Union Source FC 2025-2026 Bindings Review

Why We Chose The Union Source FC

It’s essentially a ‘concept car’, but for your snowboard. Union’s most advanced tech, much of it unavailable elsewhere, is here to help you raise your game.

Who Is The Union Source FC For?

As our test dummy makes clear, these are really only for the carbon-fetishising freeride obsessives, for whom a millisecond delay in response could be the difference between glory and disaster. Proceed with caution, but for the right rider it could be that rarest of things: an actual game-changer. 

“Union has done away with a mounting disc altogether, in favour of a two-screw system”

Baseplate: 

The Union Source FC weighs in at an almost unbelievable 540g per binding. This has partially been achieved by being liberal with the use of Union’s own ‘Forged Carbon’ material (that’s the FC in the name) which is low on grammes but big on strength. It’s in the heelcup – backed by a lifetime warranty – as well as the section of baseplate that sits directly under your foot. Around the sides is a carbon/nylon frame that pulls all the components of the binding together. 

All very impressive, but what’s really revolutionary is the way that Union has done away with a mounting disc altogether, in favour of a two-screw system. The baseplate is therefore thinner than any we’ve ever seen, simultaneously reducing the weight and bringing your boot closer to the board for improved response (albeit still cushioned by a shock-absorbing layer of EVA). There might be some initial trepidation at putting your faith in a mere two anchor points, but so far the feedback has been that this is as solid as a rock.Plus, having the connection to the board through such a small surface area, directly under your feet, improves the boardfeel across the rest of your sole. 

“The Union Source FC weighs in at an almost unbelievable 540g per binding.”

Straps & Highbacks: 

It’ll come as no surprise that Forged Carbon has been put to work in the highback too. As with the baseplate, it’s arresting to see how thin they’ve managed to make it, while maintaining tons of tensile strength. 

A brand new ankle strap design has been applied to the Union Source FC, too. Obviously this is no place for carbon, with strong-yet-stretchy polymers on hand to hug your boot from first run to last. In-keeping with the weight-saving theme of the baseplate, this has more cutaways than an episode of Family Guy, with only the bare minimum of material used. The lattice style ensures that it’ll spread the pressure evenly, though. Even the ratchets are smaller than we’ve ever seen outside of a grom’s setup, but clicking them on the go is still easy even with mitts on. 

The toe strap, meanwhile, is the very definition of minimalist, with two slivers of material locking the front of your boot in from above and below. The result is a seriously anonymous strap – and you need not worry about it failing, as it’s already proven its worth on other Union models. 

“For the right rider it could be that rarest of things: an actual game-changer”

Roundup:

The forging of the Union Source FC has been a multi-year labour of love; for a bit of background, check out Torstein Horgmo’s recap of the testing process. The model that has come out the other side of that much R&D was always going to be something special, and the end product has more than lived up to expectations. Time will tell if it’s here to stay, given the relatively small slice of the market that it targets, not to mention the relatively high price; but we certainly wouldn’t bet against it. 

Pros

• The weight savings is the big sell here – one that has to be felt to be believed. 
• The two-screw system is the most significant new development in mounting since the Channel. 

Cons

• For most riders, this is more than they can handle. Don’t go full carbon until you’re ready!

“Insanely light, and so stiff – the response was just insane. If that’s what you want it’s incredible, but in bumpier variable snow it was gripped. For someone looking for hard-charging precision, these are unbeatable – but, like all super high performance products, there is nothing forgiving about them.”