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Burton Malavita EST Snowboard Bindings Review

Last Updated: October 20, 2020 by Nate Leave a Comment

Burton Malavita EST snowboard bindings

Hello and welcome to my Burton Malavita EST snowboard bindings review.

In this review, I will take a look at the Malavita EST as freestyle bindings.  

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

Overall Rating

Binding: Burton Malavita EST

Price: $319

Style: Freestyle

Flex Rating: Medium

Flex Feel on Snow: Medium (5/10)

Rating Score: 91.1/100

Compared to other Men’s Freestyle Bindings

Out of the 20 men’s freestyle bindings that I rated:

  • The average score was 78.1/100
  • The highest score was 92.6/100
  • The lowest score was 62.6/100
  • The average price was $224
  • The Malavita EST ranked 3rd out of 20*

Overview of the Malavita EST's Specs

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

Specs

Style:

Freestyle

Price: 

$319

Ability Level: 

Ability Level Intermediate to Expert

Flex: 

snowboard Flex 5

Edge-to-edge: 

Medium

Weight: 

Normal

Mounts to: 

Channel only

Sizing

SIZE 

US BOOT SIZE

EURO BOOT SIZE

UK

MONDO

S

6-8

38-41

5-7

24-26

M

8-11

41-44

7-10

26-29

L

10+

43-47

9+

28+

Who is the Malavita EST Most Suited To?

The Malavita EST is a great option for anyone wanting a freestyle binding that's on the stiffer side for bigger features - still medium flex - but a bit more stiffness in there vs a lot of freestyle bindings. But still with great board feel and butterability. 

Also great as an all-mountain binding - particularly if you're looking for all-mountain with great board feel and if you incorporate a good bit of freestyle in your all-mountain array. 

Not for beginners but fine for intermediate riders - and up of course. 

The Malavita EST in More Detail

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

Demo Info

Binding: Burton Burton Malavita EST 2020, M

Date: April 14, 2019

Conditions: Great vis first thing but started closing in and then snowing 10:30. Then on and off throughout the day. But vis was never terrible – in patches good and in patches OK.

Groomers were quite smooth and fast, especially compared to the day before, which was nice.

Nothing crazy in terms of fresh snow, but 1cm (0.5") overnight and few more than that in the days leading up - some fresh patches still to be found. 

Relatively cold with a little wind, but not much - wind not as strong and not quite as cold as the day before. -4 with wind. Still pretty cold for April 14th! 

Burton Malavita EST 2020 review

Bindings angles: +15/-15

Stance width: 560mm (22″)

Board demoed with: Burton Flight Attendant, 156

Baseplate Length: 24.3cm (9.57”)*

*measured on the top side of the footbed

Highback Height: 20.2cm (7.95”)*

* from bottom of heel cup to top of highback

Height from Bottom of Baseplate to top of Highback: 26.5cm (10.43") 

Testing Procedure

Usually I test everything on the same board (currently Rossignol One LF 2018) but since I can't test EST bindings on that, I had to get creative. 

I wanted to re-test the Flight Attendant, so I rode the Flight Attendant with my regular testing bindings (Malavita Re:Flex), to test that board (under normal testing procedures). Then, since I had just gotten the feel of the Malavita Re:Flex on the Flight Attendant, I then took the same Flight Attendant but rode the Malavita EST on it (and the Cartel EST after that). This gave me a good comparison against how the Malavita Re:Flex felt on the Flight Attendant. 

Flex

Burton simply rates them as medium, which is pretty accurate overall I would say, but doesn't paint the full picture. The overall feel is very much medium, but the highback is a little stiffer than medium. The baseplate is softer, which explains the overall medium feel.

Responsiveness

I rode the wingback version of the Malavita EST. Not sure if that had any effect on the response at all. But I did notice there was a touch more response than the Re:Flex model. Nothing drastic but just a bit more in there.  

Board Feel/Butterability

Vs the Re:Flex model, I felt noticeably better board feel and just easier to press. Getting that direct comparison to the Re:Flex model was great - and the ESTs had the best board feel that I've felt. I don't usually feel anything with better board feel than the Malavita Re:Flex (sometimes equal to, but never better) but the EST model has it over them (which is why I'm now going to have to downgrade the board feel on the Re:Flex model a little, when I update the review for that model). 

Pop/Ollie Power

Felt like it gave the same amount of pop as the Re:Flex model - which is pretty good overall for the Malavita. I've ridden some with better pop - but I'd say 4/5 for pop. 

Adjustability

EST bindings are highly adjustable - and have some advantages over the Re:Flex model (as well as a couple of disadvantages).  

Heel Cup: No

Stance Width: Infinite adjustments. EST bindings are the most adjustable going around in terms of stance width. 

Highback Lean: Yes - tool-less

Ankle Strap Position: No - this is something that the Re:Flex model does have, that the EST doesn't

Ankle and toe strap length: Yes, though I haven't met a binding that doesn't 

Gas pedal/toe ramp extension: Yes

Highback Rotation: Yes

Compatible with: Only the channel. So this is another way that it's not as good as the Re:Flex model - the EST version has to be used on a board with the Channel. 

Let’s Break up this text with a Video

Shock Absorption

There's less padding in the footbed than there is with the Re:Flex version. It's not drastic, but there is certainly a bit of shock absorption sacrifice going on vs the Re:Flex model. Still decent and still has that B3 gel in the heel, but just down a notch. 

Entry/Exit

Same smooth Burton ratchets as you get on most of their line. 

Comfort

Overall a small drop in comfort vs the Re:Flex model, but still nice and comfortable.

Ankle Strap: Same, nicely conforming ankle strap as the Re:Flex model - didn't notice it on at all, which is a good thing. 

Toe Strap: The 2019 model saw a nice new toe strap and that continues with the 2020 model. 

Canted Footbed: Yes

Padded Footbed:  Not as padded as the Re:Flex model but still decent

Highback: It has that hammock back which really helps with calf-comfort. Didn't notice any kind of calf pressure from it, so that gets a tick from me. 

Ankle Support

The EST model doesn't have (not that I've ever been able to see) the ankle strap position options that the Re:Flex model has - so not quite as good in that sense - you can opt for a higher ankle strap position to get a bit more support there. But the support generally is pretty good, but just a little step down from the Re:Flex in that sense. 

This isn't something that I have in my ratings for freestyle bindings, but worth mentioning anyway.   

Price/Value for Money

They're not the cheapest on the market, and certainly pricier than the average in this category, but you get a lot of performance for that price - and they don't look as pricey when you match them against other's with a similar flex. The majority of the bindings I rate in this category have a softer flex and softer flex usually means cheaper price. 

Score Breakdown and Final Verdict

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

RATING
(out of 5)

SCORE WEIGHTING

BOARD FEEL

5.0

30/30

SHOCK ABSORPTION

4.0

20/25

RESPONSE

3.5

10.5/15

ADJUSTABILITY

4.5

13.5/15

COMFORT

4.0

8/10

ENTRY/EXIT

4.5

4.5/5

TOTAL after normalizing

91.1/100

Overall, the Malavita EST is a great binding for those who are pairing with a channel board and want a binding for all-mountain/freestyle riding that have as good as I've felt board feel/butterability. 

Vs the Re:Flex model, not as good for ankle support or shock absorption but better board feel, and just a touch more response.

More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online

If you want to learn more about the Malavita EST, or if you are ready to buy, or if you just want to research prices and availability, check out the links below.

  • US
  • CANADA
  • UK/EUROPE

>>Burton Malavita EST at evo.com

>>Burton Malavita EST at REI.com

>>Burton Malavita EST at the-house.com

>>Burton Malavita EST at Burton Canada

>>Burton Malavita EST at blue-tomato

Burton Malavita EST 2021

If you want to check out some other freestyle binding options, or if you want to compare how the Malavita EST's compare to other freestyle bindings, then check out the next link.

My Top 5 Men's Freestyle Bindings
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Filed Under: 2020 Snowboard Binding Reviews, 2021 Snowboard Binding Reviews, Burton, Men's Freestyle Binding reviews Tagged With: Burton Malavita EST 2020-21, Burton Malavita EST 2021, Burton Malavita EST Bindings, Burton Malavita EST review, Burton Malavita EST Snowboard Bindings

About Nate

Nate is passionate about and loves learning new things everyday about snowboarding, particularly the technical aspects of snowboarding gear. That, and becoming a better rider and just enjoying and getting the most out of life.

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