The 10 Best Snowboard Waxes
Special Honors
Juice Permanent Created by former ski instructors, Juice offers a more permanent solution to waxing and is eco-friendly. This patented micro-molecular treatment uses nano-sized particles to enhance the hydrophobic properties of materials used to make the bases of skis and snowboards. That means it changes the board itself instead of leaving a residue on top of it. It's easy to apply, doesn't contain fluorocarbons, and performs as well or better than many waxes. looknowax.com
Editor's Notes
October 19, 2020:
In the past several years, many athletes and enthusiasts have come to realize the harmful effect certain snowboard waxes can have on the environment and the workers who make them, thanks to the chemicals they contain that leach into the snow and its resulting runoff. With that in mind, manufacturers have put a considerable effort into retooling their formulas to be biodegradable. For our list, we wanted to ensure a bevy of our selections were eco-friendly while still keeping a few traditional formulations around so you can make the best choice for your needs.
If you're looking to go the eco-friendly route, the newly-added MountainFlow Eco is a solid choice. Made entirely from plant-based ingredients, this option performs just as well as its fluorinated brethren without any need for petroleum or toxic additives. There are options for various temperature ranges that are all made in the United States and hand-poured. Swix and Toko also offer biodegradable formulas, so consider Swix Cold, Swix Average Temperature, or Toko All-in-One if you're concerned about chemicals.
We also brought on Dakine Afterburner for those who like to bring their wax to the slopes instead of polishing the night or morning before. It comes with an applicator and is packed into a handy resealable tub that you can easily stash in a pocket or snowboard bag. Another selection that's good for this is Hertel Super Hotsauce, since it can be applied out in the cold mountain air or hot with an iron, depending on your preference.
We were able to bring on our new choices today at the expense of Choad Cheese Dirty Hippie, Kaeps Sports WinkWax U-Series, and One Ball Jay Viper, which became unavailable.