Snowboard BindingsSnowboard Bindings

Snowboard Bindings Buying Guide

How To Choose Snowboard Bindings

Often overlooked but vitally important to your snowboard set-up, snowboard bindings deliver power from your body, legs and feet into the board. A good pair of bindings will allow you to control your board with ease, keep your feet comfortable and absorb vibrations.

It's important to think about what style of snowboarding you prefer, the terrain you will be tackling and the board/boots you currently use when choosing bindings.

Each of our bindings have technical descriptions and expert comments that you can cross-reference with the information below to help you understand the characteristics of each one. That way you can see which one is right for you and how you want to ride.

Anatomy Of A Snowboard Binding

Snowboard bindingSnowboard binding

Highback

This part of the binding supports the back of the boot providing a stable platform. There are several different styles of highbacks:

Wingback:it has wings that wrap around the top of your boot for extra support; useful for presses and rails.

Lowback:smaller in height than a normal highback it allows for more freedom of movement but sacrifices support.

Asymmetric:these highbacks are specific to the left and right foot. They work more efficiently than a standard symmetric highback by being able to pick up a rider’s energy transfer quicker.

Carbon Fibre:replacing glass fibre the carbon increases both response and control.

Baseplate

All of the binding components attach to the baseplate and this, in turn, is fixed to the snowboard.

Footbed

Acts as cushioning for impacts and the contour of the footbed matches boot profiles - creating a better fit. Some footbeds feature canting - the footbed lies on a slight angle reducing pressure on your knees and helping generate more pop.

Heelcup

Helps to holds your boot in the binding and transfer power into the baseplate.

Forward Lean

Adjusts the angle of the highback to your natural stance. A large forward lean angle drives the binding to react quickly to your movement whilst a small angle supports tweaks and grabs.

Ankle strap

Stops your heel lifting out of the binding when you are turning.

Toe strap

This strap sits over or on top of your toes adding support.

Ratchet

The ratchet tightens the ankle and toe straps locking your boot into the binding.

Ladder

Made from hardy plastics they allow you to make micro-adjustments to the fit of ankle and toe straps.

Snowboard Binding Flex

The flex of your bindings should be the roughly the same as your boots and snowboard (you can see the individual flex ratings on the binding descriptions - 1 being the softest and 10 being the stiffest). For example - if you have stiff bindings and a soft boot you will find it difficult to transfer power from your boot.

If you have a snowboard and binding that have a similar flex they will work as one, granting the rider better control, consistency and feedback.

  • Soft
    The highback, baseplate, heelcup are made from softer materials (i.e urethane) that can flex more on rails, tweak and grabs. Because the binding is less sensitive to movement you have a little be of leeway if you don’t land completely straight off a kicker and it is more forgiving for beginners who are not as precise actions.
  • Medium
    Aimed at those who want to ride all the terrain a blend of performance and forgiveness ideal for intermediates.
  • Stiff
    Stiff materials are more atuned to your movements providing a responsive ride for when you are going fast and need ultimate control. Expert snowboarders who are riding big mountain freestyle lines and huge features tend to choose stiff bindings.

Binding Mounts

4X4

Most snowboards come with a 4 x 4 insert pattern on them. This mounting system has been the industry standard for a long time with great success. Four bolts fix the binding and to the board giving a solid connection and driving power directly into the board. One downfall of this system is that the footprint of the baseplate which is in contact with the board reduces the natural feel and flex of the snowboard. In recent years the area in contact with the board has come down in size, greatly reducing this problem.

sims snowboardsims snowboard

Channel

CNC machined along the centre of a board, channel systems remove the need for a baseplate, with two screws on the outer edge of the binding fixing it to the snowboard. The binding can be moved up and down the channel till you find the perfect preference for your stance. This customisation and lack of baseplate greatly improves the feel and flex.

Currently, Burton and Endeavour snowboards are only two brands that use a channel system.


Burton Channel snowboardBurton Channel snowboard

Snowboard Binding Size Chart

Snowboard BindingsSnowboard Bindings

It's important to get the right size binding for your boots to avoid pressure points or a sloppy fit. Snowboard boots that are the same size can have different widths or lengths depending on their construction. The best way to check if the bindings are the correct size is to bring them into one of our stores and test them out. Look out for gaps between the boot and binding, if they spill over the sides, or excessive overhang at the toe or heel.


Men's Binding SizeMen's Snowboard Boot SizeWomen's Binding SizeWomen's Snowboard Boot Size
Small5 - 7Small1.5 - 4.5
Medium7 - 10Medium4.5 - 7.5
Large10 +Large7 +

Other resources you can consult are manufacturers' size guides, however, this will only be accurate if you use their bindings and boots.

Burton Step On Bindings

Size Guide

Step On™ bindings are only compatible with Step On™ boots and for them to fit properly the binding size must match up with the boot size.

 

Step On Size GuideStep On Size Guide
Step On Size GuideStep On Size Guide

Step On bindings are universally compatible with all current mounting systems, including 4x4, 3D®, and The Channel®.

How Burton Step On Bindings Work

With three connection points—two by the toe and one at the heel—Step On is simple, safe, and secure.

Your snowboard pants cuff is tucked into the cuff clip on the back of the boot then slide the heel down the binding's hi back until you hear a click, push down with your heel and you will hear another click to signify that it is locked into place.

Push the boot's toe downward and the toe cleats on each side of the toe will snap into place under the bind's toe hooks. 

Burton Step OnBurton Step On
Burton Step OnBurton Step On

Fitting

  • Your foot feels comfortable in the binding (no pressure points) without being sloppy.
  • There should be enough support and cushioning with some feedback (being able to feel the terrain).
  • The binding can naturally flex with the snowboard and boots (without swaying) – they are all working as one.

At the end of the day, everyone has a personal preference to what bindings they have in their set-up. We recommend demoing bindings at one of our slopeside stores (Tamworth, Milton Keynes, Braehead or Castleford) and trying out a few different pairs on the snow. That way you know how each one feels and you can get always get more advice from our experienced in-store staff.


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