# Brands to avoid?



## JeffreyCH

I've found enough reviews to know to stay away from Lamar gear and was wondering what other brands to stay away from. I've found some pretty good deals on M3, LTD, Avalanche, and a few others I can't think of right now. I'm just looking to get the most bang for the buck on a wide all-around board. I mostly ride groomers, and this year I'm gonna work up to playing in the parks.


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## Leo

Stay away from those Marvel snowboards lol. Really though, 90% of the snowboard brands out there have quality stuff. You can't nix a whole brand based on a few of their gear. When you get to their higher price points, you'll find some good stuff. As for Lamar, I personally would never ride that. It is all a matter of rider preference.

Brands I like:

Burton: I only get the Shaun White Collection because I like the feel of his board and style of outerwear​​Flow: Love their bindings (except for the Flite series) and they make good boards too​​Ride: This was my first brand for board and boots, both great​​GNU: I want the skate banana as my next board badly​
LTD and Avalanche are cheaper brands. I can't say anything about them because I never rode one. I have checked out Avalanche boards (never rode, just inspected them) and they don't seem to be of good quality. Feels like it has too much plastic. Oh, Rome is another solid brand.


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## MunkySpunk

Avoid Bitchboards, Morrow, and 5150. There's a lot more, but that's it off the top of my head.


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## Burgerboy

First off I'll say stay away from anything offered by a big box store and find yourself a good local snowboard shop. That should keep you away from most of the cheaper junk on the market i.e Lamar, Firefly, 5150.

Pretty much anything by Rome, Ride, Nitro, Forum etc will be good. Burton for me is a toss up. I've never bought anything from them myself but I've heard stories of their lower end gear that makes me stay away....plus you pay a premium for the name.

Lastly browse this forum. You won't really go wrong with any of the brands mentioned here.


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## john doe

Basicly just look through the user setup post and avoid any brands you don't see mentioned there.


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## bakesale

I'm not a big fan of Sims, Firefly, Roxy, 5150, Morrow, Lamar, Rip Curl, and the low end Ride and K2 boards. Also on a point of principle avoid Burton.

Basically avoid boards in big box sports stores.


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## jaaxnikols

*.*

In my opinion these are good brands: Lib Tech, Gnu, Roxy, Rossignol, DC, Burton, Forum, Ride, K2, Signal, Rome, Stepchild, Arbor, Never Summer, Salomon, Nitro, Vans, Capita, Bataleon, Humanity, Palmer, Flow, Artec, Celcius boots, Union Bindings, Drake/ Northwave.

Brands I avoid: Lamara, M3, Avalanch, LTD, 5150, Morrow, Bitchboards, Firefly, Sims, Rip Curl, Santa Cruz, Option.

Someone posted that Roxy was not a good brand, but they are made with the same materials as Lib Tech and GNU boards, just more directed for girls with the graphics and board shapes. Also some people might be against Palmer, but they have some decent boards which are made at the same place in Austria as a lot of other great brands.

For the Anti-Burton comment above. The only thing I dislike about Burton as a brand is their bindings zero forward lean setting is just to much forward lean, which makes me feel trapped with bent knees which I don't like. I have no problems with the boards, boots, and outerwear, I think it is all prety decent product, maybe a good amount of it is overpriced, but thats what you get when you pay for the name.

Just my opinion though, there will always be someone who disagrees.


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## Guest

bakesale said:


> Also on a point of principle avoid Burton.


which principle is that? what if the op has different principles to you?

alasdair


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## sumo28

I was going to say the same thing that jaax said about Roxy being Mervin manufactured (although I stay away from lib-tech after bad personal experiences with the durability of their boards - topsheet easily chips, delams, not fully wrapped edges). I also don't know why people are always quick to classify Palmer as a cheap, budget company.


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## burritosandsnow

find a brands homepage .. if they dont have a team dont bother .. if they dont have a homepage well lol....

all the "avoid" brands mentioned like morrow lamar avalanche etc are one time big names that are now just bottom dwellers producing low quality entry lvl boards for folks who go a few times a year not aggressive avid riders


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## droseph

sumo28 said:


> I was going to say the same thing that jaax said about Roxy being Mervin manufactured (although I stay away from lib-tech after bad personal experiences with the durability of their boards - topsheet easily chips, delams, not fully wrapped edges). I also don't know why people are always quick to classify Palmer as a cheap, budget company.


Probably because a lot of rentals are Palmer P-lines. I own a Palmer Classic myself, but I haven't ridden it yet due to the lack of snow.


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## steezycheese

i would say stay away from grenade...their stuff is sick but their gloves arent warm at all and i know of a few people whose jackets have ripped and basically fallen apart. the looks of their stuff is sooo sick, but the quality is horrible. other than that, i cant think of too many others that im really upset with. i did just recently break the baseplate of my 09 burton custom bindings, but they are lifetime warranted so i got it replaced no problem. so i guess there are always some flaws in every company but grenade is the biggest one for sure..


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## JeffreyCH

Thanks a bunch for all the feed back, that really helps me narrow down my search. Seems picking a snowboard is way more confusing then picking a wakeboard lol.


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## Guest

Not sure about the other brands, but the Sims and Lamar boards are getting some hate where they may not deserve it. I understand it's cool to hate on boards that are sold at large retailers, but that doesn't always mean the quality is compromised as a result. Is a snowboard brand defined by where it's sold? If you think so, than you probably don't understand the industry. 

I can tell you from personal experience that both Sims and Lamar put a lot of time into making sure the boards and gear are quality. We're based in Colorado, our product guys can be seen on the hill every week in season, and we listen to what our team says in regards to board design and quality. We just sent back a ton of boards a couple of weeks ago due to them not meeting our pro riders expectation, so those boards will not be going into production. We're not here to churn out shit product and make money, we actually enjoy what we do and enjoy putting the time and resources into making sure what we do translates to good product and a good experience. 

Sims has a great pro team with riders like Colin Langlois, Steve Fisher, Erich Dummer, Lindsey Jacobellis, Gaetan Chanut, and good flow team riders like Brian Daino and Seth Hill. We donate money to Save our Slopes, sponsor various causes, and go out and clean up trash from the mountain highways once every couple of months, and most importantly we PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT WORKS AND DOES NOT WORK TO MAKE KILLER PRODUCT. 

Same goes for Lamar, we got a good team and good product. Because we are sold in big box retailers, we are able to sell the boards for a couple hundred less than similar quality boards. Because we charge less does not mean we sacrifice quality, we make up for it in volume of sales. 

So, you ask what a good 'bang for your buck' board is, I would say don't discount Sims and Lamar. The other brands they mention are good, but where we are sold does not define the quality of our product. Check us out for yourself if you like;

Sims :: Home

Lamar Snowboards


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## Guest

alasdairm said:


> which principle is that? what if the op has different principles to you?
> 
> alasdair



he's just being a doucher like tons of people who hate on burton. there goods boards....they didnt get to the top by making crap. and they dont have awesome riders by making crap boards.


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## AWNOW

Don't buy anything from Neff.


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## SPAZ

MunkySpunk said:


> Avoid Bitchboards, Morrow, and 5150. There's a lot more, but that's it off the top of my head.


haha, bitchboards. i thought that was a joke, they actually make 'em??! :laugh:


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## AWNOW

SnowboardSpaz said:


> haha, bitchboards. i thought that was a joke, they actually make 'em??! :laugh:


The company does exist. Woman specific company.


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## Guest

*Dude I need to ask the question....*



MunkySpunk said:


> Avoid Bitchboards, Morrow, and 5150. There's a lot more, but that's it off the top of my head.


The question begs... Why are ONLY dudes bashing BitchBoards? unless...1 you ride a chic board or 2 you know something about the technology or manufacturing of these boards... 

I'm not singling you out but the question needed to be asked....

I have never heard of BitchBoards until today.


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## m60g

Yeah, Bitchboards, Lamar, Morrow, 5150, shit they sell at toys-r-us etc...


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## GC24

AWNOW said:


> Don't buy anything from Neff.


Where does the hate on Neff stem from?


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## m60g

Moni said:


> The question begs... Why are ONLY dudes bashing BitchBoards? unless...1 you ride a chic board or 2 you know something about the technology or manufacturing of these boards...
> 
> I'm not singling you out but the question needed to be asked....
> 
> I have never heard of BitchBoards until today.




Because there is nothing special about them and the women tries to make them out to be some super-board. And charges too much for what they really are. I doubt she even snowboards with some of her marketing claims.

BA has a lot to say about her and the company. I'm sure he will chime in shortly and let you know what the deal is.


Go check out SHREDBETTIES, they don't like the boards either, and they are all women


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## Zee

Prior - overpriced and delicate. I was so excited when I got mine, but after the first ride a bubble appeared on the base, and it kept on growing. Prior would not warranty, and said it was normal. The base is paper thin and soft. 

Unfortunate, because I wanted to support a Canadian company.


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## DiamondCarver

Moni said:


> The question begs... Why are ONLY dudes bashing BitchBoards? unless...1 you ride a chic board or 2 you know something about the technology or manufacturing of these boards...
> 
> I'm not singling you out but the question needed to be asked....
> 
> I have never heard of BitchBoards until today.


http://www.snowboardingforum.com/buy-sell-snowboard-equipment/20106-bitchboards-platinum-twin-tip-sale.html


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## Guest

sumo28 said:


> (although I stay away from lib-tech after bad personal experiences with the durability of their boards - topsheet easily chips, delams, not fully wrapped edges).


:thumbsup: Thanks for the truth, this has been my same experience with Lib/any Mervin board. They ride awesome but there is just no build quality. Whenever I recommend people to stay away from Lib I get all the skate banana whores trashing me. Lib makes boards that ride nice, they just need to learn how to keep 'em together.


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## Zee

My Rider's Choice has been bomber... :dunno:

Although I have heard the Banana referred to as the Banana Peel because of the topsheets peeling off constantly.


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## jaaxnikols

Moni said:


> The question begs... Why are ONLY dudes bashing BitchBoards? unless...1 you ride a chic board or 2 you know something about the technology or manufacturing of these boards...
> 
> I'm not singling you out but the question needed to be asked....
> 
> I have never heard of BitchBoards until today.


Not only guys are bashing BtichBoards, I ride both male and female specific boards, and I am a female. I'm not intersted in buying a board from a company that needs to use "bitch" in order to gain some kind of attention. Taking photos of a random blond girl in a beanie also doesn't give me a good reason to purchase overrated, overpriced equipment just because it is women specific thank you.

WHY BITCH?
BitchBoards® is embracing the word 'Bitch' to mean an empowered and beautiful female snowboarder. It's a fun and playful "thumbing of the nose" at a male-dominated industry that until now hasn't addressed women's real wants and needs. Move over 'betties'-the 'bitches' are shredding up the mountain!

OUR MISSION AND PHILOSOPHY
Our mission and philosophy is to always provide the highest quality women's snowboards women love to ride and show off! We promise to provide the ultimate in style and design in every BitchBoards® snowboard without skimping on the performance or quality.

Apparently the word bitch makes us stronger? what the fu*k is the matter with this lady? 

Alex Masterson started snowboarding about 7 years ago. - So I should trust her inexperience to provide me with the best products? WTF

I feel like im wasting my valuable time posting to this thread, so I'm done... what a waste of my time.


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## AWNOW

GC24 said:


> Where does the hate on Neff stem from?


Tall T's and wanksters.


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## jaaxnikols

*.*



AWNOW said:


> Tall T's and wanksters.



I think it has now progressed to skinny white kids wearing sweater dresses who think they are from the ghetto, but would cry for mommy if they had a real gun pointed at them!

Smoke pot, listen to hip hop, and wear sweater dresses snowboarding. Sounds like Neff/ Technine style to me.

I'm not sure who looks more feminine... the guy wearing girls pants, or the guy with the sunday dress or tall T as they call it.


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## zakk

Unless you're paying big $$$ stay away from Burton. 

The wife had issues with her Twin, my Deuce was a pile a crap and they wouldn't warranty it after 9 months, and same with the boots that came unstitched after about 50 days. 

Sadly only Burton boots fit my weirdo feet, so I'm hoping my Rulers last longer. We'll see. Only have 10 days on them so far this season. 

Just my experience, your mileage can and will vary.


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## linvillegorge

I've seen a lot of 686 outerwear just blow up.

My view isn't popular, but I think all snowboarding specific outerwear is grossly overpriced for the quality of gear you're buying. I pretty much stick with Mountain Hardwear and other more mountaineering geared clothing and my shit lasts A LOT longer than my buddies'. Take it for what it's worth.


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## killclimbz

linvillegorge said:


> I've seen a lot of 686 outerwear just blow up.
> 
> My view isn't popular, but I think all snowboarding specific outerwear is grossly overpriced for the quality of gear you're buying. I pretty much stick with Mountain Hardwear and other more mountaineering geared clothing and my shit lasts A LOT longer than my buddies'. Take it for what it's worth.


Pretty much has been my experience too. Especially with the jackets. I almost always buy snowboard pants because of the cargo pocket models and the fact it's easier to find ones that are fairly baggy which I like. Then again, I get a season, maybe a season and half out of any given pair of snowboard pants, and my Mountain Hardware jacket is going on three seasons now...


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## AWNOW

The only snowboard specific outerwear I have is special blend pants...and for the same reason.


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## Suburban Blend

Neff I'm backing for sure. Don't hate the player just the game.

5150, Lamar, and most all boards made in China/Taiwan are junk. Try tuning them, the bases do not hold wax, cores are week/soft, and edges junk. You get what you pay for.


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## david_z

BurtonRider87 said:


> he's just being a doucher like tons of people who hate on burton. there goods boards....they didnt get to the top by making crap. and they dont have awesome riders by making crap boards.


Some people hate on the brand because they charge a premium price for the brand name. To each his own, I guess. You can get your clothes at Kohl's or at Abercrombie. Basically the same stuff, no better or worse. But you'll pay a lot more for A&F than you will at Kohl's.

IMO, their higher-end boards don't justify the ridonculous price tags. There's no board on earth that I'd pay $900 for, unless it gave BJs.


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## Guest

i am currently riding rome/atomic boards,rome bindings and have always wore special blend jacket/pant, i personaly buy stuff from local smaller shops thats not as "main stream" and stuff that isnt mass production, i havent had too much luck with burton and its a perfect example of mass production the quality just doesnt seem to be there. im not hating on them just from personal preference.


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## Actionsportsnow

Stepchild, Rome, Ride, K2, Salomon make some great boards and the brands I would avoid are 5150, Morrow, Lamar and any boards that can be found at Target,Costco,etc...


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## ---NT---

Snowboarding101 said:


> :thumbsup: Thanks for the truth, this has been my same experience with Lib/any Mervin board. They ride awesome but there is just no build quality. Whenever I recommend people to stay away from Lib I get all the skate banana whores trashing me. Lib makes boards that ride nice, they just need to learn how to keep 'em together.


I've got two Lib's and haven't had a single issue with them - they're going on 8 and 10 years! Maybe they don't build them as well as they use to? But I don't believe that their quality would decline since they still make all their boards by hand in WA. 
All I know is that my Lib's have been amazingly durable. I just got my first gouges in the base after accidentally riding into a rock meadow, but old Emma is still sliding just fine!


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