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Best Snowboard Bindings 2019-2020

Chosen by the Whitelines Test Team

UPDATE: Check out our review of the Best Snowboard Bindings for 2020/2021 by clicking here.

In need of a new pair of snowboard bindings and not sure where to start? The Whitelines Test Team has once again been out in the mountains, putting 2019/20’s binders through their paces – everything from slushy park laps, dreamy powder lines and laid out carves has gone down, and now we’re bringing you our expert opinion on what bindings are best for what riding.

We’ve included all your favourite brands (Burton, Salomon, Union, NOW, Bent Metal, only to name a few), but also had the pleasure to try out some less known brands that haven’t quite made a name for themselves yet. Whether you’ve already got your go-to brand or are looking to explore all the options, we advise you to not only choose them based on their outer appearances. Bindings are the crucial interface between you and your board, so don’t forget the importance they play to your riding.

“Bindings are the crucial interface between you and your board, so don’t forget the importance they play to your riding.”

Like choosing a new board or a new pair of boots, you really ought to go for a model that complements your riding. If you’re more at home in the park than charging down gnarly backcountry lines like Travis Rice, you might think twice before buying his signature bindings. When choosing a pair of bindings, the following factors should be taken into consideration:

Flex

The Flex is determined by both the highback and baseplate. If you’re a beginner or a park rat, you want to keep an eye out for the softer bindings as they are more forgiving and easier to manipulate on jumps and rails. Those looking to charge on either piste or pow, or looking to hit the big kicker lines, are usually better of rocking a pair of stiffer bindings (which often include carbon), as they offer more support and quick response too.

Fit

It goes without saying that your boots need to be compatible with the bindings, so it might be worth taking the boots with you when trying out a new pair of bindings. Even if your old bindings are a size M, another brand M sized binding might be just a tiny bit smaller, resulting in your boot being cramped in the binding, thus making your feet cramp. They don’t need to be of the same brand, but make sure that the straps connect easily across the top of your foot whilst cranking tight enough, and that the whole setup feels snug with no awkward gaps.

“If you’re a beginner or a park rat, you want to keep an eye out for the softer bindings as they are more forgiving and easier to manipulate on jumps and rails”

Features

Once you’ve managed to get both the flex and fit right, you can start thinking about other features you’d want from a binding. Cushioned footbeds, plush paddings, hardwearing buckles or lightweight materials are all factors that can be included in your decision making.

Customising

Just about every binding out there will offer some kind of customising option to dial in specific performance characteristics. These can range from the simple forward lean adjustments right through to reversible straps, tool-free interchangeable highbacks, and cant adjusting in the footbeds and highbacks. It’s really up to you how deep into the rabbit hole you’re prepared to go.

Spares

Even if all the bindings nowadays are of extremely high quality, they can still break. Whether it’s due to your aggressive riding or spending more than 150 days on the hill per year, it is good to make sure that you can get a hold of spare parts easily, so that you aren’t left duct taping the bindings to the board.

Related: Best Snowboards 2019-2020, Best Snowboard Jackets and Pants 2019-2020 and Best Snowboard Boots 2019-2020.

Scroll down to view all the best snowboard bindings, or skip to a particular brand using the links below

Bent Metal | Burton | Jones | NOW | Ride | Rome | Salomon | Spark R&D | Switchback | Vimana

The Best Snowboard Bindings For Winter 2019/20


Bent Metal Metta Women’s Snowboard Bindings 2019-2020

PRICE: £179/€199

The Metta bindings aren’t much stiffer than the Upshots, but still noticeably more all-mountain specific.

With a mid-flex rate, you’ll get the best of both words – a binding that’s forgiving enough for the freestyle friendly females to enjoy, while still offering something for the ladies who crave a more responsive ride.

  • BUY ONLINE
  • Selected for The Whitelines 100 – take a closer look at the 2019-2020 Bent Metal Metta here

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    Burton Genesis Snowboard Bindings 2019-2020

    PRICE: £335/€390

    If you’re looking for sturdy, comfortable, all-rounders that provide both precision and playfulness then these bindings will be a fine addition to your snowboard.

    With a baseplate that is soft in the middle but firmer on the sides, you can be sure to get a comfortable yet responsive ride. The 3B Gel makes sure your feet won’t be bothered by any quivering, while the rest of the cushioning in the baseplate automatically adjusts your feet into an ergonomically beneficial position – something that might please those suffering from any knee pain.

    BUY DIRECT FROM BURTON

    Selected for The Whitelines 100 – take a closer look at the 2019-2020 Burton Genesis here

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    Burton Lexa Women’s Snowboard Bindings 2019-2020

    PRICE: £230/€280

    Burton Lexa – two simple words that represent what are probably the world’s best-known female snowboard bindings. We all know what the drill is with these beauties but if you need to be reminded on why you keep on going back to the Lexas year after year, keep on scrolling.

    First of all, why change a winning formula? The guys over at Burton know what they are doing with this solid pair and so, unsurprisingly, the tech for the Burton Lexas remains unchanged for this season. Their medium to stiff flex ensures you can handle speed and fast edge to edge transitions, while also just having a generally fun time fooling around on the piste.

    BUY DIRECT FROM BURTON

    Selected for The Whitelines 100 – take a closer look at the 2019-2020 Burton Lexa here

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    Jones Apollo Snowboard Bindings 2019-2020

    PRICE: £400/€480

    What style of turn you go for is up to you, but with the ‘Flip-It’ ankle straps you can turn them upside down to go from the more aggressive Freeride mode, or dial in the altogether, looser Surf mode. Don’t forget to then swap between the interchangeable hard and soft bushings to further optimise the performance out of each riding mode.

    The asymmetric design wraps your calf, too, providing increased contact and therefore more immediate response for commanding freeriders. Work this binding, or prepare to get worked. It’s already thinking about the next turn while you’re still dreaming about the last.

    BUY DIRECT FROM JONES

    Selected for The Whitelines 100 – take a closer look at the 2019-2020 Jones Apollo here

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    NOW Brigada Women’s Snowboard Bindings 2019-2020

    PRICE: €250

    The Brigade’s little sister makes its debut for this season and delivers the missing piece in the NOW puzzle – a performance, all-mountain, freestyle focussed women’s binding. The long-awaited addition to the NOW army didn’t disappoint. This one’s got mass appeal written all over it but will definitely find its calling in the park.
    The all-new women’s specific FM Highback features here, too. It has a lightweight, minimalist designed to make tweaking and creative, freestyle riding way more achievable, but has an asymmetric outline, with a higher medial side, to follow the natural angle of your riding stance and deliver more contact and support to the boot.

  • BUY ONLINE
  • Selected for The Whitelines 100 – take a closer look at the 2019-2020 NOW Brigada here

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    Ride Revolt Snowboard Bindings 2019-2020

    PRICE: £195/€220

    If mischievous manoeuvres in the park are your thing but you’ve yet to come across the perfect partner for you in bindings-form, the Ride Revolts are certainly worth your attention. This mid flexing binding is made for freestyle riders who don’t want to simply limit their riding within the range of the snowpark but jib their way on and beyond the mountain too.

    This lil’ badboy has without a doubt earned its place in the Whitelines 100. It is perfect for cruising around the mountain with all day, every day, seshing the park metal and boosting sidehits.

  • BUY FROM SURFDOME
  • Selected for The Whitelines 100 – take a closer look at the 2019-2020 Ride Revolt here

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    Rome Crux Snowboard Bindings 2019-2020

    PRICE: £190 / €220

    Now here’s a Rome binding we can all get behind. The Crux is undoubtedly the price-point option here, but it’s not one to be sniffed at. Anyone looking for a mellow flexing, smooth operating set of bindings and not wanting to go hungry for the rest of the season will find an ideal solution here.

    Less of a performance feature, but a feature worth shouting about nonetheless, are the Autostraps. An elastomer strap connects between the mounting and adjustment points on the heelside strap. When it’s unfastened, this is designed to pull the strap away from the baseplate and allow quick and easy access.

  • BUY ONLINE
  • Selected for The Whitelines 100 – take a closer look at the 2019-2020 Rome Crux here

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    Rome DOD Snowboard Bindings 2019-2020

    PRICE: £260 /€300

    This was one of the only bindings we tested this year to feature UnderWrap, which is Rome’s more conventional system of connecting the heel hoops to the baseplate. Here, there are two points of contact on either side of the feet (as opposed to just one on the AsymWrap binding range). That achieves pistons of power, tightly containing the boot inside the binding’s walls and delivering crazy response between the edges, as well as longitudinally on the snowboard.

  • BUY FROM SURFDOME
  • Selected for The Whitelines 100 – take a closer look at the 2019-2020 Rome DOD here

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    Rome Katana Snowboard Bindings 2019-2020

    PRICE: £330 / €380

    Few bindings come close to the levels of innovation and customisation that Rome provide. The Katana maybe exemplifies this better than all of them. This is right up there as the best all-mountain binding in the world. Whether you’re looking to spend days, maybe even weeks dialling in the perfect fit, or screw them to your deck before you’ve even left the shop, they won’t disappoint.

    The kind of riders the Katanas are aimed at should be generating hefty levels of torque and leverage on the straps – whether that’s out in the backcountry or lapping slush laps through the park.

  • BUY FROM SURFDOME
  • Selected for The Whitelines 100 – take a closer look at the 2019-2020 Rome Katana here

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    Salomon Hologram Snowboard Bindings 2019-2020

    PRICE: £179/€199

    The new Shadow Strap is super malleable and moulds around your boot instead of creating pressure points or hot spots across the top of your foot with thick foam. The lightweight construction saves a few of those precious grams, and still retains its durability.

    The highback has an asymmetric cutout to add to the freestyle performance of the binding, allowing for harder flex on the outside of the binding, and a softer flex inside to make it easier to tweak and bone out those grabs.

  • BUY FROM SURFDOME
  • Selected for The Whitelines 100 – take a closer look at the 2019-2020 Salomon Hologram here

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    Spark R&D Arc Women’s Snowboard Bindings 2019-2020

    PRICE: $385

    The binding features a narrower baseplate, lower and more compact heel hoops, and custom moulded straps designed to accurately fit the most common boot brands out there. The aluminium baseplate is cut out to drastically shave excess weight off without compromising the binding’s overall stiffness. There’s another advantage to this: Metal conducts the cold. The less of it underfoot, the better the chance your toes have of staying warm when you’re out on a dawn patrol.

  • BUY ONLINE
  • Selected for The Whitelines 100 – take a closer look at the 2019-2020 SPark R&D Women’s Arc here

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    Spark R&D Arc Pro Snowboard Bindings 2019-2020

    PRICE: $540
    By using 7075 aluminium in the heel hoops, they’ve created an even lighter alternative to the Arcs. The ladders, adjusters and straps also get an upgrade with tougher materials that hold their shape for lasting durability. They are, are 20% lighter than the originals.

    For those who felt that the Arc highbacks may have been a little on the soft side, torsionally, the Pro puts things to rights. Using carbon-reinforced nylon, they’ve not only made them stiffer but (starting to see a pattern here?) lighter, too.

  • BUY ONLINE
  • Selected for The Whitelines 100 – take a closer look at the 2019-2020 Spark R&D Arc Pro here

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    Switchback Smith Snowboard Bindings 2019-2020

    PRICE: £199/€230

    Forged Aluminium is the order of the day with the Smith bindings (they have Forged Alu power rods to ensure you’re getting the ultimate edge to edge transfer). They also feature a Forged Alu heelcup. By using an over moulding process, Smith have created a cup which is virtually indestructible. For riders who like to bash and crash their way through the park, this little trick might just save your butt halfway through a heavy day.

  • BUY ONLINE
  • Selected for The Whitelines 100 – take a closer look at the 2019-2020 Switchback Smiths here

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    Switchback Eiki Snowboard Bindings 2019-2020

    PRICE: £249/€290

    Eiki ‘Effin Helgason. If he’s not a big enough reason for you to want to try these bindings, then nothing is. A guy like Eiki needs a binder that’s able to keep up with him, one that’s built to withstand big knocks and that can boost off anything.

    The highbacks use a flat back so you’ll get tons of lateral motion for poking and tweaking. The AERON base meanwhile helps with a quick and efficient power transfer (it has power rods to redirect energy where you want it to go with no faff and fuss).

  • BUY ONLINE
  • Selected for The Whitelines 100 – take a closer look at the 2019-2020 Switchback Eiki here

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    h3>Vimana Scando Snowboard Bindings 2019-2020

    PRICE: £179/€199

    There are no real changes for this year’s Scando, but that’s exactly why we love them. Everything you need from a high-quality binding comes in this stripped-down, super lightweight package.

    The words ‘lightweight’ and ‘minimal’ often have connotations of a product that skimps on comfort. While the straps are stripped down to the bare minimum, you still get cushioning and dampening where you need it most – along the high backs and underneath the feet. The Scando swallows up heavy landings in the park and chatters on the pistes before your ankles ever need to take the brunt.

  • BUY ONLINE
  • Selected for The Whitelines 100 – take a closer look at the 2019-2020 Vimana Scando here

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