Do you need a snowboard stomp pad?
A stomp pad, as known as deck grip or traction pad, stick on your snowboard and next to the rear binding.
A stomp pad will help you to get a better grip, or increase traction so that you can avoid wiping out when you only ride with a single foot attached to the binding.
Also, it will give you essential steering control while you are riding drag lifts and scooting in flat sections.
Are you a beginner or intermediate skier? If yes, a stomp pad will be useful for you because you can have better control over your snowboard.
However, there are so many overpriced and unreliable products on the market that you have to be very careful when choosing one.
So, we will review the top three products so that you can choose the best snowboard stomp pad for yourself.
Top 3 Best Snowboard Stomp Pad For Snowboarders
Our Choice of Highly Rated Snowboarding Stomp Pads
Dakine Spike Stomp Pad – Plastic Spikes for Boosting Traction
If you are finding an affordable and easy-to-use stomp pad, go with the Dakine Spike.
As the name suggests, this Dakine stomp pad features a lot of plastic spikes, functioning as anchors to hold your winter boots in place.
And according to our experience, they hold us in place very well, even in the snowiest weather, in areas with a lot of ice and little friction, or when we perform some hard tricks.
So, it can ensure that there will be no grip issue, especially when you take tough snowboarding moves – the product really delivers high-end non-slip traction.
You may see that the design is minimal and has nothing special. But that is not a severe problem for us, and we appreciate its function more.
In contrast, for those who do not like stomp pads’ look, this design is useful because it looks almost invisible when you install it.
And for those who require more about the design, this choice does not seem suitable.
Pros:
- Functions excellently as a stomp pad
- Translucent molded spike for maximum traction
- Holds you in place even in snowest conditions
- Fits well with your boots
- Suitable for beginners
Cons:
- Not ideal for those who prefer highly aesthetic stomp pads.
Want the grip and non-slip traction, which is only prevalent in high-end products? The Dakine Spike stomp pad is an affordable solution you are looking for.
ToeJamR Snowboard Stomp Pad – Larger Surface Area and Lovelier Design
If you do not like the minimal design of the Dakine Spike stomp pad above, you should definitely get this one – the best looking stomp pad of this list.
Besides, the ToeJamR stomp pad is super large, so it can give you much surface area to put or rest your foot on. This feature is so essential for novices to get a feel for snowboarding.
However, the pad is quite flat, and the consequence of not having any significant studs will be shown in the long run.
Although its function is not as extreme as those with studs, the grip is still adequate. It can hold better than smaller pads because of the added adhesive area.
Another noticeable feature of the product is that it is made of long-lasting ultra-light EVA foam to increase its durability.
Pros:
- Attractive wolf paw design
- Flat, easy to use and install
- Holds your foot well and has an adequate grip
- Suitable for beginners and children
- Warranty
Cons:
- The consequence of the lack of studs will be shown from time to time
This product easily becomes the stomp pad with the largest surface area and most attractive design. You will get all the benefits of a regular pad but get much room to rest your feet on.
Dakine Pyramid Stomp Pad – Performance Benefits from the Pyramid Design
Another stomp pad from Dakine with unique pyramid studs design.
The pyramid studs adhere very firmly when you install them rightly. Also, they will give you solid footing with your free foot and improve your skiing performance, without adding any extra weight on your board.
Still, worry about this shape of the studs? With a sharp point on the end, they will be useful for providing grip whenever you need it.
Another benefit of this design is the pad does not interfere much with the design on your board. So, you can be proud of the overall look of your snowboard and enjoy the protection and complete control over the board that this set of studs bring to you.
Moreover, it is made of robust plated aluminum and includes a particular peel and sticks adhesives to improve its durability.
Each pack of 9 has a wide choice of colors, like a black, alloy or chrome finish so that you can choose your favorite one.
However, if the above pads are useful for beginners, this situation is the opposite. That is because they have to spend much time on deciding how much grip they need.
Pros:
- Gives full control of the snowboard
- The pyramid studs keep your grip up
- Sticks well to the base of the stomp pad
- Gets off the lift easily
- Durable
Cons:
- Difficult for beginners
If you want to change the traditional way you experience your time outdoors, try the Dakine Pyramid studs stomp pad. The unique pyramid design will give you a lot of performance benefits.
How to Choose the Best Snowboard Stomp Pad
To select the most suitable and high-quality stomp pad for yourself, you should consult some criteria below:
Grip
The most important feature of a stomp pad is how it can enhance your grip.
If it can provide incredible amounts of grip whenever you need or complete control over your board, that product will be worth your investment.
Stick
Stomp pads often fall off from time to time. So, it is essential to have a stomp pad that can hold well so that it can remain in place for a long time.
Appearance
You may not care much about the design of your product. However, you have to agree that it must look good rather than bad before being installed.
Types of Stomp Pads
They come in a diversity of shapes, colors, and sizes, but basically, there are three main types.
Rubber Pads
Rubber pads often have a large surface, even bigger than 10cm x 10cm. In order to provide the best grip or traction, these pads have specially designed patterns.
However, the pads with a too big size may be a disadvantage to some users. For example, it can cover some parts of your snowboard and affect the overall design of your board.
When it comes to the material, the rubber material will provide additional flex so that your traction mats will not go off even while you are bending your snowboard.
Studs Sets
The second type comes with a set of studs. These studs are made of metal or plastic and come with different sizes, like a pyramid, diamond, star, or round.
What we like about this type is they are the only pads allowing users to customize the pattern we want. They are available in packs of many smaller studs, which can be stuck down individually to make unique designs and patterns on your snowboard.
They are also very versatile so that you can put them anywhere on your board.
Besides, these studs have a lot of functions, such as holding you even in low friction conditions, helping you to get a better grip.
Plus, compared to other types of pads, they are almost invisible. So, you do not have to worry that they will ruin the beautiful design of your snowboard.
Foam Pads
Foam pads are often lightweight, have an affordable price and different colors, sizes, and patterns. So, you can easily find the product that fits your foot and taste without burning a hole in your pocket.
The most popular choices are transparent studs to not interfere with the look of the board, metallic studs for a cool design, or some opaque plastic styles.
They are also a favorite choice of many users because foam stomp pads with a relief pattern will provide greater traction between your boot and the snowboard.
You can be satisfied with foam pads because they deform less than rubber mats because the latter often gets harder in cold temperature.
However, because stomp pad studs are smaller and applied to the snowboard surface individually, it will reduce the deck area affected by the stomp pad adhesive.
What else? The foam pads are more likely to wear out than rubber mats, so it will take your time to remove them before applying a new one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: How do I Apply a Stomp Pad?
First, clean and dry your snowboard before you want to apply anything.
Warm up the area of the board that you want to apply the mat on and the adhesive of your mat before applying. And remember to do this gently.
Then, put the sticker on the area you want to put your foot on when you are doing one-foot riding. Apply it with as much pressure as you can. You can try putting some heavy items on the stomp pad for a day.
Q2: How do I Remove a Stomp Pad?
What about removal? You should use a hair dryer to warm up the adhesive. Ensure that the temperature is not too hot.
When the glue is softened, peel the pad off.
We do not recommend using cutting; otherwise, you may ruin the pattern of the board.
Clean the remaining glue on the board by nail polish remover if necessary. But you should check whether this remover will damage the graphics or not.
Q3: Should I Need a Stomp Pad?
As we have said before, it is useful for pro riders or those who want to do one-foot riding. You will feel it easier to keep your foot on your snowboard.
Most snowboarders push their back foot into the rear binding to prevent it from slipping, and that does work. However, a stomp pad will make it more slip-free.
What About You?
So, have you got your own choice?
We hope you will have more understanding of snowboard stomp pad and choose the right product. It is a very important item for your one-foot riding or when you slide on flats and get off from chairlifts.
If you find our article useful, do not hesitate to share with others! Thank you for reading.
