Burton, Jones and YES. are the three brands we sell most of at Twelve Board Store. They are all excellent. They are not interchangeable. Choosing between them is not about which is best — it is about which suits your riding. Here is the honest comparison.
The Short Version
Burton: the safest, most versatile choice across all ability levels. The brand that works for everyone.
Jones: the choice for riders who charge. Directional, responsive, built around serious all-mountain and freeride riding.
YES.: the choice for riders who want character and creativity in their riding. Snappy, playful, made by snowboarders who think about the mountain differently.
If you are still reading, here is the longer version.
Burton — Built for Everyone, From Beginner to Pro
Burton has more money, more R&D and more reach than any other snowboard brand. That scale means a range that genuinely covers every rider — from the Riglet for young kids through to the Family Tree and Custom for advanced and expert riders. Every price point, every ability level, every terrain preference.
Burton boots and bindings are tightly integrated — particularly the Step On system, which is the best convenience binding currently available if you want to skip the strap-in ritual. The ecosystem works.
Where Burton earns its dominance: consistency. A Burton board at any price point is going to be competently made and do what it says it does. You are unlikely to have a bad experience. The Custom has been a benchmark all-mountain board for over two decades for a reason.
Where Burton has less edge: the boards are engineered for broad appeal rather than a specific ride philosophy. At the top end, Jones and YES. boards often feel more alive, more specific, more distinctive underfoot.
Ride Burton if: you want proven, reliable gear, you are a beginner or intermediate, you want the best boot and binding integration, you want the widest size range. The Burton Custom for all-mountain performance, the Process for park.
Jones — For Riders Who Want to Charge
Jeremy Jones built his brand around the kind of riding he does — steep lines, serious terrain, conditions where board response and edge hold matter more than park playfulness. That intent runs through every board in the range.
Jones boards are directional, stiff through the tail and mid, and built to perform when you commit to them. The Mountain Twin is the versatile all-mountain workhorse — handles everything Falls Creek throws at you without specialising. The Mind Expander for freeride-focused riding. The Hovercraft for powder days at Falls Creek or Hotham when it actually snows.
Jones also has the most credible sustainability story in snowboarding — bio-based resins, FSC-certified wood, genuine transparency about their environmental footprint. If that matters to you, it is worth knowing.
Where Jones earns its following: the boards feel like they want to be ridden hard. They reward commitment and give back in proportion to the input you put in.
Where Jones has less edge: the range is smaller than Burton and weighted toward serious riding. The beginner and park-focused options are limited.
Ride Jones if: you are an intermediate to advanced all-mountain or freeride rider, you charge rather than cruise, you want a board that rewards progression.
YES. — For Riders Who Think Differently About the Mountain
YES. was founded by JP Solberg, Romain de Marchi and crew — some of the most creative snowboarders of their generation. The brand's philosophy is about riding the whole mountain creatively — finding features, surfing the terrain, approaching runs with a surfer or skater's eye rather than a racer's line.
YES. boards have a snappiness and rebound that is distinctive. The pop off the tail, the way they respond through turns, the liveliness underfoot — it is a different feeling to Burton's engineered consistency or Jones's powerful directness. Some riders immediately prefer it. Others take time to feel it.
The YES. PYL is one of our favourite freeride boards. The Standard for versatile all-mountain riding. The Basic for beginners who want YES. quality without the premium price. The Hel Yes for women wanting the same character in a women's specific shape.
Where YES. earns its following: the boards have personality. Riding one well is genuinely fun in a way that is hard to describe on paper but immediately obvious on snow.
Where YES. has less edge: smaller range, fewer beginner options, less widely available in all sizes.
Ride YES. if: you are an intermediate to advanced rider with some style and curiosity about how your board can feel, you want something that is distinctly not corporate.
Also Worth Knowing About
While Burton, Jones and YES. are our three most popular brands, a few others deserve a mention based on what we see riders progress into.
Salomon Assassin: One of the best all-mountain boards in the mid-to-advanced range that consistently surprises riders who haven't tried it. Camber profile, great edge hold on Australian groomers, versatile across terrain.
K2 Passport: K2's benchmark all-mountain board. Consistent, well-built, handles everything from beginner progression to intermediate all-mountain riding. Good value relative to the performance it delivers.
Burton Custom: If someone asks us what the safest advanced all-mountain board is — one that just works across every condition — the Custom is always in the conversation. Two decades as a benchmark for a reason.
The Decision Tree
- Beginner: YES. Basic or K2 Passport — forgiving, won't limit you as you progress.
- All-mountain intermediate: Burton Custom, Jones Mountain Twin or Salomon Assassin.
- All-mountain advanced who charges: Jones Mountain Twin or Mind Expander.
- Rider with experience wanting more character: YES. PYL or YES. Standard.
- Best boot and binding system: Burton Step On.
- Park and freestyle: Burton Process.
- Powder: Jones Hovercraft or Korua Shapes Transition Finder.
- Freeride: Jones Mind Expander or YES. PYL.
- Care about sustainability: Jones.
Still unsure? Come in. We stock all these brands and we can put you on a specific recommendation in five minutes based on where and how you ride.
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