Best Freeride Snowboard Bindings Reviews 2018 – Check Our Top Picks

Your investments in buying the Best Freeride Snowboard Bindings can get you the top rated features for security, flexibility, comfort, shock protection and the absolute freedom to enjoy fearless long rides on the high snow mountains.

It is called an investment and not an expense, because of the ROI you can experience firsthand. The best bindings are resistant to stress and strain, wear and tear, climatic conditions and they keep your body bound to the snowboard under all circumstances.

 

Top Best Freeride Snowboard Bindings from Amazon

#3. Burton Freestyle Snowboard Bindings Men’s Review

Selection Criteria

The Burton freestyle conforms to all the specified standards in the below-listed buying guide for the basic level users with support for multiple snowboard mounting.

It is placed at number 3 due to its applicability for the beginner level snowboarding. The customer rating of the product is 5-star (100%).

Brief Description

The Burton freestyle snowboard has a base plate assembly made of high-quality Bomb-proof polycarbonate. The single-component high-back system makes it moderately responsive to construction.

The flexible strap system is made of firm gripping 3-D angle grip for the ankle and comfortable toe-wrap window.

The buckle made of aluminum and polycarbonate levers gives flexible buckling mechanism. You can literally stretch your feet in the forward direction to get moderate to high speeds while moving down the hill.

Stated Benefits

The steel mounting base with polycarbonate base plate and aluminum levers which give high tensile strength and flexibility to the construction.

The air vented back-plate is flexible to an angle of 40degrees to 45-degrees for the forward and backward leaning.

You will be able to perform toe and heel carving to the moderate levels. The lightweight of the Burton freestyle allows you to flex your feet and body comfortably at top speeds safely.

Pros

  • The best construction for the beginner level users.
  • Steel base plate provides added strength, stability, and durability.
  • Perforations in the ankle joint support make it absorb moisture and sweat and enhance your comfort levels.

Cons

  • The currently available size at Amazon is only small.

#2. Bent Metal Logic 2017 Snowboard Bindings Review

Selection Criteria

The Bent Metal Logic 2017 Snowboard Bindings support all the buying guide listed below features for the intermediate level of users. You can also extend its utilization after reaching the advanced level of training.

Brief Description

The high-quality polycarbonate base plate with full-bed padding is capable of absorbing shocks to the maximum levels on all types of terrains.

In addition, the device is equipped with the bi-axial drive plate for freestyle riding and flexible carving. The ergonomic design of the hi-back system is designed for soft response and free bending (forward and backward). The flexible fiber straps make the fitting and hold comfortably tight and flexible.

Stated Benefits

The enhanced flexing angle of the hi-back to more than 50-degrees on the forward and reverse directions make the Bent Metal Logic highly suitable for toe and heel carving. Link carves, side slipping, tug of war, tap turns, pivot and short turns on the slopes.

The asymmetrical ankle strap allows you the freedom to bend your feet at right angles to the direction of motion to achieve the best results for frog hops, hop-to-stop and edging.

Pros

  • Polycarbonate molded base-plate provides maximum stability, strength, and flex-(4/10).
  • The same flex value for the hi-back makes the device highly versatile in nature.
  • Enhanced drive-plate strength ensures high speed and acceleration on uphill and downhill travels.
  • Synthetic rugged base ensures faster braking and stopping at high speeds.
  • Polycarbonate is known to be unbreakable under highest levels of stress and load. Hence, you can enjoy long rides for many years.

Cons

  • There are no metallic parts used, which could have enhanced the toughness factors further.
  • But the synthetic material molding processes take care of providing the high level of tensile strength.

 

#1. Rome Katana Binding 2018 – Men’s Review

Selection Criteria

The Rome Katana Binding 2018 conforms to all the parameters of the below-listed buying guide for the advanced level of users. But it can also be useful for the beginner and intermediate levels of users due to its flexible construction and design.

Brief Description

The V-ROD base plate extends the shockproof capacity to the highest professional levels. The ASYM technology used in the wrap and back systems makes the device highly flexible in all the four directions of movement at multiple angles.

The tweak rating of the device is 6 and the power packed feature rating of the device is at 9. The board feels and the responsiveness is the best among the advanced level of snowboard bindings you can find.

The entire construction is free from any limiting tools and fixtures. The foot bend and the back bending are designed for maximum toe riding and heel riding.

Stated Benefits

The Rome Katana Binding 2018 is designed for the highest level of force build up during your riding, turns, cross-over and edging.

The tool-free structure makes it possible to make advanced rebound, pivot turns, tail taps and angulated movements with ease.

Traverse carving is one of the tasks you can perform using the device. Shadow turns, edge sets and pre-turns are some of the advanced actions you can perform with the Rome Katana Binding 2018.

Pros

  • V-Rod ASYM base plate for absolute shock-proof capacity.
  • V-Rod Sub-base pad for maximum comfort and cushioning effects.
  • Light straps for the ankle and toes make it easy to have forward and reverse leaning.
  • The ability to perform advanced challenging tasks is made possible by the combination of synthetic long durable construction.

Cons

  • Expensive for beginners. But it is a onetime investment which keeps running for many years with no downtime.

#Best Selling Snowboard Bindings on Amazon

 

Snowboard Binding Buying Guide

#1. Shockproof Base Plate Assembly

The snowboard binding bottom should have a shockproof mounting disk and a flexible base plate. The number of holes on the disk should be evenly spaced on the two sides of the disk center plate. A central hole should give additional support to the base plate.

The entire structure should be shockproof and have a strong mounting onto the snowboard. The recommended materials for the base plate are the engineering grade aluminum, polycarbonate, nylon or ABS (Acrylo-Butadiene-Styrene) with strong shockproof EVA (Ethylene Vinyl Acetate) pad.

#2. Adjustable Back-Plate

The back-plate should be adjustable to vary the angle of inclination with the base plate. The forward angle will make it possible to adjust your feet while riding through slopes and curves. The flexible angle also makes it possible to gain higher stability.

The forward leaning angle should be comfortable enough to balance your body weight, the center of gravity and the longitudinal axis of the forward movement. It allows you to adjust your forward and reverse lean angles for the following actions.

  • Binding Angle: The binding angle of the back-foot should be able to reach the extreme end of your toes (up to 60-degrees forward).  This angle gives you the ability to toe-carve on the slopes by balancing your bodyweight and the center of gravity. Similarly, the binding angle should be flexible enough to allow the backward binding angle of the same level. It will allow you to perform heel carving to the best levels.
  • Binding Support: The tensile strength of the back-plate should be able to support your back-foot when you are riding horizontally forward. The adjuster should be preferably toothless in order to achieve maximum stability at each angle including the zero degrees vertical angle with reference to your standard stance with bent knees.
  • Back Rotation: The back-plate should be able to rotate through 360-degrees. It can happen when the base plate is mounted on a circular mounting disk. Even otherwise it should give you at least 3 angles of back rotation.  

#3. Flexible Straps

The flexible straps for the ankle and the toes should be preferably made from nylon or polyester with steel or aluminum buckles.

The teeth in the strap should allow adjustable buckling to suit your ankle comfort and tightness. It allows you to vary your speed and provide additional strength to the feet while moving and angling across difficult terrains.

#4. Responsive Construction

The responsive construction of the snowboard binding should allow you to the freedom to go on angled carving, forward-leaning, power turns and performing snowboard tricks. At the same time, it should allow you to ride freestyle and perform jibbing actions.

Hence, the construction has to be moderately for the beginners and high for the intermediate and advanced users. So, you could use the same pair of binders as you progress from beginner level to the advanced level of training and real-time snowboarding.

#5. Binding Weight

The recommended snowboard binding weight is between light and moderate. Too light biding can compromise on the stability and bodyweight balancing, while too heavy weights can cause discomfort and retard your speed.

The standard weight of the binding varies between 500 grams and 800 grams (individual binding weight) which is considered to be the best range.

#6. Entry System

Rear entry binding is considered to give better balancing capacity to your feet and extra knee bending angle compared to the other models.

#7. Stance Support

The snowboard bindings should support your stance regardless of you being left handed or right footed. The left foot in front is called the regular stance board and the right foot forward is called the Goofy style.

Common Binding Problems and Solutions

Some of the common problems you may face with the binding could be related to the strap mounting hardware, ankle strap, and the base plate.

#1. Weak Strap Mount
Most of the strap mounts that are made from plastic may not have a firm hold onto the main frame of the binder. Many of the snowboarders tend to fall off the binding due to the failure of the mount. Solution: The recommended strap mount for the safe binding here is made of metal with 2-T nuts and 2 screws. They have the higher tensile strength and hold strongly onto the mainframe during your riding. Moreover, they bind strongly with the ankle strap. They enhance the safety standards of your equipment.
#2. Heavy Ankle Strap
Many people face the problem of large and heavy ankle strep that may restrict their free ankle movement during riding. Solution: The recommended ankle strap here is the optimal size to cover your ankle completely, but it is light and flexible enough to move your ankle freely. The tensile strength of the material keeps your feet bound to the board firmly.
#3. Rough Toe Tongue
The roughness of the toe tongue and its tightness could numb your toes after a long ride on the snowboard. You might lose the sense of balance and increase the risk of falling over. Solution: The recommended bindings here have a flexible toe tongue with soft material and comfortable fitting.
#4. Inconsistent Base Plate
The base plate may have protruding screw heads that might strain your feet in the long run. You may feel like getting out of the binding too often. Solution: The recommended binding screw-heads here have a flat head with smooth surface finishing. They are molded from soft metal for enhancing the comfort levels of your feet with shoes on. You no longer feel the discomfort. The base plate itself is made of soft metal that is flexible and strong.

Conclusion

You may choose from any of the above-listed Best Freeride Snowboard Bindings, based on the level of your training and existing skill levels. You need to work under the guidance of a qualified and experienced trainer to expand your skills and get exposed to the challenging conditions. In the beginning, you may feel many setbacks and failures, in spite of having the top-rated bindings and the board. You can improve with practice, patience and persistence. Always choose the boards that are compatible with the bindings to make your experience better and satisfactory.