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PAST REVIEWS OF THE FALCOR
Union Falcor 2022-2024
Hello and welcome to my Union Falcor review.
In this review I will take a look at the Falcor as all-mountain-freeride snowboard bindings.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Falcor a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how they compare with other all-mountain-freeride bindings.
Overall Rating
Bindings: Union Falcor
Price: $399 (USD recommended retail)
Style: All-Mountain-Freeride
Flex Rating: Medium-Stiff (7/10)
Flex Feel: Medium-Stiff (7.5/10)
Rating Score: 89.9/100
Compared to other Men’s All-Mountain-Freeride Bindings
Out of the 20 men’s all-mountain-freeride bindings that I rated:
- The average score was 84.2/100
- The highest score was 93.1/100
- The lowest score was 77.1/100
- The average price was $360
- The Falcor ranked 2nd out of 20
Overview of the Falcor’s Specs
Style: | All-Mountain-Freeride |
Price: | $399 - BUYING OPTIONS |
Ability Level: |  |
Flex: |  |
Weight: | A little lighter than normal |
Mounts To: | 2 x 4 | Channel |
SIZE | US BOOT SIZE | EURO BOOT SIZE | UK BOOT SIZE |
|---|---|---|---|
S | 5.5-7.5 | 37-40.5 | 4.5-6.5 |
M | 8-10 | 41-43 | 7-9 |
L | 10.5-13 | 43.5-46 | 9.5-12 |
Who are the Falcor Most Suited To?
The Falcor are best suited to anyone looking for a responsive binding for hard charging but a binding that doesn't make you charge hard all the time. Something that you can still ride a little more casually on. And something you can still experience good board feel with.
Matches best to boards in that 6/10 to 8/10 flex range, IMO.
Not for beginners - too stiff for that. High end intermediate and up, IMO.
The Falcor in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Falcor are capable of.
Demo Info
Binding: Union Falcor 2022, M
Date: February 24, 2021
Conditions: Sunny! As in not a single cloud. Perfect visibility.
-4°C (25°F) and -4°C (25°F) with wind chill (as in no wind!). Felt warmer than that because of the sun.
Snow was pretty good for the most part. On groomer some harder spots but mostly medium. Off groomer medium with some crunchy spots.
24 hour snow: 2cm (0.75")
7 day snow: 45cm (18")
On groomer: Hard but not icy.
Off groomer: Crunchy with some icy patches
Bindings angles: +15/-15
Stance width: 555mm (22″)
Board tested with: Lib Tech Terrain Wrecker
Boots tested with: Adidas Tactical ADV, size US9.5
Baseplate Length: 25.5cm (10”)*
*measured on the top side of the footbed - 23cm (9") at base of baseplate.
Highback Height: 21cm (8.3”)*
* from bottom of heel cup to top of highback
Height from top of footbed to top of highback: 26.7cm (10.5")
Weight: 840g (1lb 13oz)
* for one binding, including screws and disc. The average weight of a small sample size of around 45 bindings (2019, 2020, 2021 & 2022 models) I weighed, was 890 grams. The lightest was 680 grams and the heaviest was 1,160grams. So the Falcor are a little lighter than average.
Mounting
Previously with Union bindings I've had to sink a screw without a washer first, then sink the 3 other screws and then remove that first screw and add the washer back before re-sinking it. I didn't have that issue on the 2022 Falcor, so that was nice to just be able to sink it easily without first having to sink one washer-less.
Still need a screw for high-back lean. Not a big deal if you set it and forget it. But if you're someone who likes to adjust the highback position depending, then it's a bit of a pain.
Flex
They're a little stiffer than I remember them for sure. The highback and straps are noticeably stiffer than on the 2019 model I own. But the overall flex when riding is only subtly stiffer. I think that's likely because the baseplate isn't as stiff.
Union rate the baseplate 7/10, the highback 9/10 and the straps 8/10. All round it's a 7.5/10 for me, so I think that baseplate probably has the most influence on overall flex, when riding?
Responsiveness
You can really rail carves with these bindings. Noticeably better on a big carve versus my control bindings. And all the changes to this binding hasn't affected it's ability when it comes to bombing and charging.
However, I did notice that they aren't as easy to maneuver with at slower speeds. They're not really bad in that area, but a little worse than they used to be. They still have a good balance between being able to bomb and still help you to ride your board slower as well, but don't sit in quite the sweet spot that they used to, IMO. Previously they didn't seem to have to compromise on either slow riding or hard charging.
Board Feel/Butterability
They still have really good board feel and the changes don't seem to have affected that at all, by my feel. Great bindings for those who want something fairly stiff, but still want good board feel and still want to be able to butter.
Pop/Ollie Power
They have a little more power for ollies than my control binings - which is saying something because my control bindings aren't bad in this area. So really good for helping to get that pop out of your board. Of course a binding is never going to transform a boards pop to a large extent, but the Falcor's allow you to eek out just a little more pop.
Adjustability
Heel Cup: Yes - which is great for getting your heel and toe overhang centered
Stance Width: With the mini-discs can't run the disc vertically - but there's no need to have that, with the adjustable heel cup (you'd typically only run vertically for boot centering). So with the disc running horizontally it gives you some stance width adjustability. However, being a mini-disc it's somewhat limited.
Highback Lean: Yes, but still not tool-less
Ankle Strap Position: No
Toe Strap Position: Yes
Ankle and toe strap length: Yes and tool-less
Gas pedal/toe ramp extension: No
Highback Rotation: Yes- and this is new for 2022 model. Previous models didn't have independent highback rotation. There are only 2 slots, but it's better than nothing, if you like to rotate your highbacks.
Compatible with: 2 x 4 | The Channel (not compatible with 4 x 4, which means doesn't work on "slam back inserts" "float packs" - anything that has an extra set of holes 4cm behind the main insert pack and not compatible with 4 x 4 insert packs, though those are very rare these days).
Shock Absorption
A good amount of padding in the footbed. And that padding is nice and "reboundy".
In practice when actually riding, this translates into some really shock absorption. For both bad landings and for absorbing chatter these bindings are up there.
Entry/Exit
Nice smooth ratchets. A little smoother than on my 2019 Falcors. Similar smoothness to my control bindings (Burton Malavita).
Comfort
Overall very comfortable. Most importantly there was no pressure points or calf bite that I experienced.
Ankle Strap: Conforms nicely and zero pressure points.
Toe Strap: Ditto
Canted Footbed: Yes
Padded Footbed: Good spring/padding in the footbed.
Highback: Padding right at the top, but nowhere else, but all round didn't feel any calf bite or discomfort, and that's the main thing.
Ankle Support
Ankle support is decent on these bindings. Ankle strap sits just a little lower than on my control bindings and some might prefer more support higher on their ankle, but all round I found it really good.
Changes for 2023 Model
As far as I can tell the 2023 model is the same as the 2022 model apart from some new colorways.
Changes for 2022 Model
- New Highback (Falcor Forged Hybrid 2.0): This is the biggest change. It's stiffer for starters. It's also thicker in the "Y" section of the highback. And where the "Y" connects to the rest of the rest of the highback looks to be a much more solid connection (particularly around where it connects with the Flad. The connection is quite minimal on previous models. I haven't had any issues with my 2019s but maybe some were - or maybe they just decided to make that area stronger.
- New ankle strap (Exoframe 5.0): Feels noticeably stiffer than previous ankle straps.
- New toe strap (TS 4.0+)
- Plus new ratchets, flad (forward lean adjuster) and non-stick EVA on the gas pedal. Flad is still not tool-less, unfortunately.
- Now has highback rotation. This wasn't a change published by Union - but you can now rotate the highback. There are only 2 slots, so there's not a lot of micro adjustability there, but you can adjust it a little, which you couldn't previously do.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
|---|---|---|
CARVING | 4.5 | 22.5/25 |
SLOW SPEED RESPONSE | 3.5 | 7/10 |
ADJUSTABILITY | 4.0 | 12/15 |
ANKLE SUPPORT | 4.0 | 12/15 |
BOARD FEEL | 4.5 | 9/10 |
SHOCK ABSORPTION | 4.5 | 9/10 |
COMFORT | 4.5 | 9/10 |
ENTRY/EXIT | 4.0 | 4/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 89.9/100 |
Overall the Falcor's are beasts - and they can help you really lean into your carves, but at the same time aren't bad for riding slow either. 2022 models a little worse for riding slow than previous models, but still not bad.
And if you value shock absorption and board feel but still want that stiffer flex, then chances are pretty good you'll like the Falcor.
Union Falcor 2021
Hello and welcome to my Union Falcor review.
In this review I will take a look at the Falcor as all-mountain-freeride snowboard bindings.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Falcor a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how they compare with other all-mountain-freeride bindings.
Overall Rating
Bindings: Union Falcor 2021
Price: $349 (USD recommended retail)
Style: All-Mountain-Freeride
Flex Rating: Baseplate =7.5/10, Highback = 7.5/10 (based on Union’s new flex slider graphs)
Flex Feel: Medium-Stiff (7/10)
Rating Score: 94.1/100
Compared to other Men’s All-Mountain-Freeride Bindings
Out of the 16 men’s all-mountain-freeride bindings that I rated:
- The average score was 82.3/100
- The highest score was 94.1/100
- The lowest score was 61.7/100
- The average price was $307
- The Falcor ranked 1st out of 16!
Overview of the Falcor’s Specs
Check out the tables for the Falcor’s specs and available sizes.
Specs
Style: | All-Mountain-Freeride |
Price: | $349 |
Ability Level: |  |
Flex: |  |
Edge-to-Edge: | Fast |
Weight: | Light |
Mounts To: | 2 x 4 | Channel |
SIZE | US BOOT SIZE | EURO BOOT SIZE | UK BOOT SIZE |
|---|---|---|---|
S | 6-7.5 | 38-40.5 | 5-6.5 |
M | 8-10 | 41-43 | 7-9 |
L | 10.5+ | 43.5+ | 9.5+ |
Who are the Falcor Most Suited To?
The Falcors are best suited to anyone looking to ride the whole mountain, but want good board feel wherever they go - and for mid to high level freestyle.
They match best with boards around a 6/10-7/10 flex, IMO, but could work for 5/10 or 8/10 depending on the feel you're going for.
Too stiff for beginners, but could work for solid intermediate riders, depending on style.
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Falcor are capable of.
Demo Info
Bindings: Union Falcor 2021, Medium (M)
Date: February 27, 2020
Conditions: Snowing! Quite nice amount of snow especially up higher. Wetter snow in car park which was unpleasant for changing over bindings and taking notes on lift but all good with that pow up high!
8cm in last 24 hours.
-2°C (28.4°F) with wind – didn’t feel overly cold.
Groomers were a little cruddy but with some nice pow on top spots to the sides. Off groomer was nice with that 8cm layer.
Bindings angles: +15/-15
Stance Width: 565mm (22.2”)
Board demoed with: Rossignol One LF 2018
Baseplate Length: 25.2cm (9.9”)*
*but this was measured on the top side of the footbed. Was 22.7cm on the underside of the baseplate
Highback Height: 21.2cm (8.35”)
Weight: 820 grams (1lb, 13oz)*
* for one binding, including screws and disc. The average weight of a small sample size of around 30 bindings (2019, 2020 & 2021 models) I weighed, was 895 grams. The lightest was 760 grams and the heaviest was 1,020grams. So the Falcor is a good bit lighter than the average of those I weighed.
Flex
Union appear to have changed their ratings for the Falcor to an 8/10 for both baseplate and highback, where they used to rate the baseplate 6/10 and highback 8/10. In any case, it still feels, overall to be around a 7/10 flex as per previous models.
Responsiveness
The Falcor’s give a dynamic/explosive response to your board. I found that they made my board more lively, but not to the point that it felt twitchy or anything. This is on a 6/10 flex board. Going too much softer and it might start to feel a little twitchy. On a stiffer board, wouldn’t be quite as lively/explosive, perhaps, but to me they just had this feeling like they offered more spring out of turns than my board otherwise would – and worked well whether riding fast or slow.
And more spring/explosiveness versus other similar flexing bindings and stiffer bindings too. If you prefer a more subtle/smoother response, then they may not suit you as well, but for me, they just had me buzzing – made my board feel like it suddenly had more energy.
But you could still certainly hold a nice deep carve on them too. A little more so than what you can on the Strata (which I also rode the same day), but without sacrificing too much in terms of maneuverability at slow speeds.
Board Feel/Butterability
Really good board feel, especially for how stiff they are. That mini-disc feel isn’t for everyone, but for me, I love it and that combination of response and board feel, just feels like the perfect combo to me.
Pop/Ollie Power
The Falcor is one of the few bindings that I actually notice a difference on in terms of pop. Most I don’t really notice the difference, but the Falcor just seemed to give that little bit more pop. Made my board feel slightly more poppy than it does with most other bindings.
Adjustability
Heel Cup: Yes (which is really nice to have for easy centering of boots)
Stance Width: With the mini-discs you can’t run the disc vertically – but there’s no need to have that, with the adjustable heel cup (you’d typically only run vertically for boot centering). So with the disc running horizontally it gives you some stance width adjustability. However, being a mini-disc it’s somewhat limited.
Highback Lean: Not tool-less. This is slightly annoying if it’s something you like to change, depending on the conditions that day. But if you keep it in one setting, then you can just set it and forget it.
Ankle Strap Position: No
Toe Strap Position: Yes
Ankle and toe strap length: Yes tool-less
Gas pedal/toe ramp extension: No
Highback Rotation: Yes-ish
Compatible with: 2 x 4 | channel (not compatible with 4 x 4, which means doesn’t work on “slam back inserts” “float packs” – anything that has an extra set of holes 4cm behind the main insert pack and not compatible with boards with 4 x 4 insert packs, though those are very rare these days).
Shock Absorption
The Falcor’s absorb shock really well. The foot bed doesn’t feel particularly plush when you squeeze it, but when riding the bindings do well to absorb chatter and absorb shock from flat landings.
Entry/Exit
Typical ratchets from Union – in other words very good. Maybe not quite the best in the industry, but not far off either – and as smooth as you’d ever need them (you know maybe in 2040 when your bindings self tighten to the perfect pressure at the push of a button, we might look back and say they were cumbersome, but compared to the earthling tech we currently have, they’re right up there).
Comfort
I found the Strata super comfortable overall.
Ankle Strap: Really nice ankle strap. One of my favorite ankle straps now. Just conforms really nicely with the boot, with no pressure points, whilst still giving a nice secure feeling. Same as on the Strata.
Toe Strap: Toes straps are great too, IMO.
Canted Footbed: Yes
Padded Footbed: Not overly plush feeling but absorbs shock and chatter really well, which is the main thing, IMO.
Highback: Some good padding at the top of the highback, which is nice, but the main thing is that I hardly felt the highback. No calfbite or anything like that, and that’s the most important thing. And something that’s not always the case with stiffer highbacks.
Ankle Support
The Forma Lab strap does a great job supporting the ankle. It’s something that these, and other Union bindings, have really improved on over the past few years, and this is another step up, IMO.
Changes for the 2021 Model
- New ankle strap
- New toe strap
- New bushings
Changes for the 2020 Model
THe 2020 model gets a new ankle strap and new toe strap in addition to new bushings. So a few upgrades/tweaks there for the 2020 model.
Changes for the 2019 Model
As far as I can tell the 2019 model is very similar to the 2018 model.
They have “Forma Elite” ankle straps whereas the 2018 model had the “ExoFrame/Air” ankle strap. But I didn’t notice any difference, so it feels like it’s just a name change, maybe? They still have the “exoFrame” ankle straps for 2019 but they look a lot different.
The toe straps are different, with the new “Hexgrip” toe strap on the Falcors. The “Ultragrip X” toe strap that it had on it last year was great, but the Hexgrip is a small improvement, IMO. Not a major thing but a subtle improvement.
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 | 4.5 | 13.5/15 |
ADJUSTABILITY | 4.0 | 12/15 |
ANKLE SUPPORT | 4.0 | 12/15 |
SHOCK ABSORPTION | 4.0 | 8/10 |
COMFORT | 4.5 | 9/10 |
ENTRY/EXIT | 4.0 | 4/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 94.1/100 |
Overall, the Falcors are an awesome set of bindings, that bring more life and energy into a board.
If you like an explosive/springy feel out of your bindings and need something around that 7/10 flex range and like good board feel, then the Falcor should be on your radar.
Union Falcor 2019-2020
Hello and welcome to my Union Falcor review.
In this review I will take a look at the Falcor as all-mountain-freeride snowboard bindings.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Falcor a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how they compare with other all-mountain-freeride bindings.
Overall Rating
Bindings: Union Falcor
Price: $349 (USD recommended retail)
Style: All-Mountain-Freeride
Flex Rating: Baseplate =7.5/10, Highback = 7.5/10 (based on Union’s new flex slider graphs)
Flex Feel: Medium-Stiff (7/10)
Rating Score: 94.1/100
Compared to other Men’s All-Mountain-Freeride Bindings
Out of the 14 men’s all-mountain-freeride bindings that I rated:
- The average score was 82.1/100
- The highest score was 94.1/100
- The lowest score was 57.4/100
- The average price was $320
- The Falcor ranked 1st out of 14!
Overview of the Falcor’s Specs
Check out the tables for the Falcor’s specs and available sizes.
Specs
Style: | All-Mountain-Freeride |
Price: | $349 |
Ability Level: | |
Flex: | |
Edge-to-Edge: | Fast |
Weight: | Super Light |
Mounts To: | 2 x 4 | Channel |
Sizing
SIZE | US BOOT SIZE | EURO BOOT SIZE | UK BOOT SIZE |
|---|---|---|---|
S | 5-8 | 37-41 | 4-7 |
M | 7-10 | 40-43 | 6-9 |
L | 10+ | 43+ | 9+ |
Who are the Falcor Most Suited To?
The Falcors are great for anyone who want great response out of their bindings for quick edge to edge speed but also want to have good board feel with a minimal “dead spot" feel underfoot.
They are great with boards that are rated 6 to 8 in terms of flex.
Not for the beginner, but anyone from a solid intermediate rider to an expert should really enjoy these bindings.
Not park specific by any means but you can definitely ride the park with these bindings. They have great board feel and great pop.
The Falcor in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Falcor are capable of.
Demo Info
Bindings: Union Falcor 2019, Medium (M)
Date: March 21, 2018
Conditions: High cloud but still good vis. Wind was light but cold. Snowed for like 20 minutes, but very light snow. Was a bit bumpy and lumpy on groomers and quite crunchy off groomer.
This was my initial conditions, I have since bought these bindings, and have ridden them in various conditions.
Bindings angles: +15/-15
Stance Width: 555m (21.85”)
Board demoed with: Rossignol One LF 2018
Baseplate Length: 25.2cm (9.9”)*
*but this was measured on the top side of the footbed. Was 22.5cm on the underside of the baseplate (the bit that attaches to the board)
Highback Height: 21.2cm (8.35”)
Weight: 780 grams (lbs, oz)*
*a.k.a. super-light! This is per binding and includes disc and screws. For perspective, the average weight of a small sample size of 10 bindings I took was 864 grams. And 5 of those were Union bindings, which are all really light. The lightest was 760 grams and the heaviest was 1,000grams.
Flex
Union rate the baseplate as 6/10 and the highback as 8/10. The feel I got from them was about a 7/10, so that seems about right to me. They certainly had more forgiveness overall than the Ultra, particularly in the highback – so maybe even highback stiffness 8 is a little stiffer than what it feels. But yeah an overall feel of around 7 for sure.
Responsiveness
These bindings respond so well. They improve the speed of changing edges on my Rossi One more than most bindings I’ve ridden. For a really stiff board, you might want stiffer bindings to get that response – but for boards in that 5-8 flex range, the Falcors respond amazingly well and provide great spring out of turns.
Board Feel/Butterability
The Falcors get that elusive mix of board feel and response. Despite being relativey stiff and really responsive they still provide great board feel. You can definitely butter well in these bindings and just general feel is great. A lot of that is down to the mini-disc – but there’s something extra in there that I can’t put my finger on, but it might just be the lightness of them.
Pop/Ollie Power
Great pop and I noticed an increase in pop on the Rossi One LF compared to a lot of other bindings. I would put that down to a combination of being super-light, the canted footbed and just the general springiness and responsiveness of them.
Adjustability
You can adjust the heel cup of the Falcors, which I really like. It helps you to achieve more even toe and heel overhang.
They are compatible with both the Channel and 2 x 4 mountain systems but not with 4 x 4 because of the mini-disc but not a lot of boards use the 4 x 4 pattern anymore.
The highback lean is tool-less, as are the strap length adjustments. There are 2 different toe strap positions and you can use it as an over the toe cap or over the boot.
What they’re missing in terms of adjustability is that there is only one ankle strap position, you can’t adjust the highback rotation (well you sort of can but not independently of the heel cup position and I’m not sure the heel cup adjustment is designed to also let you rotate the highback but it can be done). Also you can’t adjust the baseplate length – no toe ramp extension.
Shock Absorption
They aren’t the most shock absorbing of Union’s bindings but still have really good shock absorption overall.
Entry/Exit
The Ratchet system is nice and smooth which makes it easy to get in and out of them. Not the smoothest on the market but still very smooth.
Comfort
These bindings are really comfortable and that’s no surprise given how light they are. Their lightness makes a noticeable difference on the lift (compared to the same board with heavier bindings).
As well as their lightness, they have a canted footbed which helps to keep them comfortable for longer periods of time, by aligning your ankles, knees and hips better.
The straps are also really comfortable and conform really well to your foot.
Ankle Support
Their not the most supportive in terms of your ankle but their pretty good. Better than a lot of others in the Union line – but still not up there with some other brands. But that can be a good thing or a bad thing. If you like a more surfy feel with more freedom of movement in your ankle then you might prefer less support around there.
Price/Value for Money
They’re a little more expensive than the average price for bindings in this category – but they’re also better than most. So raw price they’re not the cheapest but for their performance they’re still good value-for-money.
Changes from the 2019 Model
THe 2020 model gets a new ankle strap and new toe strap in addition to new bushings. So a few upgrades/tweaks there for the 2020 model.
Changes from the 2018 Model
As far as I can tell the 2019 model is very similar to the 2018 model.
They have “Forma Elite” ankle straps whereas the 2018 model had the “ExoFrame/Air” ankle strap. But I didn’t notice any difference, so it feels like it’s just a name change, maybe? They still have the “exoFrame” ankle straps for 2019 but they look a lot different.
The toe straps are different, with the new “Hexgrip” toe strap on the Falcors. The “Ultragrip X” toe strap that it had on it last year was great, but the Hexgrip is a small improvement, IMO. Not a major thing but a subtle improvement.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
RATING | Contribution to Final Score | |
|---|---|---|
RESPONSE | 5.0 | 30/30 |
BOARD FEEL | 5.0 | 15/15 |
ADJUSTABILITY | 4.0 | 12/15 |
ANKLE SUPPORT | 3.5 | 10.5/15 |
SHOCK ABSORPTION | 4.0 | 8/10 |
COMFORT | 4.5 | 9/10 |
ENTRY/EXIT | 4.0 | 4/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 94.1/100 |
Overall, the Falcors are one of, if not the best all-mountain-freeride bindings.
They’re best for boards with 6-8 flex, IMO and are most suited to riding the groomers, off-groomer or backcountry, but you can definitely take them in the park, with their great board feel, shock absorption and pop.
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