Basic Buying Tips

The first tip is simple, always take your snowboard boots with you, because bindings and boots go hand in hand. Boots come in different shapes and sizes so if you want the right fit you need to take your boots along for the ride. It may seem cumbersome and awkward taking them with you, but if you’re serious about your boarding and don’t want to make repeat trips to the mall because your bindings don’t fit then we suggest you take your boots. Even better, buy your boots and bindings at the same time, that way you can never go wrong.

Snowboard Binding Types

Now that you understand the importance of your boots, let’s look into the various types of bindings available. In broad terms there are two types of bindings, “strap ons” and “step ins”. Technically although there are other types such as “Flow Ins” (manufactured by the company Flow), these are usually variations of the above types or simply aren’t used anymore.

Strap On - Snowboard Bindings

The major advantage of this type of binding is the level of adjustability available, in simple words you’ll just strap onto your board much more comfortably. If you ride for hours then having your foot secured perfectly and adjusted to your own preferences is paramount.

Strap bindings generally allow the highest levels of comfort thanks to their free adjustment. Most modern day strap bindings are also much lighter than their step in counterparts, which again leads to greater flexibility, comfort and a better ride.

Our recommendation to most snowboarders (especially those into freestyling) is to go for strap in bindings, they’re just more comfortable and you’ll have a larger range of boots available to you when buying. Just remember when buying it’s always best to buy your boots with your bindings, so if you haven’t committed to your boots, best to buy them at the same time.

Step In - Snowboard Bindings

As the name suggest with step in bindings you simply step into them and you’ll click into place. Most skiers will be familiar with this type of binding and may actually prefer step ins to the strap based bindings because of their use in skiing. However snowboarding and skiing are ever so different so we’re going to bring to your attention the pros and cons of these bindings.

Firstly they’ll definitely save you time and hassle when getting onto the board, infact snowboard rental companies love using these as their great for beginners who simply don’t need the added hassle of learning how to strap themselves in. In saying the above that’s about the only real benefit we see in step in’s, so let’s get into the down sides.

The most important condition for buying step ins is that you’ll need to have step in boots. That’s right folks, bringing your boots with you is even more important with step in bindings, if you want your boot to click in place, it’s gotta be the harder, stiffer step in boots. So straight away you’re limited to using certain types of boots which isn’t always ideal. Secondly most riders unless you’re a really biased skiier prefer using softer more flexible boots, at the end of the day if you’re going to be boarding for a couple of hours, having softer boots can really go a long way.

So why are stiffer soft boots needed ? Well it’s related to not having straps. With strap bindings the straps do a great job of holding your feet snuggly against the board, and because they’re adjustable you can tweak it to your hearts content. With step ins, there are no straps so you lose that level of strength between your boot and the board, the step ins compensate for this by connecting to harder, firmer boots.

Anyway long explanation short, your boots are going to be stiffer (possibly heavier) and you’ll have less freedom when it comes to adjustment. Some will argue that the newer range of boots and bindings aren’t bad, i.e. they’re lighter, and more comfortable but in most cases your comfort and adjustment levels suffer.

Final Buying Tips

Ok so we’ve introduced you to the pros and cons of the two majorly available types of snowboard bindings, and for most that might be enough to make your final decison. However for the rest of us more picky types, our best advise is to take your time and make your purchase based on your own personal preferences. Also, if you haven’t purchased your boots yet, then it’s always a great idea to grab them together, that way you’re more likely to find a more suiting combination. Good luck.

Firstly your board is a lot smaller, and you’re probably not going to be on the mountain slopes. Instead most freestylers execute their moves on custom made ramps, half-pipes and a variety of other structures which the resort or club may have created.

As we’ve said above freestyling is a whole different ball game. It’s fans are drawn to it by the excitement of catching big air and of course the competition element of pulling off tricks (it’s no wonder that many freestyle snowboarders are also handy with a skateboard).

As with freeriding, if you’re interested in freestyling then get some lessons, join a decent club and most importantly get the right equipment. Above all practice, practice, practice because freestyling will only come with commitment and good old fashioned hardwork.

As the name suggest freeriding is all about riding your board freely down a slope, there are no rules and no set course to follow, it’s just you and your snowboard gathering speed down a mountain. If this type of snowboarding appeals to you (and for many this is there starting point into snowboarding) then be sure to understand the basics because

a) there are difficulty levels with freeriding and
b) the equipment such as the snowboard does vary compared to those of freestyling.

Now despite freeriding being relatively easy to pickup even with no training, rest assured that it’s always wise to get proper training and instruction. Sure you can hop on your board and start freeriding pretty quickly but as the difficulty of your ride increases so will your ability to stay upright. Bad habits are easy to pickup and snowboarding like most snow sports are very unforgiving of poor technique and mistakes, especially as the difficult level steepens. Our advise get professional lessons before you begin, they’ll make you a better snowboarder and you’ll improve much more quickly.

Now despite their being some basic similarities between snowboarding and skiing (i.e. both require you to negotiate slopes in the snow) the two sports are actually quite different both in terms of the equipment needed right up to the way you balance and manoeuvre yourself.

The most basic form of snowboarding is referred to as freeriding (i.e. travelling down slopes) the other style is known as freestyling and is the more popular and commercial aspect of the sport involving cool jumps, spins and various ariel acrobatics.

Snowboarding is here to stay, and with most snow resorts catering for snowboarders, more people than ever before are trying their hand at snowboarding. Not only is it a great alternative to skiing, it actually works out to be cheaper. All you need to get started is a decent board and your basic snow gear, other than that with a little practice you’ll be snowboarding in no time.

If you still can’t visualise what snowboarding is all about, check out some of our snowboarding videos for the bigger picture.