Snowboard Bindings

How to Choose Snowboard Bindings

Choosing the correct snowboard bindings can be a bit of a minefield as there are so many on the market to choose from. We attend two Snowboard testing events a year and ride the vast majority of snowboard gear that we stock so we are in great position to advise you on the most suitable Snowboard bindings to choose.

Not only is it important to get the correct snowboard bindings for your snowboard, it's also important to get the correct ones for your snowboard boot and the correct ones for your riding style/ability.

To start with, decide whether you want an 'Easy Access' snowboard binding or a conventional regular strap binding. If you want a conventional snowboard binding then you need to pick one that is suitable for the snowboard you ride. Most bindings will fit with most snowboards but there are a few exceptions such as the Burton EST Snowboard Bindings that are specifically designed only to work with a Burton Snowboard that uses the 'Channel System'.

We currently stock Burton, Union, Flux and K2 Snowboard Bindings and will be adding 'Now Bindings' and 'Switchback bindings' to our stock for next winter.

Burton have a wide range of snowboard bindings to suit all abilities and budgets. Burton Freestyle Bindings are their cheapest bindings they produce and despite the name they are not purely for Freestyle shredding - they are suitable for use all over the mountain. They have a super strong baseplate that is made out of polycarbonate plastic and come with a lifetime guarantee (all Burton baseplates have this same lifetime guarantee against manufacture defect). The Baseplate itself is relatively soft and so is not overly responsive and therefore perfect for a beginner. The straps offer a decent amount of padding and are both comfortable and supportive. It also features a hybrid toe strap that can go both over the toes or in-front of the toes depending on fit and riding preference. The bindings ratchets feature 'Smooth Glide' technology which make them ridiculously easy to do up and undo (all the Burton Bindings feature this same tech). The hi-back is simple to adjust with a 'Micro FLAD' (Forward Lean Adjuster) that makes on-the-fly adjusting super easy.

The Next binding in the Burton Binding range is the Burton Custom Binding. It's about £30 more but in our opinion worth the extra cash. The Baseplate is exactly the same as the one you get in the Burton Freestyle Binding and so responds the same when you ride. For the extra money you get 'tool free adjustment' on the straps so you can change your strap setting on the hill without getting your tools out. It also has 'Full Baseplate Padding' which both adds to the comfort of the binding and helps reduce the build up of snow and ice underfoot. You also get a proper 'Toe Strap' that is specifically designed to sit in-front of your toes so that when you do it up, rather than just coming down on top of your toes and crushing your foot it sits at the front and pulls your foot into the correct area of the binding - simple but very effective. The Hi-Back on the Custom Binding is also greatly improved and is canted to sit better with the back of your boot and provide and better connection through to the snowboard.

The Burton Custom Binding is also available in 'EST' Format that is designed specifically to fit a Burton Snowboard featuring 'The Channel'. This Burton Custom EST Binding has a few advantages over the regular Burton Custom, the first being that it allows the snowboard to display a truer flex pattern. With a conventional binding with a regular solid baseplate the snowboard cannot flex correctly under the binding which essentially gives you two dead spots under your snowboard. The EST snowboard bindings feature foam padding under foot which allows for a much truer flex pattern. The second major advantage is that is it much easier to adjust your stance on the snowboard. There are less screws to loosen and rather than having to undo all the binding baseplate screws and take the bindings off the snowboard to reposition, on an EST/Channel system you just loosen the binding screws and slide them into the correct position along the channel - super easy!!

Burton Mission snowboard bindings - tech to follow

Burton Cartel Snowboard Bindings - Tech to follow

There are a few easy access bindings on the market but the only ones that we have tested and believe in are the K2 Cinch Snowboard bindings.

If you would like any additional advice on the Snowboard Bindings that we stock then please either drop us an email - info@thesnowboardshop.co.uk or call us on 01252 612223.

The Snowboard Shop is an independently owned and run snowboard shop that is passionate about snowboarding. We have been testing the snowboard gear we stock for years and have featured reviews in some of the most respected snowboard publications in the UK including ‘The Reason', ‘Whitelines' ‘The Daily Mail Ski & Snowboard Magazine' .