How to Choose Snowboard Bindings

How Do I Choose Snowboard Bindings?

If you aren’t sure what snowboard bindings to get, don’t be concerned. There are several easy factors that can be used to understand your options and make the best possible choice, including snowboarding gear you already own, as well as the intended use of your new snowboard bindings.

• Skill-level

A great starting point in picking snowboard bindings is assessing your own skill level as a rider. To illustrate, it’s often a good idea for beginners to use soft or medium-flex bindings because they are more forgiving than stiffer models.

• Type of Snowboard

The next important thing to consider for choosing bindings is the type of snowboard you intend to use them with. For example, if you’re planning on mounting your bindings on a stiffer freeride board, you will likely want stiffer bindings that offer better control.

• Type of Boots

Another extremely practical issue to consider when selecting bindings is matching them with your chosen boots. You will want to pair up the flex of the boot with a similar flex binding.

• Where You Ride

A final point to consider when choosing snowboard bindings is the region where you primarily ride. If you live on the east coast and ride almost exclusively on hard-packed groomers, a stiffer type of binding is likely a good idea.

Different Snowboard Binding Types

There are several key types of snowboard bindings available on the market today. While some of these bindings are more specialized than others, each type of binding caters to a specific type of rider as well as snowboard technology. 

Strap Bindings

Strap bindings are the most traditional type of snowboard bindings. They are also easily the most popular type of binding in use today. With strap bindings, you step into the binding frame, then secure your boot with a strap on your toe and the top of your foot. 

There are several different types of strap snowboard bindings. Binding manufacturers develop different models for different riding styles and applications on the mountain. To illustrate, park riders tend to use flexible bindings that allow for smoother landings from the air. 

Different types of strap bindings include:

• All-mountain
• Freestyle
• Powder
• Freeride

Hard Boot Bindings

Hard boot bindings for snowboards greatly resemble ski binding technology. As the name implies, hard boot bindings are only compatible with snowboard boots that have hard outer plastic shells. Generally speaking, hard boots and bindings are used for racing and high-speed carving on hard-pack snow. 

Splitboard Bindings

As you could have guessed, splitboard bindings only work with split boards. Splitboards are designed to “split” into two separate “skis” which are then capable of climbing uphill with the aid of touring skins. Splitboard bindings literally pivot on the snowboard deck, then shift into touring mode by keeping the toe secure while the heel rises.

Rear Entry Bindings

Rear entry snowboard bindings help make snowboards easier to get on and off. Rear entry bindings look and function much like traditional strap bindings, but the backs fold down for easier entry.

Summary

If you haven’t spent much time snowboarding, you might be surprised at the many types of bindings out there. However, with so many snowboarders in the world today, manufacturers must account for the many different uses of snowboards. From racing in hard shell boots and bindings to climbing uphill on a splitboard, snowboarding is a diverse and exciting sport. 

By following the right criteria such as skill level, it's much easier to understand which bindings are the best suited for your needs. As you progress as a rider, you can start looking into other types of interesting snowboards and bindings.

Contact Never Summer with Questions

As one of the top snowboard manufacturers in the industry, Never Summer has put a good deal of research into understanding which bindings work the best with different models. For additional questions about snowboard bindings, please Contact Us.