“NOW are killing it these days. The Brigade, like the whole 2020 line-up, looks exceptionally well made. Flawless detail, sturdy-looking materials, all with a great style and finish.

I got to ride the Brigade for two days, one overcast and one blue sky, I hit a variety of terrain across the whole mountain. I rode two pretty standard all-mountain boards with the Brigade bindings attached.

Upon strapping in for the first time you notice the quality. The boot feels comfortable once strapped in, the heel cup is a great fit, letting your boot in and out with ease. The straps are excellent, great coverage on the toe and the placement is spot on – no pinching. What I like most are the buckles and ratchets, these are pure quality; super strong and secure. It feels like you could crush your foot if you weren’t paying attention, having the option to really tighten your bindings hard is great as there is nothing worse than a flimsy buckle.

“What I like most are the buckles and ratchets, these are pure quality; super strong and secure, it feels like you could crush your foot if you weren’t paying attention”

On the mountain they are fantastic. They are a middle of the road flex, and flex in all the right places at the right time. My only gripe is that they are touted as a freestyle binding. I don’t hit the park as much as I used to but I always preferred a more flexible highback, allowing you to get away with sketchy landings and more dexterity getting into and out of boxes, but that’s just me. As an all-mountain binding, they are ideal. Not too soft but still offering plenty of response for more technical riding. For carving they feel brilliant, the highbacks have a hard spine with lateral side cuts, giving support when needed allowing plenty of body manoeuvring.

NOW’s exclusive Skate Tech is said to split the room, but I don’t think it makes enough impact to be so conflicting. It is good, I do prefer it, but I think I can live without it. For me, it only comes into play with edge control helping to focus your toe and heel with greater efficiency. This is where NOW seem to get away with softer more shock-absorbing baseplates. The base really sucks up vibrations and is noticeable on flat or harsh landings.

All in all, I’d say the NOW Brigade is a true winner – totally flawless. It would suit an intermediate to expert rider who’s looking for all-mountain action with a lean towards freestyle.”
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