Snowboard Clothing

Your snowboard clothing can be basically broken down into three separate layers. Dressing in layers will give you the flexibility of adapting to cold or sunny conditions by adding or removing layers as required to ensure a high level of safety, fun and comfort.

Inner Thermal Layer

The inner-most layer should pretty much cover your whole body. This will include a long-sleeve top, long thermal underwear pants (or longs johns) and socks. When choosing clothing for this layer, don't worry about fashion or big brands since they pretty much all perform the same function and nobody can see the weird looking colors and patterns on the set you chose to buy anyway.

Look for synthetic materials such as polyester or polypropylene which will help to wick moisture away from your body to the outer layers to keep your skin dry. Avoid garments made from cotton as they have a tendency to absorb water which equals a wet, cold and miserable snowboarder.

It isn't really necessary to wear more than one layer of socks. A good thin pair of socks will keep your feet warm by facilitating air circulation around your toes. You can also get socks specifically designed for snowboarding which are thinner around the toes and have a forward lean built into them.

Middle Fleece Layers

The middle layer (or layers) consist of one or more layers of a quality synthetic fleece or wool (not cotton!) top. These are primarily used for providing insulation and keeping you warm by trapping air next to your body.

The thickness of this layer will vary depending on the temperature conditions. On cold days, you may like to wear several layers or a single heavy thick layer while on warmer days, you could possibly even get away with just a simple t-shirt.

Outer Shell Layer

This layer will provide protection from the extreme cold and winds and will include you outer jacket and pants. Ideally, the attire for this layer will be durable, waterproof, windproof and breathable, allowing perspiration to escape while shielding you from the winds, snow and rain. For more information, please see our article on Jackets and Pants.

Accessories

To complete your snowboard clothing setup, you'll need goggles to protect your eyes, gloves for your hands and preferably some type of beanie (hat) or helmet to keep your noggin warm. For more information on how to find the right accessories, please see our section on Equipment.