“It’s hard to know what to say about Cartels that hasn’t already been said. Like their namesake it seems like they’ve been here forever, and have no intention of going away any time soon – relentlessly holding onto control of their portion of the binding market and scaring off many strong competitors along the way.

“These are a bit more drivey than some of the options around, so that’s worth bearing in mind if you like a softer feel”

You could mill around a tonne of different options and still not come away with a binding that hits this spot as well as Cartels do. Responsive, comfortable, easy to step into (thanks to those flip back straps), and while we had variable weather and plenty of snow on the day of testing, I never had a problem with snow clogging. Pair that up with the Channel setup speed, and you’re at about as hassle free a point as traditional bindings can be.

As always, these are a bit more drivey than some of the options around, so that’s worth bearing in mind if you like a softer feel, but on a mid-flex powder board, with the whole mountain begging to be plundered, the Cartels didn’t disappoint.”

“Our best selling binding since forever, the Burton Cartel is super comfortable with a medium-stiff flex. It provides great response without being too twitchy.

“The Cartel is super comfortable with a medium-stiff flex”

Industry-eading ratchets let you crank the straps up just right, and the toe cap-strap is well shaped to grip the front of your boot without popping off. Of the two options, the Re:Flex is my favourite, even when riding Burton boards.

It uses a baseplate with a foam centre rather than a solid plastic base, so it allows the board to have a truer flex pattern. It may have sneaked up in price over the last few years, but it remains a winner regardless.”

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