Hello and welcome to my Burton Escapade bindings review.
In this review I will be assessing the Escapade’s as to how well they perform as women’s all mountain bindings.
The kind of bindings that you can use for any adventure on the mountain be it for riding the park, the trails or the backcountry.
How they are Rated
As is tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com the bindings will receive a total score out of 100. This isn’t exact science but helps to assess the performance of the bindings at a glance. The score is broken down in to the following categories:
- Flex
- Adjustability
- Comfort
- Responsiveness
- Shock Absorption
- Butterability
- Entry/Exit
- Boot Support
Bindings Overview
Bindings: Burton Escapade
Price: $319 RRP
Smart rating score: 94.3/100
Flex: Medium (6 out of 10)
Let’s take a closer look at some of the categories to see how the Escapade’s do.
Flex
The Escapades have a nice medium flex of 6 out of 10 (with 1 being the softest and 10 being the stiffest). This gives a nice balance between response and forgiveness/playfulness.
What’s even better about these bindings is that the Re:Flex tech (in the Re:Flex model) allows the bindings to flex more naturally with the board. This means that the bindings will more closely take on the flex character of the particular board you are riding.
This makes them great bindings for any board – and particularly good if you ride more than one board.
The EST model also has similar properties due to the way they are mounted to the board – you do sacrifice somewhat with shock absorption though.
Adjustability
Like with most Burton bindings there is heaps of adjustability so that you can get them fitting just right. You’ve still got to get them in the right size but after that you won’t have any trouble getting a comfortable fit in just the right position on the board at just the right angles.
Let’s break up this text!
Comfort
These bindings are super comfortable and this is due to a couple of things.
Firstly, it has a canted footbed – which is basically a footbed which works to align your hips, knees and ankles so that they are in a more comfortable position.
Secondly, the ankle and toe straps are super light weight and conform really well to any boot shape which means no pressure points.
Thirdly the hammock in front of the highback adds to the cushiness of the ride.
And lastly, the awesome shock absorption, especially on the Re:Flex model, makes for a nice cushy ride under foot.
Shock Absorption
Speaking of shock absorption – as I said the Re:flex model has oodles of it. The EST model isn’t bad either, but the Re:Flex’s are top of the line for shock absorption (and pretty much everything!).
This means you won’t have any problems riding through the rough stuff or making flat landings. Plus, as mentioned above, this makes for an all round more comfortable day for your feet and legs.
Butterability
The Escapade’s butter particularly well especially for a binding with a 6 out of 10 flex rating (normally softer flexing bindings are better for buttering).
This is down to the way they flex with the board – as discussed in the flex section above.
This is where the EST model actually outdoes the ReFlex model – and this is down to the board feel you get from EST bindings due to the way they are mounted to the board. But the Re:Flex model is also great at buttering due to the way they flex with the board.
Responsiveness
You really do get the best of all worlds with the Escapades.
Usually you would have to sacrifice a lot of responsiveness and stiffness to be as great at riding freestyle as these bindings are but the Escapades are still really responsive. This is partly down to their 6 out of 10 flex rating and partly down to that hammock high back.
Really everything you want in an all mountain bindings.
Entry/Exit
Finally, a quick word on getting in and out of the bindings.
The Escapades have a great ratchet system, typical of Burtons, which means that undoing them and doing them up is easy and smooth. And they have what are called double take bindings which are awesome.
In addition to that they also come with, new in 2015, an ankle strap that opens right out and stays there without springing back up. This means that you can get the ankle strap right out of the way before you step in – which reduces the chances of stepping on the strap or slowing you down.
Final Score
Let’s see the score breakdown for the Escapades to see how their score was achieved.
Remember, like most Burton bindings, the Escapades come in both an EST model (for Burton’s channel snowboard bindings mounting system) and a Re:Flex model (to fit all other bindings mounting systems).
Re:Flex Model’s score breakdown
FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
Flex: | 5.0 | 15/15 |
Responsiveness: | 3.5 | 10.5/15 |
Adjustability: | 4.5 | 13.5/15 |
Boot Support: | 4.5 | 13.5/15 |
Shock Absorption: | 5.0 | 15/15 |
Comfort: | 5.0 | 10/10 |
Butterability/Board Feel | 4.0 | 8/10 |
Entry/Exit: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
TOTAL | 94.3/100 |
EST Model’s score breakdown
FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
Flex: | 5.0 | 15/15 |
Responsiveness: | 3.5 | 10.5/15 |
Adjustability: | 4.5 | 13.5/15 |
Boot Support: | 4.5 | 13.5/15 |
Shock Absorption: | 3.5 | 10.5/15 |
Comfort: | 4.0 | 8/10 |
Butterability/Board Feel | 5.0 | 10/10 |
Entry/Exit: | 4.5 | 4.5/5 |
TOTAL | 89.1/100 |
Those are some awesome scores – in fact only one set of bindings beat that in my list of the best women’s all mountain bindings.
The Escapades made #2 on that list but for a lot of ladies they would be #1. The bindings that made number 1 on the list are quite stiff and aggressive and are leaning towards being freeride bindings.
Great for anyone who loves to ride aggressively but the Escapades are more suited to anyone who prefers a more playful ride.
Updates for the 2016 model
For 2016 the following are the major changes:
- The Hammock highback has been upgraded
- Upgraded toe strap
- The EST model now has a brand new “Pod bed” on the footbed which is women’s specific cushioning in certain spots under the feet that make your ride more comfortable and reduces pressure on your feet.
Hi Nate!
I have the Solomon Wonder board and Ride Karmyn boots – do you recommend pairing with these bindings? I had a bad accident last year and am wanting something more forgiving but not beginner (since I’m scared now). Or is there another binding you like?
Thanks!
Hi Logan
Thanks for your message.
The Escapade, IMO, would be a really good match to your board and boots. There are others that would work well too, but the Escapades would be just right, IMO.
Hope this helps