Bent Metal Axtion Bindings Review

Hello and welcome to my Bent Metal Axtion bindings review. 

Overall, I really liked the Axtion. They hit a nice sweet spot for me: beefy and supportive enough to carve well and handle higher speeds, but still agile and manageable enough at slower speeds that they didn’t feel like hard work.

They weren’t quite as locked-in or stable as the Bent Metal Transfer (which we also tested on the same day) when really opening things up, but they also felt just a touch easier, quicker and more fun when slowing things down, weaving through tighter spots or making shorter, sharper turns.

In this review I will take a look at the Axtion as all-mountain snowboard bindings.

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

Overall Rating

Bindings: Bent Metal Binding Works (BMBW) Axtion

Price: $299 (USD recommended retail)

Style: All-Mountain

Flex Rating: Mid-Stiff (7/10)

Flex Feel: Medium bordering on Mid-Stiff (6.5/10)

Rating Score: 84.9/100

Compared to other Men’s All-Mountain Bindings

Overview of the Axtion’s Specs

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

Specs

Who are the Axtion Most Suited To?

The Bent Metal Axtion are best suited to riders looking for that middle ground between playful and powerful. Those who don’t want super surfy or overly freestyle-focused, but also don’t want ultra-stiff chargers either. The Axtion had enough backbone for carving, speed and more aggressive all-mountain riding, but still felt easy enough to ride at slower speeds and in tighter terrain.

I see them working well for intermediate to advanced riders who want one binding to do a bit of everything – and potentially matching multiple boards in a quiver.

They wouldn’t be my first pick for beginners, mainly because they had a bit too much stiffness and response for that. And for riders who wanted maximum high-speed power, something stiffer might make more sense.

Best matched to boards in a 4.5/10 to 7.5/10 flex range and even more closely suited to boards in the 5.5/10 to 6.5/10 range.

Test/review details for the Axtion

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

Demo Info

Binding: Bent Metal Axtion, M

Date: February 24, 2025

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

Flex

In Hand

In hand, the Axtion felt fairly solid overall. Not ultra-stiff, but definitely not soft either.

The highback twist flex was pretty stiff. It felt very similar to the Transfer in that respect. There wasn’t much give there, and it gave the binding a fairly supportive, more powerful feel. It was a long way off the really soft/twisty feel of bindings like the Logic and Joint.

Pullback flex was pretty much non-existent. I couldn’t really get anything out of it there. That added to the supportive feel, especially through the highback.

The ankle strap, on the other hand, was more forgiving than some of the stiffer Bent Metal straps I tested. It felt similar to the Transfer and Logic ankle straps - not flimsy, but not super rigid either. That helped the Axtion feel more comfortable and less overly locked-in than the highback flex alone might suggest.

The toe strap had a bit of structure to it, but wasn’t the stiffest in the Bent Metal lineup. It was a little stiffer than the Transfer and softer than something like the Joint, Mercury Fase or Lightning Supermatic. Overall, the straps gave them a nice mix of hold and comfort.

On Snow

On snow, I felt the Axtion were around a 6.5/10 flex. They felt a touch softer than the Transfer, which I had more around 7/10. They also felt just a touch stiffer than my control bindings, though not by a huge amount.

That flex felt like a big part of why I got on so well with them. They had enough support that I could drive into turns and get some decent power out of them, but they never felt overly demanding or restrictive.

Responsiveness

This was probably the strongest area for the Axtion, or at least the area where I felt they had the best balance.

At slower speeds, they felt really good. I found them a touch more agile than the Transfer and easier to throw around in tighter spots. They didn’t feel sluggish or overly beefy, and I felt like I could make quick edge-to-edge movements without having to work too hard.

Compared to the Transfer, they gave up a little bit of top-end stability. When I was carving harder or riding faster, the Transfer felt a touch more planted and slightly better suited to charging. But the difference wasn’t massive. The Axtion still handled speed and carves well - just with a little less of that locked-in, powerful feeling.

What I liked was that the Axtion felt like a great all-round balance. They were fun and easy going at slower speeds, but still strong enough when I wanted to ride faster and lean deeper into carves. That made them feel nice and versatile.

Board Feel / Butterability

Board feel was good overall. I had expected them to maybe feel a bit more dead underfoot because of the full-size disc, but they were better than I anticipated.

Compared to the Transfer, board feel was very similar. The Transfer had a very slight edge for presses, but not by much. The Axtion still let me feel the board well enough and didn’t feel overly disconnected or clunky.

For butters and presses, they weren’t super easy, playful freestyle bindings, but they were manageable. The slightly more forgiving strap feel helped there, I would imagine. They didn’t feel like they were fighting the board too much.

Pop / Ollie Power

Ollie power was good. I’d say it was similar to the Transfer, or maybe even just a touch better.

What surprised me more was how easy they felt to ollie. Given the full-size disc and the slightly beefier than average overall feel, I was expecting them to maybe feel a little less natural there, but they loaded up nicely and didn’t feel like they were getting in the way.

They didn’t necessarily add some huge springboard effect (most bindings don’t move the needle much either way in this area), but they transferred energy well. They felt supportive enough to drive into an ollie, while still being forgiving enough that I didn’t have to force it.

Adjustability

Heel Cup: No adjustment

Stance Width: Good micro adjustability. Could run disc either vertical or horizontal. When running vertical, it gave good adjustability for boot centering. When running horizontal, good micro adjustability for stance width with 5 hole options for screws. 

Highback Lean (FLAD): Yes, but not tool-less

Ankle Strap Position: No

Toe Strap Position: Yes (2 positions)

Strap Length: Tool-less

Gas Pedal Extension: No

Highback Rotation: Yes

Channel Compatibility: Yes

Shock Absorption

Shock absorption and chatter absorption felt about the same as the Transfer.

They weren’t the plushest or most shock-absorbing bindings I’ve ridden, but they did a solid job. Landings felt fine and they handled general chatter reasonably well. I wouldn’t say they had that super damp, cushy feel that some bindings have, but they weren’t harsh either.

For average resort conditions, side hits, smaller jumps and general all-mountain riding, I thought they had enough padding and dampness. If you were really focused on big landings or wanted maximum dampening, there would be better options, but they were solid enough.

Comfort

I found the Axtion a little more comfortable than the Transfer. They had a similar comfort level to the YES Drive for me.

There weren’t any pressure points that stood out, and the straps felt like they held well without feeling overly aggressive. Overall, comfort was a plus for me.

Ankle Support

The ankle support felt the same as the Transfer, which was good. I felt nicely held in and didn’t get that loose or unsupported feeling.

They had enough support to feel confident driving turns and carving, and I didn’t feel like my boot was moving around inside the binding. But they also didn’t feel overly restrictive.

That made them feel good for all-mountain riding, where I wanted support but still wanted some freedom to move and tweak things when needed.

Weight

On the lift, they felt similar to the Transfer - not especially light. There was a bit of weight there, though nothing that felt crazy heavy.

On snow, though, they felt a touch lighter than the Transfer. That came through in how they rode more than how they felt just dangling from the chair. They had a slightly easier, more agile feel underfoot, and that made them feel a little lighter when actually riding.

So, weight-wise, I’d call them around normal to slightly heavier in hand/lift feel, but normal on snow.

Entry/Exit

Entry and exit was fine. Nothing special, nothing annoying.

They had the same general feel as the Transfer there. The ratchets worked fine and I didn’t have any real issues getting in or out.

There wasn’t anything that stood out as super fast or fancy, but it was all straightforward and did the job.

Score Breakdown and Final Verdict

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

Overall, I really liked the Bent Metal Axtion. They struck a really good balance between being strong enough for carving and faster riding, but still agile and easy enough at slower speeds.

Compared to the Transfer, they weren’t quite as stable when really pushing hard, but they were a touch more maneuverable and a little more fun in everyday riding.

Board feel was better than I expected, ollies felt easy, ankle support was good, comfort was solid and shock absorption was decent. They didn’t have one massive standout feature, but the overall package worked really well.

For riders looking for a mid to mid-stiff all-mountain binding that could handle a bit of everything - groomers, trees, side hits, some freestyle and some harder carving - the Axtion were a really solid option. They weren’t the most powerful binding in Bent Metal’s lineup, and they weren’t the most playful either, but that was kind of the point. They sat in that useful middle zone and, for me, they sat there really nicely.