This article may contain compensated links. Learn more in our disclaimer.
What are the best snowshoes for beginners?
Snowshoeing is a great winter activity. You may feel a little clumsy at first which is completely normal. We all go through that. But you don’t need to do any special training to start snowshoeing.  Although, you may want to start small before going on a full day or multi-day winter hike, and definitely before heading for big mountains.
See our selection of beginner snowshoes for women and men.
Table of Contents
Best Snowshoes for Beginners
Save time on research and have more time to spend outdoors.
We’ve got you covered! This list contains snowshoes for men, women, and youth that are easy to put on, durable and suitable for different snow conditions. Choose what fits your needs the best and make sure to choose the right size.
1. FLASHTEK Lightweight Snowshoes (click for more details)
Ergonomic snowshoes for fast movement.
Overall, the best snowshoes for beginners, our favorite.
Ergonomic and streamlined design provides mobility in heavy snow conditions. Â The frame is made out of lightweight aircraft aluminium, and the crampons are made out of forged aluminium alloy. Thanks to their fast ratchet buckles bindings it’s very easy to put them on, which is very important when you are only starting out.
Suitable with a wide range of boots: size 4 US to size 11 US.
SIZE: 21 inches (65 – 155 lbs)ï¼›25 inches (110 – 220 lbs); 30 inches (150 – 260 lbs)
PROS: Versatility, comes with trekking poles
2. Chinook Trekker Snowshoes Review (click for more details)
Snowshoes designed for freezing cold temperatures.
The shoes feature a lightweight aluminium frame with an ergonomic design. Their heavy duty aluminium crampons rotate freely. And the decking of these snowshoes is UV resistant and suitable for temperatures up to -40F. The ratchet bindings are also freeze resistant. Great choice for a perfect family time outdoors on a winter day.
Their toe crampons will help you on uphills, heel crampons – on downhills.
SIZE: 19 inches (50 – 90 lbs); 22 inches (90 – 130 lbs); 25 inches (130 – 210 lbs); 30 inches (180 – 250 lbs); 36 inches (250 – 300 lbs)
PROS: Durability, comes with a carry bag with backpack straps and pole carriers
3. Sawtooth Snowshoes for Men and Women (click for more details)
Quality snowshoes with a steel incline heel lift riser.
One of the very best snowshoes for women and men.
If you’ll be climbing hills a lot, you’ll love the adjusting heel lift riser. It offers better traction and balance when you are climbing up the hill, and stays flat when you don’t need it. The ratchet bindings feature durable spring loaded clips. There is an auto-locking system and an excess strap clip at the heel strap for your safety. There is also a slip-resistant padding and a heel grip to make sure that your boot stays in place.
SIZE: 21 inches (up to 160 lbs); 27 inches (up to 325 lbs)
PROS: Steel incline heel lift riser, anti-slip features
4. Gpeng Snowshoes for Men, Women, Youth and Kids (click for more details)
High-quality bright color snowshoes with a rounded tail.
Technically almost identical to the others mentioned above, these red and white snowshoes stand out with their look (the exact model is subject to availability). The white front of the deck disappears in the white snow. And the red aluminium frame creates effective contrast. The bindings with fast-loc buckles are molded around the boot to cradle and pad the arch and ball of the foot.
Their Aluminium alloy crampons are designed for aggressive traction.
SIZE: 14 inches (30 – 70 lbs); 21 inches (70 – 150 lbs); 25 inches (120 – 180 lbs); 27 inches (160 – 235 lbs); 30 inches (180 – 250 lbs)
PROS: Designed for aggressive traction
5. ALPS Lightweight Snow Shoes (click for more details)
Lightweight classic black and white snowshoes.
These snowshoes have a streamlined design and slightly upturned round tail. They are easy to put on because of the fast pull binding buckles. And the heel binding works well for hill climbing. The snowshoes feature a lightweight 6000 series aircraft aluminium frame and aluminium alloy crampons.
A great option for leisure snowshoeing in deep powder for a beginner.
SIZE: 14 inches (30 – 80 lbs); 17 inches (60 – 100lbs); 21 inches (80 – 160 lbs); 25 inches (120 – 200 lbs); 27 inches (160 – 225 lbs); 30 inches (180 – 265 lbs)
PROS: Lightweight, comes with adjustable trekking poles
6. NACATIN All Terrain Snowshoes (click for more details)
Top-quality snowshoes with narrow tail design.
The frame of these snowshoes is made out of aluminium alloy.
Something you notice right away is the design. These snowshoes have a different shape than most. The back of these shoes get narrower at the point where the heel of the boot ends. Combined with aluminium alloy claws they work great with deep and wet snow. The snowshoes also feature double ratcheting bindings with clip buckles which makes putting them on and taking off super easy.
SIZE: 21 inches (up to 150lbs); 25 inches (up to 200 lbs); 30 inches (up to 275 lbs)
PROS: Superb quality, comes with trekking poles
Photo by Maksim Romashkin from Pexels
Finding the Best Snowshoes For Beginners Like Yourself?
How to choose snowshoes that offer everything you need?
Let’s make this super simple.
Generally speaking it’s mostly about these 4 simple things.
1. Size
Beginner snowshoeing tip #1: The right size matters.
First of all, it’s about the size of your feet. The shoes can’t be too small. And we shouldn’t forget about the weight. What matters in this situation is the total weight. That includes the weight of your winter jacket and most likely a backpack too. Most of snowshoes are adjustable and will fit at least a few boot sizes. Sizes of snowshoes provided in inches are equal to their length.
The width of backcountry snowshoes also is important. The more surface a snowshoe can cover the better it floats (stays on top of the snow). At the same time, the wider it is the harder it’s to walk in it. That’s why when thinking of snowshoes for beginners, we have selected snowshoes with optimal dimensions (better for first time snowshoeing).
Larger frames for powder hiking, smaller frames – wet and hard snow.
2. Durability
The materials should be durable and cold resistant.
In the list above you see snowshoes with lightweight metal frames. Many cheaper alternatives come with plastic frames, which is less durable and prone to breaking more easily. It also helps if the deck material and buckles are made specifically for freezing temperatures. Not all snowshoes are designed for very low temperatures.
Another good detail to have is anti-slip texture on the sole and on the ankle strap. It will make you feel much more in control by stabilizing your boot, and it will also reduce any unnecessary movement. The latter also means less pressure on the fasteners, which is a great thing for longevity.
And, of course, make sure that crampons are rust resistant.
3. Look
Bright colors are more than just for fun.
Winter clothing in bright colors is helpful if there is a need to find you. No need to imagine the worst. It’s, actually, very easy to lose a group members on a forest hike when walking off the beaten path. Speaking of flashy snowshoes, it’s just so much easier to find them when they fall off in deep snow. Much easier than the black and white ones.
Also, look for a rounded and upturned tail.
It helps you not to get stuck in the snow.
4. Extras
When comparing the offers it’s worth taking into consideration also the package deals.
Good snowshoes are not cheap. But an added bag and trekking poles can save you some money after all. It’s true that you can snowshoe without poles, but it takes more practice because poles make you more steady. And since it may be your first time on snowshoes, you may want to try poles and see the difference yourself.
Heel lift is another extra detail to consider. If there are slopes in your area or you plan to use the snowshoes for a mountain hike, it might be hard in regular snowshoes. The heel lift creates the necessary pressure on the crampons under your heel and make walking uphill not only possible but also so much easier.
Have you ever tried snowshoeing? What is your experience with snowshoes? What are the best snowshoes you have tried so far?
Featured photo by Andrea Davis from Pexels
Disclaimer for Amazon Associates: MakeAdventureHappen.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.Junyuan Bags
Ten articles before and after
Best Hiking Beanie For Men and Women 2022 – Junyuan Bags
Best Hiking Hats For Women 2022 – Junyuan Bags
Best Backpacking Sleeping Bag 2022 – Junyuan Bags
Best Dry Bags 2019: 9 Best Waterproof Bags Compared + Tips – Junyuan Bags
Best Travel Laundry Bag 2022 – Junyuan Bags
Best Packable Down Jacket for Women 2022 – Junyuan Bags
Best Budget Trekking Poles 2022 – Junyuan Bags
Best Microspikes for Hiking 2022 – Junyuan Bags
Best Hiking Backpacks For Men & Women 2022 – Junyuan Bags
Mobile/What's App/Wechat
E-Mail
ADD
