77.5	5
Jumps	85	10
Dampness	85	5
Buttering	85	5
Fun to ride	100	5
Weighted All Mountain Score	85.38	100

Actual Feel of the Jones Howlers Flex Rating

To me, both the Jones Howler mens and womens versions feel closer to a medium 5/10 flex rating, rather than feeling stiff. That’s such an important detail, because it makes both of these boards very approachable for intermediate resort riders who want one board that can go anywhere and everywhere. And while it is a bit too catchy to be beginner-friendly, it actually isn’t the aggressively stiff board that some other reviews would make you think it is.

• Even with the men’s Howler I rode for this review being a little big for me, I still found its flex to feel more like a 5/10 medium flex than the Jones 8/10 stiff flex rating its product specs have given it.
  
• It’s got a directional flex, so the tail is stiffer than the nose, but I still wouldn’t rate it at an 8/10. At most, I’d say it is more like a 6.5/10 in the tail, and the torsional flex is similar to the nose at 5/10, and that allows you to foot-steer these when you need to.

So Which Did I Like More Men’s Howler vs Women’s Version?

I actually had more fun on the slightly smaller Women’s 148cm version than the larger men’s 158cm version of the Jones Howler.

But depending on what you look for in a snowboard, you might want the opposite. The women’s was the more freestyle-friendly version, and that’s why I liked it more. If you love to carve, you would have loved the men’s version more.

So here’s what I’d recommend.

For the all-mountain freestyle rider, size the Howler down by 2- 3 cm. For the freerider who loves to carve, size up.

When you size down, you’ll get a lighter board with an even more approachable, pressable flex. By sizing down the Howler, its flex rating softened by around .5 points, taking it more to a flex rating of a 4.5/10, which made it a very different feeling board than the manufacturer’s 8/10 flex rating should feel.

The size-down version locks into nosepresses, molds around rail features to help you balance, all while having the stability and pop the Howler is known for having.

On the opposite side, if you’re looking to get the most out of the Howler’s carving experience, size up by 2- 3 cm for added stability and response. The larger board felt more like the charger Jones listed it as. I’d just keep in mind that it doesn’t have that 8/10 stiff feeling flex (it’s more a 5/10 in the nose, 6.5/10 in the tail, and 5/10 torsionally).

Does the Men’s Howler Ride Differently Than The Women’s?

No, these boards are intended to ride the same regardless of the gender they were intended for. Both the men’s and women’s version of the Jones Howler have the same shape, profile, construction, and tech features.

They feel different when you ride them because they come in different sizes, where the women’s version makes up the smaller sizes of 142cm through 151cm, and the men’s version makes up the larger sizes of 152cm through 164cm.

That’s worth knowing because when you size down or up on a tapered directional snowboard board that has a directional flex that is a little stiffer under your back foot, you get a board feel that has a different personality when you try to compare a small board to a larger board. The smaller board will feel even more playful, forgiving, and maneuverable, while the larger deck will feel more stable and responsive with more surface to help it float better in powder.

Where I am going with this is that it’s all the same exact board, just with two graphics. One graphic, we call the women’s version, is for small sizes, and then the other, intended for the men, is for the larger sizes.

When you put their spec table together into one chart, it looks like this.

For me, the spec stat that confirms that it’s all one board is its side cut radius. When you look at that row from left to right, it just ascends by .2 meters from the smallest women’s size through to the largest men’s size.

With the technical features, flex, shape, and profile all being the same between both versions, it proves that it is all the same board. Jones just markets the smaller versions, with the more pink graphic, to the ladies, and then the larger version, with the more blue graphic, to the guys.

Additionally, both men’s and women’s Jones Howler were built at the same factory, the Solico Winter Sport Factory in Dubai.`

So the only reason the men’s and women’s versions of the Jones Howler snowboard ride differently from one another is their size. If both came in the same size, they’d feel identical, and their only difference would be their graphic.

What Happens When You Size The Jones Howler Down by 3-5cm?

If you size the Jones Howler down by 3 to 5 cm, it gets a more freestyle-friendly and flexible, along with having a more forgiving, less catchy, feel. It makes the Howler easier to butter and jib with while still getting most of its carving and versatility benefits. Its carving experience still feels smooth and locked in. It just doesn’t feel as responsive.

…and flex-wise, for me, I’d say the women’s 148 felt like a pressable 4.5/10 and not the 8/10 Jones rated it at.

What Happens When You Size the Jones Howler Up by 3-5cm?

If you size the Jones Howler up by 3 to 5 cm, it gets more of its freeride-focused responsive feel that Jones was intending with this deck. It feels stiffer and more responsive, and that helps take its carving benefits up a few notches.

Flex-wise, for me, I’d say the men’s 158 felt like a 5/10 and not the 8/10 Jones rated it at.

The real takeaway is to not buy this board based on it being the men’s or women’s version. Instead, buy it based on the weight range on the size chart and how you want it to feel underfoot. Anyone could ride either version as long as they fit on it.

Pros

• It offers a smooth, locked-in carving experience.
• It feels responsive and stable while still being approachable and fun to ride. It doesn’t feel as stiff as the specs say it is. It’s more medium flex feeling that rides like a stiff board should.
• It is a directional board that still rides well switch.
• It’s got an incredible level of edge hold on ice without being overly catchy.
• It’s so versatile. It’s great on groomers, ice, and powder.
• It’s excellent for hitting jumps and sidehits.
• It has Jones Snowboards 2+1 year warranty.

Cons

• It isn’t for the beginner just learning to connect their turns. It’s meant for intermediate and up due to its shape and profile feeling catchy.
• Its base wasn’t the fastest. You’ll want to wax this one often to get the most out of it.
• It won’t be stiff enough for really aggressive freeriders.

Who Should Buy the Jones Howler

The intermediate to advanced all-mountain resort rider, specifically the resort rider looking for their first freeride-focused board. This board is great for someone who loves to carve, hit every side hit they can find, and wants a board ready for every type of condition.

Additionally, intermediate to advanced East Coast riders will love this board because of the extra contact points Jones added into the edges that give it an extra level of edge hold on ice. It’s a grippy board that’s capable of all conditions, so if there’s no pow to ride, it’ll still be fun riding groomers and ice with.

Who Shouldn’t Buy the Jones Howler

The day one beginner who is just learning to ride.

The freestyle rider who spends the majority of time in the park. While sizing this board down made it more freestyle-friendly, there are many cheaper, better options for park-specific riding.

How Much Does the Jones Howler Cost?

Both the men’s and women’s Howler are $699.95 for 2027, and there is no price difference between the men’s version and the women’s version. They both have the same price.

Performance Highlights

Here are my notes for each performance consideration category for the Jones Howler.

Carving and Edge Hold

9/10 carving score overall, and also a 9/10 on ice and in poor conditions.

The carving experience with the Jones Howler was its standout feature and a primary reason someone would buy this snowboard.

The Howler’s ideal rider loves to carve anywhere and everywhere.

The Howler offers easy turn initiation and a locked-in feel that refuses to wash out regardless of conditions.

This board has a longer, progressive sidecut that works well with Jones’ Traction Tech edges (3 extra serrated bumps that are built into the edges of this snowboard). Jones put the extra serrations in the edges in front of your front binding, in the board’s center between your feet, and then at the back binding. They add an extra three contact points that add an extra level of grip to hold you in your carve regardless of the condition. These worked well with the sidecut radius that gradually increases the closer it gets to the contact points. The combination gives the board a smooth-feeling turn that just feels locked into its arc. You also get a little boost of energy as you exit your turns to help set you up for your next turn.

Another important consideration with the carving experience is that turn initiation is easier on this board thanks to the 4mm of 3d contoured / spoon bevel that Jones added into the nose and tail of the Howler.

The spoon is there to help engage the carve more easily, with less drag, than if the nose were completely flat. The bevel makes the board a hair more forgiving than other directional boards (not by too much), but it also helps the board float by letting powder channel around the nose rather than pile on top of it. 

Resort Riding and Versatility

9.0/10. This is a board you could technically ride anywhere and everywhere at the resort. When I sized it down by 3cm, it even improved its park performance, too.

The Howler has V-shaped carbon stringers built into its nose and tail to give it some extra pop off jumps. It’s also got a contoured 4mm spoon nose and tail that pairs with its directional shape to help it float and make it slightly more forgiving on landings.

While I’d say this board is at its best on groomers and harder surfaces, it worked well in the light 5″ of powder I got to ride it in, too. The larger board, the men’s 158, worked better in powder than the smaller board, though the smaller board did well too. That 4mm of spoon bevel really seems to help in deeper snow.

The one thing worth mentioning is this board has a slightly wider than normal waist, so its turning experience can feel a hair too slow for someone who needs to turn on a dime. This means if you like to ride in the trees, it will take some getting used to. It’s got a medium torsional flex so you can foot steer it when you need to which helps, though.

All in all, it’s better for making medium-sized carves over tighter, smaller, abrupt ones.

Responsiveness

8.5/10. While I was surprised this wasn’t as stiff as the specs or other reviews led me to believe, the Howler still offered a ton of response and stability. That stability only increased when I sized it up. The larger men’s board felt more responsive to me than the smaller women’s one.

Overall, the Howler was designed for stability, carving with power, and giving you what’s needed to really dig a trench with your turns.

Speed

7/10, with “not being the fastest” as being my most honest strike against its performance. With the way this board was described, I thought it was going to be a speed demon of a deck, and it actually wasn’t. I just didn’t find the base to be as fast as I thought it would be.

It’s got Jones’ Sintered 8000 base, which is their premium sintered base. It’s supposed to be roaringly fast, but for some reason it wasn’t for me. I really noticed it lagging in the flatter sections.

I think the issue might have been more so that a lot of people demoed the Howler the same week I did. It’s a new popular board, and it just needed wax. It’s probably a fairer point to call out that this board needs to be kept waxed to maintain its higher-end glide. If you don’t wax it, it’ll feel slow. If it’s even slightly dry, you’ll notice it in those flat sections.

Switch

7/10. There were a few times I landed switch off a backside 180, and it rode for a few linked turns perfectly fine. With this board having only 2cm (0.78″) of setback and a mild 8mm (.31″) of taper, it winds up being a directional freeride board that you can ride switch on easily.

Now, that’s not to say it rides switch as well as a twin would, but its switch experience feels closer to having a more freeride-focused directional twin. It rides switch well enough for the rider who is going to have that dominant foot in front 75% of the time they’re on the hill.

If you are someone who mainly rides in their dominant stance, but wants to land and take off switch, this board is for you.

Jibs & Buttering

7.75/10. If you size this board down by 3cm, its ability to jib and butter dramatically improves. However, if you ride it in your standard size or size up, it’s a bit stiff, and it tries to fight you when you try to press it.

This board has a slightly softer flex in its nose than its tail, and when you size down, it takes it from its 8/10 flex pattern to feeling more like a manageable 5/10 flex pattern. Its nose easily locks into nose presses while its tail is stiffened up a little to act as a platform to lock on and help you get an extra bit of pop out of tail or bluntslides.

While it was a little easier to butter with the shorter women’s version of this snowboard, both boards were surprisingly easy to butter with.

Jumps

8.5/10. This board is a lot of fun for jumping. If you look at its carbon configuration, you’ll see two V-shaped carbon flax stringers in the nose and tail. These cross right under your feet and run through the contact points. The carbon laid in that pattern works to give the board some rigidity for carving while allowing you to load the board up with an extra boost of pop.

When that carbon pattern is combined with the generous amount of camber between your feet, you get a board with so much extra snap to it that it just wants to be in the air.

The larger men’s Howler felt snappier than the women’s version, where I sized down. However, the women’s version felt lighter and more maneuverable in the air. The men’s version was the more stable version on landings.

Dampness

8.5/10. This board felt noticeably damp to me. Jones added Koroyd into its nose to help it absorb chatter and also make it a little lighter.

The added dampening held up. As the day went on and conditions started to get rutted out, I didn’t feel much of the bumpiness in the ride. It felt smooth and worked well to give the board more of a higher-end feeling ride. It wasn’t so damp that the board felt lifeless, though. I’d say it feels 2 points damper than a Jones’ Mountain Twin.

Weight of the Board

Overall, the Jones Howler weighs .1lbs less than average boards that are the same size. You won’t notice the .1lb as you’re riding, but I am sure your legs will thank you at the end of the day.

It felt about average under my feet, and I didn’t notice it feeling overly light or heavy. It’s maneuverable and easy to steer. When I look at the weights in the spec sheet, they’re all on the lower side of their weight ranges.

• The Women’s Howler 148cm weighed 5.3 lbs, so compared to the average 148cm board weighing between 5.4 to 5.8 lbs, it’s.1lb lighter than average decks for its size.
  
• The Men’s Howler 158cm weighed 6.2 lbs, so compared to the average 158cm board weighing between 6.3 to 6.8 lbs on average, it’s.1lb lighter than average decks for its size.

Basically, the Howler hits the sweet spot where you won’t notice its weight. It isn’t heavy, nor is it overly light to the point of you getting bucked around.

Bindings to Pair With the Howler

I rode with Union Force for the 148cm version and then the Jones Mercury FASE for the 158cm.

Either binding worked well with this board, but I prefer the support of the Union Force. I always seem to run into trouble getting in and out of the FASE system with my boots.

Review Wrap-Up: So Is the Jones Howler Worth It?

Yes, if you’re someone looking for an incredibly versatile board that carves beautifully, blasts off sidehits with some extra oomph behind it, and grips so firmly into all types of conditions that it makes you a more confident rider, this is that snowboard and you should get it.

However, if you really are looking for an incredibly stiff freeride board, the 2027 version of the Jones Howler wasn’t the stiffest, nor was it the most aggressive board I’ve felt on the Jones lineup. The 2027 Howler is actually softer and more approachable than you might actually be looking for. (And maybe that’s a subtle clue that next season the Howler Pro will become a thing? I’ll stay tuned for you. )

Where to Buy

Once the season begins, you can find the Jones Howler right on the Jones Website. If you want to get yours early, EVO has it for preorder were you can lock in your size.

Thoser are affiliate links pointing to EVO’s website. It won’t cost you anything additional to buy through those links, and it supports the site. When you use it, EVO shares a small commission from the sale that goes towards more gear to review. (And thanks for supporting the site.)

About the Reviewer

Rider: Steve Weber

Where I Rode This: Stratton, VT

Rider Weight: 142 lbs

Experience: 27 years snowboarding and works at a local shop here in NEPA

When I Rode These Boards: February 4th, 2026 for both decks. I was at the EWSRA On Snow 2027 gear demo. Jones had a demo tent with both boards to try.

Conditions: A bit of everything: 5 inches of fresh snowfall in the morning, sun in the early afternoon, ice as it got later in the day.

Sizes ridden: Men’s Howler 158, Women’s Howler 148

Bindings used: Union Force / Jones Mercury FASE

Boots used: ThirtyTWO STW Men’s Size 9

Men’s Howler Image Gallery

Women’s Howler Image Gallery

Also Check Out These Related Posts:

• Jones Rally Cat Review: Is It Too Playful to Rip the Whole Resort?
• Jones 2027 Snowboards Preview Images
• Jones Tweaker Pro Snowboard Review: Compared to Regular Version
• Jones Mountain Twin Review