Burton Escapade EST Bindings Review

Hello and welcome to my Burton Escapade EST Bindings review.

In this review I will take a look at the Escapade EST as women's all-mountain freestyle snowboard bindings.

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

Overall Rating

Bindings: Burton Escapade EST

Price: $399 (USD recommended retail)

Style: All-Mountain Freestyle

Flex Rating: Medium

Flex Feel: Medium (6/10)

Rating Score: 91.0/100

Compared to other Women’s All-Mountain Freestyle Bindings

Of the 17 current model aggressive all-mountain freestyle snowboards that we tested:

❄️ The Escapade ranked 2nd out of 17

Overview of the Escapade EST’s Specs

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

Specs

Who are the Escapade EST Most Suited To?

First of all, they are only suitable for anyone with a board with a channel mounting system - or plans to buy a board with a channel mountain system. The EST model of the Escapade will only mount to channel boards (there is also a "Re:Flex" version will mount to 2 x 4 and 4 x 4 boards). 

Besides that they are a great binding for those looking for a mid-flex but high-end, high quality binding that strikes a really good balance between playful and aggressive riding. 

They are versatile and match well to boards anywhere from a 4/10 to 7/10 flex, which is a large majority of women's boards out there. 

Still too stiff to be a great choice for a beginner, but work really well for intermediate riders as well as advanced to expert riders. 

The Escapade EST in More Detail

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

Demo Info

Bindings: Burton Escapade EST 2024, Medium

Date: March 9, 2023

Conditions

Sunny with clouds. Visibility 100%. 

Temperature: Around 0°C (32°F) in the morning but more like -6°C (21°F) with wind chill. 15kph (10mph) Easterly winds in morning. 1°C (34°F) in the afternoon, -4°C (25°F) with wind chill. 15kph (10mph) NE winds.. 

24 hour snow: 0.4" (1cm)

48 hour snow: 0.8" (2cm)

7 day snow: 13" (33cm)

On groomer: Hard packed but not icy. Well groomed for the most part and stayed pretty consistent throughout the day, getting a little cruddy towards the end but nothing too bad. 

Off groomer: Not ideal. A little icy/crunchy in most parts. Doable but not super fun. 

Set up

Bindings angles: +12/-9

Stance Width: 530mm (20.9″)

Board demoed with: Burton Talent Scout

Baseplate Length: 22cm (8.7”) – that’s measured on the top of the footbed. 21cm (8.3") on the underside of the baseplate. 

Highback Height: 18cm (7”)

Weight: 760 grams (1lb, 11oz)

* for one binding, including screws and disc. The average weight of a small sample size of women's bindings that we've weighed (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 & 2024 models) is 825 grams (1lb 13oz). The Escapade EST are lighter than average, but felt normal weight on snow.

Tester: Meira

Rider Height:  5'4 (163cm)

Rider Weight: 130lbs (58kg)

Rider Boot Size: US Women's 8 (Burton Limelite)

Responsiveness

A really good balance between being good for turns at slower speeds and for carves at higher speeds. Does both really well. 

Board Feel/Butterability

You can feel the board flex undefoot really well. The way the EST has you so close to the board and the way it moves with the board is great for those looking for good board feel. 

Pop/Ollie Power

I found that the ollie power was about the same as my control bindings. Felt normal overall. 

Adjustability

Heel Cup: No

Stance Width: Because you're mounting to the channel (which you have to do with these as they're EST bindings), the stance width adjustments are about as micro as you can get! You can have pretty much any stance width you want, down to the mm, within the scope of the max and min stance widths of the channel's length.  

Highback Lean: Yes and toolless.

Ankle Strap Position: Yes – and 3 different positions.

Toe Strap Position: Yes – 2 different positions.

Ankle and toe strap length: Tool-less adjustments

Gas pedal/toe ramp extension: Yes

Highback Rotation: Yes - around 2cm of movement possible on each side 

Compatible with: Channel Only

Shock Absorption

Whilst the footbed isn't very thick, as is the case on EST bindings, the shock absorption was still pretty good.

Whilst it's not thick, there's some nice plush, spingy feeling padding there. There’s padding on top of and underneath various sections of the footbed. Padding is focused around the toes, forefoot and heel sections.

Comfort

Overall very comfortable bindings. 

Ankle Strap: Molded really nicely to my boots and no pressure points. 

Toe Strap: Ditto ankle strap. 

Canted Footbed: Yes

Padded Footbed: See shock absorption section 

Highback: The Escapade EST has their Hammock back highback. So there's a little hammock right in front of the highback, where your boot sits against. This was very comfortable and no calf bite, which is the main thing.  

Ankle Support

I found they supported my ankles really well. And with the 3 ankle strap position options, if you wanted more ankle support you could get it by shifting the position higher up the ankle. 

Entry/Exit

Really nice smooth ratchets on both ankle and toe straps. And super easy to release, while at the same time feeling very secure when strapped in. 

Score Breakdown and Final Verdict

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

The Escapade EST are high quality bindings with a feel that's typically reserved for stiffer bindings. They are comfortable adjustable and strike a great balance between fast and slow riding, while also being very capable for freestyle riding, with good board feel and shock absorption. 

If you're looking for a high-end binding but in a medium flex and have a channel board (or are looking to get one), then the Escapade EST are a great choice, IMO.