Beginner Snowboarder Gear Checklist
What a first-time snowboarder actually needs, what to buy versus hire, and what to leave until you know you like it.
This is a gear checklist, not a packing list. If you already have your setup and are packing for a trip, our travel essentials guide is the one you want.
What we cover
Buy or hire · What to own · What to hire first trip · The order to buy in · Skip for now · What people forget · Before your first day · FAQ
Buy or hire for a first trip?
The sensible split, and it is not the one most people assume.
| Item | First trip | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Jacket and pants | Buy | Personal fit, and hire outerwear is grim |
| Boots | Buy if you can | Hire boots are the worst part of any hire package |
| Goggles | Buy | Personal item. Cheap relative to how much it matters |
| Helmet | Buy | Fit matters, and hire helmets are heavily used |
| Gloves | Buy | Nobody wants to hire gloves |
| Thermals and socks | Buy | Obviously |
| Board | Hire | Expensive, and you do not yet know what suits you |
| Bindings | Hire | Comes with the board |
The counter-intuitive bit: people assume the board is the thing to buy and the clothing is the thing to hire. It is the other way around. The board is the most expensive item and the one your preferences are least formed about. Outerwear and boots are the items that decide whether you have a good day.
What you should own
| Item | What to look for | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Snowboard jacket | Waterproof rating over style. Check the numbers | Essential |
| Snowboard pants | Same. Bib or standard both work | Essential |
| Helmet | Proper fit, consider MIPS style systems | Essential |
| Goggles | Lens tint matters. Flat light is common in Australia | Essential |
| Gloves or mitts | Mitts are warmer, gloves more dexterous | Essential |
| Thermal base layers | Merino or synthetic. Never cotton | Essential |
| Snowboard socks | One thin pair, snowboard specific | Essential |
| Neck warmer | Cheap, and transforms a cold windy day | High |
| Boots | Fitted in person, heat moulded if possible | Buy before the board |
Never cotton, anywhere in the system. Cotton holds moisture against your skin and stops insulating the moment you sweat, which you will on the first day. That includes socks and the t-shirt under your thermal.
Waterproof ratings matter more than brand. A well-rated mid-price jacket outperforms a badly rated expensive one, and the numbers are easy to read once someone explains them.
Waterproof ratings explained · MIPS and WaveCel explained
What to hire on a first trip
Board and bindings. A hire board is fine for learning. You are working on balance and edge control, not on the subtleties of a camber profile, and you have no basis yet for choosing a board.
Boots, only if you must. Hire boots have been packed out by dozens of other feet, are frequently damp, and rarely fit properly. If any part of your budget can stretch, this is where it should go. Cold, sloppy, painful boots are the single most common reason people do not go back.
Book hire in advance where you can. Turning up on a Saturday morning in peak season means picking from what is left.
The order to buy in
If you have decided to keep snowboarding, buy in this order across seasons rather than all at once.
- Boots. Always first. Fitted in person, heat moulded where the model allows.
- Outerwear. Jacket and pants, if you hired or borrowed the first time.
- Helmet and goggles. Personal fit items you will use for years.
- Bindings. Matched to your boots and your riding.
- Board. Last, once you know how and where you ride.
Buying a board first is the common mistake. It is the exciting purchase and the one you are least equipped to make. A hire board under good boots beats an owned board under hire boots every time.
What a setup costs · Boot fitting guide
Skip for now
- Your own board. Covered above. Hire until you know what you want.
- Impact shorts and wrist guards. Some beginners like them and they are not essential. Decide after a day on snow.
- A second pair of goggles. One pair with a versatile lens is enough to start.
- Expensive technical outerwear. Mid-range with good ratings is the right call until you know how often you go.
- A board bag. Only when you own a board.
- Tuning tools. Get it done in a shop until you own a board and ride enough to justify them.
What people forget
The small things that make a real difference, and are annoying to buy at resort prices.
- Sunscreen. Australian alpine sun is intense, and it reflects off snow onto the underside of your chin and nose. It burns through cloud.
- Lip balm with SPF. Same reason.
- A second pair of gloves. Day one gloves get soaked. Wet gloves on day two ruin it.
- Neck warmer. Cheap, tiny, and the difference between a good day and a cold one.
- Spare thermals. One set on, one drying.
- Water and snacks. Altitude and effort dehydrate you faster than you notice.
- A small backpack for the layer you take off at eleven.
Before your first day
- Book a lesson. The single best money you will spend. Two days of lessons beats a week of guessing, and it is the difference between loving and hating it.
- Get your boots fitted properly before the trip, not on the morning.
- Work out regular or goofy. Have someone push you gently from behind and see which foot steps out.
- Check the board is waxed if you own one. A dry base makes learning harder.
- Dress in layers you can shed. You will be far warmer than you expect once you are moving.
- Expect to fall a lot on day one. That is the process, not a sign of anything.
Beginner snowboarder FAQ
What gear do you need for your first snowboard trip?
A jacket and pants, gloves, goggles, a helmet, thermals and snowboard socks are the minimum you should own. Board, boots and bindings can be hired for a first trip, though buying boots is worth it even then.
Should you buy or hire gear for your first snowboard trip?
Hire the board and bindings, buy your own boots, outerwear and accessories. Hire boots are the worst part of any hire package, and outerwear and goggles are personal items you will use every trip regardless of whether you keep snowboarding.
What should you buy first when getting into snowboarding?
Boots, then outerwear, then goggles and a helmet, then bindings, then the board last. Boots are the only item fitted to your body and the one that most affects whether you enjoy the day.
What socks should you wear snowboarding?
One pair of thin snowboard specific socks. Not two pairs, and not thick hiking socks. Thick socks compress inside the boot and restrict circulation, which is what actually makes feet cold rather than a lack of insulation.
Do you need a helmet for snowboarding?
Yes. Beginners fall frequently, often backwards onto hard groomed snow, and a helmet is the one piece of protection that addresses the injury you cannot walk off. Consider a MIPS style rotational system when choosing.
What do beginners forget to bring snowboarding?
Sunscreen, a spare pair of gloves, lip balm and a neck warmer. Australian alpine sun is intense even in cloud, and wet gloves after a day of falling make the second day miserable if you have no dry pair.
Come in before the season
Bring the trip you have booked and we will work out what you actually need to own versus hire. Boot fitting is the highest-value thing we do and it takes about half an hour.
435A Bridge Road, Richmond, open seven days. Nobody on our floor works on commission, so if hiring the board is the right call for your first trip, that is what you will hear.
Free shipping Australia wide on orders over $90. Call 03 9421 2293.
Keep reading: What Does a Setup Cost? · First Time Setup Guide · Travel Essentials and Packing · Problems and How to Fix Them · All Snowboard Guides
Shop: Boots · Helmets · Snowboards · Bindings