The 2023 Best Splitboards for Backcountry Snowboarding

A splitboard gives you endless possibilities of where you can ride. The board itself can split into two halves to form skis. This makes it possible for you to tour uphill and find untouched terrain, pockets of deep powder, and the dream runs those resort riders only dream of snowboarding.

That said, there is nothing more frustrating than finding that the halves of your splitboard don’t align perfectly, and your brand new deck is a nightmare to ride. You need to have the right splitboard to make your backcountry session both fun and safe. We compiled a list of the best splitboards for the backcountry in the 2022 – 2023 season to make sure you find the right board for you.

So let’s get started.

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Best Splitboards Overall

Jones Solution 2023

The Jones Solution is the most award-winning board, best-selling splitboards of all time. For 2023, it got some notable improvements that make it float better on powder and add to its already stellar performance in the backcountry. This board is every backcountry rider’s dream of a splitboard.

The Solution Splitboard’s profile is Directional Rocker that matches identically to the Jones Flagship. The Jones Solution’s profile can be described as having a longer rocker that runs under the nose just past the front binding, a camber zone underfoot, and then another small rocker zone under the back binding through the tail. While this board excels floating on powder in the backcountry, its hybrid camber shape makes it responsive and versatile as an all-mountain resort board too.

Here is an overview video that covers all of the highlights of the Jones Solution Splitboard.

Jones made the sidecut of the 2023 version a little more narrow while making the nose wider. The nose acts like a shovel that disperses powder as you plow through it. Additionally, the Jones Solution now has spoon-like 3d base technology built into its rocker sections. Combining the rocker profile, 3d base, sidecut, and wider nose all work together to make this board float perfectly on powder while allowing it to still carve perfectly through any terrain.

The Jones Solution has a Sintered 9900 Base. It is an ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene that is designed to be fast and durable. This base will require wax and maintenance.

This splitboard’s clips are the strongest and lowest profile clips you can get. They are adjustable to get the proper amount of tension between both halves of the board. Additionally, the Jones Solution features a Bolt-Less Bridge. This removes the extra split clip attachment that other splitboard’s have on their base. Instead, the Jones Solution has a reprofiled core designed to be more torsionally stiff under the clips. The result is a board that feels like it has one solid base while being lighter than other splitboards on the market.

If you want a splitboard that is made for riding powder and versatile enough to carve beautifully through all-terrain, check out the Jones Solution Splitboard.

Pros

• Floats perfectly on powder
• Responsive enough to use at the resort
• Portion of the proceeds benefit POW (Protect Our Winters) – fights global warming
• 3d spoon like base connects turns easily while helping it float
• Traction Tech 2.0 – Carves and holds an edge well
• Flax/Basalt Stringers – Reduces Chatter

Cons

• On the more expensive side
• The rocker profile can take some getting used to.

Flex Rating: Stiff Flex – 8 out of 10

Sizes Available: 154, 158, 159 Wide, 161, 162 Wide, 164, 165 Wide, 167, 169 Wide

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The Lightest Splitboard

Capita Mega Split

Here is a fantastic surprise. Capita just released the 2023 Mega Split as an early release. This is a premium splitboard version of the Capita Mercury. In 2022, Capita released the Mega Mercury, and it sold out in a few weeks. This is the splitboard version of that board. It will sell out fast, so reserve yours while you can. The main summary here is that it is perfect for all conditions. This splitboard is lightweight, durable, lock flawlessly, and charges as fast as possible.

The Mega Split is the most anticipated new splitboard for the 2023 season because it is the perfect board for all types of riding. This deck will perform well in the backcountry, powder, groomers at the resort, and even in the park.

The Mega Split features Capita’s V2 resort profile. It has a traditional camber section between your feet with rocker zones in the nose and tail. It looks like this.

The board gets its pop, power, and responsiveness in the camber section, while the rocker sections help it remain playful, pressable, and catch-free.

The Mega Split is a damp, hard-charging Splitboard that is fun and smooth to ride. This board is made of biax glass, carbon bands, and magic bean resin to hold it all together while giving it a poppy yet lively feel. One of the coolest tech features about the Mega Mercury is built into its core. This splitboard is built on Capita’s Ascend 1 Split-core.

This is a premium polar and paulownia blended core. The centerline is made with ABS(Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene) to provide the optimal weight to durability ratio. This is the highest-end split core that Capita makes. The goal is to make this extremely lightweight while being ready for any conditions you want to ride.

The Mega Split uses Union Pro Clips and Hooks. These are made with CNS aluminum. They are easy to use and do a phenomenal job keeping the splitboard securely locked together.

The base of the Mega Split is Capita’s fastest hyperdrive base. It is a stone-ground ultra-high density polyethylene, custom-engineered base. It is made to charge as fast as possible while durable enough to take hits from the occasional rock.

So, what is the real appeal here?

The premium materials used and how versatile the splitboard is. While there are many splitboard snowboards, only a few truly excel as a board that can carve, float, and charges groomers. This splitboard can do all of it exceptionally well.

So if you’re looking for a board that can do it all to perfection, get the Capita Mega Split.

Pros

• Incredibly light and durable
• One splitboard that can truly do it all with a ton of premium quality materials and tech features
• Super light core
• Slightly set back stance – perfect for all conditions and even park
• Incredibly fast base
• Responsive traditional camber profile with a stiffer 6.5 out of 10 flex

Cons

• This is a premium deck and is on the expensive side.
• It is probably too stiff for beginners.

Flex Rating: Medium 6.5 out of 10

Sizes Available: 155, 157, 159, 161

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Best Splitboard for East Coast Carving

Lib Tech Split BRD 2023

The Lib Tech Split BRD is a splitboard that is versatile enough to double as your all-mountain resort board, and it carves well enough on ice to be the perfect option for east coast riders. The Split BRD is a powerful powder board that also has Magne Traction. If you’re like me and on the East Coast, you will need an insane level of edge hold for carving through ice. The Lib Tech Split BRD is that deck.

This is a directional snowboard with an early rise nose with a stance that is set back nearly two inches. The idea behind the construction was to help the board float through powder in the backcountry.

The Split BRD is built on Lib Tech’s C3 Camber Profile. The entire board has a camber dominant profile with a little mellow rocker between your bindings. The benefit of the shape is that it helps you float in deeper snow.

The deck is extremely lightweight and durable. It has a wood core construction with the ratio being 95% paulownia and 5% aspen. Here is a diagram of how the board is constructed along with a few call out highlights.

The combination of wood gives the board its power and responsiveness. Additionally, birch rails are running through the sidecut to enhance the board’s power and durability.

The Split BRD features Lib Tech’s Stainless Steel Karakoram Ultra Clips. These are lightweight clips specifically designed to hold both sides of the deck together seamlessly without a gap. These clips making riding this feel like you are riding your normal freeride or all-mountain snowboard.

The laminates are a combination of biaxial and triaxial Fiberglass, and the base is Lib Tech’s extruded “TNT” base. The base is designed to be as tough as a sintered base while reaming fast with less maintenance.

If you are looking for a high-performance splitboard that could carve through powder as well as any condition, this is the board for you.

Pros

• Magne Traction – Insane edge hold while carving
• C3 camber profile with the directional shape – Floats on top of powder very well
• Medium flex in a splitboard (a softer flex than most splitboards)
• Durable – Sintered sidewalls with Birch rails
• Lightweight
• Seamless splitboard hold – stainless Steel Karakoram Ultra Clips / Fiber Reinforced Insert Retention System
• Eco friendly – zero hazardous waste

Cons

• The two inch stance set back can be a bit much for some riders. (That said this is perfect for plowing through deep snow.)
• It is on the pricey side

Flex Rating: Medium Flex – 5 out of 10

Sizes Available: 151, 154, 156, 159, 162 Wide, 167 Wide

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Best Splitboards for Mountaineering

Lib Tech T.Rice Orca Splitboard 2023

The Lib Tech T.Rice Orca Splitboard is the split version of the award-winning Travis Rice Orca Snowboard. This is a volume shifted, powder ready, beast of directional freeride splitboard. This is an all mountain splitboard that board backcountry riders will love.

This board will carve through any terrain you ride on. The T.Rice Orca Splitboard features Lib Tech’s Magne Traction serrated edges. If you look down the edge of this deck, you will see seven points of contact to help this board carve through snow and ice. This diagram does a great job showing you what Magne Traction edges look like.

The Magne Traction edges are aggressive and help with this board’s up uphill efficiency. While you are ascending the hill, you will make use of the aggressive edges to lock into any icy spots.

The Orca Splitboard has a Sintered Knife Cut Base. With some wax and maintenance, it will be insanely fast, slick, and durable for you. The rocker profile of the Orca splitboard is the C2x Hybrid. That can be described as having a small rocker zone between your feet and under your feet you have longer (steeper/wider) camber zones. The result is a stable, yet agile deck. It can turn on a dime while being responsive and offer a ton of pop.

This splitboard uses high tension Karakoram ultra clips. These are lightweight machine alloy clips that keep both sides of the deck flush while you are riding. When you are looking at the clips, you’ll notice that Lib Tech milled specific sections of the board for the clips. This offers the deck durability while giving the board a stiffer, more solid core in the sections that hold this board together.

The core of the Orca Splitboard is a blend of 5% Aspen 95% Paulownia wood. It is designed to be incredibly lightweight, and your legs will thank you for that while you are strapped in touring up hill. Lib Tech also reinforced the sidewalls using birch. This helps make the edges of the deck durable.

If you’re looking for a board that you can ride for hours in all types of conditions, go with the Lib Tech Orca Splitboard.

Pros

• Carves well – Magne Traction with seven contact points
• Lightweight
• Shape – Floats well in deep powder
• Responsive
• Durable – Sintered sidewalls with Birch rails
• Lightweight
• Karakoram Ultra Clips 2.0 – Seamless splitboard hold / feels like the non-split version of the Orca

Cons

• Popular – this deck sells out
• It is on the pricey side
• Not the best option for riding switch.

Flex Rating: Medium / Stiff Flex – 8 out of 10

Sizes Available: 153, 156, 159

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Best Splitboard for Beginners

Burton Family Tree Hometown Hero Splitboard 2022

The Burton Family Tree Hometown Hero Splitboard is a directional board with a setback stance. The Hometown Hero has the same lightweight properties as its non split version. The Hometown Hero Splitboard is specifically designed with tech to help it float on deep powder or charge rapidly down firm snow while making it lightweight to help you ascend uphill too.

This is a freeride directional deck, so it has a longer tapered nose with a shorter tail. The stance on the Burton Hometown Hereo is set back .78 of an inch. The nose is tapered to be slightly wider by .47 of an inch than the tail. This helps making turning on this board easy while helping it float over the deep snow.

The profile of the Burton Hometown Hero Splitboard is a directional camber. That shape is described as having camber zone under your feet while having a large rocker in the nose and a smaller rocker zone in the tail. The result is that you get the responsiveness of an aggressive camber deck with the versatile floating properties of a rocker. This was made to float on deep snow as well as icy, more firm snow.

To help picture what the rocker profile looks like here is an image. This is exaggerated to show the shape of the profile.

The Burton Hometown Hero Splitboard features Burton’s Super Fly II™ 700G Splitboard Core. This deck combines strong and lightweight wood to give the board its durability while being lightweight. In addition, there is carbon fiber worked into this board. You will find that the carbon gives this deck a springy type of pop while keeping the overall weight down. This is the lightest splitboards on this list, and that is what makes it our pick for being the best entry-level splitboard.

The Hometown Hero Splitboard features as WFO base. This is a sintered bast made from recycled material. It will be fast and durable. However, it will require that you wax it.

The Split Channel mounting system allows you to fine-tune where you set your stance. Burton includes pucks pre-mounted to the board to help with your setup.

If you are wondering which of these would work best as your entry deck into splitboarding, then go with the Burton Family Tree Hometown Hero Splitboard.

Pros

• Beginner friendly / This is a solid entry level option as your first splitboard
• Lightweight / Durable
• Responsive – feels like a traditional camber deck that can float well
• Loads of pop – this has carbon fiber built into it
• Comes with Burton mounting pucks

Cons

• While this is a responsive deck, there are stiffer options on the list if you are looking to carve and launch off backcountry features.

Flex Rating: Medium / Stiff Flex – 7 out of 10

Sizes Available: 150, 154, 158,162

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Best Freestyle Splitboard

Jones Mountain Twin Splitboard 2023

The Jones Mountain Twin Splitboard is for the park/freestyle focused rider who wants to tour the backcountry. This splitboard has a directional twin shape. It is the splitboard version of the Jones Mountain Twin, which is one of our favorites, and included on our Best All-Mountain Snowboards list.

The Mountain Twin Splitboard has a camrock profile. Its profile can be described as having traditional camber between your bindings and rocker outside of your bindings in the nose and tail. The profile is what gives the Jones Mountain Twin Splitboard its pop.

This board is intended to be lighter and float better on deep snow than a typical all-mountain freestyle deck. Jones designed this deck with a blunted nose and tail. This helps keep the nose or tail up while keeping the overall weight of the deck down. Your legs will thank you as you are ascending uphill.

Here is an overview video of the Jones Mountain Twin Splitboard.

This deck uses a boltless bridge with Karakoram ultra clips. These keep the tension of both halves tight without the unnecessary additional weight in other splitboards.

The Mountain Twin Splitboards features Traction Tech 3.0. These are on both the sidecut edge of the snowboard as well as the inner edge of each ski. The edge design is described as having three bumps per edge at the front binding, the center of the deck, and the back binding. The middle bump in the center of the board is a little larger than the others. These work together to help improve the edge hold while you are riding as well as touring.

This splitboard features the new Sintered 8000 Base. This is a durable material made from an Ultra High Molecular Weight polyethylene mixed with carbon. It will be insanely fast, durable, and will absorb wax well.

If you are looking to session jumps and natural jibs in the backcountry, this is the splitboard for you. Get the Jones Mountain Twin Splitboard.

Pros

• Freestyle focus in a splitboard
• Traction Tech 3.0 – Carves and holds an edge well
• Responsive – has the feel of a camber deck with the hybrid rocker nose
• blunted tips with 3d profile – The nose and tail are spoon like and shortened to help it float better and reduce weight
• Portion of the proceeds benefit POW (Protect Our Winters) – fights global warming
• Sintered Base
• Directional twin shape

Cons

• Some riders find it to be too stiff. This is more of an option for freestlye in the backcountry rather than take to your local mountain and hit the board park.

Flex Rating: Medium / Stiff Flex – 7 out of 10

Sizes Available: 157, 159 Wide, 160

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Best Splitboard for the Money

Arbor Coda Camber Splitboard 2023

The Arbor Coda Camber Splitboard is surfy and responsive with tons of pop. It carves well edge to edge, and it is slightly less expensive than other boards on this list.

This splitboard has a directional twin shape. However, the only real difference is that the nose is only set back by .39 of an inch (one centimeter). The board will feel the same while riding it switch. The slightly larger nose makes a world of difference when you set your stance back to ride in powder, though.

This version of the Coda Splitboard is the camber version. Arbor calls this type of camber the System Camber. It is designed to give you the traditional camber feel without the catchiness of the contact points. The main arc of the camber is underfoot, and it gradually gets more mellow as the angle gets to the nose or tail. The result is a splitboard with the power and response of a camber board with a more surfy board feel.

If Camber isn’t for you, also check out the rocker version of this board here too.

The Arbor Coda Camber Splitboard’s core is made of a blend of poplar and paulownia wood. There are additional bamboo, and carbon inserts worked into it to add stability and keep the halves of the board riding identically to the traditional snowboard version.

The laminates are a Biax glass on the bottom, with the top sheet being Triax. The result makes a stiffer board. The flex rating on this is a seven. It will be perfect for charging down backcountry powder lines. However, it won’t be easy to press or butter.

The Coda Splitboard has a sintered base. It is going to be fast and durable when you keep it waxed. The board comes pre-waxed and ready to rip the moment you buy it.

Like others on this list, the Arbor Coda Splitboard uses. Karakoram Ultra Clips. These are lightweight, easy to use, and eliminate rattling while you ride. The levers of these clips also lock, so you will not have any unwanted movement or catching as you ascend uphill.

Last and not least, this comes with a three-year warranty. Should anything go wrong, contact Arbor’s support, and they will help make it right.

If you’re looking for an incredible splitboard that will give you the most bang for your buck, then get the Arbor Coda Splitboard.

Pros

• All the benefits of camber in a less catch, more surfy ride.
• Carves incredibly well edge to edge in all conditions.
• Excellent edge hold – This has Grip Tech so it adds in an extra heel and toe contact point.
• Durable – sintered base with 360 wrapped sidewalls
• Excellent edge hold – This has Grip Tech so it adds in an extra heel and toe contact point.
• Eco-friendly – Arbor’s core values are quality and sustainability. This deck has recycled edges and uses bio resin.

Cons

• It can feel too stiff for some riders.
• Slightly heavier than some other boards on the list

Flex Rating: Medium / Stiff Flex – 7 out of 10

Sizes Available: 158, 161, 162 Wide, 164

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Best Splitboard for All Mountain Riding

Cardiff Snowcraft Goat Pro Carbon 2023 Splitboard

The Cardiff Snowcraft Goat Pro Carbon Splitboard is a lightweight all mountain, powder-ready board with playful freestyle roots. This splitboard has some premium features that make it responsive and ready to launch you off of natural features. It is also designed to be easier on your legs while you hike.

Cardiff gave the Goat Splitboard a 60% camber / 40% rocker board profile. The benefit of the blended board profile is that the transitions underfoot make the splitboard responsive while being insanely playful in powder. The profile looks like this.

The Goat Pro Carbon has a long, shallow sidecut radius that begins at 9mm and goes all the way up to 11mm, depending on the size of the deck you buy. The sidecut will give stability at high speeds, hold an edge perfectly on ice, and be agile enough to turn on a dime.

This splitboard uses Cardiff’s Pro Carbon materials to make it incredibly lightweight. The Goat Pro Carbon weighs in at only 6.25 lbs (2.83 kgs). The carbon in this board also gives it an extra springboard level of pop. The carbon combined with the fast graphite infused sintered base will have you launching off every natural feature you see.

If you’re looking for a big mountain board that is smooth to ride, powerful, and ready to launch into the air, get the 2023 Cardiff Snowcraft Goat Pro Carbon Splitboard.

Pros

• Insanely lightweight / Made with carbon
• All terrain ready and still playful
• Fast / Graphite-infused sintered base
• Floats so well in powder and built for mountaineering – 60/40 Camber profile with wider waist width
• Tons of pop – The carbon in this board give it a springboard-like pop
• Smooth, damp ride

Cons

• It is on the expensive side.

Flex Rating: Medium 6.5 out of 10

Sizes Available: 150, 154, 158, 162, 166

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So there you have it.

The best splitboards for the 2023 season are:

• Jones Solution Splitboard 2023 – Best Overall
• Capita Mega Split 2023 – Lightest / Best High End Splitboard
• Lib Tech Split BRD Splitboard 2023 – Best for Carving on East Coast (Ice or all conditions)
• Lib Tech T.Rice Orca Splitboard 2023 – Best for Mountaineering
• Burton Family Tree Hometown Hero Splitboard 2023 – Best for Beginners
• Jones Mountain Twin 2023 – Best Freestyle Splitboard
• Arbor Coda Camber Splitboard 2023 – Best for the Money
• Cardiff Snowcraft Goat Pro Carbon Splitboard 2023 – Best for All-mountain