Union Falcor Snowboard Bindings Review

For the 2025 model the Union Falcor has had a full redesign. It's taken what was already a sick pair of bindings and somehow made them better.

They are more akin in their personality to the 2021 and earlier models, but with even better board feel and shock absorption. And vs the 2022-2024 models, it has really improved its slow speed response - back to what it was with the 2021 and earlier models. 

I had no issues with the 2022-2024 models, they were still really good bindings, but I preferred the 2019-2021 models. The 2025 model has topped both eras and is the best Falcor yet, IMO. 

You could ask: why you would mess with an already really good product? Well the 2025 Falcor is the quintessential answer to that question - because you can make it even better!

Perspective of our Falcor bindings testing and review

In this review the Falcor will be assessed as an all-mountain-freeride snowboard bindings. As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Falcor a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how they compare with other all-mountain-freeride bindings. 

Each aspect is weighted so that more or less importance is given to particular factors - so that the final score represents how well it does as what we consider to be the job of the all-mountain-freeride binding to be. You can see how all-mountain freeride bindings are weighted in the score breakdown, found near the end of this review.

Overall Rating

Bindings: Union Falcor 2025

Price: $399 (USD recommended retail)

Style: All-Mountain-Freeride

Flex Rating: Medium-Stiff (7/10)

Flex Feel: Medium-Stiff (7/10)

Rating Score: 90.4/100

Compared to other Men’s All-Mountain-Freeride Bindings

Of the 21 current model all-mountain freeride bindings that we tested:

❄️ The Falcor ranked 2nd out of 21

Overview of the Falcor’s Specs

Check out the tables for the Falcor’s specs and available sizes.

Specs

Who are the Falcor Most Suited To?

The Falcor are best suited to riders who are looking for a bit more power from their bindings vs a mid-flex binding, but still want a decent amount of forgiveness. Even better suited if you really value good board feel and shock absorption. 

Not for beginners - too stiff for that. Solid to high-end intermediates should be fine with it, but probably too stiff for most lower end intermediates. 

Best matched to boards in the 5/10 to 8/10 flex range and even better for the 6/10 to 7/10 flex range, IMO. 

Test/review details for the Falcor

O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Falcor are capable of.

Demo Info

Binding: Union Falcor 2025, M

Date: February 27, 2024

Flex

In Hand

Highback Twist: When twisting the high back I found the lateral side (outside) is a little more flexy than the medial side (inside). But the difference isn’t huge. Not as big a difference as on the Atlas Pro, Atlas and STR (which I also had for testing at the time). Atlas Pro was stiffer medially than the Falcor, but softer laterally – so a much bigger spread. The Atlas was the same as Falcor medially but stiffer laterally. The STR had a softer twist flex both medially and laterally. 

Highback Pullback: I found there was no flex in the “T” spine. Completely unmoveable. But the 2 outside pieces were quite flexible when pulling back/pushinig forward and the bottom of the highback flexes a bit too. As does the very top section, which is quite flexy on pullback, like the side pieces. Both the Atlas Pro and Atlas were overall stiffer in terms of pull back flex and the STR was softer overall.

Ankle Strap: The main part of the strap (underside) was ultra soft and flexy but the black plastic skeleton on top being quite rigid. It was particularly stiff torsionally, a bit more flex laterally. Atlas Pro strap was quite a bit stiffer than it. It had a different skeleton above it (just one piece across the middle) but the strap itself was a good bit stiffer. The Atlas' ankle strap was softer than on the Atlas Pro, but not as soft as the Falcor. Like right in the middle -  significantly softer than Atlas Pro and significantly stiffer than the Falcor, so quite a difference between all 3. The STR's ankle strap was stiffer torsionally on the strap than the Falcor and Atlas, but not as stiff as the Atlas Pro. But the torsional stiffness is no where near as stiff as the skeletons on the Atlas and Falcor, particularly vs the Falcor’s skeleton. In terms of overall (skeletons and straps together) bendy flex (as in lateral flex) of the straps, the Falcor was the softest, followed by the STR, then the Atlas, then the Atlas Pro. Atlas and Atlas Pro very close though.

Toe Strap: Same thing with toe strap, essentially. With the black rubber part being really soft and flexy and the black plastic skeleton being more rigid, but not as rigid as the ankle strap both torsionally and laterally. Overall medially/laterally and torsionally quite soft and flexy. Atlas Pro’s is exactly the same toe strap. Atlas toe strap is similar laterally/medially but a little stiffer torsionally. STRs toe strap is a little stiffer both laterally and torsionally.

On Snow

Overall, on snow, they felt right on what I would consider a 7/10 flex. Just that bit stiffer than medium, but still with a good amount of forgiveness to them. They felt softer than the last time I tested the Falcor, which were stiffer then the previous models. These felt exactly how I remember the older Falcor models feeling (and the pair I own - the 2019 model) - which was music to my ears, as I feel like that's right where these bindings are at their best. 

Responsiveness

They were notiiceably better for slow speed response than the last time I tested them. I'd say even better than my 2019 Falcor. Really similar to my control bindings. A touch less forgiving at slower speeds than the Malavita, but just as quick turning, if not quicker.

What wasn't the same as my control bindings was the higher speed/carving performance. On these that was much better! I I felt I could hold for longer, get deeper and could do higher speed carves more easily without washing out. Definitely made my board more carvy feeling overall.

And as I like to try to illustrate when people are trying to decide between these and the Atlas, I've always (and still do) felt that these produce a more explosive/springy kind of a response as opposed to the Atlas, which has a more even, consistent response feel. That makes these a little more to get used to and a little more difficult to predict, but once you get a feel for them, they become easier to tame - and super fun! 

Board Feel/Butterability

Board feel was amazing. Gotta be the best board feel bindings in this flex range going around, I reckon. Super easy to initiate ollies, press the nose and tail etc. 

Pop/Ollie Power

Typically I don't detect much difference between bindings in terms of pop/ollie power. Most are pretty similar. Pop/Ollie initiation tends to be more varied, depending on how good the board feel is, but overall power tends to be fairly uniform between bindings. In saying that, there are some bindings that feel like they give just that little bit more power or that little bit less power than average. In the Falcor's case I found they gave a bit more power than typical, which is always nice!

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, but still not tool-less

Ankle Strap Position: No

Toe Strap Position: Yes

Ankle and toe strap length:  Yes and tool-less

Gas pedal/toe ramp extension: No

Highback Rotation: Yes- and this is new for 2022 model. Previous models didn't have independent highback rotation. There are only 2 slots, but it's better than nothing, if you like to rotate your highbacks. 

Compatible with: 2 x 4 | The Channel (not compatible with 4 x 4, which means doesn't work on "slam back inserts" "float packs" - anything that has an extra set of holes 4cm behind the main insert pack and not compatible with 4 x 4 insert packs, though those are very rare these days). 

Shock Absorption

Really freaking good. Even better than my control bindings, which is saying something as they absorb shock really well too. 

When I inspected the footbed at home after testing them on snow, I was surprised how hard the footbed felt, given how shock absorbing they felt on snow. 

The toe end felt quite hard from the top. The middle had a bit of spring from the disc cover. The heel had more a more cush feeling than the toe, but I could still feel through to hard bit fairly easily. On that evidence alone, you might think it wasn’t going to be super shock absorbing. However, the baseplate is quite cush! It seems like iit has 3 layers. The footbed is relatively cushy but not thick. The middle layer is hard and the bottom layer (underside/baseplate) is cushy and also not thick - but that together with the footbed produces really good shock absorption in practice.

Entry/Exit

Nothing really out of the ordinary going on here. But the ratchets are pretty smooth. Not as smooth as my control bindings, but they are super smooth and the Falcor ratchets are as smooth as you need them. I did find that it didn't take too many cranks to get them to a good tightness, so that does speed things up just a touch. 

Comfort

Overall really comfortable. 

Ankle Strap: At first I felt a minor pressure point on my left foot but I had over-cranked the strap and found when I dialed it back a touch, that went away completely, without any loss of support. A bit of time with these ankle straps and I quickly adapted to the fact that you only need a few pulls on the ratchets and that you can over-crank them. But it's easy to feel/find that sweet spot. 

Toe Strap: Conformed well and no pressure points. 

Canted Footbed: Yes.

Padded Footbed: See shock absorption section. 

Highback: There's a thin strip of padding across the top of the highback and a triangle-ish bit at the bottom. Nothing in between. No calf bite when riding, which is the main thing.

Ankle Support 

I found the ankle support to be just right for me. Enough support with enough freedom. Felt very similar to my control bindings for ankle support. 

Mounting

Pretty easy overall. As typical of Union mini discs, have to either increase or decrease stance width by 10mm.

The screws do sink with washer (Union screws of old, you had to sink a washerless screw first then sink all the other screws with washer and then you could remove and add washer to the first screw and then sink it), but have to put a good bit of downwards pressure to get them to sink with the washer. 

I like the new disc cover the Falcor has. Does a good job of keeping the disc with the screws without needing a screw driver and is easy to work with. 

Boot Fit

The Falcor fit my boots really well. 

Heel Cup: Just right - not tight, but not too much space.

Boot fit in rest of bindings: Just right - not tight, but not too much space

Score Breakdown and Final Verdict

Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.

The Falcor's have managed to better themselves and this is no mean feat, given how good they already were. The way these bindings achieve the slow speed response and board feel,  while also being great for carving and high speeds and being highly shock absorbent, is a mystery to me. But however they worked it out, I'm glad they did!

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