We get asked this loads by beginner snowboarders. There is a debate out there and there is truth on both sides of the discussion but from our own experience the most common snowboard injury is a damaged wrist…
People do say that if you wear a wrist guard then the injury sustained is more likely to be transferred up the arm and be less complicated…
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen an injury further up the arm in almost 20years of snowsports… and the evidence agrees with me; Read report published in Colorado in 2000
People do say you should learn to fall.
Most of the injuries I have seen sustained happen almost on flat ground, barely moving and you just ‘catch that edge’… learning to fall isn’t going to help there
As you can tell – I’m pro wrist guard. Let me know in the comments if I’m wrong!
There are several different types – but make sure you can wear your gloves with them!
Some reading:
- https://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=101476
- https://nisekophysio.com/do-wrist-guards-work/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0tSS-peapU
- https://www.sicurogear.com/blogs/gear-geek/do-snowboard-wrist-guards-just-move-the-break-to-your-forearm
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17414485/
- https://snowboardhow.com/best-snowboard-wrist-guards/
- https://www.humbersport.com/best-ski-and-snowboard-wrist-guards/
