Hello and welcome to my Union Atlas Pro review.
In this review I will take a look at the Atlas Pro as freeride snowboard bindings.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Atlas Pro a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how they compare with other freeride bindings.
Overall Rating
Bindings: Union Atlas Pro
Price: $499 (USD recommended retail)
Style: Freeride
Flex Rating: Stiff (9/10)
Flex Feel: Stiff (8/10)
Rating Score: 86.3/100
Compared to other Men’s Freeride Bindings
Of the 12 current model men's freeride bindings that we tested:
❄️ The Atlas Pro ranked 5th= out of 12
Overview of the Atlas Pro’s Specs
Check out the tables for the Atlas Pro’s specs and available sizes.
Specs
STYLE:
Freeride
PRICE:
$499 - BUYING OPTIONS
Ability Level:
flex:
weight:
A little HEAVIER than normal
Mounts to:
2x4 | 4x4 | Channel
Sizing
SIZE | US BOOT SIZE | EURO BOOT SIZE | UK BOOT SIZE |
|---|---|---|---|
S | 5.5-7.5 | 37-40.5 | 4.5-6.5 |
M | 8-10 | 41-43 | 7-9 |
L | 10.5-13 | 43.5-46 | 9.5-12 |
Who are the Atlas Pro Most Suited To?
The Atlas Pro is best suited to those who are looking for stiff, powerful bindings, who like to bomb and carve. Not those who want the stiffest bindings going around (unless you're a lighter rider and then you may feel them that way), but for those who want that touch of forgiveness but still something that's stiffer than mid-stiff.
Definitely not for beginners or playful riders/casual cruisers. You want to be really driving these things pretty hard.
Best matched to boards in the 6/10 to 9/10 flex range and even better suited to the 7/10 to 8/10 flex range, IMO.
Test/review details for the Atlas Pro
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Atlas Pro are capable of.
Demo Info
Binding: Union Atlas Pro 2025, M
Date: February 27, 2024
Flex
Highback Twist: When twisting the high back I found the medial side (inside) to be stiffer than the lateral side (outside) and a really large difference. The Atlas Pro was stiffer medially than the Atlas (which I also had for testing at the time, along with the Falcor and STR). but actually a touch softer laterally (but not as much difference between them laterally as there was medially). Medially stiffer than the Falcor and STR, but a touch softer than the Falcor laterally. The STR was significantly softer laterally and a little softer medially.
Highback Pullback: When trying to pull back on the highback, I could barely move it at the top and the base of the highback, but there was a little bit of flex half way up. Surprisingly the regular Atlas had less flex halfway up the highback and was very similar at the top and bottom - though there was so little movement that I could get from them it was pretty hard to tell and might have to apply more force to get a proper reading. But by my feel, the Atlas Pro had the stiffer twist flex, but the Atlas a touch stiffer in pullback flex. The Falcor was really stiff on pullback in one spot, but also had some quite flexy areas (see Falcor Review for details).
Ankle Strap: The Atlas Pro had the overall stiffest ankle strap of the 4 that I was comparing. But only a little bit stiffer than the Atlas, followed by the STR and then the Falcor was the softest ankle strap of the 4.
Toe Strap: The toe strap looked and felt like it was the same one used on the Falcor. Overall medially/laterally and torsionally quite soft and flexy. This was the softest equal of the 4 toe straps with the Atlas' being a little stiffer, then the STR's a little stiffer again.
On Snow
The overall flex feel on snow was quite stiff. But I wouldn't call it a 9/10 stiffness. Not as stiff as some super stiff bindings - there's still some forgiveness in there. But it was stiffer than a mid-stiff flex. I settled on 8/10 and I think that's just right. It's stiffer than the Falcor and regular Atlas, but not as stiff as something like the Flux XV, Bataleon Astro Fullwrap or Jones Apollo Pro.
Responsiveness
My first couple of turns I could feel the power of these bindings. My board felt twitchy and like it was being overpowered. I got used to this a bit, but I would definitely prefer softer bindings on the board and these bindings on a stiffer board.
It was less agile at slow speeds and less forgiving than my control bindings - and vs the Falcor and Atlas, but still decent agility at slow speeds. It did however actually make my board feel more catchy at slow speeds - which I think comes down to that twitchiness. On at least 3 occasions I found it grip and rip turns unexpectedly - almost like it was turning the front of the board and not the rest! It wouldn't have this effect on a stiffer board. My control board was just too soft for it, particularly torsionally.
Now, they did make my board a significantly better carver and better at high speeds. Felt super confident bombing and laying edge over at higher speeds vs how I would be able to with my control bindings on there.
Board Feel/Butterability
Board feel wasn't as good as my control binding but decent enough and wasn't too difficult initiating ollies. For presses it was certainly easy to flex the board into a press - in fact it made the tip and tail feel softer and easier to press, in a sense, but because you're not getting as much board feel, it feels like you're not feeling the flex as evenly, so it's a little more sudden and made it quite difficult to control and quite hard to lock in. Easy to over-flex/overpower the board, like it was on slow speed turns.
Pop/Ollie Power
While it was a little more difficult to initiate ollies, it gave at least as much power as my control boar.
Adjustability
Heel Cup: Yes - which is great for boot centering.
Stance Width: Micro adjustments possible - can run disc horizontal and that allows micro stance width adjustments. And given you can use the heel cup for boot centering, you're pretty much always going to be able to run the disc horizontal, as the only advantage of running the disc vertical is to adjust for boot centering.
Highback Lean: Yes and tool-less
Ankle Strap Position: No
Toe Strap Position: Yes - 2 position options
Ankle and toe strap length: Tool-less
Gas pedal/toe ramp extension: Yes - a 1cm range.
Highback Rotation: Yes - 2 position options
Compatible with: 2 x 4 | 4 x 4 | Channel
Overall really good adjustability, which made it nice and easy to get good boot to binding and binding to board fit.
Shock Absorption
Compared to my control bindings and compared to the Falcor, I found noticeably less shock absorption in the Atlas Pro. It wasn't anything terrible, but it was average.
Entry/Exit
There's nothing special going on but the ratchets are smooth enough for easy ratcheting and releasing. You don't have to crank it very much before it's in a good position, so that does speed up the process a bit.
Comfort
No pressure points and no calf-bite, which was the main thing. Not quite as comfortable as I I found the Falcor or my control bindings, but still nothing that was uncomfortable about them either. Straps conformed well and while they did feel a bit of chatter and shock on landings, it wasn't terrible. They have a canted footbed, so that helps with fatigue too.
Ankle Support
I felt the ankle support was really decent, without being too restrictive. But more on the supportive side, than the surfy side, for sure.
Mounting
Nice and easy for the most part. A little annoying having to have to remove a screw to access the disc, but a tiny inconvenience. Otherwise really straight forward and lots of adjustments you can make to ensure your boots fit your bindings well and your bindings are in a good position on the board.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
| Factor | Rating (/5) | Weighted |
|---|---|---|
| Carving | 4.5 | 22.5/25 |
| Slow Speed Response | 3.5 | 7/10 |
| Adjustability | 4.5 | 13.5/15 |
| Ankle Support | 4 | 12/15 |
| Shock Absorption | 3.5 | 7/10 |
| Comfort | 4 | 8/10 |
| Board Feel | 4 | 8/10 |
| Entry/Exit | 4 | 4/5 |
| TOTAL (after normalizing): | 86.3/100 |
The Atlas Pro are right at that level where they start overpowering a mid-flex board. But man do they give you a lot of power for carves and hold up really well at high speeds. I didn't find them oppressively stiff, but definitely stiff enough to put them in the stiff tier, rather than mid-stiff.
They're average at slow speeds and for shock absorption (not terrible, but nothing above the average, in my experience) but those are their weakest points and everything else about them was right up there.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you want to learn more about the Atlas Pro, are ready to buy or want to research prices and availability, check out the links below.
If you want to see how the Atlas Pro compares to other men’s freeride bindings or want to check out some other options in that category, check out the next link.
Hey there, I wanted your take on these bindings as people say they’re pretty rigid and don’t have a lot of shock absorption. I was thinking of getting them exclusively for my nitro pantera 166w which is a pretty stiff board that I love to charge with. For reference I’m 6’2 210 with sz11 vans verse boots. I have used ride c9 with the aluminum disk and bataleon astro FW on them. The FW high back didn’t feel rigid enough to me but allowed more play underfoot than the ride c9. I like having stiffer being stronger and heavier. All your feedback is appreciated!!
Hi Evan, thanks for your message (and a good reminder that I still need to update the details for this review!)
In terms of shock absorption, it’s certainly not up there with the best shock absorbers, but it’s not that bad. If you were to just look and feel the footbed, you’d probably think it’s worse than it is for how it actually feels on snow. There is pretty minimal padding on the footbed, but it’s enough, along with the bushings under the baseplate, to absorb shock decently well. But certainly not as good as the Astro FW, in my experience.
In terms of stiffness, they overall, when riding felt like an 8/10 flex for me, rather than the 9/10 that Union rates them at. In terms of the highback, there’s basically no movement at the top of the binding when pulling directly backwards on it, but I found the same to be the case with the Astro FW. In terms of hihback twist, there’s a good bit of flex on the lateral side (outside) of the highback, but very stiff medially (inside).
Hope this gives you more to go off for your decision
Hi Nate
On Black Friday I just bought Union Atlas Pro 2024/5 on but it’s basically the same/some upgrade for the 24’s. (Got over 25% cheaper) I’m 220lbs and riding on boards 5’3/4” inches flex 7-8. And tell me it was good choice? I had 4 choices Falcor/AtlasPro/Forces/Strata (2024/25)
I’m riding on prepared slopes (most of the time) and during that doing some kickers to jump a little. Sometimes Im going to typical Freeride off track. Also I’m riding fast to catch my ski friends and my last bindings were too flexy and on big speed I was stopping feel the control of snowboard. But here its a catch last time I felt in love with snowpark, I’m good rider so it wasn’t that hard how I was image it but I was doing this stuff on flux pr (also 7-8/10 stiff. And my first question is: my new Atlas Pro will make it possible to ride like that? On snowpark?
They are not designed for it but I saw some people riding them on snowpark. Or for my freestyle allmountian style I should send them back?…
Falcors—> I heard bad opinions about them
Forces —> too universal, and too flexy to my weight (IMO)
Stratas—> I choosed atlas pro over them.
I was thinking about ultras but I have a long stiff snowboards I’m heavy so I’m thinking unions ultra on my 8/10 descks won’t work nice. Too heavy rider on stiff snowboard and very flexible binding.
So what is your advice? Should I keep em?
Sorry for long comment but anywhere on web I cannot find correct answer for my situation. In my opinion and after reaserch;
1. Keep my Atlas pro and capita as a freestyle /ride allmountain setup coz its connecting all things I need
2. Build second snowboard, shorter and with more flexible bindings and board only for snowpark
Hi Bartek, thanks for your message.
From what you’re describing, I think the Atlas Pro should work well. If your board is 7-8/10 flex and your 220lbs, I think the Atlas Pro was a very good choice. And you’ll still be able to use them in the park. The Falcor’s are, IMO, better for riding park than the Atlas Pro, but you should still be OK riding the park with the Atlas Pro.
I agree that the Force and Strata are too soft flexing for your board and for your physical stats. The Ultra, in my experience is a little bit softer than both the Force and the Strata, so they would be too soft as well, IMO.
I’m not sure who had a bad opinion about the Falcor’s – they are so fun to ride with. But some people prefer more board connection and don’t like the feeling of the mini-disc. Though I suspect most people who have that preference don’t tend to ride freestyle/park at all.
Ideally, you would have 2 boards. IMO you can’t make one board do everything well. There will always be some compromise. But sometimes we just have to compromise if we only want one board. Or for some they don’t necessarily have a varied style of riding – so in that case having just one board can work just fine. But typically if you want to ride fast, carve hard, seek powder, get playful and buttery, go to the park, ride the trees etc etc, then having more than one board is the most optimal solution. You can do it all with one board, but there will always be compromises you’ll have to make. So both your options 1. and 2. would certainly work. Option 1 would be more efficient – you only have to worry about one set of gear, and of course be cheaper. Option 2 would be more optimal.
Hope this helps
Hi Nate,
Between the Union Falcor and Atlas pro, which binding would you choose for the Mega Merc?
I am 146 lbs and my style of riding is mostly doing short radius turn and carving. Sometimes play moguls
Hi Derek
Thanks for your message and apologies for the slower than usual response. Flat-out testing gear at the moment!
I would go Falcor, mostly because of your riding style. I find that the Falcor produces a snappier, springier response that I find is better for short radius turns and carves. The Atlas Pro has a more even, smooth consistent response and can really hold onto long radius, high speed carves really well. It’s still good for shorter radius stuff, but I prefer the Falcor for the shorter radius turns/carves.
Hope this helps with your decision
Would you recommend this for a powder (in my case Spring Break Powder Glider) board setup or should I step down to an Atlas that is less stiff and more forgiving? I also fear not surviving a whole day with the flex rating even if the on-the-snow feel is 7.5-8/10.
Hi Yon
I think the Atlas Pro would be a bit too stiff for the Spring Break Powder Glider. We haven’t tested the SBPG specifically, but he has a flex rating of a 5, so I would go Atlas over Atlas Pro. Could even potentially go Force, if you wanted things a little softer/mellow. But the Atlas would work for sure and I’d go with that over the Atlas Pro, in this case.
Hope this helps with your decision
Hi Mate,
Thanks for great review. How would this bindings match with bsod 23/24, alchemist and korua dart? Thinking of getting atlas pro, flux CV or now drive. What would be your recommendation?
Was considering falcors but afraid that big baseplate will overhang.
Hey Marcin
Thanks for your message.
The Atlas Pro would be a really good match for the BSOD, IMO, but so too would the CV and Drive. CV and Drive (I haven’t tested this one in a while and its had a couple of changes, so keep that in mind) to me feel like a 7/10 flex, with the Atlas Pro more like an 8/10 flex. So all 3 are a good flex match, IMO to the BSOD.
We haven’t tested the Alchemist or the Dart. But based on specs:
For the Alchemist I would go Atlas Pro of those 3. The Alchemist is rated quite stiff, so I would err stiffer in the bindings.
For the Dart, I would go CV – the Dart seems to rate more of a medium flex, so the CV would be the better flex match. Really liked the CVs, so they are a good bet.
In terms of matching with the BSOD, between the Atlas Pro and CV, it depends if you want to drive the board harder and get more carvy and aggressive (then go with Atlas Pro) but the CV would definitely work. Personally I would put Atlas Pro on the BSOD, just because I feel it’s the kind of board that feels like it needs something a little stiffer to drive it more optimally. Would depend on your physical specs too, if you’re a bigger guy, then erring a little stiffer is a good idea and if you’re a smaller guy, particularly if you’re on the 156 or something like that, then the CV might be the better bet.
Falcor would match too, but if you’re doing anything freestyle, then I’d lean Atlas Pro. In terms of the baseplate overhanging, that would depend on the size bindings you’ll need and the size board you’ll be riding. If you can give me that info, then I can assess whether it would be likely to fit or not. But I think I’d be leaning Atlas Pro anyway, unless you’re going to be doing some freestyle stuff and want the extra board feel.
Hope this helps
Thank you for advice. Went for Atlas pro.
You’re very welcome Marcin. Thanks for the update. If you think of it at the time, let me know how you like them, once you’ve had a chance to get them out on snow.