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 2021
Price: $299 (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 16 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: | $299 |
Ability Level: |  |
Flex: |  |
Edge-to-Edge: | Fast |
Weight: | Normal |
Mounts To: | 2 x 4 | 4 x 4 |
Sizing
SIZE | US BOOT SIZE | EURO BOOT SIZE | UK BOOT SIZE |
|---|---|---|---|
S | 5-7.5 | 36.5-40 | 4-6.5 |
M | 7-9.5 | 39-43 | 6-8.5 |
L | 9-13 | 42-47.5 | 8-12 |
Who are the XF Most Suited To?
The XFs are great for anyone looking to match to a medium to medium stiff board. Great for that 6/10 to 8/10 flex range.
In addition if you are looking for something with great ankle support, I found these very supportive of my ankles.
They are also very comfortable and highly adjustable - so you can them dialed in just right. If you're willing to sacrifice a little in terms of shock absorption, these bindings are one of the better going around, IMO. One of my all-time favorites.
Not for beginners, but work for a high-end intermediate rider, assuming they suit their style of riding.
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 2021, Large
Date: March 8, 2020
Conditions: Well groomed and hard packed on groomer. Not super hard but quite firm for the most part.
Off-groomer good. Nothing fresh, but still some old snow and nothing too crunchy or icy or anything.
Colder than the day before. Part of that being here hour earlier because daylight saving. -11°C (12.2°F) and -14°C (6.8°F) with wind, but it felt even colder than that.
Cloudy but still at least 90% visibility.
Bindings angles: +15/-15
Stance Width: 550 (21.7”)
Board demoed with: Rossignol One LF, 2018
Baseplate Length: 24.5cm (9.65″) – the toe 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. I suspect they would go as short as 24cm or possibly even shorter and probably as long as 25.5cm.
Highback Height: 20cm (7.87″)
Height from footbed to top of highback: 27cm (10.63″)
Flex
More twist in highback than I remember from the previous model, but not massive amount of twist. Trying to bend it back, there is zero movement. Solid as. Overall when riding felt like a 7/10. Stiffer than medium, but with a little forgiveness.
Responsiveness
Just like I remembered it from previous models. Made my board feel more “carvy” – as in could carve harder and hold a carve deeper versus my test bindings (Burton Malavita). Almost felt to a point of being mildly twitchy on my board to start with, but I soon settled into that, and my board felt more alive than with most bindings. A really nice dynamic feel. And still really good maneuverability at slower speeds too.
Board Feel/Butterability
Really good board feel – just like a remember it being from previous models. A little step down from my test bindings, but not by a lot. There’s no mini-disc or anything like reflex or pods or anything crazy in the baseplate, but it might be the minimal padding in the footbed that really helps with the board feel for these guys.
Adjustability
Heel Cup: No
Stance Width: Can run disc horizontal or vertical, so good for stance width adjustments when running horizontal.
Highback Lean: Yes, tool-less
Ankle Strap Position: Yes
Toe Strap Position: Yes
Ankle and toe strap length: Yes, tool-less
Gas pedal/toe ramp extension: Yes
Highback Rotation: Yes
Compatible with: 2 x 4 | 4 x 4 | Channel
So, you can adjust these bindings in most ways. You can adjust the heel ramp too, which you can’t on most bindings, so that gives you some extra adjustment there, too. Really the only thing that stops it from getting 5/5 is no heel cup adjustment.
Shock Absorption
This is the one area where these bindings do lack. To be fair it didn’t bother me that much. But it might be something that bothered me if I was riding them everyday, but I’m not sure. If shock absorption isn’t that big a deal to you, these could be the perfect bindings (assuming you’re looking for something in this flex range).
Entry/Exit
Nice and smooth – as per usual with Flux.
Comfort
Despite that lack of padding in the foodbed, they really are quite comfortable overall.
Ankle Strap: Really like Flux’s ankle straps and particularly so their waffle strap, so no complaints there.
Toe Strap: Really nice as Flux toe straps tend to be
Canted Footbed: No
Padded Footbed: Not a lot of padding there (see shock absorption)
Highback: A little padding there, which is nice – but the main thing really is calf-bite – and there was none of that, so all good, there.
Ankle Support
Really, really good ankle support, as is again, typical of Flux.
Changes for the 2021 Model
The 2021 model is practically the same as the 2020 model. The one change won’t change the feel, but does make them more convenient. They now come with a disc that is compatible with the Channel. So you no longer have to get a separate disc to put on a board that uses the channel.
Changes for the 2020 Model
The biggest difference on the 2020 model vs the 2019 model, is the highback. The 2019 Model had Flux’s “Axis” highback. The 2020 model now has a “Retro-Mod” highback. The highback lean adjuster is also a little different, but that’s a minor thing. Everything else seems to be the same – but of course, the highback is a major component, so it’s a relatively significant change there.
Changes for the 2019 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 for the 2018 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.
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
|---|---|---|
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 |
For those looking for a binding that's great for carving, provides really good ankle support, but still operate well when riding at slower speeds for when you want to slow it down and get a bit more casual - or for doing slower more technical tree runs, the XF should be squarely on your radar.
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 all-mountain-freeride bindings or want to check out other options, check out the next link.
Bindings: Flux XF 2019, Large
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.
Hi Nate,
I am in the market for some stiff enough bindings to put on an Amplid Surfari.
I have a pair of Now Pilot but that may be not enough.
I can get some Amplid Santos or thinking about the Flux XF.
I ride Adidas Acerra boots so I am guessing the lack of cushioning of the XF would be compensated.
Comfort is really important for me, and particularly I’d like easy highback rotation.
Do you know anything about the Amplid Santos? If yes how would you compare to the XF?
Thanks a lot for all your contents!
All the best,
Franck
Hi Franck
Thanks for your message.
I’m not familiar with the Amplid Santos unfortunately. Don’t test any Amplid gear currently. Based on the specs of the Amplid Surfari (flex 7/10), I’d say that the XF would be a really good match. The Pilot I personally got a feel of 6/10, so they would be doable, but I think the XF would drive it a little better. Not sure how the Santos matches up in that respect.
In terms of highback rotation – you can do it on the XF. It’s easy enough to do as well. I wouldn’t say it was the easiest I’ve rotated, but you can actually do it, unlike on something like the Pilot. Not sure about the Santos.
Given that you have Adidas Acerra boots, I wouldn’t be too concerned about the lack of cushioning on the XF.
Hope this gives you more to go off for your decision
hello nate
Would you recommend this on a yes standard? I spend most of the time on riding all mountain, jumps and spins off side hits and 20% of the time in the park on rains boxes and jumps. I enjoyed union strata on standard but felt like wanting more edge transition power and board feel.
Hi Marcus
Certainly in terms of edge transition power, I think you’d get more out of the XF. In terms of board feel, I find that it’s good on the Union Strata, so I’m not sure you’d be getting more, but you wouldn’t be sacrificing much there going with the XF. The biggest sacrifice there would be in terms of shock absorption vs the Strata. But if that’s not an issue, then yeah, I think it’s a good match with the Standard, and something that should give you a more powerful/responsive feel out of the board, IMO.
Hope this helps
Thanks for the input! Very helpful. It’s just me but strata feels laid back and very comfortable doing anything on the snow. There’s part of me wanting for a faster edge transitioning. It sounds like flux xf wouldn’t be too stiff to butter around when I want to?
Hi Marcus
I wouldn’t say that the XF is too stiff to butter around with. It’s stiffer than the Strata, but not massively stiff. I feel the Strata at 6/10 and the XF at 7/10, if that helps. But yeah, certainly a more powerful/precise feeling binding.
Thanks again Nate! Really appreciate your help
You’re very welcome Marcus. Happy riding!
Nate, hi! Thank you so much for your work on this invaluable resource! This is the only resource on the network where there is so much useful material. I try very hard to be in the industry trend in order to use the best technologies in this sport) I recently bought flux xf, and thanks to your work I made this choice. But first I wanted to buy Union Atlas. the last 6 years I rode a Burton Cartel and they seem to me weak for my riding style. ski resorts will start working soon and I will check a new purchase)) do a Nidecker megalight snowboard test, I’m very interested in your opinion about it)
Hi Anton
Thanks for your message. I appreciate it.
I haven’t ridden the Nidecker Megalight. Unfortunately I don’t have access to Nidecker gear to test.
after reading your work on snowboard tests, in my opinion Nidecker megalight is very close to YES PYL, but I am very interested in comparing these two snowboards.
Hi Anton
Let me know what you think if you do get a chance to test it, would be interested to hear what you think
well, when I have the opportunity to compare these two snowboards, I will be happy to share this experience with you.
Thanks Anton. That would be awesome!
Hey Nate
thanks for this site and your work for it!
so i have the flagship and wondering, if the xf would be a nice setup?
actualy i have the burton cartels, but they don’t fit my boot well… cause i’ve got a size 10 boot…
have they a bit more response than the cartels do?…
thinking between those ones and the rome targa’s, but i think you couldn’t review them yet?
so anyway thanks for your answer,,, ride on and enjoy the winter :-)…
Hi Rafael
Thanks for your message.
I think the XFs would be a good match for the Flagship – and a better match than the Cartel’s, IMO. I find them to be more responsive than the Cartels, and are a better fit with the Flagship, IMO. Yeah unfortunately I haven’t had the chance to test the Targas yet.
Hope this helps
thanks for your fast answer!!… i m just a bit unsure about the inexistent shock absortion…
my boots are the ride insano. they are comftable, but responsiv… so i m a bit affraid if i would have a lot of chatter on icy days… not because of speed :-p / but cause of grooves in the slopes? what are your experience with flux bindings in general if it becomes harder conditions or rough slopes?
so i m over 30 and not the healthiest knees…
Hi Rafael
Yeah that’s the one downside of Flux bindings, unfortunately. There’s not a lot going on in terms of padding, particularly in the heel, where it’s needed the most (IMO). The times I’ve noticed that lack is from rough landings from jumps and from chatter and particularly at the end of a long day. But with boots with good shock absorption I haven’t really noticed it that much. I found the Insano to have pretty good shock absorption, but have ridden boots with more. If you want the most cushioning, then going with both boots and bindings with good cush is a good way to go, but I usually find one or the other to be enough for me.
Hope this helps
so i was now in the alps with my new pairs of flux xf’s on my flagship.
it’s a great combo!
how the binding is designed is just great. everything is adjustable without any screwdrivers. i could imagine that they fit just every boot you put in them.
i’ve got that feeling of absolutly locked-in, which is great to me. not once the toe-strap became loose. and i love how fast the board reacts with them.
when conditions become icy, bad snow, then i may will continue with other bindings on the flagship, or another board with other bindings ;-)… cause there is no shock absorbtion.
so i m not sure, if i would go with flux as a one-for-all and everyday binding. but to have it in a quiver they are a great choice! for carving in good snow and in pow, IMO.
Hi Rafael
Thanks for the update and the insights. Awesome that you’re enjoying the XFs and the combo with the Flagship. Happy riding!
Flux says that the footbed eliminates snow and ice build up. How’s your experience with that?
Hi Allan
Thanks for your message.
I didn’t really notice either way to be honest. I have certain things I’m looking out for when testing bindings, and that’s not one of them, so I wasn’t paying attention to whether that was the case or not. I own Flux DS 2016 model, and I haven’t noticed them being any better or worse than others in that respect.
Hi
AsＩused to ride burton 8.5 boots and Burton size M bindings.
But recently I got a pair of size 8 Adidas Tactical that’s apparently way too small to fit on Burton’s size M binding despite it being size 8.
I already pushed the bindings forward all the way, on both EST and reflex. But the heel of the boots are extruding from the edge of the board while the toe stay well inside the edge.
I want bindings that can fit both pair. I also feel the heel cup on Burton’s are somewhat big. So I’m considering the Flux XF right now.
Could you confirm/compare the overall size and heel cup size of Flux and Burton size M?
Thanks!
Hi Aaron
Thanks for your message.
Yeah Adidas are pretty low profile, so I’m not too surprised there. I ride Flux large (I ride 10s) and haven’t ridden their medium bindings, so I couldn’t give you a first hand direct comparison, unfortunately. But given that their mediums are rated down to 7s, I imagine that they would be a better fit. But yeah, without having ridden their mediums, I couldn’t say for sure how well they would fit.
Thanks for the reply.
Anyhow, I’m getting one as my late Christmas gift though.
I’ll give you update once its arrived.
Thanks Aaron. Look forward to getting an update on how the size works, and what you think of them overall.
Would you recommend the xf or ds? I’d like to strap them to my libtech orca for deeper days and trees. I already have the ds on my funslinger and I love them but was curious about the xf…
Hi Brian
Thanks for your message.
The Orca isn’t something I’ve ridden but based on the specs, I think the XF would be a great match for it. Would just give you more response and be a bit better at driving the board, compared to the DS assuming the flex rating from Lib Tech is fairly accurate.
But like I say, I haven’t ridden it but based on the specs I think the XF would be a little better, though you could certainly ride it with the DS.
Hope this helps with your decision