Positives
- Improved Grip
- Narrower Stance Width
- Improved Float / Set Back On Board
- Improved Pop
- Very Good Beginner to Intermediate Ride
Negatives
- Very Soft Almost Jib Park Flex
- No Longer As Fun For Advanced To Expert Riders
- No Longer A Bridge Between Jones All Mountain And Freeride
Summary
The 2026 Jones Frontier got a complete overhaul. It seems to have a little more camber, a different shape, and a stance location that is much narrower (22” vs. 23.6”). It's got a little taper and is a little more directional. It's a very easy riding board, but the flex is massively softer to the point where it could be a deal breaker for many looking for something in between the directional twins and freeride boards in Jone’s line.Where To Buy
No obligation, but these links support the site.
Blauer Board Shop
Favorite StoreJones
evo
Sun & Ski Sports
REI
BlueTomato Belgium
BlueTomato France
BlueTomato Sweden
BlueTomato Denmark
BlueTomato Finland
PRFO Sports Canada
Riding Style | All Mountain |
Riding Level | Beginner - Expert |
Fits Boot size (US) | 8-10, 10-12 |
Manufactured in | Dubai by SWS |
Shape | Directional |
Camber Profile | Hybrid Camber |
Stance | Setback over 20mm |
Approx. Weight | Feels Normal |
Split | Comes in split |
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On Snow Feel | |
Turn Initiation | |
Skidded Turns |
Flex | |
Buttering | |
Edge Hold |
Where To Buy
No obligation, but these links support the site.
Blauer Board Shop
Favorite StoreJones
evo
Sun & Ski Sports
REI
BlueTomato Belgium
BlueTomato France
BlueTomato Sweden
BlueTomato Denmark
BlueTomato Finland
BlueTomato Italy
BlueTomato UK
BlueTomato Netherlands
BlueTomato Austria
BlueTomato Spain
SnowCountry
PRFO Sports Canada
An Un-Biased Breakdown Of How the 2026 Jones Frontier Rides Review by The Good Ride
How The Jones Frontier Was Tested:

I borrowed the Jones Frontier for an extended demo and sent it back.
Size: 159
Days: 4+
Conditions:
I rode the Jones Frontier in a wide variety of conditions, everything from some good groomers to some thick, soft, wet, uneven snow on top of hard, nasty snow underneath, some good powder and then some really good powder. This was primarily with my Union Force and my Nitro Team TLS, but I did get the Jones Mercury FASE on these as well. I tested this against a wide variety of all-mountain bordering on freeride boards like the YES All In, the YES Standard, a lot of Never Summer boards including the new Proto Type 3, and many other boards. You can find those compaisons on Patreon for paid members. .I even had some early morning pow laps with the help of the Drift Boards & Union Rovers.
Riders: James (Size 9, 5’10”, 185-195lbs). I’ve tested and compared 800+ boards and close to 1,000 if you count different versions of the same Model over the years.
Boots: Nitro Team TLS
Insoles: Footprint Kingfoam Orthotic Elite
Bindings: Union Force, Jones Mercury FASE
Redundancy: Strapins in case boots or bindings break.
Jacket: Skyline Fuse 3L Jacket, Skyline Fuse Light 3L Jacket
Pant: Burton AK Gore-Tex Pro 3L Hover Pant, Skyline Faze Pant
Helmet: Smith Method, Smith Scout
Goggle: Smith 4D Mag
Gloves: Burton AK Clutch Mitt, Burton AK Tech Leather Glove, Drop Tahoma Mitt,
James’s Set Up
21-21.5” Wide. Stance Angles +18/-3, +18/+3, +18/-9. Close to Reference on groomers and Set all the way back in powder.
Similar Boards We Like (but not the same):
Never Summer Proto Type 3, Never Summer Proto Type 3 Ultra, Korua Otto, Ride Algorythm, Ride Shadowban, Salomon Highpath, Yes Standard Uninc, Capita Black Snowboard Of Death, Jones Rally Cat, Cardiff Crane, Cardiff Lynx, Nitro Alternator, United Shapes Horizon, Gnu Antigravity, Lib Tech Dynamo, K2 Commonwealth
Ethics Statement
I was not paid to do this review, and it comes from an honest, objective perspective with no brand oversight. If this review helped, we’d appreciate it if you support objective content by:
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Construction / Durability / Weight
The Jones Frontier top Sheet isn’t super thick but isn’t ultra light and not reliable either. It will get the usuall bindings scuffs and needs to be taken care of but isn’t bad at all. Overall construction is medium to a touch on the light side of medium and the reliability is good enough to where it isn’t a deal breaker. (We don’t put in the exact weight because with wood cores, there is no consistency in a board’s weight)
Sizing

When it comes to sizing, the old 59 Frontier fit me super well. I never wanted to size down and I didn’t want to size up; it felt like my perfect size. This new 2026 Jones Frontier 159, just doesn’t seem to fit me as well as the old 59. It feels a little smaller and it’s really easy to initiate a turn with this softer flex. It makes me 162 curious. But overall it’s a pretty good fit.
Jones is pretty liberal with their boot sizes but ok to a little too conservative with their recommended weight. You have to be very careful with the larger or smaller end of their recommended boot sizing as it starts to get very dependent on how hard you turn, stance angle and your boots footprint. Overall, they are better than most brands out there but most are straight up negligent.
The Good Ride’s Conservative / Safe Boot Size Recommendation
These are sizes that will keep you from booting out (super bad) or be too wide to turn quickly in critical situations. Remember there is s 3-4mm bump in the middle of the Frontier so it makes the waist look a lot wider than it is.
150: 6-7
153: 6.5-7.5
156: 8-9
159: 8.5-9.5
162: 9-10
165: 9.5-10.5
155w: 9.5-10.5
158w: 10-11
161w: 10.5-11.5
164w: 11-12
167w: 11.5-12.5
There is often more than one size that will work for your specs and how you like to ride. Size down for more control and size up for more speed/stability/carving power. If it comes down to boot size or weight, I would ensure it fits your boot first and then your weight a close second.
Shape & Setback

The 2026 Jones Frontier is now tapered and directional. Before it used to be just directional. Now it has five millimeters of taper in the tail versus the nose. You don’t really feel that on groomers, but you get a little bit of that feeling in powder. It feels a little more turny, a little more floaty than it used to before.
The Setback on sidecut is 20mm back but you can get that on Jone’s site. However, the setback on board, you’re looking at two inches back from center of board on reference at a 22 inch stance width,Then if you choose to set it all the way back on a powder day,for easier directional float or just a moe set back / surfy feel on groomers it’s -3.125″ at a 22.75″ stance width which is a good bit better than the old stance range and set back. The old Frontier used to have a really taint ripping 23.6″ reference stance and then you could get 2.375: at 22,75″ so this is a nice improvement.
You still have a more All-Mountain board that is very close to what we call Freeride but rides a little more centered on board and has a little less taper than many true Freeride boards.
Camber/On Snow Feel

The camber profile seems to be a little more camber towards the tail and about the same rocker in the nose. So it does feel maybe a touch more catchy in the tail, but overall it still has a very forgiving feel to it, especially with this much softer flex. I think it’ll work for a rider of any ability and level, especially those beginners who want an easy turning, forgiving board with a lot of stability underfoot.
Edge Hold

When it comes to edge hold, I really like this new disruption in the sidecut. It seems to be a little bit better. It really gripped well on hard snow days, and I found that this out-gripped some boards with much more disruption in the sidecut.
Flex Personality

The Jones Fronttier flex is a little softer than it’s going to be in production. It’s a good thing that they’re stiffening this up because it’s a little too soft for me. It feels almost like a park board. There’s an easy flex between the feet, a little stiffer in the tail, and the nose is actually stiffer than between the feet, but only by a little. Overall this is a very poppy, dynamic flex and it’s a huge improvement over the previous Frontier.
Butters & Ollies

Even with the tail being a good bit stiffer than the rest of the flex, it was easy to tail butter, easy to nose butter, and very easy to play around.

The pop on an ollie is massively improved and I was super impressed with this easy to access poppy flex on an ollie.
Switch & Park
The Jones Fronttier is actually a really good park board because this doesn’t have anything close to a freeride or all-mountain flex. This is just buttery soft, so you could jib with this if you wanted to. This is going to grip really well going up a pipe wall and you could get into half pipe with this. For jumps, small to medium kickers will be great with this, but for big ones, I just don’t think it has the flex to hold those kinds of landings.
Uneven Snow

While the Jones Fronttier is very bucky and bouncy, it’s not cranky. It can handle hard, uneven snow very well. Soft uneven snow bucks and bounces you around a lot, but it’s predictable and it doesn’t feel nasty.
Turning/Carving

The super soft soft flex between the feet of the Jones Fronttier allows a very easy twist and it’s a very quick board edge to edge. It has a more turny experience but can do down-the-line turns without fighting you. The spring out of the turn is excellent, but the softer flex limits this board’s ability to really light up a medium to high speed carve.
Speed
Going fast with the Jones Frontier just really isn’t that great of an idea. It can handle a straight line okay, but chatter-wise it’s just too soft of a flex and the board starts to fall apart at medium to high speeds.
Base Glide

The base glide is good. It’s clear P-Tex, and while I loved the old black base with the old Frontiers and Explorer because it was easier to repair, this one can still be repaired well with the right tools. It’s not amazing glide, but it’s good for this price point.
Powder

The Jones Fronttier has very good directional float for a board that kind of sits on that border between freeride and all-mountain. It’s not the best of the best, and I would love setback inserts on this like you see with the Flagship and the Stratos to really give that beginner intermediate rider a much easier time in powder, but it’s a nice step up from the former Jones Frontier.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I really love so many things they did with the new Jones Frontier. I love the new, more directional tapered shape. I love that the reference stance is much narrower. This grip is exceptional. I love this new 3D tech that never feels washy even in hard snow. I love the pop out of this, it’s exceptional, but this flex is so soft it’s almost like having a jib board. That could be the deal breaker for many.
In the past I would say this was a great beginner intermediate board that you could progress with all the way up to the advanced to expert level. Now, with this super soft flex, it’s more for beginner intermediate or advanced expert riders that really like a chill, easy flexing, super poppy ride. It’s no longer that bridge between the Jones directional twins like the Mountain Twin, Mountain Twin Pro, and Aviator 2.0, and the more directional tapered boards like the Flagship and the Stratos. It used to be that perfect bridge in the middle that would work for a wide variety of ability levels. It just doesn’t do that anymore. It’s going to be harder to recommend than it used to be because of that flex.
Jones Frontier Past Reviews
2024-2025 Jones Frontier Snowboard Reivew
The Jones Frontier is a very well-rounded, versatile All-Mountain board for those who see everything from hard snow to powder. Year after year, this board surprises us with how well it stacks up against its competitors in all conditions.
Update 2025: The Jones Frontier did not change for 2025, so this review still stands.
A Detailed Breakdown Of How It The 2024-2025 Jones Frontier Rides And Who It’s For
How It Was Tested
I Borrowed the Jones Frontier for an extended demo and sent it back but I wouldn’t mind owning this.
Size: 159
Days: 4
Conditions: Some decent pow, good groomers and a couple days with varied conditions.
Riders: James (Size 9, 5’10” 185-190lbs)
Boots: Ride Torrent, Ride Fuse, Ride Deadbolt
Insoles: F.I.T. Gamechangers
Bindings: Union Atlas
Redunancy: Strapins in case boots or bindings break.
Jacket: Jones Mtn Surf Anorak, Jones Shralpinist Stretch Jacket
Pant: Jones Mountain Surf Bib, Jones Shralpinist Stretch Bib
Helmet: Smith Maze
Goggle: Smith 4D Mag
Gloves: Burton AK Clutch Mitt, Burton AK Tech Leather Glove, Drop Tahoma Mitt,
Similar Boards (but not the same): Korua Otto, Jones Mountain Twin, K2 Manifest, Ride Algorythm, Ride Wild Life, Yes Basic Uninc, Cardiff Lynx,
James’s Set Up: 21.5” Wide. Sance Angles +18/-3, +18/-9. Close to Reference on groomers and Set all the way back in powder.
Since I already know the Jones Frontier very well over the years I just used it to compare to other boards like the Jones Mtn Twin, Jones Ultra Mountain Twin, Jones Stratos, Burton Power Wagon, Burton Gril Master and a few others.
Approximate Weight
The Jones Frontier is pretty normal in weight for this size and surface area but maybe a touch more on the heavy side of normal. (We don’t put in the exact weight because with wood cores there is no consistency in a boards weight)
Sizing
The 159 Jones Frontier fits me really well. It’s a decent match for my boot size so I can turn it but it also handles my 185lbs no problem. Good for my 5’10” frame as well.
Here are some ideal US boot sizes for the Jones Frontier. I keep it conservative but you can of course go bigger or smaller depending on your riding style and boot’s footprint. These suggestions just work best for not turning the board slower than it should be and not having the dreaded Toe & Heel Drag.
* Remember there are bumps on each side of the middle of the board so subtract 2-3 mm from the waist width*
152: 7-8
156: 8-9
159: 8.5-9.5
162: 9-10
165: 10-11
158w: 10-11
161w: 10.5-11.5
164w: 11-12
167w: 11.5-12.5
For weight I would stay close to Jones’ recommended weight ranges when it comes to the Frontier. If it comes down to boot size or weight, I would make sure it fits your boot first and then your weight a close second.
Shape
The Jones Frontier is pretty directional but it’s far from being a tapered directional ride. It defintitely sits in between the Jones Mountain Twin and Stratos.
Camber/On Snow Feel/Ability Level
The camber on the Jones Frontier is mellow but goes a little past the inserts. It then transitions into rocker in the tip/tail with a little spoon nose and tail. You can feel the spoon come into the edges a little bit on hard snow but less than almost every other Jones board I’ve tried…and I’ve tried them all. All you need is a little more weight between the feet and the board holds fine. It almost always feels stable one footing and flat basing.
Flex Personality
The Jones Frontier is medium stiff but you can get the tip/tail to flex on a butter with a little effort. The only thing is the spoon nose/tail can feel a little washy and it doesn’t hold into a press as easy as some boards. It does pop pretty well even though it’s not an ultra poppy ride. Every year I get one of these to test it has a similar flex which seems to contradict their 2 out of 5 rating on the Jones site. It’s not just the demos sent but when I flex them in shops as well.
Uneven Terrain
The Jones Frontier does very well in soft uneven snow but not as well in hard micro bumpy snow. Still, its manageable and a very good board for all day resort riding.
Edge Hold
I love this disruption in the sidecut that the Jones Frontier has great grip in hard snow without being grabby in soft snow.
Speed/Base Glide
The Jones Frontier has a really fast base vs. many competitors at this price point but there are faster bases in Jones’ line.
Turning Experience/Carving
The turn intitiation is medium fast. Once you commit to an edge there is a pretty turny feel for a Jones board. Overall I would say it’s balanced but I really like it over the Jones Mountain Twin which doesn’t like to turn as much. There is good spring out of the turn as well. It’s not mind blowing but very competent and satisfying.
Powder
So I’ve had this same shape/model in a decent amount of powder over the years. It’s not up to par with freeride boards like the Flagship or Stratos but it sure floats better than the Jones Mountain Twin. You can feel the spoon nose give you a better turning experience in pow as well.
Man I would love to see set back inserts on this as well but as it stands you can get 2.375” back from center of board at a 22.75” stance width. That is much better than 1.75” on the Jones Mountain Twin.
Switch/Pipe/Jumps
Very doable switch. It tracks well into a jump and rides pipe very well. Not a great jibber though.
Conclusion
Overall, I really like the Jones Mountain Twin, but I seem to be recommending the Jones Frontier a lot more lately. I also enjoy the turning experience and directional float more out of the Jones Frontier than the Mountian Twin. In same-day tests against the Jones Mountain Twin, Ultra Mountain Twin, and Stratos, the Frontier would be the board I would add to my quiver just because it handled uneven snow much better than the Stratos, had better float in pow than the Mtn Twins, and a more fun turning experience as well.
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Jones Frontier 2020-2023 Snowboard Video and Written Review
Here we have the Jones Frontier the Snowboard Review from an average but objective perspective.
Update: The Jones Frontier has not changed from 2020-2023 so this review still stands and is still current.
The Jones Frontier continues on where the Explorer left off and it is very similar to that ride. Like it’s predecessor, it is very recommendable for those that want an all-mountain/one board quiver ride that leans a little more on the directional freeride side of the spectrum.
Ethics Statement: We don’t get paid by the manufacturer to write these reviews. We do make money from the “Where To Buy” links, but this is our best attempt at an honest and objective review from an average riders’ perspective.
How The Jones Frontier Review Happened: We borrowed this for an extended demo and then returned it.
Size: 162
Days: 3
Conditions: Some really good groomers after a storm, some pretty wet/thick powder and an early morning slackountry time with Drift Boards in some pretty decent powder.
Riders: James (Size 9, 5’10” 185-195lbs), Peter (Size 8, 5’11” 185lbs)
Boots: Adidas Tactical ADV
Insoles: Sandsole Custom Insoles, Footprint Insole Technology Gameghangers Low Profile
Bindings: Union Atlas, Union Strata, Now Drive
Similar Boards (but not the same) That We Compared This To:
Jones Flagship, Jones Mountain Twin
Set-Up: 22” Wide. 18 front -9 back and close to reference. Set as far back as we could with a 22” wide stance 21 front -3 back.
Approximate Weight
Feels pretty normal. Not heavy or light.
Sizing
The 162 felt a little big but doable. The 159 would have been great for my specs and my size 9 boots would have turned it a little faster. Still, the Jones Frontier can match up well with boot sizes 8-10 in the regular range and do pretty well with 10 to 12 in the wides.
Flex/Buttering
The flex definitely feels like a bump up from the Jones Mountain Twin but a little softer than the Flagship. It’s got good pop in relation to the hybrid camber that ends just past the bindings. So it’s not a super lively board but not dead by any means either.
On Snow Feel/Ability Level/Skidded Turns
The Jones Frontier, and it’s predecessor the Explorer, is its ability to be forgiving but consistent underfoot in all conditions you want to ride. The camber between the feet going to rocker after makes for a very stable ride to one foot off a chair lift or flat base down a long flat run very well. You can skid turns very easy with this ride and it works with riders of any ability level without being boring if you are an advanced to expert rider on a budget.
Edge Hold
This mellow mag is pretty mellow but the Jones Frontier still grips well in hard to even borderline icy snow and doesn’t grab in soft snow.
Turn Initiation
Faster than the Jones Mountain Twin for sure and you can get this board to react pretty quickly to initiate a turn and it responds quickly in tight spots. Once you are on edge the Jones Frontier doesn’t make super tight circle carves but it seems like it’s there for you with any kind of radius turn you want to make.
Turning Experience/Carving
There isn’t a ton of camber in comparison to many rides out there these days but it’s almost always a trade-off between having a fun turning/carving experience and a forgiving ride. You can layout hard carving turns in most conditions though and it does a good job for what it is.
Powder
The Jones Frontier is one of the better all-mountain boards out there. It is a little bit better than the Jones Mountain Twin for directional float but a bit behind the Flagship.that has a good bit of taper for 2020 and set’s further back on board as well. Still, at a 22.75″ stance width the Jones Frontier has a difference between nose/tail of 4.5″ and a set back from the center of the board of 2.25″ which is pretty good for an all-mountain board.
There is more surface area in the nose than the tail as well. If you haven’t heard enough about powder already here is more as well as Peter’s take after multiple drinks on the last night he was with me for the season. Can’t wait to have that lad back next season.
Speed
The base of the Jones Frontier, although not as high end as some in the Jones line, glides really well. It keeps its speed better than most in this price range as well as many above it. It is also stiffer and damper than the Jones Mountain Twin so it can do well for those who like to bomb.
Uneven Terrain
Powers over uneven snow well and weaves around bumps pretty well too. Great for all-day crowded resort riding.
Switch
The Jones Mountain Twin is better for riding switch and this has a pretty directional feel to it. Still, the Jones Frontier is fine for anyone who wants to ride switch and after a little time, you can get used to it.
Jumps
Same thing with the Mountain Twin here if you plan to take off and land switch/fakie. The Jones Frontier is no slouch though and the stiffer flex can help you go a little bigger than the mountain twin if you have a health insurance policy to match.
Jibbing
Not a great jibber. Pretty stiff.
Pipe
The Jones Frontier can ride pipe pretty well thanks to the edge hold, quickish turn initiation and I have had fun riding the pipe on this and the older model Explorer.
Conclusion
The Jones Frontier sits nicely in between the Jones Mountain Twin and Flagship. I wouldn’t consider this as a beginner/intermediate board. I would consider it as a more damp more directional version of the Mountain twin for riders of all levels.
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Jones Frontier Specs
Jones Frontier Images
Jones Frontier User Reviews
Great 1st Board
Picked up a 165 Jones Frontier as my first snowboard (I've done a few trips with rental gear before), and I love it.
We just got back from a week in Japan, seeing all kinds of snow from Ice to 40cm powder, and it's a great all-rounder to deal with everything.
I moved from skidding turns to finally learning to carve on this thing (only board I've ever carved on, so no other context to this) - I'd definitely agree with the review that it's fairly mellow when carving turns on the groomers - there's not a huge amount of pop and it doesn't really want to turn super-hard, but it's super forgiving, and you really feel that you did something very wrong when you stack it on this.
We had a couple of decent powder days, and I tried setting it back as far as I could - it floated okay, I guess but didn't really feel that it was gliding on top (to be fair, I'm a pretty heavy guy, so I sink fast).
Likewise, a couple of days had really choppy icy slopes, and this just powered through, dampened the shock and saved the knees nicely.
Swapping boards around with other on the trip, everyone agreed that this board wants to go fast compared to everything else we tried - it really does pick up speed quick, and was great fun for bombing.
Overall, a great board for an intermediate freeride wannabe to pick up and learn to carve on.
THANKS FOR YOUR ADVISE
Dear James! Many thanks for you brilliant advise to replace my old camber Lib TRS to Jones Frontier. Now I can shred at any speed and control board 100% even slowly. Now I can ride in the same manner but nearly effortless. Board do not push me to accelerate more and more to be on carve as used to be with pure camber. There is less edge hold on ice but still reasonable. The only I have not tried is to push it to maximum speed yet. But for this reason I have my 10 y.o. old school Lib TRS. Many thank and Happy New Year!
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