Best Time to Buy Snowboard Gear

Whether you are just getting into snowboarding or you’ve been doing it for years and want a new board, or you want spare gear for friends and kids, it’s important to look for discounts. Why? 

Because gear is expensive. With that in mind, I’ve always looked at the best time to buy snowboard gear at discount prices and on sale. I’ve been using this method for the last three years to purchase used/discounted snowboard (and ski) gear and saved on literally every item, down to my wool socks. 

Here’s what I’ve learned over those three years:

Best Time to Buy Snowboard Gear

Snowboard companies release new gear every year around September and October, just in time for the new season, and this can be snowboards that cost hundreds if not thousands of dollars, boots that cost $500, jackets that cost the same, and so on.

If you’ve ever balked at these prices, it’s important to know that prior to releasing anything new, the same companies usually sell last year’s equipment at a discount, and this can include:

• Boots
• Boards
• Bindings
• Pants
• Jackets
• Goggles
• Helmets
• Socks

Let’s start at the beginning of the year and look at the best times to buy snowboard gear.

New Year

New Year’s Eve is the peak of the season, and it’s only after that the people will start putting things on sale, with most gear marked down an average between 10% and 20%.

Discounts:

10%-20%

Selection: 

Wide, lots of options

April

April is when the snowboard season closes, and that’s when you can expect bigger sales. 

The sale prices will vary, but they usually start at the beginning of April and go down in price or up in percentage on sale as the month continues. 

In my experience, things from last season might be exactly the same except for a color choice or something aesthetic like an extra button, and unless you are a pro who’s probably getting your gear for free, these small changes won’t matter to you, but the sales absolutely will.

The reason the prices continue to drop over the course of April, May, and, if you’re lucky, into June is because inventory goes down, so there’s a push to get rid of things a lot faster. This also means if you don’t look at the right time of year, you probably won’t get the best deals on anything that works for you. 

Discounts:

20%-30%

Selection:

Limited to whatever hasn’t been sold or whatever items have been returned because they were never used, or donated. 

Summer

If you wait until the end of summer, starting in August and running through September and October, you will likely find some pretty sweet deals because whatever hasn’t been sold throughout the year is being moved to make way for new inventory. The downside is there are severe limits on what’s available.

Discounts:

40%-70%

Selection:  

Extremely limited

Other Sale Times

You can look at board shops and outdoor stores in person or online at other critical times of the year. For example:

• REI has its biggest annual sale in May to represent its anniversary. 
• Most stores have major sales in November for Black Friday, and this might be an opportunity to get sales on new releases. 
• Stores also often have Labor Day sales around the end of August, where you can double down on your discounts.

I suggest going to stores in person if you are new and you don’t know which brand or size you are for boots, or you don’t know which style of board you need, especially if you’re a beginner. You can typically get away with a rockered board as a beginner, but it’s still good to check things out in person with knowledgeable staff members, and then look for those exact models and sizes at a discounted price online when the time comes. 

Tip: If you are new, at least go to a store in person, a snowboard-specific store where you can get fitted for your boots. You might normally wear a size 12 shoe, but wear a 9.5 boot and not realize it.  

Where to Buy Snowboard Gear

There are a few options to buy snowboard gear depending on what sale you are taking advantage of:

REI

REI used to be great. 

Around two times per year, they would have what was called a yard sale or a garage sale, I don’t remember which. It was a members-only offering where everything they had that was on discount or have been returned by someone because of a small defect, or whatever got put outside (yeah, I think it was a yard sale for that reason), doors opened at a certain time, and you could just stand in line and then rush outside and pick through everything.

You may not get hard gear like a board and boots, but you could certainly find accessories like how much, gloves, bags, and clothes.

The downside is they don’t do this anymore. Now they just have annual discounts, which means you can find stuff you’re around, which is great, but the discounts won’t be as good. 

Tactics Boardshop

At Tactics Boardshop, the discounts are as good and they are also offered year-round without compromising on quality. You can find great discounts during key holidays like Black Friday, but also during their anniversary in October. If you aren’t shopping during one of those holiday windows, you can still find great deals in the Outlet section. 

This is a great website to find specific snowboarding gear and accessories. They even have a snowboard outlet. 

This is the place to start. 

You’ll find new items marked on average 30% off, so you can start here and then head over to other locations or areas of the shop for accessories that you couldn’t find in the outlet. 

We have a friend who hates the idea of wearing anything anyone else has worn; he won’t even let it touch his skin. So, with that idiosyncracy in mind, the outlet with discounted new items is a better fit for him. And it might be for you too. 

The thing I like most about Tactics is that they specialize in boarding, so unlike REI, Evo, and Backcountry, which try to be very general and cover all manner of outdoor sports, Tactics Boardshop doesn’t just offer boards, bindings, boots, and clothing. They offer a lot of accessories that other places don’t have, like mounting devices for your GoPro, bags, stump pads, and a lot of other things that boarders in particular look for.

Evo and Backcountry

These are both really well-known companies, and they can provide good discounts year-round, but especially during sale time frames and holidays. You will likely find clothing with Evo and boards with Backcountry. Still good to get measured in person if you don’t know which boots you like or what size you are. 

Backcountry gives you things like members-only deals, like REI does, which can be worth it if you board a lot. 

Evo is a lot less specialized, so you get more options but not as many reputable brands as Backcountry or Tactics Boardshop. 

Used Stores

If you live near any mountains and resorts, head over to all the Play It Again shops, the used clothing stores, and thrift stores around March/April. 

This time frame will vary based on the season and where you live too; if your winter season lasts through the end of April (lucky), then wait until April, but if it wraps up early, like around Tahoe, then head out for your shopping sprees around March. 

During these times, people will give up their gear from the current season. 

Note: The absolute best thrift stores for snowboard gear and clothing are those located in mountain towns, so if you flew to your resort and you don’t have good boarding where you are, chances are you also won’t have good donated snowboard gear. Go spend a day on your vacation checking out local thrift shops; it’ll be well worth it to buy a spare suitcase if you can get great deals. 

I have literally purchased new K2 heated boots that someone bought for the season, wore once, and donated to a thrift shop. 

Tip: If you can, invest in a tuning kit and the skills to tune your board. Not only will this make every day on the mountain better, but you can refinish what look like older or rusted boards at used shops and keep them for spares (or turn around and sell them on marketplaces). 

Summing Up

You can find great deals on snowboards and snowboard gear, including clothing and accessories, year-round if you know where to look, particularly outlets like Tactics online, thrift stores, and garage sales.

However, the best time to buy is early April, maybe even start looking in March, because this is when old products from the previous season have to get moved, so you’ll see some of the biggest discounts across the board and the widest selection for those discounts.

If you missed your April window this year, wait until around Labor Day to take advantage of Labor Day sales or Black Friday deals, especially for accessories and clothing.

If you are brand new to boarding and you’re looking to save money, go to a store in person to get measured for your boots and then look online for discounts when and where possible.