Hello and welcome to my Burton Genesis EST bindings review.
In this review I will take a look at the Genesis EST as freestyle snowboard bindings.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Genesis EST a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how they compare with other freestyle bindings.
Overall Rating
Bindings: Burton Genesis EST
Price: $399 (USD recommended retail)
Style: Freestyle/All-Mtn Freestyle
Flex Rating: Medium
Flex Feel: Medium (6/10)
Rating Score: 91.0/100
Compared to other Men’s Freestyle Bindings
Of the 25 current model freestyle snowboard bindings that we tested:
❄️ The Genesis EST ranked 2nd out of 25
Overview of the Genesis EST’s Specs
Check out the tables for the Genesis EST’s specs and available sizes.
Specs
Style: | Freestyle/All-Mtn Freestyle |
Price: | $399 - BUYING OPTIONS |
Ability Level: |  |
Flex: |  |
Weight: | Normal |
Mounts To: | Channel only |
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 EST Most Suited To?
The Genesis EST are only suitable to those who have a board or are getting a board that uses the Channel system for mounting. So that's only a couple of different brands (including Burton of course). If you want the Genesis for a typical 2 x 4 board, you'll need to get the Re:Flex model.
Best matches with Channel boards in that 5/10 to 7/10 flex range, but could be used for 4/10 flex boards too.
A little too stiff for beginners, unless you're a heavier rider or quite strong/athletic - otherwise these are best suited to intermediate level and up.
The Genesis EST in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Genesis EST are capable of.
Demo Info
Bindings: Burton Genesis EST 2023, Medium
Date: March 22, 2022
Conditions
Raining. Visibility wasn't unlimited, but wasn't terrible either.
Temperature: Warm. 36°F (2°C) in the morning. Up to 39°F (4°C). No wind chill.
24hr snow: 0.8" (2cm)
48hr snow: 18" (45cm)
7 day snow: 29" (74cm)
On groomer: Soft pack to slushy. Well groomed to start but even at start could feel it a little slushy. Progressively slushier over day.
Off groomer: Plenty of fresh snow around, but it was heavy and sticky and lumpy, so not great.
Set Up
Of 3 shots this is the clearest I got!
Bindings angles: +15/-15
Stance Width: 560mm (22”)
Board tested with: Burton Custom (camber)
Board tested with: Adidas Tactical ADV, size US9.5
Baseplate Length: 24cm (9.45”) without extension, then extends out to 25.5cm (10") – that’s measured on the top of the footbed. 23.5cm (9.25") on the underside of the baseplate – it angles up a little to the top of the footbed.
Highback Height: 19.4cm (7.64”) - this is from bottom of heel cup to top of highback. From the board to the top of highback is 26cm (10.2")
Weight: 900 grams (1lbs, 15oz)
* for one binding, including screws and disc. The average weight a small sample size of around 60 bindings (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 & 2023 models) I weighed, was 913 grams. The lightest was 680 grams and the heaviest was 1,240grams. So very much an average weight for bindings.
Flex
The highback has a good amount of flex to it, when you twist it and some give when you pull back on it as well. Vs my Control bindings (Burton Malavita Re:Flex) the highback had more twist and give to it. Overall a softer flexing highback.
But on snow, the Genesis EST felt just a touch stiffer than the Malavita. Very subtly though and certainly no more than a 6/10 flex overall.
Responsiveness
When compared to the Malavita, the Genesis EST allowed deeper, longer carves. Only subtly so, but enough to notice it. At the same time they weren't quite as good for quick edge-to-edge transitions at slower speeds. But again very subtly different.
Board Feel/Butterability
Really good board feel. Pressing with these bindings was made easier and it's already easy on the Malavita Re:Flex. General board feel was very good - as good as the best I've tried.
Pop/Ollie Power
In terms of pop/ollie power, they felt the same as my control bindings. My control bindings tend to feel better than a lot of bindings I test, so overall they help to produce good pop.
Adjustability
Heel Cup: No
Stance Width: Pretty much unlimited, being EST
Highback Lean: Yes and tool-less
Ankle Strap Position: No
Toe Strap Position: No
Ankle and toe strap length: Tool-less
Gas pedal/toe ramp extension: Yes, but it’s not super easy to do. There are two screws you’ve got to take out at the bottom and then there are moveable screw holes (kind of like the sliders in the channel) that you’ve got to line up – and you’ve also got to unclick the clips at the other end of the gas pedal to move – and there’s another piece in there you’ve got to line up. Bit of a mission, but for most would only have to do it once.
Highback Rotation: Yes and a good range too
Compatible with: Only the Channel
Shock Absorption
Not quite as good for shock absorption as the Malavita's but still really good. It's typical of EST bindings to be not quite as shock absorbing as Burton's Re:Flex models. And I find the Malavita Re:Flex to have really good shock absorption, so still really good in these bindings.
It has some nice feeling B3 gel in the heel, which gives that heel area a nice squishy/springy feeling.
Entry/Exit
Typical of Burton bindings the ratchets are really smooth to do up and undo and overall nice and easy to get in and out of these bindings.
Comfort
So comfortable ovrerall. The only thing that makes them slightly less comfortable than the Re:Flex Genesis is that little bit less shock absorption, but still super comfortable overall. One of the more comfortable bindings on the market, IMO.
Ankle Strap: Ankle straps conformed really well to my boots, with zero pressure points. The straps have a little bit of flex to them. Softer straps than on the Cartel X, but not super soft. But overall really comfortable.
Toe Strap: Again conformed nicely with no pressure points. No complaints at all.
Canted Footbed: Yes
Padded Footbed: Some good padding in footbed, including that B3 gel in the heel. But thinner overall than a typical Re:Flex footbed.
Highback: Really comfortable with that hammock back. About as comfortable as it gets. And zero calf bite, which is the most important thing when it comes to highback comfort.
Ankle Support
Provided good ankle support for me. Unlike a lot of other Burton bindings, I couldn't see any way to adjust the position of the ankle strap, so couldn't move it higher or lower on the ankle. So what you get is what you get. But what it gave was pretty good, so no complaints there.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
| FACTOR | Rating (/5) | Weighted |
|---|---|---|
| Board Feel | 5 | 20/20 |
| Shock Absorption | 4 | 16/20 |
| Carving | 4 | 12/15 |
| Slow Speed Response | 4 | 12/15 |
| Adjustability | 4 | 8/10 |
| Comfort | 4.5 | 9/10 |
| Ankle Support | 4 | 4/5 |
| Entry/Exit | 4.5 | 4.5/5 |
| TOTAL (after normalizing): | 91/100 |
The Genesis EST is in one sense very versatile and in another sense not very versatile. It's not versatile in the sense that you have to use it on a channel board, which restricts the board choice you can put it on.
But if you are looking at Channel boards, they have that really nice flex level of 6/10 which works really well with a lot of different boards.
And the way that EST works with the channel system is really nice, so if you do have a channel board they work really well. I would go EST with a channel board every time, so long as I didn't need those bindings to work on any other board. The board feel is as good as it gets, IMO and overall comfort is great. And the response is really decent too.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you want to learn more about the Genesis EST, are ready to buy or want to research prices and availability, check out the links below.
If you want to see how the Genesis EST compares to other men’s freestyle bindings or want to check out some other options in that category, check out the next link.
I have the EXACT same setup (Burton CC board with vita reflexes), paired with ion boas. Outside of the obvious convenience factor, is it worth it to swap out the Vitas For the stepons?
Hi Shayne, thanks for your message.
Depends on the feel you’re going for. While ideally I’d pair the Custom with slightly stiffer (overall stiffness – I know the Vitas have a pretty stiff highback) bindings, I personally wouldn’t pair it with Step Ons/Ion Step On. I found the Ion Step On boots stiffer than the non-step On Ion BOAs and would be stiffer than I’d want on the Custom overall. The Step Ons also give a more locked in feel into the bindings, so don’t have as good a board feel for butters, ollies, etc, in my experience. The new EST Step On bindings do improve in that area of board feel, but still not, IMO, to the same degree as Burton’s non-step on bindings. If it was me and a choice between your current setup and switching to Step On Ions, I’d stay with what you have. But if you want a stiff, locked in feeling and willing to sacrifice a bit of board feel for better carving performance, then you could do it for sure. There is a chance that the setup could make the Custom feel a touch twitchy, but it’s hard to say for sure.
Hope this gives you more to go off