Hello and welcome to my Burton Cartel bindings review. This is for the Re:Flex version of the Cartels.
In this review I will take a look at the Cartel Re:Flex as all-mountain snowboard bindings.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Cartel Re:Flex a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how they compare with other all-mountain bindings.
Overall Rating
Bindings: Burton Cartel Re:Flex
Price: $279 (USD recommended retail)
Style: All-Mountain
Flex Rating: Medium
Flex Feel: Medium (5.5/10)
Rating Score: 86.0/100
Compared to other Men’s All-Mountain Bindings
Of the 25 current model aggressive all-mountain snowboards that we tested:
❄️ The Cartel ranked 5th out of 25
Overview of the Cartel’s Specs
Check out the tables for the Cartel’s specs and available sizes.
Specs
STYLE:
ALL-MOUNTAIN
PRICE:
$279 - BUYING OPTIONS
$279 - BUYING OPTIONS
Ability Level:
flex:
weight:
Felt normal
Mounts to:
2x4 | 4x4 | Channel
Sizing
SIZE | US BOOT SIZE | EURO BOOT SIZE | UK BOOT SIZE |
|---|---|---|---|
S | 6-8 | 38-41 | 5-7 |
M | 8-11 | 41-44 | 7-10 |
L | 10+ | 43+ | 9+ |
Who are the Cartel Most Suited To?
The Cartel are best suited to anyone looking for a really good all-round mid-flexing binding that also comes in at a very reasonable price for what you're getting.
Matches best with boards in that 4/10 to 7/10 range, but particularly good for the 5/10 to 6/10 range.
Not for beginners, unless you're quite strong/athletic or a bigger person, but should be fine for anyone lower intermediate and up.
The Cartel in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Cartel are capable of.
Demo Info
Bindings: Burton Cartel 2024, Medium
Date: February 16, 2023
Conditions
Snowing but visibility still pretty good. 75-80% visibility.
Temp: 26°F (-3°C) and 18°F (-8°C) with wind chill. 15mph (24kph) winds.
24 hour snow: 2" (5cm)
48 hour snow: 2" (5cm)
7 day snow: 6" (15cm)
On groomer: Nice. Hard packed but enough of a layer of fresh to make it real nice but still quite fast. Snow was quite light/dry.
Off groomer: Dust on crust to an extent but with quite a bit of dust! So pretty decent.
Set Up
Bindings angles: +15/-15
Stance Width: 555mm (22”)
Board tested with: Lib Tech Terrain Wrecker
Boots tested with: Adidas Response ADV, size US9.5
Footbed length: 23.3cm (9.2”)
Footbed Length Fully Extended: 24.9cm (9.8")
Baseplate Length (underside): 22.4cm (8.8")
Highback Height: 19.8cm (7.8”)
Weight: 860 grams (1lbs, 14oz)
* for one binding, including screws and disc. The average weight of a small sample size of around 80 bindings (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 & 2024 models) I have weighed is 920 grams (2lbs). So the Cartel are pretty close to average on the scales, just a little lighter. On snow they felt pretty normal weight-wise.
Flex
In Hand: A bit of twist, but not ultra twisty. Can twist easier than Malavita. Not heaps in it, but noticeable still. Straps are a little stiffer on the Cartel vs Malavita though. Toe straps on the Cartel feel about the same as on Malavita.
On snow: Overall felt about the same as the Malavita (my control bindings), you can feel that they are a little stiffer in terms of connection with the board, than the Malavita, but they're softer in the highback. Very subtle though and overall they end up being a similar flex, but with a slightly different overall feel. If I had to say, I'd say these might have been a hair softer than the Malavita, but nothing in it really.
Responsiveness
As you'd expect, the responsiveness feels fairly similar to the Malavita. But I would say these felt just a hair better for slow speed response and a hair worse for carving at higher speeds, but again, a very subtle difference.
Board Feel/Butterability
I found the Cartel were really good in terms of board feel and pressability, but weren't quite as good as the Malavita. But again, there's so little in it. It's a subtle difference.
Pop/Ollie Power
I found them very similar to the Malavita again and generally really good. Again, if I had to say, I'd say the Malavita were a little better, but a close thing.
Adjustability
Heel Cup: No
Stance Width: Pretty limited. No real micro adjustments with the Re:Flex disc - you're limited to adjusting a full insert hole out or in (except when on the channel, of course).
Highback Lean: Yes and toolless.
Ankle Strap Position: Yes, 2 different positions (previous Cartel's had 3 positions).
Toe Strap Position: Yes, 2 positions.
Ankle and toe strap length: Tool-less.
Gas pedal/toe ramp extension: Yes, you can extend the toe ramp.
Highback Rotation: Yes and can rotate it quite a bit - about a 3.5cm range.
Compatible with: 2 x 4 | 4 x 4 | The Channel
Shock Absorption
This is where I noticed some difference to the Malavita. The Cartel's shock absorption is really good, but it is a step down from the Malavita.
Comfort
Again, a step down from Malavita, but still really comfortable overall.
Ankle Strap: I found these conformed to my boots really well and no pressure points.
Toe Strap: Ditto.
Canted Footbed: Not that was obvious. If there is it must be very subtle.
Padded Footbed: Decent padding in footbed.
Highback: Good amount of padding, but no hammock back on it or anything. But the main thing is no calf-bite at all.
Ankle Support
Felt about the same as my Malavitas in terms of ankle support. Good support but nothing outstanding. Has 2 different ankle strap positions - but not the 3 that it used to have.
Entry/Exit
The ankle strap was pretty smooth ratcheting up and removing, but not quite Malavita smooth. But all good. I found the toe strap to be a little sticky. Though, it didn't effect me releasing it to get out of bindings, so wasn't a big thing for me.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
|---|---|---|
CARVING | 3.5 | 10.5/15 |
SLOW SPEED RESPONSE | 4.0 | 12/15 |
BOARD FEEL | 4.5 | 13.5/15 |
SHOCK ABSORPTION | 4.0 | 12/15 |
ADJUSTABILITY | 4.0 | 12/15 |
COMFORT | 4.0 | 8/10 |
ANKLE SUPPORT | 4.0 | 8/10 |
ENTRY/EXIT | 4.0 | 4/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 86/100 |
The Cartel are the kind of binding that you'd expect to pay a little more for. They're a really good quality binding in a flex range that is typically priced a bit higher.
They aren't outstanding in any one area, but they are good for everything and don't have any weaknesses that I could detect.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you want to learn more about the Cartel, or are ready to buy or want to research availability and prices, check out the links below.
If you want to check out some other all mountain binding options or compare the Cartel to other all mountain bindings check out the next link.
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Cartels are capable of.
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