Hello and welcome to my Union Contact Pro Binding review.
In this review I will assess the Contact Pros for all of the freestyle relevant factors of the bindings to see how they perform as freestyle bindings.
As is custom at SnowboardingProfiles.com the bindings will receive a rating out of 100. This is not an exact science but will give some idea of how good the Contact Pros are as a binding for freestyle riding.
DISCONTINUED BINDING: The last model of the Contact Pro was the 2022 model, so naturally this review has not been updated since then.
Overall Rating
Bindings: Union Contact Pro
Price: $239
Style: Freestyle
Flex Rating: Baseplate = 5/10 | Highback = 5/10 | Straps = 5/10
Flex Feel: Medium-Soft (4/10)
Rating Score: 93.2/100
Compared to other Men’s Freestyle Bindings
Out of the 17 Men’s Freestyle bindings that I rated:
Overview of the Contact Pro’s Specs
Check out the tables for the Contact Pro’s specs and available sizes.
Specs
Style: | Freestyle |
Price: | $239 |
Ability Level: |  |
Flex: |  |
Weight: | Light |
Mounts To: | 2 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+ | 43.5+ | 9.5+ |
Who are the Contact Pros Most Suited To?
The Contact Pros are a great choice for anyone wanting to ride surfy, more for slashing up the mountain than carving it up. Particularly suited to those who want to ride playful freestyle. Just so fun riding playfully in these bindings!
Best matched to 3/10 to 5/10 flexing boards. I rode them with my Lib Tech Terrain Wrecker (5/10 flex by my feel) and they felt like they matched really well.
A good option for any ability level - even beginners can ride these bindings, if they're looking for a better quality beginner binding or think they'll be moving into freestyle in their future.
The Contact Pro in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Contact Pro are capable of.
Demo Info
Binding: Union Contact Pro 2022, M
Date: February 24, 2021
Conditions: Sunny! As in not a single cloud. Perfect visibility.
-4°C (25°F) and -4°C (25°F) with wind chill (as in no wind!). Felt warmer than that because of the sun.
Snow was pretty good for the most part. On groomer some harder spots but mostly medium. Off groomer medium with some crunchy spots.
24 hour snow: 2cm (0.75")
7 day snow: 45cm (18")
On groomer: Hard but not icy.
Off groomer: Crunchy with some icy patches
Bindings angles: +15/-15
Stance width: 555mm (22″)
Board demoed with: Lib Tech Terrain Wrecker
Boots demoed with: Adidas Tactical ADV 9.5
Baseplate Length: 24.5cm (9.7”)*
*measured on the top side of the footbed - 24cm (9.5") at base of baseplate.
Highback Height: 20cm (7.9”)*
* from bottom of heel cup to top of highback
Height from top of footbed to top of highback: 26.3cm (10.4")
Weight: 780g (1lb 11oz)
* for one binding, including screws and disc. The average weight of a small sample size of around 45 bindings (2019, 2020, 2021 & 2022 models) I weighed, was 890 grams. The lightest was 680 grams and the heaviest was 1,160grams. So the Contact Pro are a good bit lighter than average.
Mounting and Setup
Previously with Union bindings I've had to sink a screw without a washer first, then sink the 3 other screws and then remove that first screw and add the washer back before re-sinking it. I didn't have that issue on the 2022 Contact Pro, so that was nice to just be able to sink it easily without first having to sink one washer-less.
The highback lean adjuster is tool-less. The ankle strap is tool-less. But for some reason they've made it so that to adjust the toe strap you need a screw driver. Not a major thing, but just annoying.
I found I had to setup the toe strap on the second to last hole - which was quite surprising in my 9.5 low profile boots. Wasn't the case on the 2022 Falcor, but you might not want to go beyond a size 10 in these bindings, or you may not be able to get the toe strap into the optimal position.
Flex
While Union rate it 5/10 for all 3 of baseplate, highback and straps, I felt it's overall feel when riding to be around a 4/10, maybe pushing 4.5/10, but I'd say 4/10, by my feel.
Responsiveness
When it comes to big carves at highspeed, the Contact Pro isn't amazing. It's not bad (especially given the flex feel), but it's not as good as my control bindings (Malavita) and a long way back from the Falcor (which I also rode that day).
But when it comes to riding at slower speeds they are super easy to maneuver in. It made riding slow really fun - even better at slow speeds than the Malavitas, which aren't bad at all. For slower speed and playful riding, they were just super fun.
Board Feel/Butterability
Such good board feel! Just flexes so nicely with the board.
Part of that, I'm guessing, is down to the minidisc it uses and part of it because of the softer base plate. So easy to butter and press and ollie in these bindings.
Pop/Ollie Power
Just so easy to extract pop out of my control board with these bindings. Made it easier than my control bindings and easier than any other binding I tested that day. Don't think I got any more overall pop, but just helped to make the pop of the board super easy to access.
Adjustability
Heel Cup: Yes - which is great for getting your heel and toe overhang centered
Stance Width: With the mini-discs can't run the disc vertically - but there's no need to have that, with the adjustable heel cup (you'd typically only run vertically for boot centering). So with the disc running horizontally it gives you some stance width adjustability. However, being a mini-disc it's somewhat limited.
Highback Lean: Yes and tool-less
Ankle Strap Position: No
Toe Strap Position: Yes
Ankle and toe strap length: Yes and ankle strap is tool-less but toe needs a screwdriver, which is a bit annoying!
Gas pedal/toe ramp extension: No
Highback Rotation: Yes- and you get a little more rotation than on the Falcor and Flite Pro, which only have 2 slots. The Contact Pro has 3 slots for highback rotation.
Compatible with: 2 x 4 | The Channel (not compatible with 4 x 4, which means doesn't