How To Buy Snowboard Bindings

If you’re already snowboarding you’ll know the importance of having great bindings. For those that don’t know why we need bindings? well they ensure that you’re firmly secured to your board (i.e. connect your boots, to your board. This article will focus on what to look out for when buying snowboard bindings and any buying tips we ourselves have benefitted form over the years. So if you’re ready to grab some great snowboard bindings, lets get started.

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.