Hello and welcome to my Flux XV Bindings review.
In this review I will take a look at the XV as freeride snowboard bindings.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the XV a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how they compare with other freeride bindings.
Overall Rating
Bindings: Flux XV
Price: $529 (USD recommended retail)
Style: Freeride
Flex Rating: Stiff (10/10)
Flex Feel: Stiff (9/10)
Rating Score: 92.1/100
Compared to other Men’s Freeride Bindings
Out of the 13 men’s freeride bindings that I rated:
- The average price was $466 (USD)
- The average score was 85.9/100
- The highest score was 92.1/100
- The lowest score was 80.1/100
- The XV ranked 1st out of 13!
Overview of the XV’s Specs
Check out the tables for the XV’s specs and available sizes.
Specs
Style: | Freeride |
Price: | $529 - BUYING OPTIONS |
Ability Level: |  |
Flex: |  |
Edge-to-Edge: | Fast |
Weight: | Lighter side of Normal |
Mounts To: | 2 x 4 | 4 x 4 | Channel |
Sizing
SIZE | US BOOT SIZE | EURO BOOT SIZE | UK BOOT SIZE |
|---|---|---|---|
S | 4.5-7.5 | 36-40.5 | 3.5-6.5 |
M | 7-9.5 | 40-42.5 | 6-8.5 |
L | 9+ | 42+ | 8+ |
Who are the XV Most Suited To?
The XVs are best for anyone who likes to charge fast and ride hard. If you like to carve and also hit the backcountry, then the XVs will be give you that response and support you need.
But at the same time they manage to actually maintain some decent board feel. Which is sometimes hard to come by in stiffer bindings – and these bindings are seriously stiff.
Certainly not for the beginner, but they aren’t as unforgiving as their flex and response would suggest, so, paired with the right board and with a suitable style of riding, you could ride these as an upper level intermediate rider.
Surprisingly, not un-park-able (that’s a word, I swear!) but also not ideal for the park – more suited to the steep and deep.The XV in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the XV are capable of.
Demo Info
Bindings: Flux XV 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 tested with: Rossignol One LF, 2018
Boots tested with: Vans Infuse, size US10
Baseplate Length: 24.7cm (9.72”) – the heel ramp was a little extended, so it goes 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 XV, 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. The XF (which has the same base plate) I measured was 24.3cm and that was still a little extended, so I think it will go as short as 24cm and likely as long as 25.5cm.
Highback Height: 19.5cm (7.68”)
Flex
This binding is seriously stiff, particularly in the highback. It barely moves when you try to twist it with your hands. So I’ve given it a 9/10. Flux gives it a 5/5. I would say it really is bordering on 10/10.
Responsiveness
Very very responsive. Certainly, made my board more responsive. To a point that it was bordering on twitchy (the board I rode them with, I consider a 6/10 flex). So yeah, super responsive.
Not just in terms of quick turn initiation but also really locked you in for carves really well, just felt it held me in super-solid on a big arcing carve, more so than most bindings.
Board Feel/Butterability
For how stiff it is, you can actually still butter in these bindings and there is still a really decent board feel. This is what really surprised me about these (and other stiffer Flux bindings).
Pop/Ollie Power
Made my board poppier too. Like a lot of stiffer bindings, I felt like you had to give it a bit more effort but once you did you could really extract good spring from ollies/popping.
Adjustability
You can adjust pretty much everything. One of the only bindings that lets you adjust both the heel ramp and toe ramp (usually just the toe ramp) – so that’s a bonus.
Can’t adjust the heel cup, which I would like to see and can’t adjust the high back rotation, which isn’t a big deal for me, but heel cup adjustments are nice to have.
Shock Absorption
They’re a bit lacking in this department. To be fair, I didn’t really notice the extent of this, but I didn’t ride them all day, which is when you might start to feel that. But also, I wasn’t hitting a lot of jumps or jibs in the park or anything either – and for what you want these bindings for (Freeriding/charging), shock absorption is less important, IMO.
Entry/Exit
Smooth entry and exit on these as with all the other Flux bindings I’ve tried.
Comfort
Really comfortable. I hardly noticed them on, which is always a good sign of comfort.
The waffle strap fits great and, again, you just don’t notice it. The toe strap is probably the best in the business in my opinion. I found it conformed to my boot perfectly with no pressure points. It felt like it was on as solid as it could be but you hardly noticed it was there.
Ankle Support
Great ankle support. Flux are one of the best in the business when it comes to ankle support, in my opinion.
Price
For Freeride bindings they are actually one of the better priced models, and given the performance you get out of them, a great price, IMO.
Changes for the 2022 Model
As far as I can tell the 2022 model is the same as the 2021 model, apart from colorways.
Changes for the 2021 Model
The 2021 model gets a brand new highback. The “W-Prop Highback” replacing the “Retro Mod Highback” that was on the 2020 model.
The 2021 model also gets a new disc – which is now compatible with the Channel. So you no longer have to get a separate disc to make them compatible with the channel.
Changes for the 2020 Model
The 2020 model gets a couple of upgrades:
- The highback is now different. The 2019 model had the “Axis” highback. The 2020 model has a “Retro-Mod” highback. The “Retro-Mod” has carbon in it.
- The base plate also makes use of their “Super Carbon Blend” now
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.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
|---|---|---|
CARVING | 5.0 | 30/30 |
SLOW SPEED RESPONSE | 3.5 | 3.5/5 |
ADJUSTABILITY | 4.5 | 13.5/15 |
ANKLE SUPPORT | 5.0 | 15/15 |
SHOCK ABSORPTION | 3.0 | 6/10 |
COMFORT | 4.0 | 8/10 |
BOARD FEEL | 4.0 | 8/10 |
ENTRY/EXIT | 4.0 | 4/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 92.1/100 |
If you like your riding uncompromised and super-charged and really want something that is stiff and responsive, with great ankle support and need something to match a stiffer board, then the XV might be your kind of bindings.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you want to learn more about the XV, are ready to buy or want to research prices and availability, check out the links below.
If you want to see how the XV compares to other men’s freeride bindings or want to check out some other options in that category, check out the next link.
Really enjoy your reviews!
I have a GNU Mullair I was thinking of pairing XV with, do you think that would be a good pairing?
Hi Ryan, thanks for your message.
I think the XV would be sick with the XVs. Not many boards out there that can handle the power that the XVs can drive but the Mullair is one of those boards that would benefit from the stiffness/power of the XVs, IMO. It would be a setup that you’d want to ride aggressively with and really lean into it, but I imagine there wouldn’t be much that it couldn’t handle and as long you’re strong/fit enough to drive it hard, they will give back and take whatever you could throw at them, IMO. Would be a fun setup for sure. Just don’t expect it to be a cruisey stroll through a meadow – be prepared for adrenaline.
TLDR; a great match, IMO, so long as your strong/fit and have a fairly aggressive riding style and are an advanced rider. If you’re lighter/not that strong and/or prefer to ride more casually (which I’m guessing you don’t by the gear you’re looking at), then it might be a bit much, but otherwise would be sick, IMO.
If the TLDR was still too long; this pairing would be a rollicking, not for the faint hearted, good time!
Hey Nate,
im looking to buy new Bindings. 187cm and 90kg.
Im riding in Deeluxe Edge Pro Boots and it will go on a Burton OneHitter. Im going to get a Korua Shapes Board tough soon. Just need to demo some and decide. Cafe Racer, Dart or Tranny Finder.
My Riding Style is best described as an intermediate Carver who takes a Detour into Powder if i see some. However i need to be able to do some slow and comfortable riding now and then.
Would you recommend the XV, CV LTD, CV or XF for this?
Hi Pascal
Thanks for your message. We haven’t tested any Korua boards but based on specs, they all look around medium flex. So, I would say the XV are going to be too stiff for them. We haven’t tested the CV Ltd, so not sure about them, maybe a little stiffer than the CV, or maybe just lighter, not sure. The CV or XF would be a good bet, IMO for the riding that you’re doing and matching those boards. I’m partial to the XF, but both are very good bindings and either would be a good choice, IMO.
Hope this helps with your decision
Hey Nate,
Thank you very much!
The Korua boards feel quite stiffer than my onehitter (7/10 flex). Korua tails are a bit softer but between the feet it’s very stiff. I would call it 8/10.
I was able to try a XF and a XV on today. Only on carpet in the store but still. The XF felt like a bit too much lateral flex for my taste. The XV felt awesome but im afraid they’re only that nice for full attack riding and might be uncomfortable when laid back riding with some newbie friends. So im leaning CV, but they’re the only ones I couldn’t try.
The Korua founder rides with XV so im sure it handles them nice.
Do you think the XF feel different on snow? Or will i be just happy with the middle ground and get CV. Thank you very much
Hey Pascal
I didn’t find the CV any stiffer than the XF to be honest. The XV, for how stiff they are, weren’t actually too bad at slower speeds. Definitely better when charging, but can do laid back OK. The XF I found really good for carves, but also really good (better than XV) at slower speeds/more cruisey riding. But so was the CV are also like that, in my experience, so would make a great choice, if you didn’t want to go as stiff as the XV. But yeah, if the Korua boards are more of an 8/10 flex, then the XV would match with them for sure, IMO.
Hi, I bought and Aviator 2.0 for east coast hard pack/ice days and for when I need to keep up with skier friends. Have only ridden them with MalaVitas. Wondering if you would recommend a different binding such as those on this list for the Aviator given that I will mostly ride it in hard pack conditions.
Hi Chris
Thanks for your message.
Yeah, Malavitas will do the job, but ideally you’d have something stiffer on the Aviator 2.0. The Flux XV would certainly work – along with others on this list. If you did want something with a little more forgiveness, then you could also check out the bindings on this list.
Generally speaking I would want something at least 7/10 flex and up to 9/10 flex for the Aviator 2.0.
Hi Mike,
I’ve just bought a pair of XV and I’m a bit concerned they aren’t the real deal. Are they made in China for example? And do they come in just a plain cardboard box, no graphics on the box. Plus there’s absolutely zero dampening. I mean nothing!!
Thanks
Hi Nick
Thanks for your message. Flux bindings are manufactured in China. I haven’t ordered Flux bindings before – only ever borrowed them from reps, but it does seem strange that there aren’t graphics on the box – never seen that before. Assuming they are legit, then I assume that it was the retailer that put them in a plain box for some reason – maybe the box they came in got destroyed somehow? Not sure. I would ask them about that though, because I doubt Flux would send them to the retailer in a plain cardboard box.
Flux bindings have very little in terms of dampening – so that’s definitely a Flux thing. If you’re able to share a picture – using imgbb or the likes, that would be helpful too.
I got the Flux XV and couldn’t be happier with them. I ride a stiff 168 board and charge hard. My previous bindings were stiff old Burton CF with carbon composite high backs.
When a strap broke I bought Burton Cartel X because Burton rated them as Siff at the far end of the scale. I had to send them back after one day because they were not nearly as responsive as I needed. When you can see the base plate flex while you sit on your but and move your feet it’s definately not a stiff base plate. The Flux XV is a far better binding and I love the sense of being in control of my board that they give. No dead zone in the feel when going edge to edge. They even look a lot better on the board then in the pictures.
Hi Mike
Yeah, they certainly are nice bindings – and super responsive for sure. Best suited to stiff boards, so I’m not surprised they worked well for what you’re describing. The Cartel X to me is a mid-stiff binding. More like 7/10 flex. Burtons ratings tend to just say soft medium or stiff, which is a pretty inaccurate way to look at it, IMO. Cartel X definitely not stiff at the far end of the scale that’s for sure (like you experienced).
Hi, Nate, would you recommend XV or XF for pairing with Jones Ultracraft? Thanks.
Hi Ruslan
Thanks for your message.
I haven’t ridden the Ultracraft, but based on it’s specs, I would be putting the XV on it. Looks to be pretty stiff – 8/10. Don’t think the XF would be wrong on it, but I would be leaning XV.
Hope this helps
hello nate , Do you think they are lighter or heavier than burton x base?
Hi Rico
I haven’t weighed either binding, so I’m not sure exactly, but I would say the X Base is probably a little lighter. But like I say, haven’t weighed them, so can’t be sure.
I have a chance to pick up for cheap a pair of Flux 2017 XV used bindings on Ebay and they look hardly used. I bought a Flux 2019 XF end of last season and liked them. I ride a Never Summer Funslinger and I am an all mountain AASI instructor. If I can handle the stiffness factor, is the 2017 carbon fiber model essentially what is in a 2020 model?
Any thoughts you can offer?
Mark
Hi Mark
Thanks for your message.
The highback for the 2020 model has changed. I can’t say for sure, but as far as I know the highback didn’t have Carbon in it, until the 2020 model. For the 2017 model it was labelled as “super tough Nylon Plus” – but I don’t know for sure what materials that had in it. The base plate however, looks like it did have the “Super Carbon Blend”, so that looks, judging by how they are labelling it, like it’s the same.
The 2020 model has a slightly different toe strap on it, but the older toe straps were still really good from Flux, IMO. The ankle strap was a honey comb strap back then, which is now a waffle strap. I do prefer the Waffle strap, but their Honeycomb straps were really good too, so not a biggie there, IMO.
The XV are very stiff for the Funslinger, IMO, but see how you go, you might really like the combo.
Hi INate,
I recently bought a Ride Commissioner, and I’m wondering which binding would fit it the most. I’m looking at the XV, XF and TM. Do you have any recommendation for a intermeiate rider??
Hi Lincoln
Thanks for your message. I haven’t ridden the Commissioner yet, but from what I can see it’s a relatively stiff board. So definitely some stiffer than average bindings are needed. Something too soft wouldn’t have enough to drive the board properly. But from a bit of research the Commissioner sounds like it’s not quite as stiff as the old Timeless that it replaces, so maybe not like ultra stiff. I think ultimately, the XV if the board is anything even close to the Timeless – and even if a bit softer would work. Or the TM, which is just a shade softer and good bit cheaper. However, if the board is a good bit softer – still going to be at least mid-stiff though I would say, then the XF might be your best bet – and would be a more intermediate friendly flex too – the XV and TM I usually wouldn’t recommend for an intermediate level.
So, the XF might be the best bet in terms of finding something that’s more intermediate friendly, whilst still having enough to drive a stiffer board, like the Commissioner. And certainly if the Commissioner isn’t ultra stiff, then that’s even more reason to go XF.
Hope this gives you more to go off for your decision
Hi Nate,
Thanks for your review! There are not many reviews for Flux XV. Could you tell me if the highback rotation is adjustable? I can see there are 3 holes on the bottom end of highback legs. I assume they are for adjusting the highback rotation. Other reviewer said, its not adjustable though!
Also, do you recommend Flux XV with Rossignol ONE lf, for someone with intermediate skill who wants to improve his carving skill (in east coast) ?
Hi Ali
Thanks for your message. You can rotate them to an extent. It kind of feels a little awkward doing it but it can be done. Just double checked with my Flux DSs (which have the same highback rotation system).
The XV would be a bit overkill for the One LF, IMO. The XV are very stiff. I would go with something more medium flexing to medium-stiff at most, especially as an intermediate rider. The XF would be a better option and the DS would work also, but I’d say the XV a little too much to be ideal. I did ride the XV on the Rossi One LF, but if I was to buy them I would have them on a stiffer board.
Hope this helps
Awesome!
Most probably I will go with XF based on your suggestion! Thanks!
You’re very welcome Ali. Hope you have an awesome season!