There are four basic ways to how a snowboard can be constructed, however, each method is in fact a variation of the sandwich snowboard construction technique.

Sandwich Snowboard Construction
This technique is the most expensive method because of the labour involved. Each of the layers in the snowboard is manually placed on top of the other, which is where it gets its name from… sandwich. These can be foam or wood core. The sandwich snowboard construction technique is the most precise method resulting in strong, lightweight snowboards.

Cap Snowboard Construction
This snowboard construction method is used more than any of the others these days. Cap snowboard construction involves the topsheet being wrapped over the sidewalls of the snowboard and joining the metal edges. The Cap construction method is really a bit of a cheat because it is actually cosmetic; the actual snowboard construction will be one of the three other types of snowboard construction. Cap snowboard construction is reported as increasing the torsional stiffness and improving the edge control of a snowboard.

RIM (Reaction Injection Moulding) Snowboard Construction
The RIM snowboard construction method is less expensive than the Cap & Sandwich methods. The core material is placed into a mould along with the base material, edges and topsheet. Resin is then injected into the mould and this bonds the different components. RIM snowboard construction is known to be the most durable construction technique on the market. The flip-side of the durability is that these snowboards tend to lack the springy flex of a laminated snowboard and are usually heavier.

Polyurethane Injection Snowboard Construction
The polyurethane injection snowboard construction technique is usually used in the lowest priced snowboards on the market. This method is similar in construction to the RIM method, however rather than having a separate core component, Polyurethane (PU) foam is injected into the snowboard to form the core. Polyurethane injection snowboards are lighter than their RIM counterpart snowboards but they can often have short lifespans because they can lose flex, snap, camber and overall performance after a single seasons usage.