Hello and welcome to my NOW Select Pro bindings review.
In this review I will take a look at the Select Pro as all-mountain snowboard bindings.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Select Pro a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how they compare with other all-mountain bindings.
Overall Rating
Bindings: NOW Select Pro 2024
Price: $379 (USD recommended retail)
Style: All-Mountain
Flex Rating: Medium (6/10)
Flex Feel: Medium (6/10)
Rating Score: 86.6/100
Compared to other Men’s All-Mountain Bindings
Out of the 25 men’s all-mountain bindings that I rated:
* this is based on 2023 ratings, which the Select Pro didn't come into as we hadn't tested the 2023 or prior models. This will be updated once all the 2024 scores are compiled.
Overview of the Select Pro’s Specs
Check out the tables for the Select Pro’s specs and available sizes.
Specs
STYLE:
ALL-MOUNTAIN
PRICE:
$379
Ability Level:
flex:
weight:
Felt normal
Mounts to:
2x4 | 4x4 | Channel
Sizing
SIZE | US BOOT SIZE | EURO BOOT SIZE | MONDO |
|---|---|---|---|
S | 5-7.5 | 36.5-40 | 23.5-25.5 |
M | 7-10.5 | 39-43.5 | 25-28.5 |
L | 10-13 | 43-47 | 28-30.5 |
Who are the Select Pro Most Suited To?
The Select Pro are best suited to anyone looking for a mid-flexing binding that excels at both higher speed carves and slow speed turning. And even more ideal for someone who needs/wants a lot of shock/chatter absorption.
If you're looking for high-end board feel, then they're probably not for you, IMO, but for everything else, they are very capable and fun bindings.
Too stiff to be great for beginners, but definitely intermediate and up friendly.
Best matched to boards in that 4/10 to 7/10 flex range, and most ideally suited to 5/10 to 6/10 flex boards, IMO.
The Select Pro in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Select Pro are capable of.
Demo Info
Bindings: NOW Select Pro 2024, Medium
Date: April 13, 2023
Conditions
Overcast with occasional very light flurries of snow and occasional sun breaking through at other times.
Temperature was -3°C (27°F) and -8°C (18°F) with wind, in the morning apparently, but didn't feel that cold. -2°C (28°F) and -5°C (23°F) with wind, in the afternoon.
24 hour snow: 0" (0cm)
48 hour snow: 5" (13cm)
7 day snow: 32" (81cm)
On groomer: Soft packed with hard underneath higher up. Got a little slushy lower down, later in the day.
Off groomer: Decent higher up but icy/ crunchy lower down (slush from yesterday froze overnight, I'm guessing).
Set Up
Bindings angles: +15/-15
Stance Width: 555mm (22”)
Board demoed with: Lib Tech Terrain Wrecker
Baseplate Length: 25.8cm (10.2”) – measured on the top of the footbed. 24.5cm (9.7") on the underside of the baseplate.
Highback Height: 20.2cm (8”)
Weight: 920 grams (2lbs)*
* for one binding, including screws and disc. The average weight of a small sample size of around 80 bindings (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 & 2024 models) I have weighed is 920 grams (2lbs). So the Select Pro is bang on average and they felt normal on snow too.
Responsiveness
I felt like I could carve better with these bindings vs my control bindings (Malavita) but most surprisingly I found these were also better for slow speed turns - and I find the Malavita really good for slow speed turns.
Versus the NOW Drive Pro, which I also rode on the same day, they were noticeably better for slower speed riding. For higher speed carves, I felt they were a little step down, but subtly, versus the Drive Pro.
Board Feel/Butterability
I felt there's a dead spot/stiff spot laterally and medially which makes nose to tail board feel limited. Not as easy to press or ollie as my control bindings. Not terrible, but pretty average for board feel.
Pop/Ollie Power
I found it harder to extract pop from my board in these bindings, compared to my control bindings. Again, not terrible, but noticeable.
Adjustability
Heel Cup: No
Stance Width: Not a minidisc, but there’s a fairly narrow space where the screws go, so not a massive amount of stance width adjustment, but there's some.
Highback Lean: Yes - tool-less.
Ankle Strap Position: Yes, in a way, as you can swap the ankle straps between the bindings. One way up they provide more ankle support and the other way up, they give more freedom of movement.
Toe Strap Position: No
Ankle and toe strap length: Tool-less
Gas pedal/toe ramp extension: None
Highback Rotation: No
Compatible with: 2x4 | 4x4 | Channel
In addition you can also change the bushings to stiffer or softer ones.
Shock Absorption
NOW are best in the business, IMO, when it comes to shock absorption and the Select Pro are no exception. Between thick, cush padding in the footbed, to the bushings and even the Skate Tech helps with shock, these bindings do a really good job absorbing shock and chatter.
Comfort
Overall nice and comfortable.
Ankle Strap: Briefly had a minor pressure point, but that went away quickly and overall very comfortable ankle strap that conformed well to my boots.
Toe Strap: No issues and felt nice and snug, but without any pressure.
Canted Footbed: Yes
Padded Footbed: Really good padding and shock absorption.
Highback: Some padding on high back and most importantly no calf-bite while riding.
Ankle Support
Felt good. Felt normal.
Entry/Exit
The ratchets were nice and smooth. All you’d ever need them to be. But I’d say just a hair not as smooth as the Jones’ bindings I had at the same time. Same as Drive Pros.
The most interesting addition, since I last rode NOW bindings was that both the ankle straps and toe straps have hinges which allow you to sort of "fold" them out, like with Burton's flex slider - except the Select Pro have them on both the ankle and toe straps. This helps to make it easier to get in without accidentally standing on the straps.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
|---|---|---|
CARVING | 4.0 | 12/15 |
SLOW SPEED RESPONSE | 4.5 | 13.5/15 |
BOARD FEEL | 3.0 | 9/15 |
SHOCK ABSORPTION | 5.0 | 15/15 |
ADJUSTABILITY | 3.5 | 10.5/15 |
COMFORT | 4.0 | 8/10 |
ANKLE SUPPORT | 4.0 | 8/10 |
ENTRY/EXIT | 4.5 | 4.5/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 86.6/100 |
The Select Pro are so much fun to turn and carve in and they have that NOW shock absorption that makes these a really damp/smooth ride.
They lack a little in board feel, but that would be my only complaint. Everything else about these bindings is right up there.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you want to learn more about the Select Pro, are ready to buy or want to research prices and availability, check out the links below.
If you want to see how the Select Pro compares to other men’s all-mountain bindings or want to check out some other options in that category, check out the next link.
Didn’t notice, what boots and boot size you used for binding M size? I’m 10.5 usually (burton moto & ion) and have used with union contact pro L and burton cartelx L sizes earlier. Though in cartel’s there’s some additional extra empty room on the sides
Hey Martin
Thanks for your message.
I was in 9.5s in this case. And really low profile ones too (Adidas Response). For some boots I’m a 10 and I’ve had 10s in Medium NOW bindings no problem (all be it they were also low profile). Given you’re wearing low profile boots too, I think you’d likely be fine in the M, particularly as NOW says they can accommodate up to 10.5s – and that’s likely accounting for at least an average profile boot – and with Burton being lower than average profile, I’d say you should be fine. No guarantees, but my guess is that the M should work for you.
Hope this helps
Hi Nate,
Great review as always. I have last year’s Select Pro which is pretty much the same as this years.
Two selling points for me, first is when you buy them brand new they come with three different pairs of bushings that you can swap out. The bushings have different hardnesses. The soft ones give a surfy feel and the hard ones are more responsive.
The second is the kingpin tool-less kit ($50) which allows you to swap out your bindings from one board to another on the fly. Switching boards with the kit is super easy compared to using a screw driver and mounting them on your other board. This is a cool feature because it allows me to take two boards with me to the slopes, usually park and pow/freeride board.
Cheers
Hey Sanjay
Great points. I haven’t used their Kingpin system, but it is a great idea, if you have a multi board quiver and one set of bindings, or even if you’re only wanting to take one pair of bindings with you but 2 boards.