Riding in powder is one of the best feelings you can get on your snowboard. There is just something about carving effortlessly through deep snow while leaving your track as your mark on the world.
However, not all snowboards are made ride in powder, though. To ride in powder, you need a snowboard that was specifically built to float on top of it.
Those are exactly the type of snowboards on this list. Here are the top 8 powder snowboards of the 2023 season.
So let’s get right to it.
Contents
Also there are some insane deals going on for boards right now. See our Best Snowboard Deals page to see the ones we recommend.
The Best Powder Snowboards Under $800
Bataleon Surfer
The Bataleon Surfer has everything you need for riding in deep snow. It has a positive camber profile, a directional shape, a setback stance, and a gigantic swallowtail. However, that is not all this board has to offer. Bataleon also threw in some incredible tech features that truly make it one of the best powder boards on this list.
This board’s unique shape combined with Bataleon’s 3BT (triple base technology) set it apart from other powder snowboards on this list. Bataleon calls this version of its technology the Pow3BT.
It looks like this.
The POW3BT is what gives this board its superior float. The contact points of the Surfer are uplifted (spoon-like) in both the nose and the swallowtail. Those contact points allow for snow to pass through seamlessly as you ride. When those uplifted points are combined with the tension in the positive camber deck, you get superior edge hold as the contact points dig into the snow as you carve.
The Bataleon Surfer’s core combines 70% swiss paulownia, 30%poplar wood, and dampening composite materials. The combination of wood and other materials makes the Bataleon Surfer a strong, lightweight, and damp board to ride.
To help give the board more pop and power, Bataleon added hollow carbon tubes and stringers into the Surfer. These carbon tubes work along with the camber profile of the board to help you engage your edge and allow this board to carve incredibly well.
The Bataleon surfer has a medium to the softer side of medium flex. You will be able to do butters on top of the powder while still having the response and control you need to ride through the trees.
The base of the Bataleon surfer is a standard sintered base. It will be tough, fast, and durable for you. It will require you to wax it, though.
If you are looking for a snowboard that has everything you need for floating on deep snow while giving you that surf-like feeling, get the 2023 Bataleon Surfer snowboard.
Pros
- 3BT – Spoon like nose and tail to help snow pass through as you ride.
- This board floats like a dream. It has a wide nose and swallowtail.
- Lightweight and Durable
- Mid flex to help make it playful
- Carbon added in to make it powerful
Cons
- The flex might not be stiff enough for some.
Similar Boards to the Bataleon Surfer: Jones Storm Wolf, Nitro The Quiver Pow
Sizes: 149, 154, 159, 162
See the Right Size Bataleon Surfer for You
| Size (cm) | Rider Weight (lbs) |
|---|---|
| 149 | 128-161 |
| 154 | 147-191 |
| 159 | 169-213 |
| 162 | 187-231 |
Flex: Soft – Medium 4/10
Bindings to Pair With It: Bataleon Chaos Fullwrap Bindings
Best All-Mountain Powder Snowboards
Lib Tech T.Rice Golden Orca Snowboard 2024
Lib Tech just surprised everyone with an early release of the 2024 Golden Orca a few months early. The 2024 Lib Tech T.Rice Golden Orca Snowboard is a supercharged all-mountain, freestyle-focused snowboard that floats incredibly well in powder. Read all about this board over on our best all-mountain snowboards of 2023 list. If you’re looking for a powder board that can ride switch and truly does it all, then check out the Golden Orca.
Pros
- Excellent float in powder while still being one of the best all-mountain snowboards
- Lightweight and durable ight weight and durable
- Rides switch well (most of the others on this list won’t)
- Holds an edge in ice as well as powder thanks to its Magne Traction edges
Cons
- It is on the more expensive side at around $750. You get a lot of tech to help you in all conditions though.
Similar Boards to the Lib Tech Golden Orca: Lib Tech Orca, Yes. Warca UnInc JPS
Sizes Available: 150, 153, 157, 161 – This is meant to ride 1-3 cm shorter than your typical board. It is volume shifted, so it is wider than a traditional snowboard.
See the Right Size Lib Tech Golden Orca for You
| Size (cm) | Rider Weight (lbs) |
|---|---|
| 150 | 110+ |
| 153 | 120+ |
| 157 | 130+ |
| 161 | 140+ |
Flex: Stiff 7/10
Bindings to Pair With It: Union Falcor Bindings
Pro Tip: Last season’s graphic of the Golden Orca is on sale right now for the lowest price I have seen.
The Best Powder Snowboards Under $700
Burton Fish 3D 2023
The 2023 Burton Fish 3D takes its inspiration from surfing and the flow of water. This board has all the features you need to make this your quiver’s dedicated powder snowboard.
The Fish 3D has a directional shape with a 1.18-inch taper (30 millimeters), making the nose nice and wide with a more narrow tail. The stance is set back towards the tail.
The board’s profile is Burton’s Directional Flat Top. It is flat underfoot with a large gradual rocker that rises in its nose. It is specifically designed to keep the nose up and float on powder.
It looks like this.
This board has a 3D profile in its nose and tail. If you flipped the Fish 3D over, you would instantly notice its nose has a concave shovel-like shape. The nose’s shape was designed to allow the nose to pass through snow seamlessly as you ride. The tail has the opposite curvature. There is a 3D convex shape to the tail. The tail is designed to help lift the tail as you ride. The combination of 3D sections in combination with the board’s profile are what allow it to float so well on deep snow.
The Burton Fish 3D snowboard has a direction flex pattern. Its flex rating is on the softer side of medium at about a 4.5 out of 10. The board was made stiffer in the tail for extra pop and response, while the nose is a softer to allow snow to pass through and keep you on top of deep snow.
The Fish 3D features Burton’s WFO sintered base. It will be fast and durable for you. You will need to keep up with waxing it so it keeps that perfect glide on powder.
If you’re looking for a powder board with a lot of tech at a great price, check out the Burton Fish 3D.
Pros
- Floats in powder beautifully – Directional shape and 3D profile
- Burton 3-year warranty
- Carbon added to give it response
- Durable and Lightweight – Burton’s Super Fly II™ 700G Core with Dualzone™ EGD™
- Comes pre broken in
- Eco-friendly build
Cons
- This is perfect as a powder board. However, you would want to go with a different option if you were going to use it as an all-mountain snowboard.
Similar Boards to the Burton Fish 3D: Jones Mind Expander, Capita Spring Break Powder Glider
Sizes: 146,151, 156, 161
See the Right Size Burton Fish 3D for You
| Size (cm) | Rider Weight (lbs) |
|---|---|
| 146 | 100-150 |
| 151 | 120-180 |
| 156 | 150-200 |
| 161 | 180-260+ |
Flex: Medium 5/10
Bindings to Pair With It: Burton Mission Bindings
Note: You can still get last season’s version of this board on sale for a steal of a price right now.
The Best Powder Snowboards Under $650 (Great on Hard Pack Too)
Jones Storm Wolf Snowboard 2023
The Jones Storm Wolf is a wide directional powder snowboard with a set back stance of 2.55 inches (65 Millimeters). The board has a .39 inch (10 millimeters) taper, so there is wider nose to help it ride well in powder.
This profile of this board is Jones’ Surf Camber. It is a camber dominant snowboard. There is camber between your feet, a large uprising rocker section in the nose, and then a camber release in the tail. The shape of the board is designed specifically to make this snowboard ride well on powder.
To help with edge hold, there are a few extra contact points added in the Storm Wolf. Jones calls this Traction Tech 3.0. There are extra contact points under your front binding, between your feet, and under your back binding. These help the board grip the snow as you carve. This feature in combination with the board’s progressive sidecut also make the Jones Storm Wolf an excellent board for carving the whole mountain too. It is right at home on those hardpack days.
The Jones Storm Wolf snowboard has a 3D Contour Base. There is a spoon like shape in the nose and tail. The spoon shaping is about .27 of an inch (7 millimeters). The 3D shaping is designed to improve the board’s glide in powder. It helps snow pass through it with as little friction as possible. It also makes the turn initiation feel smoother on both hard pack and deep snow.
To give the board a damp feel, jones added in Carbon with Innegra into the board. When you look at the topsheet of the board, you can see it. It looks like a neat diamond pattern. This helps the Storm Wolf absorb vibrations as you ride on choppier terrain.
The flex of the Storm Wolf is stiff at around an 8 out of 10. It has a directional flex to it. It is stiffer in the tail and a little closer to a medium flex pattern in the nose. The stiffer tail helps give this board more stability while carving fast while the softer nose helps the snowboard bend upwards to stay on top of deep snow.
Jones added in a Sintered 8000 Base into the Storm Wolf. This means the base will be harder and faster than some other powder specific boards. It will need you to wax it, though.
If you’re looking for a powder board that is fun to carve and will also be right at home on harder snow, then check out the Jones Storm Wolf.
Pros
- Floats excellent on powder and still carves well on resort groomers
- Carbon / Innegra added in to dampen the ride – You won’t feel vibration in your legs.
- Extra contact points to help it carve
- Sintered base
- 3D countered nose and tail to help it glide on deep snow
- Eco-friendly build
Cons
- This might be too stiff for some. It is 8/10 flex in the tail and the nose is closer to a 6/10.
Similar Boards to the Jones Storm Wolf: Bataleon Surfer, Nitro The Quiver Fintwin
Sizes: 154, 158, 162
See the Right Size Jones Storm Wolf for You
| Size (cm) | Rider Weight (lbs) |
|---|---|
| 154 | 120 – 170 |
| 158 | 130 – 180 |
| 162 | 160 – 210 |
Flex: Stiff 8/10
Bindings to Pair With It: Union Falcor Bindings
The Best Powder Snowboard Under $500
Capita Navigator 2023
The Navigator is a directional powder snowboard with a setback stance of one inch (25.4 millimeters). This board has a .47 of an inch (12mm millimeters) taper. It is the perfect deck for riding powder or hitting backcountry features. Additionally, this board is also right at home with riding on harder-packed snow at your local resort.
The Navigator has Capita’s Alpine V1 profile. It has a positive camber section between the bindings, a flat tail, and reverse camber in its long nose. It is the right profile for keeping the board floating on top of deep snow while having a lot of pop for hitting backcountry features and stability to carve.
It looks like this.
There is a directional flex in the Capita Navigator. The tail has a stiffer 5.5 out of 10 flex. The nose is on the slightly softer side with a 4 out of 10 flex. The stiffer tail gives this board its power and response, while the more flexible nose helps to improve the board’s float overall. While the nose is pressable with some effort, I wouldn’t say this is the right powder board for doing butters or riding the park.
For the 2023 season, the Capita Navigator got three upgrades.
- There are now two additional sizes. It now comes in 143cm and 167cm lengths. Underneath this description, I included a weight range chart so you can see all of the sizes and weight recommendations for the Capita Navigator.
- The Navigator now has the Powder Drive Base. The new base is a blend of both sintered and extruded bases. It is fast and durable while not requiring a lot of maintenance. It was designed specifically to accel in deep snow.
- Capita upgraded the core to its new P2 Superlight Core. The new core is a blend of Poplar and Paulownia wood assembled in a way that makes the board retain its pop and durability while being incredibly lightweight.
- Floats well in powder
- Perfect stable carving board in all conditions
- Damp / Smoot ride
- Has 360 steel edges
- Fast / Durable Base
- 2 Year Warranty
- A bit too stiff to butter in powder
- Not a good option for both riding powder and hitting the park – This is more riding backcountry, carving at your resort, or finding natural jump features.
- Poppy
- Great for carving through trees
- Flex is a medium to stiff (6 out of 10)
- Burton Channel mounting system – allows you to fine tune your stance to ensure it is perfect for you.
- Also an excellent all-mountain snowboard – Rides just as well on hardpack as powder.
- The only thing to think about is that this has Burton’s channel mounting system, so you need Burton’s EST bindings or an adapter.
- A fun to ride wider snowboard that can carve well in deep snow.
- Playful freestyle flex that’s excellent for butters.
- Lightweight / Durable
- Responsive / Loads of pop
- In lumpy terrain you can feel chatter from the wider, more flexible nose that will pass through to your legs.
- It is popular, so you will see others in the lift line.
- Excellent for chasing powder runs at resorts
- Fast base
- Smooth / Damp ride
- The shape of the board is excellent for carving
- Light
- It is too stiff to butter. This board has a 7/10 flex rating. If you’re looking for a powder board that is flexible, this is not the snowboard for you.
- Not the most beginner friendly snowboard – The deep sidecut and stiffer flex is made more for intermediate riders who want to go fast.
Here is a picture of what the new core’s construction looks like.
While there are a ton of features to help this board excel in powder, the Navigator also rips as a carving snowboard in all conditions. Capita added a Parabolic Sidecut into the Navigator. This is a large symmetrical sidecut that allows you to get a deeper, tighter carve. The shifted positive camber profile works well with the larger sidecut for going fast and carving in powder.
The Capita Navigator has two cork dampening sheets that were added right into the board’s top sheet. These dampening sheets help make the Capita Navigator one of the smoothest riding boards on this list. You can see these in the graphic. These are the darker streaks that run along the sides. These are added to make the board absorb chatter, so you won’t feel the vibration in your legs if you’re riding rougher terrain at high speeds.
Capita added some carbon to this board right around the dampening sheets. These carbon sections work well with the camber in the board. When the board has tension, the carbon sections lift the nose. It is a feature that gives the Navigator an excellent float level while adding in some pop and response.
If you’re looking for a responsive powder snowboard with a lot of stability that feels fun to ride, check out the Capita Navigator 2023 snowboard.
Pros
Cons
Similar Boards to the Capita Navigator: Kazu Kokubo Pro, Nitro The Quiver Slash
Sizes: 143, 147, 151, 155, 158, 161, 164, 167
See the Right Size Capita Navigator for You
| Size (cm) | Rider Weight (lbs) |
|---|---|
| 143 | 80-130 |
| 147 | 90-140 |
| 151 | 110-160 |
| 155 | 130-190 |
| 158 | 150-200 |
| 161 | 160-210 |
| 164 | 170-220 |
| 167 | 180-230+ |
Flex: Medium 5.5/10
Bindings to Pair With It: Union Falcor Bindings
The Best Snowboards for Riding Powder and Park
Burton Deep Thinker 2023
The Burton Deep Thinker is the directional shaped version of Burton’s more freestyle-focused Free Thinker. Both boards are Danny Davis’ pro models, and the Deep Thinker is his snowboard specifically designed to float in the powder and still be playful enough to butter and even rider in the park.
The board profile of the Deep Thinker is Burton’s directional camber. That means it has a traditional camber from the front binding through the board’s tail, and it has a rocker profile in the nose to help it float.
It would look like this where the nose is pointing to the right.
This deck has a setback stance of .98 of an inch. Additionally, the Deep Thinker has a .27 of an inch ( 7 millimeters) tapered sidecut, so the nose is slightly wider than the tail. The shape of the board is what makes this an excellent option for riding in deep snow.
The flex of the board is on the medium side at around a six out of ten. The tail is stiffer to give you more response than the nose. The nose is more playful and easier to butter.
The Deep Thinker features Burton’s WFO sintered base. It will remain fast for you. It will just require normal wax and maintenance. Additionally, the Deep Thinker snowboard features Burton’s Super Fly II™ 700G Core. Basically, Burton strategically placed stronger and lighter wood throughout the core. The result is a maneuverable board that is damp, lightweight to help it float, and remain durable.
If you’re looking for an all-mountain snowboard that rides like a full camber deck, and it will still float beautifully in the deep snow, get the Burton Deep Thinker.
Pros
Cons
Similar Boards to the Burton Deep Thinker: Jones Mind Expander, Burton Flight Attendant
Sizes: 154, 157, 157 Wide, 160, 160 Wide, 163 Wide
See the Right Size Burton Deep Thinker for You
| Size (cm) | Rider Weight (lbs) |
|---|---|
| 154 | 120 – 180 |
| 157 | 150 – 200 |
| 157 Wide | 150 – 200 |
| 160 | 180 – 260+ |
| 160 Wide | 180 – 260+ |
| 163 Wide | 180 – 260+ |
Flex: Medium to Stiff 7.5/10
Bindings to Pair With It: Burton Genesis EST Bindings
Note: Last season’s graphic of this board is still available and on sale right now.
The Best Powder Snowboard for Buttering
Yes Warca UnInc JPS Snowboard 2023
The Yes Warca Uninc JPS is a volume-shifted, shorter and wider snowboard inspired by Yes’ best-selling 420 snowboard. However, you can tell from its name that it is also inspired by combining the best attributes of the Ride Warpig and Lib Tech Orca. The result is a powder-focused board that carves beautifully with a freestyle, playful flex that is perfect for buttering.
The primary feature of the Warca is its shape. This board has a tapered directional twin shape with a centered stance. Here is a closer look at the tapered shape.
The nose is nearly 1/8 of an inch (4mm) wider than the tail with a steeper up-turned angle that allows snow to channel easily under the board. These features help the board float effortlessly in deep snow while still maintaining the balanced, centered feel of a freestyle twin beneath your feet.
In the image above, notice the red section of the board. The red section is the Warca’s Bi-Polar Midbite. This feature solves the challenge of wider boards feeling like they are difficult to turn. By tapering the edge right behind the front foot, the Warca can engage its sidecut quicker and turn tighter than a wide snowboard should be able to. With the Warca, you get all of the powder floating, fun-to-ride benefits of a wider snowboard while still being able to carve edge to edge quickly.
The Warca has a traditional camber (lowercase n-shaped) board profile. The camber profile gives the board its edge control, pop, and adds its responsive feel as you carve.
The core of the Yes Warca is a combination of Poplar, Paulownia, and Bamboo stringers. The construction looks like this.
The Poplar and Paulownia (indicated in white and red) work together to make the Yes Warca lightweight and durable, while the bamboo stringers (indicated in black) work with the camber profile to give this board its response and incredible pop.
The overall flex rating of the Yes Warca is a seven out of ten. However, it doesn’t feel that stiff in the nose and tail. The center of the board is its stiffest part, while the nose and tail are softer and make locking into butters feel simple.
The base is sintered and ready to charge through groomers and deep snow. It will remain fast and durable for you as long as you keep it waxed.
If you’re looking for an insanely fun powder board to ride, get the Yes Warca snowboard.
You can learn more about this board in our in-depth Yes Warca review.
Pros
Cons
Similar Boards to the Yes Warca UnInc JPS: Lib Tech Orca, Ride Warpig
Sizes: 148, 150, 153, 155
See the Right Size Yes Warca UnInc JPS for You
| Size (cm) | Rider Weight (lbs) |
|---|---|
| 148 | 120 – 160 |
| 150 | 140 – 190 |
| 153 | 150 – 200 |
| 155 | 160 – 220 |
Flex: Medium / Stiff (7 out of 10)
Bindings to Pair With It: Union Strata Bindings
The Best Board for Powder and Resort Groomers
K2 Excavator Snowboard 2023
The Excavator was introduced to the K2 lineup last year as a powder-ready all mountain snowboard, and it quickly became a fan favorite board. This snowboard has technology built into it that makes it fast, responsive, and lightweight. It was designed with the intermediate to advanced rider who wants to chase pow runs at the resort. It was named the Excavator because its deep sidecut radius will dig into groomers and powder.
To help the board float in deeper snow, the Excavator has a tapered directional shape with a setback stance of .75 of an inch (19.05 millimeters). If you were to look at the Excavator’s side, its board profile would look like this.
The board profile has a rocker section in the nose, and then underfoot through the rest of the board, it has a positive camber profile. The benefit of the hybrid profile combined with the directional shape is that you get a ton of power, pop, and response from the camber section, along with easier turn initiation and float from the rocker in the nose.
The K2 Excavator is a volume shifted snowboard. This means that it has a wider waist width, and you can ride it 5cm smaller than your normal deck. Additionally, the board has a unique sandwiched construction design that makes it lighter and smoother ride than the typical directional powder snowboard. The result is that you will be able to ride the Excavator longer before your legs get tired.
The construction of the board looks like this.
The Excavator is built with K2’s Bambooyah Pro Core. This is a combination of bamboo and lightweight paulownia. Towards the tail, you will notice the Carbon Power Forks. These forks help give the tail an additional springboard-like pop for your ollies while giving the board more energy in and out of your turns. K2 also added in tip to tail carbon stringers. The bamboo and paulownia make this board a damp ride where you will feel virtually not chatter underfoot while the carbon stringers give the board its incredible power and pop.
The Excavator has K2’s Edge Pressure Carbon Infused Sintered 5500 base. The base is the fastest base in the entire K2 line. It is durable, designed to improve wax retention, and rip as fast as you want to rip.
If you’re looking for a carving, powder, all-mountain conquering monster of a snowboard, you just found it. Get the K2 Excavator.
Pros
Cons
Similar Boards to the K2 Excavator: Salomon Dancehaul, Arbor Bryan Iguchi Pro
Sizes: 142, 146, 150, 154, 158, 162
See the Right Size K2 Excavator for You
| Size (cm) | Rider Weight (lbs) |
|---|---|
| 142 | 90 – 160+ |
| 146 | 90 – 160+ |
| 150 | 120 – 190+ |
| 154 | 120 – 190+ |
| 158 | 130 – 210+ |
| 162 | 130 – 210+ |
Flex: Medium – Stiff 7/10
Bindings to Pair With It: K2 Formula Bindings
So there you have it. The best powder boards for the 2022 – 2023 season are these.
- The Best Powder Snowboards Under $800: Bataleon Surfer 2023
- Best All-Mountain Powder Snowboards: Lib Tech T.Rice Golden Orca Snowboard 2023
- The Best Powder Snowboards Under $700: Burton Fish 3D 2023
- The Best Powder Snowboards Under $650 (Great on Hard Pack Too): Jones Storm Wolf Snowboard 2023
- The Best Powder Snowboard Under $500: Capita Navigator 2023
- The Best Snowboard for Riding Powder and Park: Burton Deep Thinker 2023
- The Best Powder Snowboard for Buttering: Yes Warca UnInc JPS Snowboard 2023
- The Best Board for Powder and Resort Groomers: K2 Excavator Snowboard 2023
Also Check Out Our Other Snowboard Guides:
- Yes Warca 2023 Snowboard Review
- Best All Mountain Snowboards
- Best Park Snowboards
- Best Freeride Boards for Carving
- Best Complete Snowboards for Beginners
- Best Snowboard Boots
- Best Bindings for Park Riding
- Snowboard Size Calculator & Board Size Guide
Steve Weber is an avid snowboarder and skateboarder. He has been snowboarding for 26 years, skateboarding for 20, and is always looking for a new board sport to try out. When he is not riding or skating, he runs a marketing agency. Board of the World is Steve’s blog for skateboard and snowboard gear reviews. The blog’s goal is to help people find the right board for them and encourage people to have fun outside.