Hello and welcome to my Flux XF bindings review.
In this review, I will take a look at the XFs as all-mountain-freeride snowboard bindings.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the XFs a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how they compare with other all-mountain-freeride bindings.
Overall Rating
Bindings: Flux XF 2019
Price: $295 (USD recommended retail)
Style: All-Mountain-Freeride
Other Uses: All-Mountain, Freeride
Flex Rating: Medium-Stiff (4/5)
Flex Feel: Medium-Stiff (7/10)
Rating Score: 93.1/100
Compared to other All-Mtn-Freeride Bindings
Out of the 13 men’s all-mountain-freeride bindings that I rated:
Overview of the XF’s Specs
Check out the tables for the XF’s specs and available sizes.
Specs
Style: | All-Mountain-Freeride |
Price: | $295 |
Ability Level: |  |
Flex: |  |
Edge-to-Edge: | Fast |
Weight: | Normal |
Mounts To: | 2 x 4 | 4 x 4 |
Sizing
SIZE | US Boot Size Range | Euro Boot Size Range | UK Boot Size Range |
Small | 5.0 - 7.5 | 36.5 - 40.0 | 4.0 - 6.5 |
Medium | 7.0 - 9.5 | 39.0 - 43.0 | 6.0 - 8.5 |
Large | 9.0 - 13.0 | 42.0 - 47.5 | 8.0 - 12.0 |
Who are the XF Most Suited To?
The XFs are perfect for anyone who’s looking for bindings that are responsive and comfortable but want something that still has a little bit of forgiveness – something that’s stiff but not ultra-stiff.
They’re also great for anyone who wants that response and a good bit of stiffness but still want to have good board feel. The XFs manage both of those things.
So they’re perfect for anyone who wants to charge the whole mountain and the backcountry hard – but also want to be able to take them through the park on occasion and/or generally slow it up and do some more freestyle type things on them when the mood takes them.
The XF in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the XFs are capable of.
Demo Info
Bindings: Flux XF 2019, Large
Date: April 15, 2018
Conditions: There was a little bit of fresh snow in the morning but just a few centimeters. There was still some left over fresh snow from the previous couple of days but not as much there as there was the day before. Quite cold in the morning, especially for April, but warmed up in the afternoon as the sun came out.
Visibility was variable in the morning for the first couple of laps but cleared out pretty quickly with the sun coming out late morning.
There were a couple of harder spots but mostly pretty soft/medium all round.
Bindings angles: +15/-15
Stance Width: 550 (21.7”)
Board demoed with: Rossignol One LF, 2018
Baseplate Length: 24.3cm (9.6″) – the heel ramp was slightly extended, so it goes a little shorter than that. And since the heel ramp and the toe ramp both adjust it can go a good bit longer than that. My Flux DS are 24.5cm with no extension and 26.1cm fully extended. The XF, since they use a different base plate may be a little bit different, I only remembered to measure it after I had mounted it so could only measure it at what it was set to. I suspect they would go as short as 24cm or possibly even shorter and probably as long as 25.5cm.
Highback Height: 18.9cm (7.44″)
Flex
The XFs are relatively stiff but have just that little bit forgiveness in them, to make them not super-stiff. I think the 4/5 that Flux give them on their flex scale (which converts to 8/10 in my head) is a little stiffer than they are but not by much. I’d say 7/10.
Responsiveness
Stiffer flex usually leads to greater responsiveness (but it’s not always the case or at least not always linear). It was certainly that case for the XFs. I try to ride all bindings I demo on my own board – and always after having ridden my own board with my usual bindings (which were the 2017 Burton Malavitas).
The step up in responsiveness that I felt was huge with these bindings. They are even more responsive feeling than their flex suggests. I felt my edge-to-edge transitions were lightning fast compared to most bindings I’ve had on my board and they just gave an extra spring out of turns.
Board Feel/Butterability
What surprised me the most about these bindings was the board feel. I expected, as is often the case with stiffer bindings, that the board feel could be somewhat lacking but they didn’t feel dead underfoot like some stiffer bindings do. This was confirmed after re-riding the 2019 model.
They’re actually great for taking through the park, which is what surprised me the most.
There’s no mini-disc or anything like that going on, but I suspect that it’s the shorter highback (18.9cm) and the minimal padding in the base plate that help these bindings to produce really good board feel.
Adjustability
As is typical with Flux bindings, there is heaps of adjustability with these bindings and it’s easy to do and mostly tool-less.
Let’s Break up this text with a Video
Check out more on the XF in the video below, including more about the adjustability. This video is for the 2017 model and I will update it once a 2019 version is released. The biggest difference is the straps which are honeycomb on the 2017 model and waffle straps on the 2018 & 2019 models.
Shock Absorption
While Flux may typically have great adjustability, they also typically don’t have the most shock absorption – this is the only downside of these bindings. Literally the only downside.
I didn’t spend enough time on them to really be annoyed by that lack of shock absorption (and I’m used to it with the DSs that I own) but I could feel on landings that there isn’t as much cushioning in there as there is with most other bindings I demo. But that minimal shock absorption may also explain the good board feel, despite the lack of a mini disc.
Entry/Exit
There’s nothing unique or flash going on with the way you get in and out of these, but the ratchet system is super smooth, as it typically is with Flux, and that just makes it easy/fast to get in and out of.
Comfort
The only thing that would make these bindings more comfortable would be a bit more cushioning in the base – but hey, this might take away some of that great board feel and response – so if you can live without that shock absorption, then you won’t miss it.
These bindings do fit super well – they have awesome toe and ankle straps that feel really nice and I’ve never felt any pressure points on any Flux bindings I’ve ridden. Some of the best straps in the industry, IMO.
Ankle Support
The ankle support is amazing on these bindings – you just feel completely locked-in.
They are one of the more supportive bindings that I’ve ridden. Part of this is the way the ankle straps sit (Flux’s UU fit – which is basically that the straps are mounted on the inside of the heel cup/base plate) and the other part is just that the ankle straps are super nice and conform really well across the ankle.
Changes from the 2018 Model
The toe strap has been tweaked (FTM ver5.0) which takes what was already an awesome toe strap and made it even better. I thought Flux had one of the best in the industry as it was, and this makes it that little bit better.
They may have done some other tweaks for the 2019 model but as far as I can tell it’s otherwise the same binding as the 2018 model.
Changes from the 2017 Model
The main change that I noticed from the 2017 model is the new ankle straps. They XFs use Flux’s new “Waffle Strap”. At first when I looked at it, it looked just like a honeycomb strap – but on closer inspection you can see that the holes don’t go all the way through. I loved these new straps.
The other new things are:
- Footon – not exactly sure what this is but apparently it helps with board feel and snow buildup. Didn’t notice anything with snow build up – but these bindings do have great board feel – especially given their stiffness
- Beer Buckle – they have a new buckle on the straps – which also doubles as a bottle opener
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
FACTOR | rating (OUT OF 5) | contribution to final score |
|---|---|---|
Response | 5.0 | 30/30 |
Board Feel | 4.0 | 12/15 |
Adjustability | 4.5 | 13.5/15 |
Ankle Support | 5.0 | 15/15 |
Shock Absorption | 2.5 | 5/10 |
Comfort | 4.0 | 8/10 |
Entry/Exit | 4.0 | 4/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 93.1/100 |
These are nigh on perfect bindings for those looking for a mid-stiff binding that is super-responsive but also has really good board feel – so you can take it over the entire mountain and not feel like you just have to bomb hard on them all day.
The only have one obvious downside – and that’s the shock absorption (adding more in could compromise some of the board feel and/or response so maybe it’s just something to put up with?). Other than that, they’re definitely one of the better bindings that I’ve demoed and really reasonably priced for this category of binding.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you want to learn more about the XFs, are ready to buy or want to research current prices and availability, check out the links below.
If you want to see how the XFs compare to other freeride bindings or want to check out other options, check out the next link.
FLUX XF 2017-18 MODEL
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the XFs are capable of.
The main change that I noticed from the 2017 model is the new ankle straps. They XFs use Flux’s new “Waffle Strap”. At first when I looked at it, it looked just like a honeycomb strap – but on closer inspection you can see that the holes don’t go all the way through. I loved these new straps.
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