Bent Metal Joint Bindings Review

Hello and welcome to my Bent Metal Joint snowboard bindings review.

Overall, I found the Joint to be playful, surfy bindings that were easy to ride, had really good slow-speed agility and decent board feel. They weren’t the bindings I’d reach for if I wanted to really charge or lay down aggressive carves, but for mellow, creative riding they were a lot of fun.

In this review I will take a look at the Joint as freestyle snowboard bindings.

As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Joint a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how they compare with other freestyle bindings.

Overall Rating

Bindings: Bent Metal Binding Works (BMBW) Joint

Price: $219 (USD recommended retail)

Style: Freestyle

Flex Rating: Medium (5/10)

Flex Feel: Mid-Soft (4/10)

Rating Score: 80.3/100

Compared to other Men’s freestyle Bindings

Overview of the Joint’s Specs

Check out the tables for the Joint’s specs and available sizes.

Specs

Who are the Joint Most Suited To?

The Joint are best suited to riders looking for softer, more playful bindings that prioritize maneuverability, board feel and an easy going overall ride over power and high-speed precision.

They should work well for beginners and riders who like to cruise, butter around, hit side-hits, slash, ride smaller park features and generally ride with a more creative, relaxed style. They have enough support that they don’t feel completely loose or unsupportive, but they certainly still lean more playful than locked-in.

They would be best matched to softer to mid-flexing boards, particularly boards in that 3/10 to 5/10 flex range. I wouldn’t personally pair them with something stiff or aggressive, because they didn’t feel like they’d have the power or stability to make the most of that kind of board.

They should work for beginner to intermediate riders, and also more advanced riders who wanted something forgiving and surfy rather than something super responsive and powerful.

Test/review details for the Joint

O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Joint are capable of.

Demo Info

Binding: Bent Metal Joint, M

Date: February 25, 2025

I tested the Joint in conditions that made a couple of things a little harder to judge properly. Shock absorption and ollie power, in particular, were a bit tricky to fully assess because of the snow conditions.

But even with that, I was able to get a good feel for the overall personality of the binding, especially in terms of flex, board feel, maneuverability and overall response.

Comparisons

We had the Bent Metal Transfer, Axtion, Logic, and Lightning Supermatic, YES Drive and IPO and Jones Mercury FASE bindings on hand when doing the in-house testing for the Joint. For the on-snow test, we rode this on the same day as we rode the Bent Metal Logic and the YES IPO. Part of this review will involve comparisons to some of the bindings mentioned.  

Naturally we also had my control bindings (Burton Malavita) on hand for in-house testing and for the on-snow test, used during the control laps.

Mounting

Mounting and general setup was pretty straightforward.

One small thing I really liked - and this applied to most of the Bent Metal bindings I tested, apart from the Lightning Supermatic - was the removable footbed. You could take the whole footbed off and whack it against your leg to get the snow off.

It sounds like a tiny detail, and it is – and it’s certainly not something that would be a deal breaker or anything, but I liked it. There weren’t screws or small parts on it that felt like they were going to disappear into the snow, and it made clearing snow out of the binding really easy.

That kind of thing didn’t make or break the ride, obviously, but it was one of those practical little features that I appreciated.

Flex

In Hand

In hand, the Joint felt like one of the softer, more playful Bent Metal bindings I had around.

The highback twist flex was super flexy. Along with the Logic, it had one of the easiest twisting highbacks of the Bent Metal bindings I tested. It didn’t take much effort to twist it, and that lined up with the surfy/playful feel I got on snow.

The highback pullback flex had a bit more give than something like the Transfer or Axtion, which felt like they had pretty much no pullback flex. It wasn’t crazy floppy or anything like that, but it had more movement there than the stiffer/more supportive models.

The ankle strap felt softer than the Lightning Supermatic’s ankle strap as well as vs the Mercury FASE and my control bindings, but stiffer than the Transfer Axtion and Logic’s ankle straps. But it definitely didn’t feel like a really stiff, locked-in strap or anything. About average.

The toe strap was actually quite stiff compared to the rest of the Bent Metal lineup I had on hand. Of the ones I was comparing, the Joint’s toe strap felt the stiffest, just ahead of the Jones Mercury FASE, Lightning Supermatic, Axtion, Burton Malavita (my control bindings), Transfer and Logic.

On Snow

On snow, the Joint felt mid-soft overall. It felt really similar overall to the IPO in terms of flex.

The ride feel was forgiving and playful. There was enough support that it didn’t feel like I was riding something overly soft or sloppy, but it still leaned clearly to the playful side rather than the powerful/aggressive side.

Responsiveness

The Joint were really good at slower speeds. Edge-to-edge transitions felt quick and easy, and they helped to make things very easy to maneuver when I was riding slower or making tighter turns. They had that surfy, easy-going feel that made them nice for slower, more playful riding.

Compared to the Logic, I’d say the Joint maybe weren’t quite as good for slow-speed agility - but they were very close. The Logic had just that little bit more of an ultra-easy feel. But the Joint still felt really maneuverable and easy to work with.

At higher speeds, they weren’t as strong. They were better than the Logic for carves and stability at speed, but they still weren’t great in that area overall.

Carving

When I pushed them harder, they didn’t have the same level of support or drive as something stiffer. They could handle some speed and some carving, but they weren’t the kind of binding that encouraged me to really lean into big, aggressive carves or charge through rougher snow.

Compared to the Logic, I would say the Joint were a little better for carving and stability at speed. They had a bit more support and composure when I pushed them.

But compared to more responsive bindings, they still felt limited. They weren’t ideal for really driving into carves, especially at higher speeds. They could handle mellow to moderate carves fine, but they didn’t give me that locked-in, powerful, confidence-building feeling I’d want for aggressive carving.

So, if carving was a casual part of your riding, they were fine. If carving was a major priority, I’d look at something stiffer and more supportive.

Board Feel / Butterability

Board feel was a strong point. I felt like the Joint had better board feel than the IPO. Not by a massive amount, but noticeable enough that they felt more natural underfoot and a little more connected to the board.

Compared to the Logic, I would say the Logic had a touch better board feel, but the Joint were close. They had that similar surfy feeling and didn’t feel like they were muting the board too much.

The overall feel was forgiving and playful enough that presses/butters felt natural, and I didn’t feel like I was fighting the binding.

Pop / Ollie Power

Ollie power was hard to judge properly because of the conditions.

Nothing stood out as being especially powerful or especially weak. They didn’t feel like bindings that were going to massively boost pop, but they also didn’t feel like they were taking anything away.

Shock Absorption

Shock absorption was also hard to judge properly on the day. I didn’t get a strong enough feel to say they were amazing or poor in this area. Nothing felt overly harsh, but the conditions didn’t really give me the clearest test for chatter, harder landings or firmer snow.

Based on the ride feel, they didn’t feel ultra-damp or super cushioned, but they also didn’t feel jarring. I’d put them somewhere around average, with the caveat that I’d want more time in rougher/firmer conditions to be more confident there.

Ankle Support

Ankle support felt decent, but not amazing. I would say it was maybe a touch worse than the IPO, but a touch better than the Logic. So, it sat somewhere in that middle zone: supportive enough for playful freestyle/all-mountain freestyle riding, but not something I’d describe as really locked in.

The strap had more structure than the Logic, which helped this area, but overall still had that softer, surfier feel. If you liked a more locked-down, powerful feel, the Joint probably wouldn’t give you enough support.

But if you liked a little more freedom and a forgiving feel, while still having enough support to ride around the mountain, they hit a nice balance.

Weight

Weight felt very similar to the other Bent Metal bindings I was testing around the same time.

They didn’t feel noticeably heavy on the lift or on snow. They also didn’t stand out as super light. Just normal, really.

Entry / Exit

Entry and exit was simple and straightforward.

The straps did what they needed to do, and I didn’t have any issues getting in and out. The easily removable footbed design was the most notable practical feature, just because it made clearing snow out of the binding so easy.

Score Breakdown and Final Verdict

Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.

Overall, I found the Bent Metal Joint to be playful, surfy, easy-going bindings that were at their best when riding slower, getting creative and keeping things mellow.

They had really good slow-speed agility, good board feel and a forgiving overall ride. They felt better than the Logic for carving and speed stability, but still weren’t something I’d choose for hard charging or aggressive carving.

Compared to the IPO, the Joint felt similar in flex, maybe a little less supportive at the ankle, but with better board feel. Compared to the Logic, the Joint weren’t quite as agile or quite as strong in board feel, but they were a little more stable and supportive.

So, I’d see the Joint as a good option for riders who wanted something playful and freestyle-friendly, but with just a touch more support and stability than the softest/surfiest options. Also a great option for beginners.

Not the best choice for aggressive riders, big carvers or anyone who wanted a really locked-in feel, but a fun binding for cruising, playing around, buttering, side-hits and all-mountain freestyle riding.