Snowboarding has become quite popular over the past few years. Whether people are enjoying a snowboarding holiday or looking to get a little bit more extreme than your typical downhill ski, anyone can benefit from a snowboard for buttering.
As many tricks aren’t too easy to pull off, most people want to make it as easy as possible. Buttering is one such tactic that will help you nail your tricks.
Buttering entails using the flex of a ski to pop off a slope while moving into a rotation. Typically, part of the board will remain in contact with the slope.
Naturally, this can be an exhilarating thing to do. If you’re looking to attempt more stunts, then you might be wondering what the best snowboards for buttering are. Well, there’s more to it than just picking a random board.
5 Best Snowboards For Butter Tricks
It’s nearly impossible to pick a snowboard at random, hoping that it’ll be good at buttering. After a bit of research, however, a few options stand out above the others. While you might be most interested in how good these snowboards are for buttering, there are a few other appealing benefits.
Today we’re going to cover the 5 best snowboards for buttering, pros and cons, and frequently asked questions to help you make the right decision.
1. Best Overall: Capita Outerspace Living Men’s Snowboard
If you’re considering the best snowboard for buttering and looking to perform tricks, then you’re going to need a snowboard that’s quite strong, but that doesn’t lack in the performance department.
Because of the Kevlar and carbon-mix struts, that’s precisely what this Capita Outerspace Living Men’s Snowboard offers. However, the benefits don’t stop there.
The entire board is made from a blend of magic bean resin and fiberglass. With the mix, there’s a decent amount of flexibility, alongside a lot of durability. This also doesn’t seem to affect the weight too much, so it doesn’t negatively affect the board’s overall performance.
Lastly, is the resin base, which has a unique blend that makes it much more transparent. While this doesn’t affect how you use the board, it does mean that the graphics look much more pronounced, allowing you to butter in style.
However, there seems to be a slight balance issue here, and you’ll need to pay careful attention to foot placement. That being said, a little more concentration can overcome this, especially in the first few runs after you get it.
Pros
- Struts are made from carbon and Kevlar for added more strength and performance.
- Uses a magic bean and fiberglass blend to increase durability without adding weight.
- A specifically-formulated resin makes the base more transparent and adds to the board’s looks.
Cons
- Can be difficult to use and needs a lot of concentration.
2. Best Budget: Rossignol Circuit Men’s Snowboard
As much as you might want to get a board that’s great for buttering, you may not want to spend too much on it. Thankfully, there are quite a few affordable snowboards on the market.
The Rossignol Circuit Men’s Snowboard is perhaps the best among these, as it offers quite a few benefits. Perhaps the most notable of these is that it’s quite a forgiving and comfortable snowboard.
This is especially true on all-mountain paths. There’s also the fact that there’s a lot of customizable flex, alongside torsional resistance. That should make it one of the more user-friendly boards to pick from.
These attributes make it well-recommended for beginners and intermediate skiers. The rocker design also means that you shouldn’t have any issues gliding over the majority of snow types.
However, you might have to give up some speed with this, as it can be somewhat slower than its competitors. If you’ve just started learning how to butter, among other tricks, then this may not be too large an issue.
Pros
- Designed to provide a forgiving and comfortable ride on all-mountain paths.
- Offers much more torsional resistance and customizable flex than competitors.
- Rocker design makes it easy to use on most snow types.
Cons
- Might not catch as much speed as some of its competitors.
3. Best Runner Up: Capita Ultrafear Men’s Snowboard
If you don’t want the Capita Outerspace Living Men’s Snowboard but want a similar performance, then the Capita Ultrafear Men’s Snowboard might be the right choice for you.
That’s because of the unique blend of materials used, notably the Titanal body armor and Kevlar. Thanks to this, there’s quite a lot of strength and overall performance.
This is backed up with a dual blaster ashpop core. Alongside making the snowboard much more durable, it also helps with its maneuverability and ease of use.
Thankfully, that’s helpful when you’re learning how to butter. The last major benefit is the edge dampening system, which adds a lot of comfort to your ride.
That being said, you’ll be giving up some speed compared to other boards. Given the overall blend of strength, control, and durability. However, that’s to be expected and shouldn’t be seen as too large of an issue.
Pros
- Made from Kevlar and Titanal body armor material to optimize its strength and performance.
- Has an edge dampening system, which makes it more comfortable to ride.
- A dual blaster ashpop core makes it durable and easy to control.
Cons
- Might not be as fast as other snowboards.
4. Best Under $250: Chamonix Lognan Men’s Snowboard
If price is one of your determining factors, then you might want to go for a more affordable snowboard. Unfortunately, that usually means you run the risk of buying a lower-quality board.
With the Chamonix Lognan Men’s Snowboard, though, you’ll find that it’s affordable without compromising on quality too much.
The poplar wood core makes it quite lightweight and easy to control. This controllability is enhanced through the twin shape design and sidewall construction. That should make most tricks relatively easy to perform once you know how to do them.
Naturally, there can be drawbacks to this, though this should be expected with lower-priced boards. Perhaps the largest of these is that the Chamonix Lognan isn’t as durable as you might expect.
That could mean that you might end up replacing it much quicker than you anticipated. Given how affordable it is, though, that might not be too much of an investment.
Pros
- Core is made with poplar wood, making it lightweight and easy to turn.
- The sidewall construction and twin shape makes it easy to control.
- One of the most affordable snowboards for buttering on the market.
Cons
- Isn’t as durable as some other snowboards.
5. Best Alternative: Burton Free Thinker Snowboard
Precision is often one of the most essential factors in pulling off a snowboard trick. That’s where this Burton Free Thinker Snowboard shines.
This is primarily driven by the camber bend design, alongside its twin shape. By blending these, the snowboard is much more balanced, which comes off great in turns.
The design also allows for an even weight distribution and a snappy suspension, which should translate well to performing any tricks.
There’s also how lightweight that the Burton is, as it’s made from a lighter wood than others. While this equates to a small decline in strength, it should still meet your needs.
Though you’ll be able to get through turns and tricks quickly, this might be a little slower than other snowboards on a straight decline, which is one of the few drawbacks that this has.
Pros
- Twin shape design gives it a balanced ride.
- With its camber bend, you should be able to make much more precise turns.
- Uses lighter wood that’s also quite powerful, making the board lightweight but strong.
Cons
- Speed may be slower on straight rides.
FAQs: What to Know When Choosing the Best Snowboard for Buttering
Naturally, there can be quite a few things to consider when looking for a new board. That’s because many people value specific things when determining the best snowboard for their needs.
This means that you might need to come to a particular decision by yourself. However, that opens the question as to how you should judge the best snowboards for buttering.
While price will inevitably play a large part in this, there can be a few other factors that you’ll need to consider. There may be other, more minor factors – such as the color and graphics on the board – but there are a few more major considerations.
You might need to allow for a bit of give-and-take when deciding which features you want, as few boards will come exactly as you like them unless you custom order. However, the 5 options listed above will fit the majority of your requirements.
Rigidity
Naturally, how rigid the board is will be one of the more important aspects that you might want to consider. That’s primarily because it can have a significant impact on your ability to pull off any tricks.
While many people will say that a particular rigidity is best for buttering, that may not be the case. Instead, your skill level will be much more important.
Typically, newer skiers will use more flexible skis, while more experienced ones will use more rigid ones. Since more experienced skiers will usually be able to do tricks, you might think that you’ll need a stiff board.
While you might prefer a rigid board when you’re more experienced, you’ll still be able to butter on a more flexible one. Generally speaking, it’s best to go with a board that you’ll feel comfortable using.
Length & Size
The length and size of a board will have a significant impact on how easy it is for you to use. This will be the case regardless of whether you’re trying to butter or not.
That’s because boards that are too big or too small for you will be difficult to use. Trying to pull off any trick with them might be virtually impossible.
As a result, it’s vital to make sure you get the right-sized board for you. Generally, the taller you are, the longer your board should be.
That’s also the case for weight. Wider boards can also have their benefits, and it’s possible that they can be better for buttering. If you’re more interested in control, though, then you might want a skinnier board.
Bindings
Bindings can be just as crucial as the skis themselves, as they’re what you’ll control the board through. There are two types of bindings that you should be aware of: track-mounted and drill-mounted.
Both types can have their benefits and are made in completely different ways.
Track-mounted bindings are what they sound like, with the bindings for your shoes being mounted on a track. This can be great if you’re looking for flexibility.
However, the drill-mounted bindings can offer much more control as your feet are closer to the board itself. Naturally, that could make them better for buttering, although this is down to personal preference.
Conclusion
The best snowboard for buttering looks like it’s undoubtedly the Capita Outerspace Living Men’s Snowboard. With more benefits and fewer drawbacks to the best alternatives, it was easy to rank this one as the best overall.
Investing in quality over the long-term does come with a bit of a price tag, though. If you’re more budget-minded, then you might be considering going for a cheaper option.
If that’s the case, consider the Rossignol Circuit Men’s Snowboard. Though it isn’t the cheapest, it is an affordable snowboard that offers a lot of benefits.
If you’re planning on taking skiing more seriously, especially with buttering and other tricks, then it’s one of the better options for affordable boards.
If you’re looking for more product recommendations to help you look, feel, and perform well on the slopes, check out our other buying guides!