All Gear Reviews
Comprehensive reviews for all your alpine and ocean adventures.
Snow Snowboards
Salomon Huck Knife
The Huck Knife is a park board that turns every side hit into a launch ramp. It pops hard and stays calm on big landings, yet it does not demand pro-level skills. If you live for the park but still want to carve back to the lift, this is your deck.
Jones Mountain Twin Snowboard
The Jones Mountain Twin is the board you buy when you want one deck to do everything and never think about it again. It carves, it pops, it floats a little and it grips on hardpack. It won't win the park and it won't win the steeps. It just shows up every day and does the job.
Burton Counterbalance
The Burton Counterbalance is pitched as the best of the Free Thinker and Deep Thinker in one board. On snow it mostly delivers: poppy and quick on groomers and side hits, calm and floaty when the terrain turns soft or messy. It asks for a confident rider, but it is easier to live with than its reputation suggests.
Burton Custom Camber Snowboard
The Burton Custom Camber has been in the line since 1996, and there's a reason it never left. It's a full camber all-mountain board that holds an edge, pops hard and rides switch like it means it. It asks you to stand on it with some intent. Give it that, and it handles almost anything on the mountain.
Nitro Alternator
The Nitro Alternator is a damp, stable directional board for riders who treat the whole mountain as terrain. It floats better than you expect, carves with confidence and feels calmer than its louder rivals. If you have outgrown the park but not the side hits, it makes a strong one-board quiver.
Rome Rene-Gade
The Rome Rene-Gade is a stiff, full camber directional twin for riders who like to work for their turns. Owners say it feels dead at low speed and comes alive when you push it, and that it is far more versatile than its quiet reputation suggests.
Snow Bindings
Rome 390 Boss
The Rome 390 Boss is the old-school workhorse: a traditional, grounded binding with a medium flex and a reputation for outliving the boards it is mounted on. It skips the gimmicks and focuses on a locked-in feel and durability. Owners keep these for a decade.
Burton Escapade
Burton Escapade review: a comfortable, forgiving and durable women's binding for park laps to glades. Riders who want maximum power should look higher.
Union Force
Union Force review: the workhorse binding for aggressive all-mountain and powder riders, tested on boards like the Lib Tech Orca.
K2 Indy
The K2 Indy is a simple, durable, medium-flex binding for riders who have moved past rentals and want gear that works without fuss. It does not chase tech or trends. Owner reports are short and positive: it just lasts.
Union Falcor
The Union Falcor sits between two worlds. Union sells it as a freestyle binding, but riders carve and charge trees on it too. A mini disc and a carbon highback give it quick edge response with a looser, surfier feel than a full-disc binding.
Union Atlas Snowboard Bindings
The Union Atlas is the Force with the volume turned up. It's a medium-stiff all-mountain binding that sends every input straight to your edge, and it's at its best on a stiff board at speed. That directness costs some comfort on long days. If you carve hard it's worth it; if you ride a bit of everything, the Force is the safer pick.
Snow Boots
Nidecker Rift
A mid-flex, dual BOA boot with a snug fit and a short break-in. Owners like the comfort and lockdown but warn it runs narrow and a half size small.
Ride Fuse
The Ride Fuse is a stiffer-flexing hybrid boot: traditional laces on the outside, a BOA Tongue Tied dial that pulls the tongue and heel into place. It is a firm, responsive pick for riders who want support for carving and steeps, with a fit owners consistently praise.
Ride Insano
The Ride Insano is a very stiff, close-fitting all-mountain boot for riders who charge steeps, trees and moguls. The response is immediate and the construction holds its flex longer than most. It is not a boot for the park, for beginners or for anyone who wants a forgiving ride.
Ride Lasso Snowboard Boots
Ride Lasso review: North America's best-selling snowboard boot. All-day comfort and a medium flex that suits most riders, with no gimmicks.
ThirtyTwo TM-2
The ThirtyTwo TM-2 is the lace-up boot for riders who have outgrown a soft, comfortable starter boot and want more response and a longer life. It keeps the familiar ThirtyTwo fit while adding stiffness, heel hold and durability that the cheaper models struggle to match.
K2 Thraxis
The K2 Thraxis is a stiff, resort-focused boot built around three BOA dials and the Conda heel harness. It is aimed at riders who want real response without the pinched instep and heel float that wreck a long day in other stiff boots. Owners rave about the comfort for a boot this firm, and the extra dial gives you plenty of ways to tune it.
Snow Helmets
Sweet Protection Switcher MIPS
The Sweet Protection Switcher MIPS is a hybrid helmet from a Norwegian brand that builds for riders who work as hard as they ride. It pairs a hard-shell and in-mold construction with 22 adjustable vents, a magnetic buckle and a dial fit. It is not cheap, and it is picky about goggles, but the build quality shows.
Giro Range MIPS
The Giro Range MIPS has a shell that changes shape: a two-piece articulating hard shell that expands and contracts with a dial. The result is a low-profile fit that avoids pressure points, plus MIPS, adjustable venting and a magnetic buckle. It is the most inventive helmet in Giro's range.
Giro Ledge Mips Helmet
Giro Ledge MIPS review: a sleek, feature-packed helmet with MIPS at an accessible price, built for park and all-mountain riding.
Giro Trig MIPS
The Giro Trig MIPS is a straightforward, freestyle-minded helmet with MIPS, adjustable venting and a dial that works with gloves. It keeps a low profile and a sensible price. It is the simpler sibling of the Jackson.
Anon Prime MIPS
The Anon Prime MIPS is the traditional-shaped helmet in Anon's top tier, with a lower profile than the WaveCel Merak. It gives you MIPS, a BOA dial and a tidy fit with Anon goggles. If a flattering, no-fuss shape matters to you, it deserves a look.
Anon Merak WaveCel
The Anon Merak WaveCel is Anon's tech-heavy flagship: a cellular WaveCel liner, a hybrid shell, a BOA dial and a magnetic buckle in a 480 gram package. It is well built and well equipped, with a few fit questions around the ear pads and audio chips. Worth a try-on before you commit.
Surf Surf Wax
FU Wax Surf Wax
Every FU Wax bar in one guide: Cold, Cool, Warm, Tropical and Base Coat, with the official ranges. The stickiest top coat you can buy, at two to three times the price. Best at the cold and hot ends of the range.
Bubble Gum Surf Wax
Every Bubble Gum Original bar in one guide: Cold, Cool, Warm, Tropical and Basecoat. Each bar has its temperature range, feel and a rating. The Warm bar is the standout, and the whole range smells like a candy shop.
Sex Wax Surf Wax
Every Sex Wax bar I have surfed, from the purple 2X Quick Humps for cold water to the strawberry Original Tropical, in one guide. Each bar has its temperature range, hardness, scent and a rating. Match the bar to the water and Sex Wax is the safe choice it has always been.
Sticky Bumps Surf Wax
Every Sticky Bumps bar in one guide: Original Cold, Cool, Warm, Tropical and Basecoat, plus the two Super Sticky bars. Cheap, everywhere and good when matched to the water. Super Sticky Warm/Tropical is the standout.
Mrs Palmers Surf Wax
Every Mrs Palmers Ultra Sticky bar in one guide: Cool, Warm, Tropical and Base Coat. Australian wax that spreads easily, builds springy bumps and is kind to bare skin. The Cool bar is the standout.
Snow Goggles
Smith I/O MAG Snow Goggles
The Smith I/O MAG is the goggle a lot of riders buy and then never think about again. The lens swap is easy, the ChromaPop lenses are sharp and it rarely fogs. It has no face mask and no extra curves, and the add-on lenses get pricey. It's still one of the safest goggle picks on the market.
Giro Cruz Goggles
The Giro Cruz is a budget workhorse for riders who would rather spend money on lift tickets than lenses. It gives you a wide view and a fit that works over glasses. It fogs if you push it, but it keeps showing up season after season.
Smith Squad Snow Goggles
The Squad is Smith's budget goggle with a big cylindrical lens and a spare low-light lens in the box. Owners call it great value with cheap replacement lenses and little fogging. Nearly every owner says changing lenses is slow and feels like you might break something.
Anon M4 Toric Goggles
The Anon M4 Toric is a premium goggle with a party trick: a face mask that snaps onto the frame with magnets and sends your breath away from the lens. The optics are sharp and the lens swap takes seconds. The toric shape matters less than the marketing says, but as a complete system, few goggles match it.
Smith 4D MAG XL Snow Goggles
The Smith 4D MAG XL gives you the widest view in Smith's lineup and room for glasses. The curved lower lens is a real feature, not a gimmick, and owners love what it shows them. The complaints are drafts, scratches and foam wear. Smith's warranty tends to handle the last two well.
Oakley Flow Scape Snow Goggles
The Oakley Flow Scape promises a huge field of view, Prizm lenses and a quick lens swap. Some owners love it and say it never fogs. Others say it fogs and scratches worse than anything they've owned. It's one of the most divisive goggles on the market, so try it with your helmet before you commit.
Surf Wetsuits
Xcel Drylock 4/3
Xcel Drylock 4/3 review from an owner of four generations of the suit: why its warmth and front zip suit cold Central California water.
O Neill Hyperfreak 4/3 Chest Zip
O'Neill Hyperfreak 4/3 review: how its Technobutter stretch compares with winter rivals for warmth and flexibility in cold water.
Rip Curl Flashbomb 4/3 Chest Zip
The Flashbomb is Rip Curl's warmth-first wetsuit, built around a fuzzy Flash Lining that dries fast and holds heat. The 4/3 chest zip is a stretchy, warm winter suit for water down to the low 50s Fahrenheit. It is a strong performer, but owners disagree on how long it lasts and whether it beats the cheaper E-Bomb.
Billabong Absolute 4/3 Back Zip
The Billabong Absolute 4/3 is a step-up suit that puts easy entry and a stretchy feel ahead of tank-like toughness. It will not pass for a top-tier suit, but it covers the cold-water basics well. The real question is how long it lasts.
Buell RB1 Accelerator 4/3
The Buell RB1 Accelerator 4/3 was a lean, flexible cold-water suit that owners loved for its price, feel and fit. The catch is the brand: Buell has shut down, so warranty and availability are no longer something you can count on. Read this one as a used-market and leftover-stock review.
O Neill Reactor II 3/2
The Reactor II is O'Neill's entry-level surf suit: simple, easy to get into, and priced for people who are not sure surfing will stick. It does the job in mild water and shows its budget in the seams. Here is where it works, where it leaks and how long owners say it lasts.
Surf Sunscreen
Badger Sport Mineral Sunscreen SPF 40
Badger Sport SPF 40 is a 4 ingredient zinc sunscreen for face and body, and it meets Hawaii and Mexico reef sunscreen laws. Owners say it stays on in the water and doesn't sting their eyes. Some found it wore off on long sessions.
Sun Bum Mineral SPF 50 Face Stick
Sun Bum's Mineral SPF 50 Face Stick is a zinc stick you can find almost anywhere, with over 7,000 Amazon ratings. Owners say it doesn't run into your eyes and lasts for multi-hour sessions. It leaves you white, and some owners warn about fakes on Amazon.
Headhunter SPF 45 Face Stick
Headhunter's SPF 45 face stick is a mineral sunscreen made for surfers, and it is one of the most recommended face sticks on Reddit. Owners say it stays on through long sessions in Hawaii and Florida summers. It is hard to wash off, and the brand has had supply gaps.
Vertra Ehukai Beige SPF 38 Face Stick
Vertra's Ehukai Beige is a tinted mineral face stick with SPF 38, from the brand many surfers name first for face sunscreen. Owners report 3 and 4 hour sessions without burning. It is pricey, and one owner found the tinted stick greasy and the wrong shade for darker skin.
Blue Lizard Sensitive Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50
Blue Lizard Sensitive SPF 50 is a mineral lotion for sensitive skin, with over 22,000 Amazon ratings. Fans call it the best value and say it doesn't burn their eyes. Others say it doesn't hold up well in the water, and one owner called the cap garbage.
Surf Leashes
Creatures of Leisure Reliance Pro 6 Leash
The Reliance Pro 6 is Creatures of Leisure's 6 foot, 7mm shortboard leash with a flexible moulded joint at the swivel. Owners report 3, 4 and 7 years from Creatures leashes and praise the company's customer service. Some find the cord stiff, and a few leashes have snapped.
XM Regular Premium Leash
The Regular Premium is XM's everyday leash, handmade in San Clemente, California with a .270 inch cord. Owners say it holds up in overhead surf, and XM sells replacement parts. A few owners had the swivel fail early.
Dakine Kainui Leash with Easy Clip
The Kainui is Dakine's thicker everyday leash, built for surf up to a couple of feet overhead, and this version comes with an Easy Clip quick release. Some owners have used Dakine leashes for 20 years. Others report hook and loop straps that come loose and Kainui leashes that broke in heavy surf.
FCS Freedom Helix All Round Leash
The Freedom Helix All Round is FCS's premium 6.5mm leash with a bio-resin core and a helix moulded cord. Some owners like its light, thin feel. Many others report snapped leashes, a stiff cord that tangles and an ankle cuff that rubs.
Snow Snow Pants
686 Smarty 3-in-1 Cargo Snowboard Pants
The Smarty 3-in-1 Cargo is 686's long-running cargo pant with a fleece liner you can zip in or wear on its own. Owners call it warm, comfortable and full of pockets, and some wore theirs for years. It runs big, and one rider found the shell and liner waists didn't match.
Burton Reserve GORE-TEX 2L Bib Pants
The Reserve GORE-TEX 2L is Burton's mainline GORE-TEX bib, a step below the AK line. Owners say it keeps them dry and warm in cold, windy weather, and Burton backs it with a lifetime warranty. The fabric is heavy, the fit is snug in the hips and thighs, and some owners had pockets blow out.
Volcom Roan Bib Snowboard Pants
The Roan is Volcom's budget bib, a 15K shell with Zip Tech and a chest pocket. Owners say it keeps snow out and stays dry outside very wet climates, and some own two pairs. The short fly and awkward hip pockets are the common gripes.
Surf Surfboards
Wavestorm 8ft Classic
Wavestorm 8ft Classic review: why the most debated foam board in the lineup is a wave-catching machine, despite the social media hate.
Catch Surf Beater Original 54
The Beater is a 54-inch slab of near-indestructible fun for shorebreak, closeouts and mushy days. It is short, flat and has a steep learning curve, but it is hard to break and asks very little of the surf. Here is who gets the most out of it.
Snow Protection
Burton Impact Shorts
Burton's Impact Shorts are low-profile padded shorts that protect your tailbone and hips. Riders recommend them more than any other impact shorts, mostly because you barely notice them. They are pricey and less padded than bulkier shorts like Demon's.
Demon Flexmeter Single Sided Wrist Guards
Flexmeter wrist guards were designed with wrist doctors to spread the force of a fall up your forearm. The single-sided version has one plate on the back of your wrist, and riders say it is the right pick for snowboarding. It is bulky and can be tight under some gloves.
Snow Jackets
686 GLCR Hydra Thermagraph Jacket
The Hydra Thermagraph is 686's insulated jacket with body-mapped warmth and an offset front zipper. Owners say it is warm in the core, lasts for years and fits loose. Some riders find the arms cold, and the hood is too small to fit over a helmet.
Volcom L Insulated GORE-TEX Jacket
The L Insulated is Volcom's lightly insulated GORE-TEX jacket with Zip Tech, a zipper that joins the jacket to Volcom pants. Owners say it holds up for years and keeps snow out on deep days. The cut is slim through the shoulders and hips, and some riders worry about quality since Volcom changed hands.
Snow Accessories
BlackStrap Hood Balaclava
The Hood is BlackStrap's helmet-friendly balaclava with a hinged face panel you can lift for warmth or drop to breathe. Owners say it stays up, sits well under a helmet and works in very cold weather. Some riders find BlackStrap's face masks tight across the nose.
Crab Grab Shark Teeth Stomp Pad
Shark Teeth is Crab Grab's spiky stomp pad, and it is one of the most recommended pads on Reddit. Owners say it grips even when your board is covered in snow, and it scrapes snow off your boot tread. Some riders find it too grabby, and it does not stack well in a board bag.
Surf Fins
FCS II AM PC Tri
The Al Merrick template is one of the most copied shapes in surfing, and the FCS II version with Performance Core is the baseline everyone measures against. Big raked side fins give you drive, a smaller trailer keeps the tail loose. It is a high-performance set that rewards a surfer who wants to push the board.
Futures AM2 Blackstix Tri
The AM2 is one of the most popular large templates in Futures, and the Blackstix version is the stiff, reactive end of the range. It drives hard off the bottom and releases easily, but it is a lot of fin for average surf. Here is who it suits and who should look at a softer flex.
Snow Wax and Tuning
Oneball 4WD Snowboard Wax
4WD is One MFG's (Oneball's) fluoro-free hot wax, made in temperature-specific bars. The cool bar covers snow from 28F to 21F and waxes 6 to 8 boards. Owners call Oneball solid, everyday wax, though few call it the best they have used.
Demon Complete Tune Kit
The Demon Complete Tune Kit packs a wax iron, wax, brushes, edge tools and a hanging case into one box. Owners say it has everything you need to wax at home, and some have used theirs for years. Critics say the parts are generic and that you will use only a few of them.
Snow Shells
Burton AK Cyclic GORE-TEX 2L Jacket
The AK Cyclic is Burton's 2-layer GORE-TEX shell, the jacket many riders build a whole kit around. Owners report 10 and 15 years of use and praise the pockets and Burton's lifetime warranty. Sizing runs roomy with long arms, and a few owners say quality has slipped in recent years.
Snow Bags
Dakine Low Roller Snowboard Bag
The Low Roller is Dakine's popular wheeled board bag, with padding, a removable boot bag and a handle that clips to your rolling luggage. Owners say it runs a little long and fits two boards. A bag that is too big sags, and one owner's seams tore when overstuffed.
Snow Base Layers
Smartwool Classic Thermal Merino Base Layer Crew
Smartwool's Classic Thermal crew is a midweight, 100% merino base layer. Owners say merino stays warm and does not smell after several days, and some have worn their Smartwool layers for over 10 years. Others report holes within a season and uneven quality, and it is expensive.
Snow Gloves
Burton Gore-Tex Gloves
Burton's Gore-Tex gloves have a waterproof membrane, a removable liner and touchscreen fingertips. They are easy to find and keep hands dry. Owners report short fingers, palms that wear through and mixed warranty help, so check the fit before you buy.