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Snowboarders know that having the best equipment enhances their performance and safety on the slopes. But riders often forget that their equipment needs to be well-maintained to ensure that it is always ready for a day on the mountain. Snowboard gear is expensive and a great way to ensure you get the best value out of your purchase is to protect all your equipment using the best snowboard bag.

A snowboarding bag will help you organize all your gear, not just your snowboard, so that it is easier to store and transport. But there are a lot of options on the market and you may not know how to get started in your search. To give riders a push in the right direction, we have listed the eight best snowboard bags and created a comprehensive guying guide. With our list and guide, you can spend less time shopping and more time exploring the mountains.

How To Choose The Best Snowboard Bag – Buying Guide

How_To_Choose_Snowboard_Bag

Since providing protection is the main function of a snowboarding bag, you want to find a design that uses quality materials and has a durable construction. You should also ensure that your bag will fit all the equipment you want to bring without busting at the seams. Other important features you should consider are the type, weight, padding, pockets, and more. A high-quality bag will combine the best features to ensure you have exactly what you need to make traveling less stressful and easy.

Type

The type of snowboarding bag you choose will be depending on how you travel, how strong you are, and how far you plan to carry your bag. There are a lot of different types of bags, but some are better for different traveling situations than others.

A wheeled bag is a popular option for people who will be going long distances with their equipment. Understandably, it is easier to pull your gear with the majority of the weight resting on the wheels than it is to sling it over your shoulder and carry it. Most wheeled bags are soft body and have a pair of wheels at one end of the bag. While there are handles incorporated into the design, the wheels make these bags ideal for airport travel.

An unwheeled bag will use straps and handles, which are the main tools to carry and maneuver your gear. These bags will be lightweight and may feature less padding to save on additional weight. Unwheeled snowboarding bags will also be soft-sided and flexible. Without wheels, these bags are ideal for carrying your gear short distances or off-season storage.

Hard travel cases were really designed for airport travel. Skiers tend to favor this design, but there are some travel bags that are hard-sided too. The hard case design is better at protecting your gear from rough handling in airports and airplanes. If you are a frequent airline traveler, you may want to splurge and invest in the hard-sided design for added protection.

Another category of type is padded and unpadded bags. While we will delve into this feature in detail later, it is important to know that some bags feature padding and others don’t. Riders can find both types of bags, as well as the amount of padding included in the design. Most people prefer to have some padding for added protection.

Weight

Snowboard gear and equipment can get heavy when you put it all together and you may not realize that it’s even harder to carry your gear if you’re using a heavy bag. The snowboarding bag weight may not be important for some riders and may be crucial for others. If you are traveling by car, chances are that weight won’t be a bother. However, traveling by airplane has many luggage weight restrictions and your travel bag needs to be lightweight. A bag for air travel will have minimum padding to help reduce the weight and may have a slim profile to reduce bulk.

The heaviest designs will be a bag with wheels or a hard case model. These designs have more pieces of hardware that add weight to the overall design. While a hard case bag for air travel is ideal for protecting your gear from bumps and scrapes, it may not be great if you have weight restrictions and want to carry multiple boards. Instead, look at lighter weight snowboarding bags that don’t use wheels are soft-sided.

It is also very important to consider your own strength when managing your gear. The weight of the bag when combined with your gear may quickly get out of hand. You should never struggle to carry your snowboarding gear because you may fall and injure yourself. Instead, you should be able to find a top rated snowboard travel bag that you can carry without assistance.

Size

While snowboarders may not think that the size of the bag is important because one size fits all, that isn’t always true for bags for snowboards because they actually do come in a variety of sizes. Some bags fit smaller snowboards and others fit larger. Not all snowboards are the same length and carrying a bag that has unneeded extra space is more difficult because the extra fabric may get in the way or fold around the board.

A bag for snowboards will always fit a little more than it states in the product specifications. Riders should ensure that their bag always fits the length of the snowboard but should get a bag that is longer just for extra space. Additionally, a bag for women’s snowboards will be shorter because of the women’s snowboards being shorter.

However, some bags can even fit more than one board. Large sized bags may have the capacity to fit two snowboards and additional gear. This means that they expand to a large size and will have straps inside to manage the board. You may want to bring a backup board if you prefer to use different snowboard types on different terrain conditions.

If you are concerned about the size in regard to how much extra gear a design can fit, you may want to read bag reviews for the model you are looking at. Reviewers may comment on some of the gear they can comfortably fit in the bag in addition to their snowboard. But you shouldn’t have to rely on bag reviews to find the board capacity. A bag should always state how many boards it can fit in the product specifications.

Interior Straps

Interior straps are an important feature for all travel bags because they help keep the board secure during movement. As you carry or pull your bag, your movement can shift your gear around inside your bag. While this may not seem like a big deal, it can make it difficult to carry your bag or cause accidental damage to your snowboard. The best snowboard bag will have interior straps that secure the snowboard and stop it from moving.

If you are looking at a bag that fits multiple snowboards having interior straps is crucial. Snowboards that are stacked together and not secured can be easily scratched and damaged. With interior straps, all of your gear is less prone to damage. Every snowboard that your bag fits inside should have its own set of interior straps. Most interior straps will use Velcro to fasten together because it is strong and durable. Some bags may have one set of straps to wrap around the board in the middle and others will have two straps to hold the board at the ends.

Compression Straps

Compression straps are a great feature if you’re carrying a lot of gear and want to keep it from moving around or compact it further. The straps will be located on the outside of the bag and are used to compress the contents into a tighter area. With more compression, your gear has less wiggle room, which makes it easier to carry.

While you may not need compression straps for traveling by car or just carrying your gear around the resort, they are great for airline travel. A bag for air travel has a better design if compression straps are included to keep your gear safe. However, a snowboard roller bag or bag with wheels may also benefit from having compression straps because it will make pulling your bag feel smoother.

Padding

Repairing any of your gear is difficult and depending on the damage, equipment may have to be replaced entirely. Normally, people replace equipment after it is worn down or they’re in an accident on the slopes. It would be a bummer if damage occurred during transportation. This is why padded travel bags exist.

Padding is a big feature for this type of bags because most riders look for padding in the design and padded bags are preferred over unpadded styles. Essentially, padding is a great feature that provides your gear with a cushion to prevent scratches, ding, and other damage. The best snowboard travel bag will use pieces of foam all around the bag for padding. The padding will be incorporated into the design of your bag, so you won’t be able to see it, but rather feel it.

Most padded bags are large enough to fit all your snowboarding gear. This includes your snowboard pants and snowboard bindings. Smaller pockets can safely store your snowboard wax and some designs even fit your snowboard boots too. Essentially, a padded snowboarding bag should be your one-stop place to carry and store all your gear.

However, keep in mind that padding does add additional weight. If you are travelling by airplane or just aren’t that strong, weight may be a concern. Unpadded bags are an option, but they provide less protection against accidental bumps or hits along the way. Most snowboarders use an unpadded travel bag if they know they can personally ensure the safety of their gear by traveling in a car or bus. We highly suggest that for airline travel you invest in a padded snowboard roller bag because airline employees may not always take the same caution that you apply to your gear.

Wheels

Wheels can make carrying your gear extremely convenient and reduce the stress on your body. A bag with wheels will usually feature a set of wheels that are placed on the bottom of one end of the bag. A handle at the other end lets the rider rest the wheels on the ground and pull the bag along.

Most riders interested in a bag with wheels will frequently travel by airplane and want the wheels to easily navigate airports. While wheels are ideal for airport travel, it is important to remember that all snowboard roller bags can also be carried by hand. Airports are great for wheels, but the mountains are not. There may not always be clear paths at the resort or area that you snowboard, which would make wheels frustrating to use. When you can’t use your wheels, you can carry your bag instead.

When you’re looking at a bag with wheels you want to be sure that they are durable and reliable. Wheels that get stuck or don’t properly spin will quickly cause frustration and anger. A snowboard roller bag should always feel smooth in its movements.  Bag reviews are a great resource to determine whether the wheels of a design are reliable or how long they last.

Pockets

While large gear items like snowboard bindings and snowboard jackets can be put into the main compartment of a bag, smaller items can easily get lost. The best snowboard travel bag will have a few different pockets for gear organization. Pockets may be internal or external, but all have the main goal of helping riders compartmentalize their gear. A basic snowboard repair guide may require tools like screwdrivers or a knife, so keeping items like that with your gear can ease frustrations.

Another aspect that riders should be cautious of is how the pockets close. A pocket would be worthless if it can’t contain your gear, so many pockets will feature a secure closure system. Some use Velcro and zippers to keep your gear contained and secure. Exterior pockets are safest using a zipper to ensure they don’t accidentally open during transportation.

FAQs

Why_Use_a_Snowboard_Bag

Q: Why use a snowboard bag?

A: 

Frequently, riders will try to protect their bags when they travel with what they have available. In a car, it may be a blanket. But for a plane, bubble wrap is often the first thought that comes to mind. With a top-rated snowboard travel bag, you can eliminate the hassle and worry about how best to package and protect your gear.

A travel bag will have everything you need to carry your gear safely, whether you’re traveling by airplane, car, bus, or train. The bag will let you keep and organize all your gear and equipment in one place so that it is always ready for the next adventure. Plus, a snowboarding bag provides much-needed protection against scratches, dings, and dents.

A snowboarding bag is also a great option to store your gear in the offseason. Just like you take care of your gear when you travel, you want a safe place to keep your gear dry when the snow melts and the temperatures rise. A top-rated snowboard travel bag is great for transportation, but can also be a safe place to house your gear in a garage or basement. Instead of leaving your gear exposed and spread out, by organizing everything into the bag, you can keep it together and store it in one place. The bag should keep your gear dry and it reduces contact with the light, which can degrade gear over time.

Snowboarding gear is expensive and having to constantly buy the same products over and over gets tiring; not to mention a money drain. By protecting your gear using the best snowboard bag, you can ensure that it stays in the best shape and is ready for multiple snowboarding trips throughout the years.

Q: Are there special airline policies for snowboard bags?

A: 

Yes, but it will depend on the specific airline with which you chose to travel. Snowboard bags are not a new item for airlines to handle. Many snowboarders travel the world with their gear and airlines have adapted to their needs by providing oversized baggage options. Most snowboarding bags will qualify as oversized baggage and may need to be handled differently. This can include dropping and picking up your bag in a different area or paying additional fees, so be prepared for a few extra costs.

Most large airlines will have information regarding oversized baggage on the website. These guidelines will tell you exactly what you need to do to prepare any oversized luggage and how the airline will handle the bags. However, smaller airlines to popular resorts may have entirely different regulations due to smaller plane sizes. If you are ever unsure about your bag, you should call the airline directly to get any questions answered.

Additionally, you will want to pack your travel bag and leave as little empty space as possible. The tighter packing makes it easier to handle and ensures that you aren’t wasting weight or space. Travelers may also want to weigh their bags before they get to the airport so there aren’t any weight restriction surprises at check-in.

Q: How to properly pack my snowboard?

A: 

The main compartment of your snowboarding bag is the spot that your snowboard will go. Some bags have compression straps and others don’t. If your bag does have compression straps, you’ll want to strap your board down and secure it into place. Some people travel with their bindings attached and others don’t. That will be up to personal preference. However, loose bindings may fit into a pocket or can be tucked into the side.

Larger gear items can be placed around your snowboard in the additional space. You may want to use any jackets or pants as padding. Smaller gear items are best organized into pockets so that they aren’t free to move around and damage the board. Essentially, you want to pack your bag tightly and efficiently. If your bag includes separations between compartments, you can use that to your advantage when packing and organizing your gear.

Globo Surf Overview

Snowboarding is a fun and popular winter sport that has a lot of health benefits. With amazing views and thrilling speeds, it’s easy to see why people travel the world for the best powder locations. But with travel comes stress and keeping your snowboarding gear protected is essential for your performance and safety. Damaged gear may be unusable or unsafe and may not be suitable for repairs. A top rated snowboard travel bag is the best way to ensure your gear stays safe during transportation. The best snowboard bags can be used on planes and trains or in cars and buses. Our guide and list of the best snowboard bags aim to help you find a reliable snowboarding bag that you trust to keep your gear safe.

More Snow Reviews:

Do you own one of the snowboarding bags that make it onto our list? Has it improved your travel experience with your snowboarding gear? Let us know how your snowboarding bag keeps you organized in the comments section below.

 

Globo Surf
My name is David Hamburg. I am an avid water sports fan who enjoys paddle boarding, surfing, scuba diving, and kite surfing. Anything with a board or chance I can get in the water I love! I am such a big fan I decided to start this website to review all my favorite products and some others. Hope you enjoy!

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