Hello and welcome to my top 5 best freestyle snowboard bindings for men for the 2018/19 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.
Comparison Stats
Of 22 different freestyle bindings that I rated:
NOTE: This is a past seasons top 5. For the latest season's Top 5 Freestyle Bindings list, check out the link below:
>>Top 5 Freestyle Bindings (Latest Season)
O.k. let’s get right into the top 5!
FREESTYLE BINDING #5
Bindings: Ride LTD
Price: $279
Smart rating score: 82.6/100
Flex: Medium (5/10)
Starting the list at #5, we have Ride's LTD bindings, the first of two ride offerings in this list.
The LTDs are the most responsive on this list and have the stiffest equal flex, along with the Malavita (#1). So, this is a great option for those that prefer a slightly stiffer freestyle option, particularly for larger jumps and features.
And this is a good option to also ride freestyle all over the mountain, not just in the park.
Check out the Video Below for More Info
Score Breakdown for the LTD
FACTOR | rating (OUT OF 5) | contribution to final score |
|---|---|---|
Board Feel | 4.0 | 24/30 |
Shock Absorption | 4.0 | 20/25 |
Response | 3.5 | 10.5/15 |
Adjustability | 4.0 | 12/15 |
Comfort | 4.0 | 8/10 |
Entry/Exit | 4.0 | 4/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 82.6/100 |
FREESTYLE BINDING #4
Bindings: Ride Rodeo
Price: $249
Smart rating score: 84.7/100
Flex: Medium-Soft (4/10)
In at #4, we have the second pair of Ride bindings, 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. But still not as stiff/responsive as the LTDs (see #5 above).
Check out the Video Below for More Info
Score Breakdown for the Rodeo
FACTOR | rating (OUT OF 5) | contribution to final score |
|---|---|---|
Board Feel | 4.0 | 24/30 |
Shock Absorption | 5.0 | 25/25 |
Response | 3.0 | 9/15 |
Adjustability | 3.5 | 10.5/15 |
Comfort | 4.5 | 9/10 |
Entry/Exit | 3.0 | 3/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 84.7/100 |
FREESTYLE BINDING #3
Bindings: K2 Lineup
Price: $209
Smart rating score: 85.8/100
Flex: Medium-soft (4/10)
Coming in at the #3 spot are the K2 Lineup.
The Lien FS of the last few years has disappeared from K2's line, but to be honest the Lineup is a very similar binding taking it's place. And it comes in a little cheaper than the old Lien FS, so that's a bonus!
The Lineup features their tripod baseplate technology which works with contact points in your feet, their tweakback highback for better tweaking and overall they give great board feel and have response that feels a little better than their softer flex would suggest.
Check out more on the Lineup bindings in the video below
Score Breakdown for the Line Up
FACTOR | rating (OUT OF 5) | contribution to final score |
|---|---|---|
Board Feel | 5.0 | 30/30 |
Shock Absorption | 3.5 | 17.5/25 |
Response | 3.0 | 9/15 |
Adjustability | 4.5 | 13.5/15 |
Comfort | 4.0 | 8/10 |
Entry/Exit | 3.5 | 3.5/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 85.8/100 |
FREESTYLE BINDING #2
Bindings: Union Contact Pro
Price: $219
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 have been a mainstay in this list over the years, and for good reason.
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.
For 2019 they've actually decreased in price (which is pretty much unheard of, so that's a big bonus there).
If you are looking for bindings that kill it on the park laps but still handle the rest of the mountain then the Contact Pros pretty well might just be it.
Learn More about the Union Contact Pros in the video below
Score Breakdown for Contact Pros
FACTOR | rating (OUT OF 5) | contribution to final score |
|---|---|---|
Board Feel | 5.0 | 30/30 |
Shock Absorption | 5.0 | 25/25 |
Response | 3.0 | 9/15 |
Adjustability | 4.0 | 12/15 |
Comfort | 4.0 | 8/10 |
Entry/Exit | 4.0 | 4/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 92.6/100 |
FREESTYLE BINDING #1
Bindings: Burton Malavita
Price: $319
Smart rating score: 94.2/100
Flex: Medium (5/10)
And finally, in the #1 position for 2018-19, we have the Burton Malavitas.
They manage to be a stiffer flexing binding, great for those larger jumps, but without sacrificing board feel.
They are the stiffest equal on this list (along with #5) – but still aren’t super-stiff, a nice medium flex (softer base plate and slightly stiffer high back). They’re great for going big in the park, but they can also handle smaller jumps and features just as well, as well as being great 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
Score Breakdown for the Malavita Re:Flex
FACTOR | rating (OUT OF 5) | contribution to final score |
|---|---|---|
Board Feel | 5.0 | 30/30 |
Shock Absorption | 5.0 | 25/25 |
Response | 3.0 | 9/15 |
Adjustability | 4.0 | 12/15 |
Comfort | 4.5 | 9/10 |
Entry/Exit | 4.5 | 4.5/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 94.2/100 |
Score Breakdown for the Malavita EST
FACTOR | rating (OUT OF 5) | contribution to final score |
|---|---|---|
Board Feel | 5.0 | 30/30 |
Shock Absorption | 4.0 | 20/25 |
Response | 3.0 | 9/15 |
Adjustability | 4.5 | 13.5/15 |
Comfort | 4.0 | 8/10 |
Entry/Exit | 4.5 | 4.5/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 89.5/100 |
Thanks for Reading
Thanks for reading. That’s my top 5 freestyle bindings for 2018/19.
NOTE: This is a past seasons top 5. For the latest season's Top 5 Freestyle Bindings list, check out the link below:
Buying Past Season Models
Often models don't change that much from year to year so if you can find a past season model, it will likely be close enough to the latest model but you can get it cheaper, if available and in a suitable size for you. For past year's models check out the links below to see if they still have any left.
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