Hello and welcome to my top 5 best freestyle snowboard bindings for men for the 2017/18 season.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com, the bindings will each get a rating out of 100, based on how well they perform as freestyle bindings.
Of 20 different freestyle bindings that I rated:
- The average score was 75.1/100
- The highest score was 94.7/100 (see below)
- The lowest score was 45.8/100
- The average price was $205
NOTE: This list was for the 2017-18 season. For the latest Top 5 Freestyle Bindings List, check out the link below:
>>Latest Season’s Top 5 Men’s Freestyle Bindings
O.k. let’s get right into the top 5!
Freestyle Binding #5
Bindings: Burton Custom
Price: $199
Smart rating score: 82.1/100
Flex: Medium-soft (3/10)
The first binding in the list, coming in at # 4, goes to the Burton Customs. These are very popular freestyle bindings – and for good reason.
They are the softest flexing and lowest priced bindings on this list.
They offer all the performance you want out of a freestyle binding and do so without breaking the bank. The ideal flex for all round freestyle riding, great butterability, Burton’s ever reliable adjustability and great shock absorption to absorb all the hell you put your body through lap after lap.
The Customs come in both EST (to fit the Channel binding system) and reflex (to fit the 4 hole and 3D systems).
Check out the Video for more
Burton Custom Score Breakdown
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Shock Absorption: | 4.5 | 22.5/25 |
| Board Feel: | 4.0 | 20/25 |
| Responsiveness | 2.0 | 6/15 |
| Adjustability: | 4.5 | 13.5/15 |
| Comfort: | 3.5 | 7/10 |
| Flex: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
| Entry/Exit: | 4.0 | 4/5 |
| TOTAL | 82.1/100 |
Freestyle Binding #4
Bindings: Ride Rodeo
Price: $249
Smart rating score: 84.2/100
Flex: Medium-Soft (4/10)
In at #4, we have the Ride Rodeos.
These bindings have awesome shock absorption and are super comfortable. Buttering and tweaking grabs with them is awesome too and they offer good board feel.
They’re probably on the stiffer end of medium-soft but that’s fine as they still butter well but give just a little more on those larger jumps.
Check out the Video Below for More Info
Score Breakdown for the Ride Rodeos
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Shock Absorption: | 5.0 | 25/25 |
| Board Feel: | 4.0 | 20/25 |
| Responsiveness | 3.0 | 9/15 |
| Adjustability: | 3.0 | 9/15 |
| Comfort: | 4.5 | 9/10 |
| Flex: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
| Entry/Exit: | 3.0 | 3/5 |
| TOTAL | 84.2/100 |
Freestyle Binding #3
Bindings: K2 Lien FS
Price: $249
Smart rating score: 88.4/100
Flex: Medium-soft (4/10)
Coming in at the #3 spot are the K2 Lien FS snowboard bindings.
The Lien FS’s feature K2’s 100% urethane ‘tweakback’ highback for greater torsional flex for, you guessed it, better tweaking of grabs! Whilst it is super flexible torsionally (twisting side to side) it also has a pretty solid spine so you have that support for landing larger jumps.
It also features their tripod baseplate technology which works with contact points in your feet. The video below will describe how that works better than I can.
Check out more on the Lien FS bindings in the video below
K2 Lien FS Score Breakdown
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Shock Absorption: | 4.0 | 20/25 |
| Board Feel: | 5.0 | 25/25 |
| Responsiveness | 2.5 | 7.5/15 |
| Adjustability: | 4.5 | 13.5/15 |
| Comfort: | 4.5 | 9/10 |
| Flex: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
| Entry/Exit: | 4.0 | 4/5 |
| TOTAL | 88.4/100 |
Freestyle Binding #2
Bindings: Union Contact Pro
Price: $259
Smart rating score: 92.6/100
Flex: Medium-soft (4/10)
The Contact Pros are as good as it gets for riding freestyle, IMO, if you want something with just that slightly softer than medium flex.
They absorb shock really well – which makes those inevitable (hopefully only occasionally) flat landings less vibratory (and yes that is a word – I looked it up! 🙂 ). It also keeps your feet and legs from getting fatigued as quickly and helps to absorb chatter in bumpy and hard terrain.
They have amazing board feel too, thanks at least in part to their mini-disc.
And just overall, these are really well made, comfortable and smooth bindings.
If you are looking for superior performance in a binding that can kill it on the park laps but still handle the rest of the mountain then the Contact Pros might just be it.
Learn More about the Union Contact Pros in the video below
Contact Pro Score Breakdown
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Shock Absorption: | 5.0 | 25/25 |
| Board Feel: | 5.0 | 25/25 |
| Responsiveness | 3.0 | 9/15 |
| Adjustability: | 4.0 | 12/15 |
| Comfort: | 4.0 | 8/10 |
| Flex: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
| Entry/Exit: | 4.0 | 4/5 |
| TOTAL | 92.6/100 |
Freestyle Binding #1
Bindings: Burton Malavita
Price: $319
Smart rating score: 94.7/100
Flex: Medium (5/10)
And finally, in the #1 position for 2017-18, we have the Burton Malavitas. Previously, I have only considered bindings with a flex less than 5/10 to be eligible for this list – but since some riders like something a little stiffer for their freestyle riding I included some bindings with a stiffer flex.
The pick of those was the Burton Malavitas. They are the stiffest on this list – but still aren’t super-stiff, a nice medium flex. They’re great for going big in the park, but they can also handle smaller jumps and features just as well, as well as for doing butters etc. And a lot of that comes down to some awesome board feel.
They are also super shock absorbent – which is great if you’re going to landing jumps, ollies etc all day.
On top of all that they are super comfortable, highly adjustable, have a decent response level and are just good high quality bindings, all round – something you can use in and out of the park, but still definitely freestyle oriented, so best suited for riding freestyle over the rest of the mountain, as opposed to hard charging.
Check out the Video for more on the Malavitas
The Malavitas come in both Re:Flex (for most snowboards) and EST (only fit to Burton snowboards with the Channel system. As is typical with the differences between EST and Re:Flex, the EST model will provide a little more in terms of board feel but less in terms of shock absorption.
Score Breakdown for the Malavitas
Below are the score breakdowns for both the Re:Flex and the ESTs
Malavita Re:Flex Score
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Shock Absorption: | 5.0 | 25/25 |
| Board Feel: | 5.0 | 25/25 |
| Responsiveness | 3.0 | 9/15 |
| Adjustability: | 4.5 | 13.5/15 |
| Comfort: | 4.5 | 9/10 |
| Flex: | 4.0 | 4/5 |
| Entry/Exit: | 4.5 | 4.5/5 |
| TOTAL | 94.7/100 |
Malavita EST Score
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| Shock Absorption: | 4.0 | 20/25 |
| Board Feel: | 5.0 | 25/25 |
| Responsiveness | 3.0 | 9/15 |
| Adjustability: | 4.5 | 13.5/15 |
| Comfort: | 4.0 | 8/10 |
| Flex: | 4.0 | 4/5 |
| Entry/Exit: | 4.5 | 4.5/5 |
| TOTAL | 88.4/100 |
Thanks for Reading
Thanks for reading. That’s my top 5 freestyle bindings for 2017/18.
NOTE: This list was for the 2017-18 season. For the latest Top 5 Freestyle Bindings List, check out the link below:
>>Latest Season’s Top 5 Men’s Freestyle Bindings
Where to Buy, Current Prices and More Info
If you can find these bindings in the 2017-18 model, you should be able to get them at a considerably cheaper price than their MSRP and than the current model.
Check out the links below to see if you can find the bindings you’re after in a past model.
US STORES
CANADA STORES
NEW ZEALAND STORES
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