
If you are looking for new snowboard bindings but have a tighter budget, then you might want to check out our list of what we consider to be the best cheap snowboard bindings for the 2024-2025 season.
Because everyone needs different bindings, depending on their board and riding style, this list will be broken down into the following:
- Best cheap freestyle (mid-soft to mid flexing with good board feel) bindings
- Best cheap all-mountain (medium flexing) bindings
- Best cheap all-mountain freeride (medium-stiff) flexing bindings
- Best cheap freeride (stiff flexing) bindings
- Best cheap beginner bindings
How Each Binding was Chosen
The binding chosen for each category aren’t necessarily the cheapest, but rather the best value-for-money. But they have to be at least cheaper than the average price of bindings in their category.
Under each category I will show:
- the average cost of bindings in that category
- the cheapest bindings I found in that category;
- the reasons why I chose the bindings I chose; and
- Some alternatives that are also good value for money
All prices shown in USD.
BEST CHEAP FREESTYLE BINDINGS

Binding: Burton Mission
Price: $229
Snowboarding Profiles' Freestyle Rating Score : 84.7/100
FREESTYLE BINDINGS CATEGORY STATS |
# of freestyle bindings rated: | 14 | |
Cheapest bindings rated: | $179 | |
Average price of freestyle bindings: | $243 | |
Average Rating Score: | 81.3/100 |
Why These Bindings Were Chosen
Burton's Mission bindings take the best cheap freestyle bindings retain their spot this year, and for good reason. They were number in 3 in our Top 5 Freestyle Bindings list and the average price of the other bindings in the top 5 was $292.
The Mission is $63 cheaper than the average of the top 5 and $14 cheaper than the average of the whole category, but scored a good bit above the average score.
The Mission remained the same price as they were last year and the year before.
Some other notable numbers:
- The average price for this category went down by $15 compared to last year.
- The average price for the top half (top 7) was $266, making the Mission $37 cheaper than those that scored in the top half of this list.
- Of the 5 freestyle bindings costing $229 or less, not named the mission, the average score was 78.3.
Alternatives
Some honorable mentions:
Union Flite Pro ($179 | 80.5 points)
Arbor Hemlock ($249 | 81.1 points)
BEST CHEAP ALL-MOUNTAIN BINDINGS

Binding: Union Strata
Price: $259
Snowboarding Profiles' All-Mountain Rating Score : 90.9/100
ALL-MOUNTAIN BINDINGS CATEGORY STATS |
# of all-mountain bindings rated: | 25 | |
Cheapest bindings rated: | $179 | |
Average price of all-mountain bindings: | $298 | |
Average Rating Score: | 82.4/100 |
Why These Bindings Were Chosen
The Strata has had a firm grip on this spot for the last few years and once again they were a no brainer. The Strata is $39 cheaper than the average price of this whole category, and were the #1 bindings in our Top 10 All-Mountain bindings, which doesn't take price into account.
And in that top 10, the average price was $323, putting the Strata $64 cheaper than the average of those that featured in the top 10, the highest of which cost $120 more than the Strata.
Some other notable numbers:
- The average price for this category stayed pretty steady, going up by just $1 compared to last year.
- The average price for this category is $55 higher than the freestyle category (see above).
- The Strata was the lowest priced binding in the top half of this list (top 12 scorers).
- Of the 7 bindings costing $259 or less, not named the Strata, the average score was 75.5. This is compared to the Strata at 90.9 points!
Alternatives
Burton Cartel EST ($279 | 88.2 points)
Burton Cartel Re:Flex ($279 | 86.0 points)
Union Force Classic ($279 | 82.8 points)
BEST CHEAP ALL-MOUNTAIN-FREERIDE BINDINGS

Binding: Burton Cartel X
Price: $329
Snowboarding Profiles' All-Mtn-Freeride Rating Score : 87.8/100
ALL-MOUNTAIN-FREERIDE CATEGORY STATS |
# of all-mtn-freeride bindings rated: | 21 | |
Cheapest bindings rated: | $299 | |
Average price of all-mtn-freeride bindings: | $349 | |
Average Rating Score: | 84.8/100 |
Why These Bindings Were Chosen
I know, $329 isn't necessarily what some would call cheap for snowboard bindings. But in the case of this category, it really is.
Snowboard bindings (like boards and boots), tend to get more expensive as they get stiffer. This category is for bindings between 6.5/10 to 7.5/10 flex - stiffer than the previous 2 categories, so naturally each binding is more expensive and the average is more expensive. And brands don't tend to use cheaper parts for stiffer bindings, they tend to be more high-end.
The Cartel X are $20 less than the average price in this category and only $30 more than the cheapest option, yet they score well above the average score.
Some other notable numbers:
- The average price for this category went down by $11 compared to last year
- The average price for this category is $51 higher than the all-mountain category and $106 higher than the freestyle category (see above).
- The Cartel X are the lowest equal priced bindings in our top 10 all-mountain freeride bindings list.
- Of the 5 bindings, not named the Cartel X, costing $329 or less, the average score was 82.2. This compares to the Cartel X Re:Flex's score of 87.8.
Alternatives
Rome 390 Boss ($329 | 85.1 points)
Cartel X EST ($329 | 88.8 points) - technically the better value for money than the Cartel X Re:Flex, but can only be used on boards with the channel.
Flow NX-2 ($299 | 83.0 points)
Salomon District Pro ($299 | 82.4 points)
Arbor Cypress ($299 | 81.9 points)
BEST CHEAP FREERIDE BINDINGS

Binding: Bataleon Astro Fullwrap
Price: $399
Snowboarding Profiles' Freeride Rating Score : 89.0/100
FREERIDE BINDINGS CATEGORY STATS |
# of freeride bindings rated: | 11 | |
Cheapest bindings rated: | $399 | |
Average price of freeride bindings: | $502 | |
Average Rating Score: | 86.1/100 |
Why These Bindings Were Chosen
Now if you thought the all-mountain freeride bindings cheap pick was expensive (🤔) you might want to look away now!
You could argue that there's no such thing as a good cheap freeride binding. Like I mentioned above for the all-mountain freeride category, the stiffer the bindings the higher the price, typically speaking.
And while you may not see $399 as a low price, when you're looking at this category it really is stand out value.
The average price of this whole list is a whopping $153 more than the average price of the all-mountain freeride list (which is the next highest). And with bindings in that 8/10 to 10/10 flex range, there's not much "cheap" to look at here.
However, the Bataleon Astro Fullwrap are stiff and score really well - well above the average score and come in at #3 in our Top 5 Freeride bindings list, but are $103 than the average price of the category. And when you compare them to the rest of the top 5, they are $123 cheaper than the average price of the other bindings that make that list!
Some other notable numbers:
- The average price for this category went up by $36 compared to last year.
- The average price for this category is the highest of all the categories and by a good margin - $153 higher than the next highest category (all-mountain-freeride), $204 higher than the all-mountain category and a whopping $259 higher than the freestyle category (see above).
- The Astro were the cheapest bindings in the whole list, yet ranked #3 and scored 89.0 vs the average of 86.1.
Alternatives
Rome Cleaver ($489 | 92.1 points)
Union Atlas Pro ($469 86.9 points)
BEST CHEAP BEGINNER BINDINGS

Binding: Union Flite Pro
Price: $179
Snowboarding Profiles' Beginner Rating Score : 94.2/100
BEGINNER BINDINGS CATEGORY STATS |
# of beginner bindings rated: | 25 | |
Cheapest bindings rated: | $139 | |
Average price of beginner bindings: | $241 | |
Average Rating Score: | 81.6/100 |
Why These Bindings Were Chosen
After that sticker shock from the freeride list, we now move on to the final category, which has the lowest average price of all the categories.
The results here are somewhat skewed, since the scores for beginner bindings take price into account, but none-the-less, the Flite Pro represents great value for money for those just starting out on their snowboarding journey.
They are $62 cheaper than the average price in this category and get the #1 position in our top 10 beginner bindings list.
Some other notable numbers:
- The average price for this category went down by $2 compared to last year.
- The average price for this category is the lowest of all the categories, naturally being a beginner list - and with those that are suited to this category being softer flexing bindings.
- Price is taken into account for the scores for beginner bindings – so this is somewhat skewed for this category.
- The average price for the top half (top 13) was $201, making the Flite Pro $22 cheaper than those that scored in the top half of this list. The bottom half of the list had a higher average price than the top half though - because price in this case influenced the scores.
- The Flite Pro was the equal 3rd cheapest in the whole list .
Over to You
Thanks for reading and I hope this has helped you to find the right bindings for you and your budget.
Check out the links under each category for more info.
What was the part with ‘small downgrade in hardware’ for this year’s Strata VS last year’s Strata?
Cheers.
Hi Michael
The downgrade for the ’23 Strata’s hardware was replacing the Magnesium ratchets that were on the ’22 model with aluminum ones for the ’23 model. Sorry saying “hardware” was a little confusing. Still using grade 8.8 steel for the hardware. Will change the wording in the post now.
Hey Nate, thanks for the break down. Because I’ve heard rumours on how they changed the manufacturing from Italy to China. Just want to find out what’s the deal with the pricing now below Force. But everything make sense given they retired C.Pro and introducing the Ultra.
Hi Michael
Yeah, it was predominantly, as far as I know, just a pricing hierarchy thing.