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Past Reviews for the Union STR Bindings
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UNION STR 2023-2024
Hello and welcome to my Union STR snowboard bindings review.
In this review I will take a look at the STR as all-mountain snowboard bindings.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the STR a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how they compare with other all-mountain bindings.
Overall Rating
Bindings: Union STR
Price: $219 (USD recommended retail)
Style: All-Mountain
Flex Rating: Medium (6/10)
Flex Feel: Medium (5/10)
Rating Score: 80.1/100
Compared to other Men’s All-Mountain Bindings
Out of the 24 men’s all-mountain bindings that I rated:
- The average score was 81.5/100
- The highest score was 90.9/100
- The lowest score was 69.4/100
- The average price was $297
- The STR ranked 17th out of 24
Overview of the STR’s Specs
Style: | All-Mountain |
Price: | $219 - BUYING OPTIONS |
Ability Level: |  |
Flex: |  |
Weight: | Normal |
Mounts To: | 2 x 4 | 4 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 STR Most Suited To?
The STR are best suited to those on a low budget but don't want bindings that are too soft. They're certainly not stiff, but their flex feels around 5/10 - and most in its price range are softer flexing than that. And in terms of quality for the price range they are up there, especially when it comes to the ankle and toe straps.
That said, there's nothing terribly special or exciting about these bindings. But they do function well and there's nothing bad about them either.
Best matched to boards in the 4/10 to 6/10 flex range.
The STR in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the STR are capable of.
Demo Info
Bindings: Union STR 2023, Medium
Date: March 25, 2022
Conditions
Sunny with clouds. More cloud than blue skies - high cloud. Unlimited visibility.
Temperature: 37°F (3°C)
24hr snow: 0" (0cm)
48hr snow: 0" (0cm)
7 day snow: 27" (69cm)
On groomer: Nicely groomed mid-soft pack. Some glints of slush to start with and then got slushier as the day went on.
Off groomer: A little icy and crunchy to start in spots but not too bad. Got progressively softer.
Set Up
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: 25cm (9.8”) – that’s measured on the top of the footbed. 24.4cm (9.6") on the underside of the baseplate.
Highback Height: 20.7cm (8.2”)
Weight: 860 grams (1lbs, 14oz)
* for one binding, including screws and disc. The average weight of a small sample size of around 60 bindings (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 & 2023 models) I have weighed, was 913 grams. The lightest was 680 grams and the heaviest was 1,240grams. So the STR a little lighter than average but not far off normal.
Changes for the 2023 model
The STR got a new highback for the 2023 model. The "S11 Duraflex".
Flex
In hand, had a little more twist and a little more pullback in the highback than the Union Force, which I tested at the same time - and vs my control bindings (Burton Malavita).
On snow, they felt right on a 5/10 flex. A little softer than the Force and a little softer than my control bindings.
Responsiveness
For short/sharp turns at slower speeds, they STR were pretty good. About the same as my control bindings and a little quicker than the Force.
In terms of holding deep carves, they were about as good my control bindings again, but not quite as good as the Force were.
They have a similar response feel to the Force though, in terms of being a smooth, consistent, even response (as opposed to a more springy/explosive response).
Board Feel/Butterability
Not as good as the Malavita's but not devoid of board feel or anything. Very much the same as the Force.
Pop/Ollie Power
Ditto board feel.
Adjustability
Overall good adjustability. Not quite to the extent of the Force. Vs the Force it doesn't have the extendable gas pedal, has 2 highback rotation position options (vs 3 on the Force) and requires a tool to adjust the length of the toe strap (tool-less on the Force).
Heel Cup: Yes
Stance Width: Micro adjustments possible - can run disc horizontal and that allows micro stance width adjustments.
Highback Lean: Yes and tool-less
Ankle Strap Position: No
Toe Strap Position: Yes - 2 position options
Ankle and toe strap length: Adjustment of ankle strap length is tool-less, but requires a screw driver to adjust the toe strap, which is a bit of pain.
Gas pedal/toe ramp extension: No
Highback Rotation: Yes - 2 position options.
Compatible with: 2 x 4 | 4 x 4 | Channel
Shock Absorption
Doesn't abosrb shock as well as the Malavita's but still OK. The same shock absorption feel as the Force.
Entry/Exit
Decently smooth ratchets, without being the smoothest on the market or anything.
Comfort
Overall nice and comfortable and I had no issues with pressure points or anything like that. Really nice ankle and toe straps for this price point. Quite impressed.
Ankle Strap: Conformed nicely and felt good. A little more flexy than the ankle strap on the Force.
Toe Strap: Again, more flexy than Force toe strap - and again conformed nicely. Quite squishy/flexy in the middle of the toe strap - firmer around the outside.
Canted Footbed: Yes
Padded Footbed: Decent padding without being anything too extreme.
Highback: A little padding at top and through middle – covers just over half. But most importantly no calf-bite issues.
Ankle Support
Felt pretty normal. If they had an extra ankle strap position which allowed you to have the ankle strap sit a little higher on your ankle, this would be better, but I was happy with the position it was in. But if you're not, there's no way of changing that position.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
|---|---|---|
CARVING | 3.5 | 10.5/15 |
SLOW SPEED RESPONSE | 4.0 | 12/15 |
BOARD FEEL | 3.5 | 10.5/15 |
SHOCK ABSORPTION | 3.5 | 10.5/15 |
ADJUSTABILITY | 4.0 | 12/15 |
COMFORT | 4.0 | 8/10 |
ANKLE SUPPORT | 3.5 | 7/10 |
ENTRY/EXIT | 4.0 | 4/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 80.1/100 |
The STR are pretty basic bindings. That said, they have really high quality ankle and toe straps which defy their price tag.
And there's nothing bad about them. They function really well and do what they're supposed to do. And they are one of the lowest priced, decent quality mid-flex bindings around. So for anyone on a low budget, in need for mid-flex bindings and still want decent quality, they are a great option.
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UNION STR 2020-2022
Hello and welcome to my Union STR review.
In this review I will take a look at the STRs as all-mountain snowboard bindings.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the STR a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how they compare with other all-mountain bindings.
Overall Rating
Bindings: Union STR
Price: $209 (USD recommended retail)
Style: All-Mountain
Other Uses: Freestyle
Flex Rating: Baseplate = 6/10 | Highback = 7/10 | Straps = 6/10
Flex Feel: Medium (5/10)
Rating Score: 79.0/100
Compared to other Men’s All-Mountain Bindings
Out of the 22 men’s all mountain bindings that I rated:
- The average score was 80.9/100
- The highest score was 93.5/100
- The lowest score was 67.2/100
- The average price was $274
- The STR ranked 14th out of 22
Overview of the STR’s Specs
Check out the tables for the STR’s specs and available sizes.
Specs
Style: | All-Mountain |
Price: | $209 |
Ability Level: | |
Flex: | |
Edge-to-Edge: | Medium |
Weight: | Normal |
Mounts To: | 2 x 4 | 4 x 4 | Channel |
Sizing
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 STR Most Suited To?
The STRs are great for anyone looking for a low-cost binding that has a slightly stiffer flex than most low-cost bindings. Bindings tend to be cheaper as they are softer (not uniformly but generally speaking).
The STRs fill a gap, where you can get a mid flexing binding with some pretty good response for a beginner binding price-point. Not only that but they are a quality and performance that you just don't typically get at this price, especially so for the 2020 model, which got some nice upgrades.
So if you’ve graduated to that intermediate level of riding and are looking at getting a more responsive binding, but you don’t want to pay the average price for this type of binding, then the STR are a great option.
The STR in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the STR are capable of.
Demo Info
Bindings: Union STR 2020, Medium
Date: March 29, 2019
Conditions: Not a cloud in the sky. Perfect vis.
Snow was quite hard first thing but with some softer spots but predominantly harder with a few icy patches. Pretty cruddy for the most part but smoother sections too.
Got softer and a little sticky as the day went on.
Bindings angles: +15/-15
Stance Width: 550mm (21.65”)
Board demoed with: Rossignol One LF 2018
Baseplate Length: 25.2cm (9.92”) – that’s measured on the top of the footbed. There's a slight but not major angle to the bottom of the base plate
Highback Height: 21.3cm (8.4")*
* from bottom of heel cup to top of highback
Height from Bottom of Baseplate to top of Highback: 27cm (10.63")
Weight: 900 grams (2lbs)*
*for one binding, including screws and disc. The average weight of a small sample size of 26 bindings (2019 & 2020 models) I weighed, was 894 grams. The lightest was 760 grams and the heaviest was 1,000grams. So, the STR is right on average.
Flex
For the 2019 model Union rated the flex as 6/10 for the highback and 5/10 for the baseplate. For the 2020 model, Union use a little slider graph thing to note the flex - and from my understanding it's now 5/10 for both highback and base plate, or maybe even just under 5/10. To me they still felt the same - around a 5/10 flex.
Responsiveness
They respond about how you would expect for this level of flex. You can certainly ride them fine at slow speeds and they're fairly quick edge to edge, but you can still get that response out of them when riding faster. Not bombers, and not super agile at slow speeds, but right in the middle.
Board Feel/Butterability
After riding the 2020 model, they're better than I remember them being from the 2018 model I rode. Not sure if they've done anything to improve that or if I just got a better feel off them this time.
Still not super buttery or anything, and not like Union's mini-disc bindings, but not too bad either.
Pop/Ollie Power
Vs my control bindings (Burton Malavita) they felt like they made the board a little less poppy. Not by heaps, but subtly.
Adjustability
Really good adjustability as is typical with Union bindings:
Heel Cup: Adjustable (great for centering boots)
Stance Width: Can run disc vertically and horizontally
Highback Lean: Yes, tool-less
Ankle Strap Position: Just 1 position
Toe Strap Position: 2 positions
Ankle and toe strap length: Adjustable but need a tool to do it
Gas pedal/toe ramp extension: None
Highback Rotation: Sort of but doesn't feel like it's supposed to
Compatible with: 2 x 4 | 4 x 4 | Channel
Good stance width options, compatible with any board out of the box and lots of other adjustments to fit your boots well. Highback lean is tool-less but the length of ankle and toe strap you need a phillips head screwdriver.
Shock Absorption
There's a good amount of padding in the heel. Not that much towards the toes, but it's mostly needed at the heels, so that's no biggy. The padding is quite firm, rather than spongy, so I think that probably helped with the board feel, not so much the shock absorption, but it's not bad, without being super cushy either.
Entry/Exit
For this price point, the ratchets are super smooth and nice. Making it easy to strap and unstrap.
Comfort
Not top of the line comfort, but very good none-the-less.
Ankle Strap: Has in herited the old Atlas strap for the 2020 model and it feels great. Nice snug fit with no pressure points. Super quality strap for this price point!
Toe Strap: One of the better toe straps on the market. Conforms to the boot really well without slipping and without having to really crank it down.
Canted Footbed: Yes
Padded Footbed: Decent amount of padding without being too extreme.
Highback: Some padding there. Did notice it on my calf a bit on my first lap, but then didn't notice it at all.
Ankle Support
Again, this felt better than when I rode the 2018 model. And that's probably largely down to the new inherited ankle strap. Still doesn't have the option to go to a higher position for those that want more ankle support. Felt about the same as my Malavita in the lower ankle strap position. But that has the option to go to a higher position.
Changes for the 2022 Model
The STR gets a new ankle strap for 2022 - Exoframe 2.0 - otherwise the same binding, apart from colorways.
Changes for the 2021 Model
As far as I can tell the 2021 model is identical to the 2020 model, apart from some new colorways. No surprises really, with the overhaul they got for the 2020 model.
Changes for the 2020 Model
There were a couple of significant changes for the 2020 model.
1. New "Exoframe" ankle strap (was on the 2019 Atlas). This is a big improvement from the old strap, IMO.
2. New "STR2 Duraflex" highback
Changes for the 2019 Model
The 2019 model now has a Classic+ ankle strap – replacing the Bone Out Ankle Strap that was on the 2018 model. Everything else looks to be the same as the 2018 model.
Changes for the 2018 Model
These bindings are new for 2018 – but the STR is an evolution of 2017s ST binding.
The main difference that I can tell is that the STR feels a little stiffer. The highbacks are different too – and have been stiffened up just a touch too. The baseplate has apparently been stiffened too – which I would believe as the overall feel was a little stiffer.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
|---|---|---|
RESPONSE | 3.5 | 14/20 |
BOARD FEEL | 3.5 | 14/20 |
SHOCK ABSORPTION | 3.5 | 10.5/15 |
ADJUSTABILITY | 4.0 | 12/15 |
COMFORT | 4.0 | 12/15 |
ANKLE SUPPORT | 3.5 | 7/10 |
ENTRY/EXIT | 4.0 | 4/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 79.0/100 |
Overall, the STR are a solid pair of bindings. They're not outstanding in any way, but they are good quality bindings, with solid performance. For this price point, they are in a league of their own.
So, if you don't have a big budget, but you still want bindings with some decent response/performance without paying the typical price for that, the STR are a great option. Usually for this price you would be getting a softer flexing binding, or something low quality.
--UNION STR 2018-2019--
Hello and welcome to my Union STR review.
In this review I will take a look at the STRs as all-mountain snowboard bindings.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the STR a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how they compare with other all-mountain bindings.
Overall Rating
Bindings: Union STR
Price: $189 (USD recommended retail)
Style: All-Mountain
Other Uses: Freestyle
Flex Rating: Baseplate = Medium (6/10), Highback = Medium (5/10)
Flex Feel: Medium (5/10)
Rating Score: 71.5/100
Compared to other Men’s All-Mountain Bindings
Out of the 19 men’s all mountain bindings that I rated:
- The average score was 77.7/100
- The highest score was 93.0/100
- The lowest score was 57.0/100
- The average price was $246
- The STRs ranked 13th out of 19
Sizing
Check out the table below for the available sizes for the STR.
| Size | Fits Men’s US Boot Sizes | Euro Boot Sizes | UK Boot Sizes |
| Small | 5.0 – 8.0 | 37.0 – 41.0 | 4.0 – 7.0 |
| Medium | 7.0-10.0 | 40.0 – 43.0 | 6.0 – 9.0 |
| Large | 10.0 & up | 43.0 & up | 9.0 & up |
Who are the STRs Most Suited to?
The STRs are great for anyone looking for a low-cost binding that has a slightly stiffer flex than most low-cost bindings. Bindings tend to be cheaper as they are softer (not uniformly but generally speaking).
The STRs fill a gap, where you can get a mid flexing binding with some pretty good response for a beginner binding price-point.
So if you’ve graduated to that intermediate level of riding and are looking at getting a more responsive binding, but you don’t want to pay the average price for this type of binding, then the STR are a great option.
The STRs in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the STRs are capable of.
Demo Info
Bindings: Union STR 2018, Medium
Date: March 23, 2017
Conditions: : Snowing! Plenty of powder around from previous snow too. Snowing relatively heavily. Visibility was average to low. Snow was soft and nice but quite slow in patches.
Bindings angles: +15/-15
Flex
The STRs felt right in the mid-level flex, so I’d say 5/10 in terms of stiffness.
The high-back has a good amount of torsional flex and some flex laterally towards the top of the high back but the bottom of the high-back (as is typical) felt a lot more rigid.
Union is the only company I know of that publishes both high-back and baseplate flex as separate numbers – which is cool. Think I’ll just take their word on the baseplate’s flex – the higback was probably more of a 4/10 or 4.5/10 – but overall to me the feeling was a 5/10.
Responsiveness
These bindings are relatively responsive. I didn’t expect as much out of a $179 pair of bindings. This was the most pleasant surprise from these bindings.
Not as responsive as their big brother Union Atlas, but also a bit softer flexing and a lot lower priced. And yeah definitely not as responsive as something like an all-mountain-freeride or freeride binding is going to be, but for an all-mountain-freestyle type binding, I found I got more than I expected for sure.
Board Feel/Butterability
This was the low point of these bindings for me. They felt quite dead underfoot. I definitely like to have good board feel, so for me this is the main reason why I personally wouldn’t get these bindings. But not everyone is as hung up on board feel as I am!
Adjustability
There is a bit of adjustability in these bindings. The toe strap and ankle strap have plenty of positions you can put the straps in to make sure you get them centered over your boots.
Both ankle strap and toe strap require a screw driver to adjust. But if you’re only going to be setting them up once, this isn’t the end of the world. Tool-less is preferable for sure – but not essential.
High back lean is tool-less but only a small range of lean.
3 different heel cup positions too. I had mine at the farthest back position which I guess is the best as I am at the longer boot size for mediums.
Shock Absorption
Like every other Union binding that I’ve demoed, the STR have a good amount of padding underfoot and absorb shock well for a nice smooth ride and helps to be able to absorb the shock of flat landings (and poor landings – not that I do any of those :-)).
Entry/Exit
The Ratchets are pretty smooth – and a risk of repeating myself – great for this price-point. So, they are easy to get in and of. They’re relatively easy to set up too – the only thing is not having tool-less ankle and toe strap adjustments.
Comfort
These bindings are really comfortable too. That’s in part due to the padding in the footbed (as mentioned under shock absorption) but also to do with the canting and the feel of the ankle strap and toe strap.
Another surprising thing at this price-point is that there is canting in the footbed.
Ankle Support
Pretty typical of Union, the support for your ankle feels a bit looser compared to some bindings – and a lot of this comes down to the strap sitting relatively low on the ankle. If this more free, surfier feel is what you are after, then this is a non-issue but if you have ankle issues or just prefer a bit more ankle support, they may not be for you.
They’re not ultra-loose – I’ve definitely ridden looser – but they’re mid-level supportive.
Price
Of all the bindings that I rated with a medium flex (23 bindings from 8 different brands) the STR come in at a cost nearly $100 cheaper than the average. For the response you get and in this flex range, these bindings are at a great price-point.
Changes from the 2018 Model
The 2019 model now has a Classic+ ankle strap – replacing the Bone Out Ankle Strap that was on the 2018 model. Everything else looks to be the same as the 2018 model.
Changes from the 2017 Model
These bindings are new for 2018 – but the STR is an evolution of 2017s ST binding.
The main difference that I can tell is that the STR feels a little stiffer. The highbacks are different too – and have been stiffened up just a touch too. The baseplate has apparently been stiffened too – which I would believe as the overall feel was a little stiffer.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
| Responsiveness: | 3.5 | 14/20 |
| Board Feel/Butterability: | 2.0 | 8/20 |
| Shock Absorption: | 4.0 | 12/15 |
| Adjustability: | 3.5 | 10.5/15 |
| Comfort: | 4.0 | 12/15 |
| Ankle Support: | 3.0 | 6/10 |
| Entry/Exit: | 4.0 | 4/5 |
| TOTAL after normalizing | 71.5/100 |
The STRs feel like a quality made binding, like all Union bindings I’ve demoed, and they seem durable, though I couldn’t say for sure on that.
If you’re not too concerned about a relatively dead board feel underfoot and are looking for bindings with reasonable response but at a significantly lower price-point than you’d normally pay for this kind of binding, then the STRs are definitely an option.
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