Research shows that a rigid brace can protect the wrist but often causes unwanted side effects. The force of the impact shifts to either end of the rigid brace, which can cause a fracture in the bones at the top or bottom of the brace.

A soft wrist brace is probably safer for snowboarders than a hard, rigid brace. The main goal of any wrist brace is to absorb some of the impact of a fall, and this can be achieved with a soft brace.