
Hello and welcome to my Union Atlas bindings review.
In this review, I will take a look at the Atlas as all-mountain-freeride snowboard bindings.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Atlas a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how they compare with other all-mountain-freeride bindings.
Overall Rating
Binding: Union Atlas 2023
Price: $349
Style: All-Mountain-Freeride
Flex Rating: Stiff (8/10)
Flex Feel on Snow: Medium-Stiff (7/10)
Rating Score: 85.1/100
Compared to other Men’s All-Mountain-Freeride Bindings
Out of the 17 men’s all-mountain-freeride bindings that I rated:
Overview of the Atlas’s Specs
Check out the tables for the Atlas’s specs and available sizes.
Specs
Style: | All-Mountain-Freeride |
Price: | $349 |
Ability Level: | ![]() |
Flex: | ![]() |
Weight: | Felt 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 is the Atlas Most Suited To?
The Atlas is best suited to those who like to do a bit of everything but a little more fast/aggressively than the average rider. They're a little stiffer than medium and like a bit of speed under them and hold up well on deep carves. But they're still fine for those times when you need those quicker turns at slower speeds.
Not for beginners, but anyone intermediate and up in need of bindings of this flex, they are suitable.
Best matched to boards with a 6/10 to 8/10 flex.
The Atlas in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Atlas are capable of.
Demo Info
Binding: Union Atlas 2023, M
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
Footbed Length: 24.4cm (9.6”)
Footbed fully extended: 25.4cm (10")
Baseplate Length: 22.7cm (8.9") - quite a bit of angle down from footbed to underside of baseplate.
Highback Height: 20.6cm (8.1")
Weight: 980g (2lb 3oz)*
* for one binding, including screws and disc. The average weight 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 Atlas was a little above average on the scales, but felt normal when riding and on lift.
Changes for the 2023 Model
The Atlas gets a new highback for the 2023 model. The "S14 Duraflex CB" highback. It also gets new ratchets and a new forward lean adjuster.
Flex
It's a little stiffer than the Force but not hugely so. I don't feel it at 8/10 like it's rated, but I think 7/10 is right on where this binding is.
Responsiveness
Versus my control bindings (Burton Malavita), these weren't quite as good for quick turns at slower speeds. But they were noticeably better for holding deeper carves at higher speeds. And they were surprisingly as good at slower speeds as the Union Force (which I also rode that day) but that little bit better on a big carve.
They share the same smooth, even consistent (as opposed to explosive/springy) response personality as the Force - just with a little bit more burliness.
Board Feel/Butterability
Felt the same as the Force. Not as good as the Malavita. Not awesome board feel, but no devoid of it either.
Pop/Ollie Power
Normal. A touch down from Malavita and about the same as the Force.
Let's Break this Text Up with a Video
This video is for the 2022 model. Since the 2023 model got a new highback, it will look a little different in this video.
Adjustability
The Atlas have really good adjustability. Most things are adjustable on this binding.
Heel Cup: Yes - which is great for boot centering.
Stance Width: Micro adjustments possible - can run disc horizontal and that allows micro stance width adjustments. And given you can use the heel cup for boot centering, you're pretty much always going to be able to run the disc horizontal, as the only advantage of running the disc vertical is to adjust for boot centering.
Highback Lean: Yes and tool-less
Ankle Strap Position: No
Toe Strap Position: Yes - 2 position options
Ankle and toe strap length: Tool-less
Gas pedal/toe ramp extension: Yes
Highback Rotation: Yes - 2 position options
Compatible with: 2 x 4 | 4 x 4 | Channel
Shock Absorption
I felt the Atlas absorbed shock well. Not quite as well as my control bindings, but a little better than the Force.
Entry/Exit
I found the release on the toe strap a little grabby a couple of times, but nothing major. All round pretty smooth.
Comfort
Overall nice and comfortable.
Ankle Strap: Really like the ankle strap on the Atlas. Looks and feels nice, produced zero pressure points and conformed nicely to my boots. Relatively firm feeling, without being overly stiff.
Toe Strap: Toe strap also nice. Very soft and malleable in the middle of the toe strap with the outer sections more firm.
Canted Footbed: Yes
Padded Footbed: An OK amount of padding. The padding is fairly firm for the most part - with the heel section a little squishier. But overall absorbs shock and chatter pretty well.
Highback: A little padding from near bottom up through the middle – but nothing on the top section. And that padding is quite firm. I felt zero calf bite and that's the main thing.
Ankle Support
Decent without being amazing.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
---|---|---|
RESPONSE | 4.0 | 24/30 |
BOARD FEEL | 3.5 | 10.5/15 |
ADJUSTABILITY | 4.5 | 13.5/15 |
ANKLE SUPPORT | 4.0 | 12/15 |
SHOCK ABSORPTION | 4.0 | 8/10 |
COMFORT | 4.0 | 8/10 |
ENTRY/EXIT | 4.0 | 4/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 85.1/100 |
Overall, the Atlas is a quality binding, particularly when it comes to freeride and carving up the groomers. It's not ideal as a freestyle binding - but it's not horrible for it either.
A good all-round binding, that's a little stiffer than medium, is comfortable and has a lot of adjustability. And basically zero weaknesses.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you’re interested in Union’s Atlas bindings, are ready to buy or want to research current prices or availability, check out the links below.

If you want to check out some other all-mountain-freeride type bindings or want to compare the Atlas to others, check out the next link.
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