Hello and welcome to my Salomon District bindings review.
In this review I will take a look at the Districts as beginner snowboard bindings. They also work well as freestyle bindings but for this review I am assessing them to see how well they work as beginner bindings.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Districts a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how it compares with other beginner bindings.
Overall Rating
Bindings: Salomon District
Price: $239 (USD recommended retail)
Style: Freestyle
Other Uses: Beginner
Flex: Medium-Soft (4/10)
Rating Score: 83.2/100
Compared to other Men’s Beginner Bindings
Out of all the Men’s bindings that I rated as beginner bindings:
- I looked at 34 different pairs of men’s bindings
- The average price was $230 (USD)
- The average score was 79.7/100
- The highest score was 90.8/100
- The lowest score was 59.2/100
- The Districts ranked 13th out of 34
Available Sizes
The Districts are available in the following:
| Size | Fits Men’s US Boot Sizes | Euro Boot Sizes | UK Boot Sizes |
| Small | 4.5 – 7.0 | 35.0 – 39.0 | 3.5 – 6.0 |
| Medium | 6.5 – 10.0 | 38.0 – 43.0 | 5.5 – 9.0 |
| Large | 10.0 & up | 43.0 & up | 9.0 & up |
Who are the Districts Most Suited to?
The Districts would make a decent beginner binding but they are more expensive than your average beginner binding. That doesn’t make them any less suitable as a beginner binding but some beginners won’t be willing to spend that bit extra.
But in saying that they are still reasonably priced compared to the average binding price. The biggest downside as a beginner binding is the flexible heel cup. This might make it a little trickier for the beginner (though they have some great advantages for freestyle riding).
The reason they are more expensive than some beginner bindings is because their main use is as freestyle bindings. These bindings have been designed as freestyle bindings.
They’re particularly good for tricks off small jumps, jibbing and tweaking grabs. For bigger jumps then you might want something a little stiffer.
So if you are a beginner who wants bindings that aren’t just cheap but will help with your progression and you think you will get into freestyle riding later then the Districts are a great choice. They are also a great choice for anyone who has the basics of riding down but wants to start learning freestyle – or anyone looking for a new pair of freestyle bindings.
The Districts in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Districts are capable of.
Demo Info
Bindings: Salomon District 2017
Date: April 9, 2016
Conditions: Hard packed in the morning, turning to slush in the afternoon
Bindings angles: +15/-9
Board Rode With: Salomon Huck Knife 2017
Flex
The Districts have a nice forgiving flex without being too soft. This is perfect for beginners. And it’s also great for riding small to medium features in the park. The only thing with the flex is that the heel cup is quite soft and flexy. This is great for tweaking grabs and hitting jibs but isn’t ideal for beginners.
That’s why, even though they have a nice medium soft flex overall which is good for beginners, I haven’t given them full points for flex (see score breakdown below).
They were nice and forgiving in general though, and were a breeze to ride. Enough response without feeling like you had to work hard to get your turns in.
I’ve seen others rate this as a 5/10 flex but to me it’s softer than medium – a 4/10 is more accurate, in my opinion.
Adjustability
You can adjust the districts just about any way you want to. You can adjust the ankle strap, toe strap, high back angle and the toe ramp to get the perfect fit.
You can do these adjustments on the fly too. I found the districts (and the other Salomon bindings) were probably the easiest to adjust out of any 2017 bindings I demoed.
They also come with a universal disc which makes them compatible with all snowboard mounting systems currently on the market – 4 hole, 3 hole and Burton’s channel system.
Shock Absorption
The have pretty nice shock absorption. This isn’t important for beginners (except where it pertains to comfort – see below) but it’s the reason why these are first and foremost freestyle bindings – shock absorption is very important for freestyle riding (IMHO).
Entry/Exit
The Districts are pretty easy to get in and out of. If you’re not used to how bindings work you’ll be able to figure the Districts pretty quickly.
They have a nice smooth ratchet system too so you can strap into them and unstrap quickly as well as easily.
Let’s Break up this text with a Video
This video talks about the District’s freestyle qualities but will give you a bit more info on them.
Comfort
These bindings are really comfortable. The ankle and toe straps contour nicely around your boot and you don’t notice they are there at all.
The footbed is well cushioned too which makes them even more comfortable to stand on – even if you aren’t taking advantage of that cushioning for shock absorption.
Responsiveness
They’re not overly responsive but they have the right amount of response for a beginner. Too much response and they become unforgiving – so you don’t want too much of that as a beginner.
They also have a nice even predictable response which is also important.
Boot Support
They have a nice snug feel without being too tight gripping. They give you all the support you need but with enough give and enough room so that they are still comfortable and forgiving.
Price
If these bindings were $40 cheaper they would rate higher as beginner bindings.
Being slightly pricier than the average beginner binding doesn’t make them any less suitable as beginner bindings – but it can put off some budget conscious beginners.
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 |
| Flex: | 5.0 | 20/20 |
| Price: | 4.0 | 16/20 |
| Comfort: | 3.5 | 10.5/15 |
| Adjustability: | 4.0 | 12/15 |
| Boot Support: | 4.5 | 9/10 |
| Entry/Exit: | 3.5 | 7/10 |
| Responsiveness: | 3.5 | 3.5/5 |
| Shock Absorption: | 3.5 | 3.5/5 |
| TOTAL | 83.2/100 |
If you’re looking for a great bindings to get started on and that will stay with you right through the beginner and intermediate stages – and even further if you get into freestyle riding – then the Districts are one option for the job.
Salomon might not like me calling them beginner bindings because there is a stigma on beginner bindings they are the cheap bindings – but when it comes to beginner bindings there are other qualities that are just as important as price.
The biggest downside to these as beginner bindings is probably that flexy heel cup – it doesn’t write them off as being unsuitable for beginners but it is something that takes points off.
They would, however, work great as freestyle bindings and anyone starting out or looking to get into freestyle riding.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
Check out the links below to find out more about the Districts, to see some user reviews and for their current prices (may be discounted depending on the time of year).
- Salomon District Bindings at blue-tomato (UK/Europe)
If you’d like to check out some other beginner binding options check out the link below to see what I rate as the top 5 beginner bindings currently on the market.
>>My Top 5 Men’s Beginner Bindings
Hi Nate,
I’m confused in choosing new bindings. I’ looking for freestyle bindigs with all mountain abilities to pair with my Capita DOA and Northwave Decade boots. My current bindings is Drake Fifty (flex 4/10) they are great and reliable, but this season I want someting new.
I’m quite confided rider and I like to butter, hit side hits, to take jump line in park (mostly small kickers), bomb heal and carve between side hits and jumps.
Now I’m choosing between next option: Salomon Hologram (best deal), Union Force (exceptable price), Union Contact Pro (most expensive). + Any thoughts?
Thank you in advance!
P.S: Accroding website you have tested each of this bindings so I hope you can help me with choise.
Hi Diman
For the DOA I would go for the Union Force. The DOA is quite an aggressive board and needs a slightly more responsive/stiffer binding, IMO. The Contact Pros would be too soft for the DOA. I rode the DOA with both medium soft (4/10) bindings and medium-stiff (7/10) bindings and the stiffer bindings made that board come alive way more.
So yeah, I’d say definitely Union Force out of those, with the Holograms second choice.
Hope this helps
Thank you for reply!
Sorry for my inquisitiveness 🙂
Why you prefer Union Force over Salomon Hologram? What key factors of Force over Hologram for you? Does shadow fit tech have some realy advanteges at freestyle (buttering, grabs) and does it have big impact on edge to edge response? What can you say about reliability of both bindings?
Hi Diman
I can’t really comment on the reliability of the bindings as I only demo them and don’t own them but in terms of performance, I would prefer the Force over the Holograms on the DOA mainly because the Force are more responsive and a little stiffer and I find the DOA performs better with a more powerful binding. Despite being stiffer, the Force actually have decent butterability too. I would even go as far as to say better than the Hologram – Union usually do have pretty good butterabilty/board feel.
The Contact Pros now have the best butterability out of all of them – but I think you would appreciate the extra response out of the Force, when on the DOA
Thank’s for advice!
I have ordered Force. Actualy It is second time when I buying gear based on your reviews the first time was Capita DOA :).
Unfortunately I have ordered bindings at lockal store, so I will not support you by this purchase. 🙁
All good Diman.
And you’re very welcome. Hope you like your new bindings.