First tracks at the resort are fleeting due to crowded lift lines. Luckily for the antisocial powderhound, ditching migraine-inducing liftlines in favor of backcountry bliss has never been easier, thanks to constant advancements in splitboard tech and a surge of reasonably priced setups.
Not only that, but we’re seeing better, more widespread avalanche forecasting and avalanche safety education, both of which are obligatory to explore the backcountry responsibly. Whether you’re new to the game or frequently use quadriceps over quad chairs for your powder fix, you’ll find our test crew’s favorite splitboards for 2025 below. Our advice? Gear up, take an , and drop in.
At A Glance
- Editors’ Choice:
- Best Value:
- Best in Powder:
- How to Choose a Splitboard
- How We Test
- Meet Our Testers
Looking for something solid? Check out our reviews of the best snowboards of 2025.
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Editors’ Choice
Venture Paragon
Weight: 7.6 lbs (158 cm)
Sizing: 149, 153, 154, 158, 159, 163, 164, 168 cm
Profile: Neutral
Shape: Directional
Flex: 6/11
Waist Width: 25.5 cm (158 cm)
Sidecut: 7.61 m (158 cm)
Pros and Cons
⊕ Floats well
⊕ Rides switch well
⊕ Durable
⊕ Excellent size run
⊗ Heavy
Venture’s Paragon should be a top pick for all-mountain riders looking for a reliable-yet-playful do-it-all split for two key reasons: its versatile shape and incredible durability.
It’s a classically-shaped, easy-to-ride, flat-cambered chameleon, able to adapt to any conditions or terrain you throw at it. I was appreciative of Venture’s go-to neutral profile, which transitions from zero-camber underfoot to a gentle rocker between the inserts of the nose and tail. Testers noted that the profile, combined with a semi-tight sidecut, offers a balance of float in powder and dependable edge-hold in hardpack. That said, in technical skin tracks, some testers voiced a preference for traditional camber.
The board is directional enough to handle deep snow and freeriding at speed, thanks to a touch of taper from the longer nose to the shorter tail. If you want a board that can float in powder, handle technical freeriding, and still butter, throw tricks, and land switch in more playful terrain, it’s hard to find a better option than the Paragon. When touring days after a storm in the Tahoe backcountry, testers found themselves exploring undulating, freestyle-friendly terrain that begged for airtime, but it was caked in a crust of icy snow that threatened to pitch riders head over heels at every turn. The Paragon was one of few splits reliable enough to navigate through the garbage with a semblance of grace, all while encouraging riders to throw little spins, ride switch, and pop off rock-hard pillows without too much concern for landing quality.
Venture crafts some of the most durable decks on the planet, and the Paragon is no exception. I scraped the base of the split on a sliver of barely-exposed rock in the choke of a couloir, and the board barely sustained a scratch. Venture goes the extra mile in every aspect of construction, lacing up the Paragon with tough P-Tex (polyethylene) sidewalls, a sintered Durasurf base, cold-rolled high-carbon steel edges, and powder-shedding, and hard-wearing Carbonium top sheets.
The one downside to Venture’s burly construction is that it’s relatively heavy, with the 158-centimeter length weighing 7.6 pounds. But for most riders who are hard on their gear, a few extra ounces are well worth a few extra seasons of shredding.
Best Value
Korua Transition Finder Split
Weight: 7.28 lbs (157 cm)
Sizing: 150, 157 cm
Profile: Float camber (camber backseat, rockered nose)
Shape: Directional
Flex: Medium
Waist Width: 26.4 cm (157 cm)
Sidecut: 8.2 m (157)
Pros and Cons
⊕ Affordable
⊕ Fun carver
⊕ Predictable flex
⊗ Soft for heavier riders
⊗ Minimal size run
⊗ Cheap, unreliable clips
Our fondness for Korua’s unisex Transition Finder is no secret. We covered the solid version extensively over the last couple of years, and after extended testing in Japan over the last two seasons, we dubbed the surfy, all-mountain freestyle deck our best value board this season. Backcountry testers who hopped on the Transition Finder split at Diamond Peak and beyond this winter submitted similarly high praise. The split is worthy of “best value” superlatives as well—it’s more reasonably priced than any other option in this guide—although Korua uses cheaper nose and tail clips that can pop loose when charging in chunder.
The wide-body split has the same long, broad, rockered nose, short diamond tail, versatile medium sidecut, and setback camber profile underfoot that our testers know and love from the solid version. The shape excels in swerving through pow, cruising through glades, and popping off small-to-medium-sized features. “Navigated its way through pow and cream cheese with ease and style, and it edged well on wind board, too,” commented Tahoe ripper Anne Doucette. “It wants to make big swooping turns—perfect for that large windlip or open face.”
The Transition Finder sports Korua’s standard, simple, no-frills build, which centers around a poplar core laminated with forgiving biaxial fiberglass. Doucette reported the “stiffer longitudinal flex helps the deck feel stable at high speeds, while the reactive torsional flex helps the board transition from turn to turn with energy.”
That said, a heavier rider disagreed, judging the flex more middle of the park and freestyle-friendly, calling the Transition Finder “very playful, easy to spin, and dope to have underfoot.” He said it was ideal for buttering and throwing tricks, but wanted more stiffness for carving. This discrepancy hints at an issue many splitboarders will face when shopping for a Transition Finder split: there are only a couple of sizes available, and it’s possible to be between sizes. Keep in mind, the split is wide—the 157-centimeter length has a 26.4-centimeter waist—so sizing down from your standard split length is the move.
Finally, testers were fans on the uphill. “Great balance point underfoot,” she reported. “Pranced uphill like a dream, easily crushing tricky skin track maneuvers despite the long nose.”
Best in Powder
Jones Storm Chaser
Weight: 6.8 lbs (152 cm)
Sizing: 152 cm
Profile: Surf Camber (camber backseat, rockered nose)
Shape: Swallowtail
Flex: 3/5
Waist Width: 27.5 cm (152 cm)
Sidecut: 7 m (152 cm)
Pros and Cons
⊕ Buoyant
⊕ Maneuverable
⊕ Versatile
⊗ One size fits all
⊗ Limited stance options
Riding the Jones Storm Chaser is a spiritual experience: tester feedback forms read as if they were written during alpine ayahuasca ceremonies. Take, for instance, this powder-addled poem penned by Tahoe ski shop tech, meditative mountain man, and splitboard tester Anthony Santos: “Intended for the quest of the flow state. A board for the turn, by the turn.” It’s safe to guess that the Storm Chaser’s surfy, slashy, wildly entertaining obliteration of Sierra cement and deep powder is what inspired our snowboard reviewers to sound like Beat Generation poets.
A beloved collaboration between big-mountain royalty and surf shaper , the Storm Chaser solid board has been in Jones’ Surf Series line for nearly a decade now. This year, though, the short, fat swallowtail splitboard received a major update: it got a longer swallowtail, and more impactfully, the old rocker profile has been replaced with good, old-fashioned camber. Combined with a cruisy, spoon-shaped schnoz that’s incredibly buoyant, a tight sidecut, and a medium-flexing poplar-and-paulownia core laminated with pliable biaxial fiberglass, the updated shape is an absolute blast, especially in deeper snow.
“At speed, the Storm Chaser reacts with quick edge-to-edge rhythm for slalom-like turns,” waxed Santos, speaking to the dexterity of deeper sidecut and the rollable shape of the concave, spooned nose. Ripping through powder-laden trees on the Storm Chaser puts the “send” in transcendence—you have massive float thanks to the rockered nose, while the three-dimensional contours make flowing from rail to rail effortless.
This year’s camber update and the lengthened tail help the Storm Chaser find better purchase in variable conditions, too. “Added camber gave confidence in turns and support when needed,” commented Santos, who also called the tail “fun for small to medium airs and pow ollies.” However, most testers agreed that while the new Storm Chaser is capable in bad snow, it’s much better suited for soft and smooth conditions. “The small tail can give out and put you on the Jerry of the Day highlight reel,” joked one, also finding the tail a limiting factor in chop or jump-turning in steeper lines.
Testers did have a couple more complaints, namely limited puck positioning based on the proximity of the toe-piece inserts and tricky trail-breaking given the massive nose. Additionally, the update is only available in a 152-centimeter length this year, but we expect to see a wider size range in the future. However, when considering the Storm Chaser for what it is—a quiver swallowtail designed for ecstatic powder surfing that’s more versatile now than ever before—every tester would happily add this deck to their splitboard rotation.
Stranda Biru
Weight: TK FC
Sizing: 154, 157 cm
Profile: Camber
Shape: Directional
Flex: 7/10
Waist Width: 27 cm (154 cm)
Sidecut: 6.7 m (154 cm)
Pros and Cons
⊕ Floaty
⊕ Stable
⊕ Excellent switch landing
⊗ Too beefy for some riders
⊗ Minimal size run
Last year, our testers were completely enamored with Stranda’s solid Biru ($690)—a short, fat, fierce, and startlingly stable speed demon with a shoveled nose and moon tail that carves trees up like a lovestruck teenager’s pocket knife. We weren’t the only ones to fall head over heels (figuratively speaking—testers rarely crashed while riding this beast), and the Swedish boutique board builder responded to the overwhelmingly positive response by dropping a split version for 2025.
The Biru split is fairly stiff and stout thanks to a paulownia, poplar, and ash core, as well as triaxial fiberglass and carbon stringers. Combined with the wide chassis (ideal for big-booted riders), the deck isn’t for the faint of quads. One cruisier Tahoe rider called it “too beefy for beginners and lighter intermediates.” But expert chargers like Wasatch splitboarder Kordell Black couldn’t get enough. “At high speeds, the Biru shreds,” said Black, digging the stiffer overall flex pattern and noteworthy dampening that “held tight in chunder and minimized chatter.”
The wide ride provides unreal float in powder, and it’s a consummate carver, too, whether you’re laying trenches in wind buff or snaking through glades. “From corn to pow to couloirs—pick your poison and point it,” continued Black, loving the grip provided by the full-cambered profile and a short sidecut dotted with four hardpack-holding bumps at each insert.
Our biggest beef with the Biru is that it’s only available in two sizes: 154 and 157-centimeter lengths. Shorter, lighter testers would love to see more options on the lower end, and we expect to in the coming years, given the split’s initial success.
Men’s Jones Stratos Splitboard
Weight: 6.6 lbs (159 cm)
Sizing: Women’s (146, 149, 152 cm); Men’s (156, 158w, 159, 161w cm)
Profile: Directional rocker, with camber underfoot
Shape: Directional
Flex: 3/5
Waist Width: 25.6 cm (159)
Sidecut: 7.5m (159)
Pros and Cons
⊕ Versatile
⊕ Confidence-boosting carving
⊕ Inclusive size run
⊗ Soft-ish flex
⊗ Durability concerns
Jones’ Stratos splitboard is a carry-over shape from last year, meaning there are no updates to specs or technical tweaks under the hood—news that had our 2024/2025 test crew exhaling with relief. Available in both men’s and women’s sizes and suited for intermediate to expert backcountry riders, the Stratos remains a board that’s fun in dreamy conditions and capable in nightmarish ones. In fact, we loved the deck so much last year we gave it our coveted Editor’s Choice award last year.
Thanks to a nimble, narrow waist, deep, serrated sidecut, camber underfoot, and a trustworthy yet pliable flex pattern, the Stratos is a consummate carver. “A versatile all-wheel drive machine for any turn size or shape,” applauded split tester Anna Doucette after an afternoon tour in the Sierra that took riders through open bowls and tight trees. Tester consensus was the spooned-out nose and tail compliment the flex, agile sidecut and directional shape, making rolling into turns feel natural.
Doucette loved the balance of the flex, too, which comes courtesy of a sustainably sourced wood core that’s softer between the feet and stiffer at the nose and tail. It’s reinforced by flax and basalt stringers, making the Stratos split “forgiving enough for playful turns and jumps, but substantial enough for high-speed charging through crud.”
She also found that the camber-dominant Stratos crushes the uphill. “From transitioning to the skin track to kick turns, it was easy to maneuver,” reported Doucette, appreciative of the lightweight construction, which puts the 159-centimeter length at 6.6 pounds.
In steeper, technical terrain and icy conditions, testers gave kudos to the Stratos’ serrated edges for confidence-inspiring grip. While some big-mountain riders who regularly target gnarly lines may want to step up to the slightly stiffer Jones Solution ($980) or Ultralight Solution ($1600), a Tahoe freerider, Jon Chin, appreciated the stiffness of the tail, calling it “great for pulling in sloppy landings.”
Speaking of drops, freestylers will be stoked to note that the Stratos has impressive pop. And despite its clear directional perspective, the sharply rockered, kicked-up tail can handle switch landings and butters, too. That capacity for all-mountain freestyle is one of many reasons I fell in love with the Stratos at last year’s splitboard test.
Upon extended testing this year, the Stratos is truly my ideal travel board, as it can handle all types of terrain. I took the Stratos on a month-long trip to Hokkaido in February that was powder day after powder day. And I took it on a three-week mission in Northern Norway in April, which included a 10-day point-to-point backcountry expedition. Powder was rarely on the menu in Norway, and instead, we were hunting corn in tricky, arctic, often hard-packed conditions. There was never a moment—not a single deep powder slash or a technical icy hop turn—that I wished I’d brought a different deck.
That said, while these missions proved our initial impressions of the versatile Stratos were right on the money, the lightweight construction hasn’t weathered expedition travel well, resulting in significant delamination.
Weston Revel Splitboard
Weight: 6.5 lbs (153 cm)
Sizing: 143, 148, 153 cm
Profile: Powder (rockered nose, slight camber underfoot)
Shape: Swallowtail
Flex: 5/10
Waist Width: 25.6 cm (153 cm)
Sidecut: 8.7/6.6 m (153 cm)
Pros and Cons
⊕ Excellent construction
⊕ Surfy
⊗ Doesn’t always excel in variable conditions
We’re fans of ’s swallowtails around here: we awarded the men’s Japow ($624) solid Editor’s Choice in 2018. The Revel is a women’s-specific shape based on that award winner.
Available in both split and solid, the Revel shares the Japow’s powder-hungry, trench-laying profile—slight camber through the bulk of the board, flowing into a rockered nose—and versatile, rippable sidecut. However, per requests from Weston’s female team riders who found the Japow sizes tough to drive through tighter trees, Weston’s designers compressed the proven design, giving the Revel a relatively shorter nose and shallower swallowtail. Weston claims the tweaked shape boosts the Revel’s agility in deep snow, and according to our crew who put the Revel to the test over the last few seasons in the Sierra, the women’s-specific shape performs as intended. It’s a versatile, smile-inducing carve connoisseur ready to wiggle through powder-cloaked trees from the pines in Tahoe to the aspens in Colorado.
Poplar and paulownia give the Revel a snappy and reliable backbone, while carbon stringers bolster the tail, encouraging “nimble and zippy turns,” according to Theresa Clinton, a Canadian rider well-versed in the Whistler backcountry scene. “Like me, it enjoys powder the most,” she said. “The flex makes this board playful and bouncy in soft conditions, and the big nose allows for a floaty ride without back leg burn.”
While testers were split on the Revel’s performance in variable conditions, they agreed that the Revel was an uphill crusher. One rider who tested it extensively in the spring called it a “super lightweight skin track champ that saved me much-needed energy for the downhill.”
After her deep dive on the Revel this spring, she summed it up: “I would buy this board simply because of its fun surfy feel. Any shredder looking for a sleek-shaped board with a destiny for turning will love the Revel.”
Season Pass Splitboard
Weight: TK FC
Sizing: 148, 153, 158, 163 cm
Profile: Camber with rockered nose and tail
Shape: Directional
Flex: Mid-stiff
Waist Width: 25.9 cm (158 cm)
Sidecut: 7.8 m (159 cm)
Pros and Cons
⊕ Well-built construction
⊕ One-split quiver
⊕ Timeless top sheet
⊗ Small size run
⊗ Soft 148-cm length
Season—a joint Pacific Northwest venture launched in 2020 by skier and boarder —doesn’t make gendered boards, and most products carry over year after year. The brand’s focus is on timelessness, simplicity, and functionality, not marketing—a mission well-executed in the aptly named Season Pass split.
The Pass is a split version of the brand’s all-mountain directional deck, the ($550), featuring an approachable poplar and paulownia wood core, dampened sidewalls, a speedy sintered base, and a floaty, tapered directional shape with a nimble, carvable sidecut.
“It’s a perfectly playful split with the right level of confidence for charging,” commented Max Rehkopf, a gear expert at Tahoe outdoor shop , after sampling the Pass in powder, variable crud, and steeps. Shop tech Anthony Santos agreed, calling it “a fantastic one-split quiver.” He applauded the Pass’s agility in tighter trees—what he attributed to the 158’s 7.8-meter sidecut and snappy flex. “To jump on a deck first run and feel like I’ve been riding it all season speaks to its design and approach toward effortless riding.”
Male testers only had a single complaint: they noted the balance point of the touring bracket was a touch forward, leading to nose dives on kick turns. However, female testers of the shorter 149-centimeter length offered more critiques. “The torsional flex felt soft and flimsy between the bindings. It didn’t love high speeds, and cliff drops felt sketchy,” voiced a Tahoe freerider, although she appreciated the maneuverability of the shorter-radius sidecut in tight trees.
Overall, the Season Pass is a pliable, maneuverable, quiver-killing split that comes with skins and takes the guesswork out of what to ride.
How to Choose a Splitboard
Buying a crappy resort board can result in eternal mediocrity. Buying a crappy split can leave you stranded deep in the backcountry. Here are six tips to keep in mind.
Buy, Don’t Build
The DIY split kits that slowly sparked the split revolution are still cheaper than splitboards these days—but not by much. A purpose-built split with inner edges and a split-specific flex pattern will ride better and last longer than epoxied counterparts. Buy used before you DIY. Or, go the DIY route for fun at your own peril, knowing that you may end up with a garbage product and need to buy a new split anyway.
Budget for Bindings
Split bindings are arguably more critical to your enjoyment than a splitboard. Bindings are the glue that keeps your splitboard together and allows you to transition between touring and riding modes. The saying “a barn door rides well in powder” is true: any modern split will perform decently in excellent conditions, as long as it’s sized appropriately (more on that below) and you ride with speed. Old, raggedy bindings, on the other hand, will break down and leave you with nothing but expletives to keep you warm as night falls. Opt for a reputable brand with a proven interface.
Quiver Questions
A decade ago, a split quiver was unthinkable for all but a few. As the sport has boomed, riders have expanded their minds—and their board rack—acquiring different splits for different conditions and objectives. Nothing feels better than waking up to a powder day, plucking the right board from the rack, and cruising to the trailhead. But that’s not a reality for most splitboarders, especially newcomers.
If you’re new to the game, start with a quiver-killer. It’s more important to have a split that can handle everything decently than one that excels at a specific riding style or terrain type. Don’t start thinking about expansion until you fall in love with the sport and put your time in on the skin track for a season or two. A carbon gun for mach-10 turns in Alaska? Sounds good. A short-fat twin for popping buttery 180s in BC pillow lines? Why not! These boards are fun additions, but they’re not what you want when you’re just starting out.
Size Smart
Size your main split as you would a freeride board that you expect to take in powder. If you size too small, you’ll lose precious float. Size too big, and you’ll lose maneuverability. If you’re using weight to inform your sizing decisions, remember that you’ll always be wearing a backpack loaded with avalanche safety gear, water, and skins. Don’t make it harder than it needs to be. When in doubt, size up a touch. That said, always pay attention to manufacturer recommendations.
Shop for Skins Simultaneously
Many board companies sell skins as an add-on. If they do, jump on it, as the skins will likely be pre-cut to fit your specific board. They can cost a little more than aftermarket options, but they’ll save you a headache and ensure the fit is solid—or at least close to solid. If you aren’t able to find a set of skins ready-made for your specific splitboard, pay close attention to skin width, length, and tail-clip style when you’re on the hunt. Make sure the width of your split is less than the width of the skins. Trim-to-fit skins generally work for a range of sizes. If you’re in between sizes, size down for a lighter skin or up for more grip.
Get Educated
After buying your split and before you put it to use, hop on your computer, search for local avalanche classes, and sign up. Do it. Just do it. If you’re itching to put your split to the test before you have taken an avalanche safety course, check your local resort: many resorts have uphill travel policies that enable skiers and splitters to tour up maintained, groomed trails. This is a perfect setting to practice your skinning technique and to get a feel for setting up and using your gear without venturing into avalanche terrain.
Additionally, many guiding ops offer one-day 101 classes that will introduce you to avalanche safety basics and touring gear. They’re a helpful stepping stone if you’re intimidated at the thought of jumping straight into an Avalanche Level 1 course.
How We Test
- Number of testers: 18
- Number of splitboards tested: 19
- Passport stamps collected: Norway, Japan, Sweden, Italy
- States where we tested: California, Nevada, Utah, Washington
- Hardbooters: Three
- Coldest night of testing: A negative 20-degree hut trip in Swedish Lapland
- Longest mission: A 10-day point-to-point winter camping expedition in Finnmark, Norway, with
- Deepest powder: A couple of thigh-deep days in Hokkaido with aptly named
Pillows smashed: Countless - Biggest core shot: 6 inches long
The bulk of our splitboard testing this past winter took place during a marathon of board analysis at in March 2024. A lesser-known gem perched just above stunning Lake Tahoe, the modest mountain is community-owned, virtually free of lift lines, and provides excellent access to in-bounds freeride and sidecountry terrain, making it a primo location to get testers on backcountry gear.
The core of our test crew was from the surrounding area, but testers also traveled in from across the mountain West. We pushed splits in-bounds with the help of chairlifts, charging mach-10 through chop, variable crusts, and mank trees, floating through powdered gullies, and popping off lips, cliffs, and side hits. We also exited the resort through the gate located at the top of Crystal and explored the sidecountry, including mellow glades, dreamy tubes, and playful rock gardens.
While Diamond Peak was the primary backdrop for our splitboard testing, we also value long-term testing. This is particularly important when it comes to touring gear, because the backcountry is notoriously ruthless on equipment, and the last thing we want is to be deep in the wilderness with shoddy gear. As such, we assessed the strengths, weaknesses, and longevity of boards, boots, bindings, and backcountry accessories over the months leading up to the test and in the months that followed. In fact, some of the gear you’ll find below we actually have been testing for two seasons, allowing us to better gauge durability and longevity.
Long story short? Testers put splitboard gear to the test on the skin track, both at Diamond Peak, at home in Tahoe and across North America, and further afield in Sweden, Norway, and Japan. Once the snow melted, I—our test director—cataloged detailed test forms filled out in the wake of these adventures and compiled the reviews below.
Meet Our Testers
Drew Zieff
Zieff is a Tahoe-based freelance writer and a lifelong snowboarder. In addition to directing ϳԹ’s snowboard test, a role he’s handled since 2016, he directs Backcountry Magazine’s splitboard coverage and nerds out on snowboard gear and travel for REI, Gear Junkie, and Forbes, among others. He spends his winters testing gear in his backyard backcountry zones or up at Palisades when he’s not chasing stories and storms around the globe.
Anna Doucette
is a lifelong snowboarder who’s been a member of the American Association of Snowboard Instructors for two decades. All of that instructing experience translates to the backcountry, where her shred fundamentals and group management skills are as strong as they come. She’s also spent so many years articulating difficult-to-grasp movements to aspiring riders and fellow instructors that she’s a natural and extremely articulate gear reviewer.
Andrew Allisandratos
A second-year tester who’s called Tahoe home for the last decade, is a splitboard guide for local outfit . A welcome addition to our test team, he’s equally happy hammering bell-to-bell resort laps on splits and trying to find their breaking point, or leading a tester squad on a sidecountry excursion.
Jenna Shlachter
Truckee’s own Jenna Shlachter is as brilliant on the hill as she is off it–which is saying something, she’s a Doctor of Psychology, after all. When she’s not on the clock, she’s usually on her snowboard, ripping everything from park to backcountry barrels. Her trophy shelf needs regular reinforcement, as every year she seems to add banked slalom trophies to her already impressive collection. Lucky for us, Shlachter is also an unabashed snowboard nerd, and she’s been a key contributor to our snowboard test for the last few seasons.
Chris Cloyd
The only thing more eclectic than Chris Cloyd’s riding style is his resume. A former touring musician, former personal trainer, and still-holding-on endurance athlete who lives in June Lake, CA, Chris Cloyd spends his winters splitboard guiding, teaching AIARE courses, and handling radministrative duties for . In his free time, you can find him crushing couloirs deep in the Eastern Sierras. A fan of strong coffee and heavy metal who often combines the two on his way to shred, Cloyd is not remotely gentle on his gear—he lives to thrash.