Hello and welcome to my Burton Genesis binding review.
As with all the reviews on SnowboardingProfiles.com the Genesis will be rated specifically as a particular type of binding – in this case Freestyle bindings – and will be given a total score out of 100.
Overall
Bindings: Burton Genesis Re:Flex
Price: $399
Style: Freestyle/All-Mtn Freestyle
Other Uses: Freestyle
Flex: Medium (5.5/10)
Smart rating score: 90.4/100
Compared to other Men’s Freestyle Bindings
Of the 25 current model freestyle snowboard bindings that we tested:
❄️ The Genesis Re:Flex ranked 3rd= out of 25
Overview of the Genesis' Specs
Check out the tables for the Genesis’ specs and available sizes.
Specs
Style: | Freestyle/All-Mtn Freestyle |
Price: | $399 - BUYING OPTIONS |
Ability Level: |  |
Flex: |  |
Edge-to-Edge: | Medium |
Weight: | Normal |
Mounts To: | 2 x 4 | 4 x 4 | 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 Genesis Most Suited To?
The Genesis are prefect for anyone who wants one set of bindings that can do everything. Whether that be for jumps, butters, jibs, riding at speed, steeps, trees, bombing bowls, you name it – and whether you’re hitting the park, the groomers or the backcountry, but mostly suited to park and groomers.
The Genesis are also particularly versatile across a broad range of different boards. The way they flex with the board makes them compatible with more boards than your typical binding. Best suited to boards with a 4/10, 5/10 or 6/10 flex but works for anything between 3/10 and 7/10.
So if you have more than one board but want just one pair of bindings that will work well for each board, then the Genesis are a great choice for that, so long as you don't have anything super stiff in your quiver.
The Genesis in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Genesis are capable of.
Demo Info
Bindings: Burton Genesis 2017, Medium
Date: April 9th, 2016 – and since then the Genesis EST and the Re:Flex a couple of other times (January 22, 2017 & April 15, 2018).
Conditions: Hard packed in the morning with some icy spots. Turned to slush in the afternoon
Bindings angles: +18/-6
Flex
The Genesis’ have a flex rating of 5 out of 10. This is a nice middling flex which is great for the all-mtn freestyle rider that likes to do a bit of everything on the mountain, but with a more freestyle focus in mind.
And whether you go with the Re:Flex or EST version you should get great board feel so you can really feel the flex of the board too.
I rode the Genesis with a medium-soft flexing board and a medium-stiff flexing board and they were great with both.
As a rule of thumb it’s a good idea to match the flex of your bindings pretty closely with the flex of your board.
However, with the Genesis there is a bit more leeway with this – depending on your style you could match them with a softer flexing or stiffer flexing board and still be good. Which makes this a really versatile binding to use if you want one set of bindings to be used on 2 or more boards.
Adjustability
As is typically the case with Burton bindings, the Genesis are highly adjustable so you can get the fit just right for you. You can rotate the highback (so that’s it’s in line with the board’s edge), which not all bindings do, and easily adjust the forward lean of the highback.
The ankle and toe straps also have plenty of position options, so you can make sure you have them centered over your boots and in the position you want them.
A majority of the adjustments are tool-less too so you can make adjustments on the fly to tweak them for the perfect fit. I found the adjustments easy to make.
Entry Exit
As with most Burton bindings these days the ratchet systems are really smooth making it easy to strap in and to release the straps when exiting.
Shock Absorption
These bad boys are loaded with foam and gel shock absorption. So if you do plenty of jumps or ride a lot in rough snow then the Genesis should treat you well.
This also means they are a bit easier on the body making them more comfortable, particularly if you are doing a fair bit of park riding.
Board Feel/Butterability
The Genesis have great board feel and are super easy to butter with. This is, in part, due to the way these bindings flex with the board (as mentioned in the flex section above).
Comfort
I found the Genesis to be super comfortable. There isn’t much bad to say about these bindings really - they seem to have everything.
The comfort of these bindings comes down to a few things. Check out the video earlier in this post for more.
- They have a canted footbed which allows your body to have better alignment through your hips, knees and ankles and is nicer on your body. A lot of high-end bindings do have canted footbeds these days - and the Genesis are no exception.
- The ankle straps are designed to minimize the chances for any pressure points and they did a great job for me. They molded well to my boots and I could hardly notice them there, but at the same time there was a nice firm fit.
- As a whole the Genesis are super light weight which is nice, particularly whilst you’re riding the lifts.
- Also, all of that padding, as mentioned in the shock absorption above, adds to the comfort.
Responsivenes & Boot Support
In a lot of ways you could mistake these bindings for freestyle bindings with all that shock absorption and great butterability - and they make awesome freestyle bindings if that's what you're looking for. These bindings were awesome when going through the park or doing other tricks around the resort.
But they also have some decent response. They're not like ultra-responsive, but they hold their own, especially with boards around a 4/10 to 6/10 flex.
This response is in part helped by the ‘hammock’ that sits in front of the highback. This hammock grips your boots to add to response, particularly on toe-side turns.
The ankle and toe straps also grip and mold well to your boots and that also helps with responsiveness and boot support.
Overall, the have a mid level responsiveness. However, like I mentioned earlier - these bindings will respond depending on the response of the board - which is always the case, but even more so with the Genesis.
So you’re responsiveness is more dependent on the board you choose than it would be with a lot of other bindings. Which, again, makes these a great versatile binding and especially good if you only want one set of bindings for multiple boards.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
| FACTOR | Rating (/5) | Weighted |
|---|---|---|
| Board Feel | 4.5 | 18/20 |
| Shock Absorption | 4.5 | 18/20 |
| Carving | 3.5 | 10.5/15 |
| Slow Speed Response | 4 | 12/15 |
| Adjustability | 4 | 8/10 |
| Comfort | 5 | 10/10 |
| Ankle Support | 4 | 4/5 |
| Entry/Exit | 4.5 | 4.5/5 |
| TOTAL (after normalizing): | 90.4/100 |
The Genesis are high end bindings and they do come with a high end price. But in my opinion you definitely get what you pay for, and then some!
They're not the most responsive bindings, if that's your main thing, but otherwise they are nigh on perfect.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you want to learn more about the Genesis, 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 freestyle binding options or compare the Genesis to other Freestyle bindings check out the next link.
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