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Best Snowboard Bindings For 2022-2023

Whether you're cruising round the mountain or tweaking out in the park, here's our roundup of this season's best snowboard bindings

Which is the best snowboard binding on the market? It’s a bit of a tough question to answer considering all the factors that come into play. Bindings are an extremely important part of your set up, they’re the critical interface between you and your snowboard, but often find themselves somewhat overlooked. Our Test Team has been out and about over the winter, testing and researching to find our favourites.

“They’re the critical interface between you and your snowboard”

You want to be choosing a snowboard binding that matches the rest of your set up, and no- we don’t mean the colour. If you’re riding a mega aggressive carbon infused charger, it doesn’t make sense to put a super soft binding on it, you just won’t get the response and control you’re looking for. Conversely if you’re a mellow jib kid looking to tweak and poke, you’ll be better suited to a softer flexing model to garner a larger field of motion and a more playful feel.

After you’ve sorted the flex, the fit is your next port of call, you want to make sure that your boot sits snug inside. This is where the bindings adjustability comes into play, most on offer these days can be customised for fit. Whether that’s the toe ramp, straps, heel cup or highback rotation, you can personalise your binding to make sure it’s good for you.

You can personalise your binding to make sure it’s good for you

Comfort is king, and once you’ve sorted out a pair of boots that fit you, you can start to look at the merits of bindings. Do you want cushy foam and plush padding or minimalist design with stripped back lightweight straps? It’s worth considering your end goal when building your set up, which aspect of riding are you prioritising?

Whether you’re looking for a budget binding to dial in your first turns, or a high-tech feat of engineering that’ll make a Tesla blush, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve spent months out in the mountains putting a buttload of binders through their paces to narrow down this list, and present to you our pick of the best snowboard bindings for 2022/23.

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Best Snowboard Bindings 2022-2023


Bataleon Astro Snowboard Bindings 2022-2023

Whitelines Choice Winner: Best Men’s Snowboard Binding
PRICE:£320 / €360 / $360

Although Bataleon are up there with the most famous names in the board-building game, bindings are a relatively new addition to their line. Have no fear though, you’re in safe hands. In fact, by adding Bataleon’s trademark style to a two-part chassis concept borrowed from their stablemates at Rome, they’ve smashed it out of the park. The Astro is a mid-stiff workhorse aimed at powerful all-mountain dude boarding. Curious? Let’s dive in…

Who are The Bataleon Astro For?

Core riders who don’t want to follow the Burton or Union crowd but need a versatile and powerful binder will appreciate the Astro’s unique charms.

MORE INFO:
BATALEON.com

Selected for the Whitelines 100 – take a closer look at the 2022-2023 Bataleon Astro here

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Union Ultra Snowboard Bindings 2022-2023

Whitelines Choice Winner: Best Unisex Snowboard Binding
PRICE: £270 / €290 / $325

The Union Ultra bindings have returned to the line after a few years’ absence, with a complete revamp for 2022/23. While the name may be the same, it looks like we have a different beast on our hands now. Not only is the personality very different, most of the tech on display hasn’t been seen anywhere in the Union line before now.

Who are The Union Ultra For?

Don’t be put off by the name; unlike elsewhere in the snowboardsphere, here ‘Ultra’ doesn’t mean ‘stiffer than Liz Truss attempting light-hearted banter’. This is actually aimed squarely at freestyle fans rather than hell-for-leather (or should that be carbon?) freeriders. There are versions for both men and women, featuring identical tech, so the potential customer base for this one is massive.

MORE INFO:
UNIONBINDINGCO.com

Selected for the Whitelines 100 – take a closer look at the 2022-2023 Union Ultra here

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Bataleon Blaster Snowboard Bindings 2022-2023

PRICE: £290 / €330 / $330

The world of binding design can seem a bit serious at times. Smart and functional, sure, but stern – like a new Audi. Bataleon’s young binding range has brought some welcome sunshine in, combining similar levels of functionality with a little more personality that’s sure to appeal to riders who like to express themselves in the park. The Blaster is a case in point: it’s got Star Wars looks (and a Star Wars name, come to think of it) matched by no-nonsense freestyle performance.

Who are The Bataleon Blaster For?

The mellow flexing highback makes this a great candidate for riders of any level who prioritise a comfortable ride and the chance to style their tricks like Ethan Morgan.

MORE INFO:
BATALEON.com

Selected for the Whitelines 100 – take a closer look at the 2022-2023 Bataleon Blaster here

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Bataleon Chaos Snowboard Bindings 2022-2023

PRICE: £270 / €300 / $300

Where 90 percent of binders on the market are basically do-it-all in nature, the Bataleon Chaos seeks to gain a genuine edge for freestyle. Not only does it have a soft flex, but it’s short and lightweight, too, encouraging you to bonk and bone your way down the hill like Noah Salasnek back in the dizay. Look him up, kids. As with all Bataleons, the construction is top notch, pairing strong materials with smart looks including a couple of head-turning colour options.

Who are The Bataleon Chaos For?

Riders who are on high five terms with the local park shapers. Heck, they might be one of the local park shapers. Plus anyone who looks at piste poles, tree stumps, staircases or knuckles and thinks, “I could hit that.”

MORE INFO:
BATALEON.com

Selected for the Whitelines 100 – take a closer look at the 2022-2023 Bataleon Chaos here

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Bent Metal Stylist Women’s Snowboard Bindings 2022-2023

PRICE: £240 / $280

Since getting a reboot in 2016 (was that the one good thing that happened that year?) Bent Metal’s offering has expanded from just three models to a whopping eleven. Having initially won over male snowboarders with its intriguing approach to baseplate tech, it now caters for riders of all shapes, sizes, ages and genders.

The Bent Metal Stylist is our favourite of the newer crop, thanks to its undeniable quality and versatility. We’ve also got a soft spot for women’s gear with a name that thumbs its nose at cliché-tastic female marketing.

Who are The Bent Metal Stylist For?

These are definitely all-mountain conquerors. If you have a daily driver board that you love to take out in any and all conditions, these are exactly the kind of things you should have screwed onto it.

MORE INFO:
BENTMETAL.com

Selected for the Whitelines 100 – take a closer look at the 2022-2023 Bent Metal Stylist here

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Flow Mayon Plus Snowboard Bindings 2022-2023

PRICE: £249 / €270 / $270

A returner to the Whitelines 100 this season, the Flow Mayon Plus once again impressed our team of testers to make it into our favourite products of the year. An upgrade to the ever-popular Mayon, the Mayon Plus is all about delivering grade A performance alongside premium comfort.

Rear-entry bindings have long divided opinion among riders — some love them, some love to hate them — but over the years the technology and functionality has come on leaps and bounds. Flow have put the work in the R&D lab to win over more and more snowboarders, ironing out any issues and focusing on creating bindings that appeal to a huge range of people.

Who are The Flow Mayon Plus For?

The mellower flex and all-round comfort of the Mayon Plus gives it a super wide scope of appeal. But if you prioritise ease of use and convenience then you’ll fit right in here.

MORE INFO:
FLOW-BINDINGS.com

Selected for the Whitelines 100 – take a closer look at the 2022-2023 Flow Mayon Plus here

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Flow NX2 Carbon Snowboard Bindings 2022-2023

PRICE: £399 / €430 / $430

To paraphrase Baz Luhrmann, there are certain inalienable truths. Prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old… and carbon makes everything cooler. In fact the responsive benefits of carbon have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience.

With that in mind, witness the Flow NX2 Carbon. It’s a brand new model from the original speed entry experts that builds on the successful NX2 by adding a bunch of plastic. Nah, just kidding. Carbon. And yes, prices will rise…

Who are The Flow NX2 Carbon For?

Riders in a hurry. They wanna go fast. Like, really fast. And they don’t have time to piss about with straps at the top of every run.

MORE INFO:
FLOW-BINDINGS.com

Selected for the Whitelines 100 – take a closer look at the 2022-2023 Flow NX2 Carbon here

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Jones Orion Snowboard Bindings 2022-2023

PRICE: £336 / €370 / $370

The Jones Orion is ‘the playful freeride binding’, according to the brand. Those aren’t two words you tend to see together very often, as most people still associate freeriding – especially where Jones is concerned – with first-descent, bone-rattling madness. Of course, that’s only a small part of what the backcountry has to offer, and the Jones Orion is here for the pillow-bashing, pow-field-cruising, Cheshire-cat-grinning good times. And when there’s no fluffy stuff around, it’ll do a great job in the park.

Who are The Jones Orion For?

Purpose-wise, this sails pretty close to the popular Jones Mercury, so if you rate that model then you’ll love the Jones Orion. It’s geared a little more towards comfort and funboarding, but otherwise is aimed at those who want to explore the whole mountain with a freestyle eye.

MORE INFO:
JONESSNOWBOARDS.com

Selected for the Whitelines 100 – take a closer look at the 2022-2023 Jones Orion here

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Nidecker Supermatic Snowboard Bindings 2022-2023

PRICE: £379 / €400 / $400

We’ve all heard the old adage ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’, but Nidecker isn’t trying to redesign the wheel here…just a binding. After the initial Quick-Entry binding fad faded into the ether, several brands brought their new and improved versions to market in recent seasons. Instead of rushing to keep up with the competition, Nidecker bided their time and spent years in the R&D lab fine tuning their own answer to speedy bindings.

Enter the Supermatic, a binding that combines the easy accessibility of automated closure, the versatility of dual-entry and the broad appeal of universal compatibility. Nidecker highlights that their Supermatic is the only binding currently on the market that ticks all three of these boxes, a triple threat that intersects at the heart of the binding Venn Diagram. So, while the traditional binding model wasn’t inherently broken, thus not requiring ‘fixing’ as such, Nidecker decided to throw their hat into the ring of innovation and came up trumps with the Supermatic.

Who are The Nidecker Supermatic For?

The whole point here is that they’re universal – literally for anyone, so there’s no target market as such. But for us, we can see them flying off the shelves when the rad dads come calling, those who don’t want to faff about strapping in, people who struggle with bending down, or folks who just love to have the latest innovation.

MORE INFO:
NIDECKER.com

Selected for the Whitelines 100 – take a closer look at the 2022-2023 Nidecker Supermatic here

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NOW Drive Snowboard Bindings 2022-2023

PRICE: £366 / €400 / $400

Speak to a NOW convert (and they are legion) and they’ll tell you that the classic baseplate should have gone the way of the dodo by now – the future, they’ll insist, is ‘Skate-Tech’. Now entering its second decade, JF Pelchat’s signature system has the firmest of footholds in the market, winning over grizzled pow-hounds and upstart park rats alike.

It may not have killed off its rivals yet, but it’s certainly not going anywhere. Nor are the NOW Drive bindings, arguably the jewel in the brand’s crown.

Who are The NOW Drive For?

These are definitely for keen freeriders, albeit those that stop short of requiring the carbon-fetishist’s dream that is the NOW O-Drive. One clue to this is the bushings (those swappable pads at the corners of the baseplate) that come with it – there’s no soft option, just medium and hard.

MORE INFO:
NOW-SNOWBOARDING.com

Selected for the Whitelines 100 – take a closer look at the 2022-2023 NOW Drive here

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NOW Select Pro Snowboard Bindings 2022-2023

PRICE: £360 / €370 / $380

When NOW first came along over a decade ago, a lot of the early adopters appeared to be BC-based pow-chasing contemporaries of founder and 90s hellman JF Pelchat. While it was nice to see a whole pro team essentially composed of riders no longer in the first flush of youth, most of them would be more likely to throw their back out than throw a double backflip.

That’s all changed now, though; as well as picking up additional flavours of freerider, the Skate-Tech system has been embraced by the next generation of contest-slaying stunters, including Fridtjof Tischendorf and Mons Roisland. In many cases, the Now Select Pro is what they’re running.

Who are The NOW Select Pro For?

These are mellower than the NOW Drive, so will be better suited to all-mountain riding, and as well as long days in the park. They’re also ideal for anyone not yet 100% sold on the Skate-Tech concept, as the amount of customisation available means that there’s no chance you won’t be able to give these a fair shake.

MORE INFO:
NOW-SNOWBOARDING.com

Selected for the Whitelines 100 – take a closer look at the 2022-2023 NOW Select Pro here

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Rome 390 Boss Snowboard Bindings 2022-2023

PRICE: £250 / €300 / $300

The 390 Boss has evolved a long way from the bubblicious designs of a decade ago. Today, it’s a refined and minimalist looking binder that benefits from some great tech while swerving the most expensive bells and whistles. Freestyle riders seeking solid performance and value for money can always place this one high on the list.

Who are The Rome 390 Boss For?

With its powerful FullWrap chassis design, the 390 Boss will suit park riders who like to go big and charge hard across the mountain – and who have one eye on their wallet.

MORE INFO:
ROMESNOWBOARDS.com

Selected for the Whitelines 100 – take a closer look at the 2022-2023 Rome 390 Boss here

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Rome Black Label Snowboard Bindings 2022-2023

PRICE: £490 / €590 / $590

Imagine, if you will, being the person in charge of binding design for a major manufacturer. Much of your time is spent staring at CAD software, juggling existing components to fit the target customer’s riding ability, and of course their wallet. It’s an exercise in compromise. Then, one happy day, the boss comes over and says, “Lance – “ (I don’t know why but I figure binding designers are usually called Lance) – “Lance, it’s time to work on Project X.” Project X is the codename for their flagship model. Something a bit special. Something lightweight, and spaceage. Something high performance, beautiful, and eye-wateringly expensive.

Something like the Black Label.

Who are The Rome Black Label For?

Aggressive all-mountain rippers whose money don’t jiggle jiggle; it folds.

MORE INFO:
ROMESNOWBOARDS.com

Selected for the Whitelines 100 – take a closer look at the 2022-2023 Rome Black Label here

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Rome Guild Women’s Snowboard Bindings 2022-2023

PRICE: £270 / €330 / $330

Mostly unchanged for the 2023 season, but with a few key upgrades to really cement it as a Whitelines favourite, the Rome Guilds are a mellow, budget friendly all-mountain option, that put the onus on comfort and performance.

Rome had a huge overhaul of the whole line a few years back, upgrading and updating their range of bindings to include 3 women’s specific models, and the Guilds sit at the top, as their premium offering. The Guilds have a middle of the road flex, sitting in that Goldilocks not too soft, not too stiff sweet spot. Enough juice to garner momentum and control when going edge to edge, but playful enough to lap the park.

Who are The Rome Guild For?

The Guilds will suit any rider who has progressed past their first few days on the hill, they’re not über stiff bindings that will punish you for every wobble or mistake, they’re for party laps with your pals and turning the mountain into your personal playground.

MORE INFO:
ROMESNOWBOARDS.COM

Selected for the Whitelines 100 – take a closer look at the 2022-2023 Rome Guild here

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Rome Katana Snowboard Bindings 2022-2023

PRICE: £350 / €400 / $400

Named after a Japanese samurai sword, the Katana delivers more crowd-pleasing slashes than Bruce Willis in Pulp Fiction. It’s the most premium freestyle-oriented binder in the Rome line, pairing the latest technology with a fit that’s made for surfy turns and boned out tricks. As a product it was near flawless already, but they’ve made a couple of minor tweaks to keep this perennial test team favourite firmly at the top of the pack.

Who are The Rome Katana For?

Want the best, but don’t want to go full stiff-tard? You can thank us later.

MORE INFO:
ROMESNOWBOARDS.COM

Selected for the Whitelines 100 – take a closer look at the 2022-2023 Rome Katana here

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Spark R&D Surge ST Snowboard Splitboard Bindings 2022-2023

PRICE: €519 / $459

The splitboard binding market remains relatively niche, but seems to be growing all the time. Montana-based Spark R&D has long been one of the biggest fish in this small pond, and through its efforts the pond is getting bigger.

Their incredibly user-friendly wares have demystified splitboarding for countless riders, whilst also providing the already-converted with ever-better gear. The Spark R&D Surge ST splitboard bindings represent the latest step forward from a brand that has yet to put a foot wrong.

Who are The Spark R&D Surge ST For?

These are built to meet the needs of the most demanding, grizzled backcountry silverback. If you like pushing your own limits and want assurance that your gear can take it, this is the kind of thing you should be looking at.

MORE INFO:
SPARKRANDD.COM

Selected for the Whitelines 100 – take a closer look at the 2022-2023 Spark R&D Surge ST here

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