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Snowboards

Jones Stratos 2021-2022 Snowboard Review

Tested and selected for our top 100 snowboard products of the year: the Jones Stratos

  • Price: £539 / €580 / $580
  • Category: Freeride + Powder
  • Sizes: 153, 156, 159, 161W, 162, 164W
  • Flex: 7/10
  • Shape: Directional
  • Profile: Combo
  • 3D: Yes
  • Base: Sintered

Why we chose the Jones Stratos Snowboard: A freeride shape with freestyle flair. The culmination of a decade of Jones R&D.

It may have a name that sounds like a second-tier-Doctor-Who-villain, but this monochrome missile boasts matinee-idol good looks. The Jones Stratos was one of our favourite new releases last year, and is offering the same killer combination of freestyle and freeride in 2021/22.

It undoubtedly looks like a powder-chaser, but on closer inspection it’s clear that the Stratos can turn its hand to just about any terrain or riding style. And while we stress that a board’s aesthetics should always be considered a bonus rather than a reason to buy it… Just. Look. At. It.

“We’d invite just about every intermediate to advanced rider to consider this one”

MORE INFO:
JONES.COM

Who Is The Jones Stratos For?

The ever-expanding Jones line has something for everyone (provided you actually want to ride the actual mountain and not just the handrails in the car park), so it’s worth making sure you’ve matched up with the right one. That said, the Stratos has true all-mountain appeal; we’d invite just about every intermediate to advanced rider to consider this one.

Shape, Profile and Sidecut

There are more directional shapes out there (indeed, a quick browse of the Jones line will throw up more than a few), but if you want something a bit more versatile, the Stratos will see you right. Besides, when it has really dumped, you can set the feet back a little further thanks to the extra inserts.

On the days that the gods haven’t been as kind, you’ll still get a lot out of this on piste thanks to a 3D contoured base that makes edge changes butter-smooth. Extra grip is delivered by the wavy ‘Traction Tech’ edges, which feature additional contact points along each sidecut.

Jones reckon this comes in at a 7 out of 10 on the stiffness scale, and it says a lot about the brand that this is apparently classed as “playful”. It’s all relative of course, so if you like your boards bendy then steer clear of this one.

“Besides, when it has really dumped, you can set the feet back a little further thanks to the extra inserts”

Construction and Materials

You’ll find more tech in the spec’d up, similarly-shaped Jones Project X, but whether or not you can afford one will directly correlate with how many lucrative PPE contracts you secured during the first lockdown. The Stratos will be a better fit for most budgets, but that is by no means to say that you’re missing out on quality.

A reliable combination of lightweight paulownia and strong poplar makes up the wood core, with basalt stringers providing extra torsional stiffness and response. It’s also got a carbon-enhanced sintered base that’s both rapid and easy to repair.

As ever, Jones has aimed to keep this one as environmentally friendly as possible. With recycled edge material and sidewalls, “eco-plastic” topsheet, 100% sustainably-sourced wood and bio resin, expect a thumbs up from Greta Thunberg as you whizz past.

“It’s also got a carbon-enhanced sintered base that’s both rapid and easy to repair”

Roundup

As a proven multi-purpose weapon, it’s no surprise that the Jones Stratos snowboard has made the Whitelines 100 cut again. And while many boards claim to be a quiver-of-one, we reckon this one actually qualifies.

With Jones now in both the bindings and outerwear markets, that spiky mountain logo is becoming ubiquitous. But snowboards are still what the brand does best; which potentially makes the Jones Stratos the best of the best. Quality, versatility, beauty – it’s all there in black and white.

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