Hello and welcome to my K2 Lineup bindings review.
In this review, I will take a look at the Lineup as freestyle snowboard bindings.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Lineup a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how they compare with other freestyle bindings.
NOTE: The 2023 model was the last model of the Line Up.
Overall Rating
Binding: K2 Line Up
Price: $239
Style: Freestyle
Flex Rating: Medium-Soft (4/10)
Flex Feel on Snow: Medium-Soft (4/10)
Rating Score: 84.2/100
Compared to other Men’s Freestyle Bindings
Out of the 17 men’s freestyle bindings that I rated:
Overview of the Line Up's Specs
Check out the tables for the Line Up’s specs and available sizes.
Specs
Style: | Freestyle or Beginner |
Price: | $239 |
Ability Level: | |
Flex: | |
Weight: | Normal |
Mounts to: | 2 x 4 | Channel |
Sizing
SIZE | US BOOT SIZE | EURO BOOT SIZE | UK BOOT SIZE |
---|---|---|---|
M | 5-9 | 36-41.5 | 4-8 |
L | 8-12 | 40.5-46 | 7-11 |
XL | 11-15 | 44.5-50 | 10-14 |
Who are the Lineup Most Suited To?
The Lineup is best for riding freestyle, particularly more playful freestyle riding. They have great board feel and a soft, surfy playful feel.
Not for hard charging, but fine for cruising the rest of the mountain when not hitting the park or natural features.
Great for beginners too.
The Lineup in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Lineup are capable of.
Demo Info
Binding: K2 Lineup 2020, L
Date: March 10, 2019
Conditions: Mostly sunny and perfect vis.
Groomers were on the firmer side, but not overly hard - and really well groomed - especially first thing, was smooth going and could really confidently bomb and lean into some deep carves.
Got a little cruddy as the day wore on, but was never too bad.
Off-groomer was tracked, but there'd been recent fresh snow a few days prior and there were still some good patches of untracked fresh snow.
Bindings angles: +15/-15
Stance width: 550mm (21.7″)
Board demoed with: K2 Medium 2020, 155
Baseplate Length: 27.0cm (10.63”)*
*measured on the top side of the footbed
Highback Height: 21cm (8.27”)*
* from bottom of heel cup to top of highback
Flex
The highback is quite flexy, more so than the overall feel of the ride. So whilst I don't think the baseplate is overly stiff, it's not super soft either. The straps are also not overly soft either. With a highback feel more like 3/10 and an overall feel of more like 4/10, with the strap/baseplate feel.
Responsiveness
Hard to tell fully, because I wasn't riding them with my typical test board and the board I was riding them on, I didn't get along with that well. But they're never going to be an ultra aggressive binding - more on the surfy, playful side of things.
Board Feel/Butterability
Really good board feel. And that's not a big surprise given the mini-disc and the tripod tech.
Pop/Ollie Power
I would say a little less power for ollies/pop vs something like my test bindings (Burton Malavita) but again, really hard to tell without being able to test them on my test board.
Adjustability
Good amount of adjustability overall.
Heel Cup: No
Stance Width: Good amount of stance width adjustment, without being great with that mini-disc
Highback Lean: Yes - tool-less
Ankle Strap Position: No
Toe Strap Position: Yes
Ankle and toe strap length: Tool-less
Gas pedal/toe ramp extension: Yes
Highback Rotation: Yes, but not independent of forward lean adjustment
Compatible with: 2 x 4 | Channel
Let’s Break up this text with a Video
Shock Absorption
Shock absorption is OK, without being epic. A bit of cush in the footbed, but relatively thin and nothing too plush going on there. Felt fine, but nothing special in this area.
Entry/Exit
Average ratchets. Nothing bad about them at all, but not ultra smooth feeling either. Do the job just fine though.
Comfort
Overall decently comfortable.
Ankle Strap: It's really minimal, but still decently comfortable. Definitely preferred the strap to the K2 Formula. You could crank down too much on it, if you wanted to - but so long as you didn't over crank it they were good and comfortable.
Toe Strap: Comfortable and conformed well to my boots. Again very minimal, but did the job it was supposed to and did it well.
Canted Footbed: Yes
Padded Footbed: Relatively thin and hard, but also seemed to absorb shock OK.
Ankle Support
A looser feel in there. Very thin straps that give you more freedom of movement/surfy feel vs being super supportive/locked in.
Price/Value for Money
They come in at a very reasonable price point for what you get.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
---|---|---|
BOARD FEEL | 5.0 | 30/30 |
SHOCK ABSORPTION | 3.5 | 17.5/25 |
RESPONSE | 3.0 | 9/15 |
ADJUSTABILITY | 4.0 | 12/15 |
COMFORT | 4.0 | 8/10 |
ENTRY/EXIT | 3.5 | 3.5/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 84.2/100 |
Overall, the Lineup is a quality binding for it's price point. You get some good tech - with board feel being it's best quality. Great for those looking for a playful, surfy feeling binding for casual, playful freestyle riding.
I admit though that this isn't my most accurate review and should be taken with a grain of salt, given that I was unable to test it on my test board, therefore unable to properly compare them to my test bindings.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you want to learn more about the Lineup, or if you are ready to buy, or if you just want to research prices and availability, check out the links below.
If you want to check out some other freestyle binding options, or if you want to compare how the Lineup compare to other freestyle bindings, then check out the next link.
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