Hello and welcome to my Union Force bindings review.
In this review I will take a look at the Forces as all-mountain snowboard bindings.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Forces a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how it compares with other all mountain bindings.
Overall Rating
Bindings: Union Force
Price: $249 (USD recommended retail)
Style: All-Mountain
Other Uses: All-Mountain-Freeride, Freestyle
Flex Feel: Medium (6/10)
Rating Score: 83.9/100
Compared to other Men’s All-Mountain Bindings
Out of the 22 men’s all-mountain bindings that I rated:
Overview of the Force’s Specs
Check out the tables for the Force’s specs and available sizes.
Specs
Style: | All-Mountain |
Price: | $249 |
Ability Level: |  |
Flex: |  |
Edge-to-Edge: | Medium-Fast |
Weight: | Normal |
Mounts To: | 2 x 4 | 4 x 4 | Channel |
Sizing
SIZE | US BOOT SIZE | EURO BOOT SIZE | UK BOOT SIZE |
|---|---|---|---|
S | 5-8 | 37-41 | 4-7 |
M | 7-10 | 40-43 | 6-9 |
L | 10+ | 43+ | 9+ |
Who are the Force Most Suited To?
Union’s Force bindings are great for anyone looking for a binding for riding the groomers or backcountry mostly – whether you want to ride fairly aggressively or want to ride more casual or ride freestyle – or do all of the above (as all-mountain bindings should).
The ideal snowboarder for these bindings is someone looking for one set of bindings (rather than owning separate bindings for different purposes) and that want their bindings at an affordable price, but still have good response and not be too soft.
If you have more than one board, these bindings should match well with most boards – maybe except for the flexiest street/jib boards and the stiffest freeride boards. But they’ll work well with everything in between 4/10 to 7/1 0 flexing boards - best for 5/10 to 6/10 boards.
The Force in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Force’s are capable of.
Demo Info
Bindings: Union Force 2019, M
Date: March 21, 2018
Conditions: High cloud but still good vis. Wind was light but cold. Snowed for like 20 minutes, but very light snow. Was a bit bumpy and lumpy on groomers and quite crunchy off groomer.
Bindings angles: +15/-15
Stance Width: 550mm (21.65″)
Board demoed with: Rossignol One LF 2018
Baseplate Length: 24.4cm (9.6″) – that’s measured on the top of the footbed. 23.6cm on the underside of the baseplate – it angles up to the top of the footbed.
Baseplate Extended: When toe ramp fully extended, it extends to 25.1cm
Highback Height: 21.0cm (8.3″)
Weight: 900 grams (2lbs) – per binding, including disc and screws
About average in terms of weight. Union bindings are usually lighter but the Force are about normal.
Flex
The Forces are medium but on the stiffer side of medium.
Union have two separate flex ratings. One for the high back flex and one for the base plate flex. The Force ratings are:
High-back: 6/10
Base Plate: 7/10
Which is pretty accurate, I would say – the highback maybe feels a little softer than that, but overall feel on snow is around a 6/10.
The high backs are designed to flex more in certain spots so that you can tweak them when you want to but their stiffer in the right spots to give you some great response.
Butterability/Board Feel
They don’t have the mini-disc like the Contacts, Contact Pros, Falcors , Ultras or Ultra FCs (in the Union line) but they still butter andflex with the board pretty well considering that. Better than other Union bindings without the mini-disc in my experience. They flex reasonably well with the board with minimal dead spot. Not as well as the Union bindings with the mini disc though.
Adjustability
You can adjust most parts of the binding It’s pretty easy to adjust on the fly as the adjustments are virtually all tool-less.
Assuming you pick the right size bindings for your boots, you’ll be able to dial these in for a great fit.
The only thing that you can’t adjust is the position of the ankles strap (e.g. if you wanted it to sit higher or lower on the ankle) and you can’t really adjust the highback rotation – at least not independently of the heel cup adjustment and it’s tricky.
Being able to adjust the heel cup is great though. Love this about Union bindings – great for boot centering for even overhang.
Shock Absorption
The shock absorption is great on these bindings. It’s another thing that Union do really well. Pretty much all of their bindings have at least great if not excellent shock absorption.
It definitely makes a difference for comfort over time and you definitely notice it if your landing jumps, dropping off lips, ollying over rollers etc all day.
Entry/Exit
Like most Union bindings, the Forces have great ratchets and this makes them pretty smooth to get on and off quickly.
Let’s Break up this text with a Video
Check out the video below for more on the Union Force bindings.
Comfort
There’s no canted footbed – but they are otherwise tick all the boxes comfort-wise. That’s partly down to the awesome shock absorption and partly down to quality straps and adjustability.
The straps comfortably conform to your boots and the adjustability means that you can set them up just right so that you can avoid any potential pressure points.
They’re not the most comfortable in Union’s line but they’re comfortable enough.
Responsiveness
These bindings are really quite responsive – one of the most responsive I’ve tried at this price point for sure.
Ankle Support
They have a looser feel to them in terms of ankle support. A surfier feel. If you like that then great, but if you prefer more ankle support or a more locked in feeling then they may not work as well for you.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
RATING | Contribution to Final Score | |
|---|---|---|
RESPONSE | 4.0 | 16/20 |
BOARD FEEL | 4.0 | 16/20 |
SHOCK ABSORPTION | 4.0 | 12/15 |
ADJUSTABILITY | 4.5 | 13.5/15 |
COMFORT | 3.5 | 10.5/15 |
ANKLE SUPPORT | 3.0 | 6/10 |
ENTRY/EXIT | 4.0 | 4/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 83.9/100 |
The Forces remain one of the cheapest, good quality bindings out there. For this price, I can’t think of any binding off-hand that can match the Force for performance. They're at a mid price-point (just under the average for the bindings I tested, but well above the average score).
These bindings have been going for 15 years now and Union seems to have found the formula for a quality binding at a really great price.
They’ll do a great job for anyone looking for a binding that won’t break the bank but is still responsive and good quality – and for anyone looking for one pair of bindings for multiple boards.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you want to learn more about the Forces, or are ready to buy or want to research availability and prices, check out the links below.
If you want to check out some other all mountain binding options or compare the Forces to other all mountain bindings check out the next link.
Hello and welcome to my Union Force bindings review.
Union’s Force bindings are great for anyone looking for a binding in that just above mid-flex range for riding the groomers or backcountry – whether you want to ride fairly aggressively or want to ride more casual or ride freestyle – or do all of the above (as all-mountain bindings should).
Thanks Nate! Enjoy the rest of the season.
Thanks dd. You too!
Hi Nate. Do you think the Force would be enough to drive a Rossi XV Magtek? My other choice would be some Cartels. I realize neither is likely a perfact match as both are probably a bit softer than ideal, but curious on your thoughts. Thanks in advance!
Hi dd
Yeah neither probably ideal, because of the flex, like you say, but doable. I do ride stiffer freeride boards on softer bindings and it’s fine. Just I find it’s more optimal on stiffer bindings for stiffer boards.
Between the Force and Cartel, I don’t think there’s really one that would drive the XV better than the other in a massively noticeable way, but I would be just leaning towards the Force, just because they felt, to me, just a touch more responsive vs the Cartels. Part of that better response could just be done to a slightly longer base plate on the Force, which can give you just that little bit more leverage on the edges of the board. But very subtle. Between the 2, I don’t think there’d be a huge difference on the XV.
Hello,
Thanks very much for doing such detailed reviews, very cool.
Any idea how long the length of the base of the Large Forces are? Mediums are just too short for me
Thank you and keep up the great work
Hi T
Thanks for your message.
I haven’t measured the Large Forces, as I always ride medium. But I did have someone send me the measurement of a large Contact Pro, which was 26.5cm long vs the Medium Contact Pro which is 24cm long. If the Force has the same difference, then I would expect the Force Large to be around 26.9cm based on the medium measuring 24.4cm (without any gas pedal extension). But there’s certainly no guarantee that the Force has the same difference between the M and L. Also the Force has an adjustable toe ramp and the Contact Pro doesn’t, so that gives you a bit more leeway in terms of length on the Force. My guess would be that it’s shorter than 26.9cm without extension, but maybe extends to about that. But that really is just a guess.
Hope this gives you a little more to go off
Hi Nate!
Been reading your reviews for a while. I bought a One Lf, most of my riding is trees, carving, and just bombing. Both east and west coast. But that being said, because I like tree runs, I need a binding that is responsive at both slow and fast speed. I am between a few options- Union Force, Union Falcor, or Union Atlas. I’m not too sure which I should get for my riding style. In terms of boots, I have Salomon synapse focus boa boots. I was wondering which bindings would you recommend and why?
Thanks!
Hi Nathan
Thanks for your message.
Definitely a weigh up there. Softer bindings are typically better for more maneuverability at slower speeds and stiffer bindings better for high speeds and harder carving. The Force is the softest of those 3, with the Falcor the stiffest, though they are come in a fairly close range. From my feel they are:
Force: 6/10
Atlas: 6.5/10
Falcor: 7/10
So, the Falcor is going to be the best in terms of bombing and carving (and that plays out in reality too), with the Force better for slower riding. But in saying that the Falcor isn’t bad at slower speeds either – they’re not oppressively stiff. But to get in the middle the Atlas is a good bet. You do get the extra board feel from the Falcor with the mini-disc too.
I would say the Synapse is around 7/10 flex and the Rossi One around 6/10 flex, so any of those options would be a good flex match.
I would personally be weighing up between the Atlas and Falcor, just because I prefer to have bindings at least as stiff as the board, so the Force is fine, but I would prefer just that bit more response and bombability of the other 2. I also like the feel of the mini-disc, so I lean towards the Falcor, but it’s a good choice to have because not one would be a bad choice, but yeah I would be weighing up between the Atlas and Falcor from what your describing.
Hope this helps with your decision
Could anyone tell me what the length is of the Union Force Large with the gas pedal fully extended? Thanks in advance
Hi Tim
Not sure about the large, but the medium is fully extended is 25.1cm (24.4cm with no extension). I was told that the Large Contact Pro is 26.5cm (no extension) and the Medium contact Pro is 24cm (no extension). Based on that the Large Force might be 26.9cm (no extension) and 27.5cm fully extended. But that’s just a guess and may not be accurate as it might not be the same amount bigger as the large contact pro is.
If anyone knows the exact answer to this, that would be much appreciated
Hey Nate,
Is there any difference for riding between 2×2 and 4×4 mounting?
I mean I can mount these bindings both ways on my 2×2 board but does it affect riding anyhow?
Regards,
Alex
Hi Alex
2 x 4 and 4 x 4 are slightly different mounting patterns on a board. 4 x 4 means that the holes are 4cm apart (horizontally) and 4cm apart vertically. With a 2 x 4 pattern, the holes are still 4cm apart vertically, but the holes are only 2cm apart horizontally, which gives you more stance width adjustment options.
You can mount Union discs both vertically and horizontally, but if you mount them vertically, you limit your stance width adjustability. And since Union bindings have an adjustable heel cup, you shouldn’t need to mount the disc vertically. The only reason you would want to mount the disc vertically, is if you needed to do so to center your boots for even toe and heel overhang. But since you should be able to achieve that by adjusting the heel cup, I would run the disc horizontally, to have more micro-adjustability for stance width. Though, if you’re just going to be riding reference and don’t need any adjustments for stance width, then it doesn’t really matter which way you mount them.
Hope this makes sense/helps
Hi
I think he meant using 2 adjacent holes horizontally,
I actually ride my force like that and I get better board flex by using the 2 holes closest to the center of the board.
Hey Nate, I have the Yes Standard 2018 156cm board, 10.5 Burton Imperials, and was trying to match them up with the Union Force 2018 M binding. The L size binding was hanging over the edge a bit. The issue I have now is that the low part of the binding heelback seems to be poking the heel of my boot. I’m a bit worried if this will destroy my boot once I start riding.
Do you think I need to get another boot or binding? Or is it ok to stick with this setup? I noticed at a Burton store that the my boot had no issue fitting into a medium Burton mission binding or malavita binding…
Hi Dennis
Thanks for your message.
This isn’t an issue I’ve come across, so I couldn’t say for sure if it’s going to cause issues, but it sounds like it could.
I’m surprised that the Large Force we’re overhanging on the board though. I measured the YES Standard at 27cm at the inserts, which is relatively wide. That said, I ride Medium for Union bindings, so I haven’t tried any Large Unions. The only large Union I’ve measured was the Contact Pro, which was 26.5cm long (Union bindings typically have longer base plates than other bindings). Did you have the toe ramp extended or all the way in. If it was extended it may have fit better being all the way in.
Either way, if you had no issues with fit in Burton bindings, then that might be the safer way to go. Also, Burton bindings in the Large size aren’t as long as Union bindings – so you would have no issues with a Large Burton binding on the Standard if you wanted to go Large with that brand.
I rode the 2019 YES Standard with Burton Malavitas (Medium) and they worked well with the board. I’d say the Mission, Cartel and Genesis would all also be good matches for the Standard.
Hope this helps
Hey Nate, thanks for the advice!
I think I was just overthinking it. I asked around and it seems like the issue I was concerned about shouldn’t be a problem just like you mentioned.
I decided to check out the Burton Genesis binding in medium. However, after I spent some time adjusting it to my 10.5 Burton Imperial boot, I decided that I liked the fit with my Union Force in Medium much better.
Another thing that swayed me was the strap quality. I wasn’t really impressed with the straps on the Burton Genesis, especially for the cost. It’s a personal choice, but I thought the Union Binding straps were easier to use, and functioned better. Of course, I made this decision by just trying the Bindings at home and not actually on a mountain.
Also, the tool less gas pedal adjustment was difficult to adjust on the Burton. It took me some time to figure out as I didn’t want to break it. The union binding has the screw which is very simple to adjust if you have a screwdriver.
In regard to the Large Force overhanging, I did have the toe ramp/gas pedal all the way in and not extended. I should clarify that the binding base only slightly hung over when the bindings were at the 15 -15 setting. It really just hungover a tad bit. But went I put the toe ramp back on, It noticeably hanging over at the toe. I just found the Large Binding just to be very big in general for a 10.5 boot. The heel cup was snug, but the front of the binding had a lot of space. I didn’t care for that too much.
Also, with the medium Union binding, if I extend the toe ramp all the way out, it does hangover the board a little bit. If I keep it at the middle setting, it’s perfect.
Hi Dennis
Thanks for the update. Sounds like the Medium force is the way to go for you then.
Yeah the gas pedal adjustment on Burton bindings can be a bit tricky at first, and you feel like you’re going to break it. I found that too. But you do get used to it.
Hi Nate,
Want to pair my Jones Mountain Twin (15/16) with Union Force (16/17 I can get them for a very good price). What would you say about this combination ?
I was actually looking forward to get Union Atlas, but can get Union Force with 30% off which makes them much cheaper.
Thanks a lot,
Val
Hi Val
Thanks for your message.
Union Force with Jones Mountain Twin sounds like a really good match, IMO. They’re a good flex match and both are quality pieces of gear. The Atlas is probably a little nicer overall than the Force but not by a huge amount, IMO, so you wouldn’t be taking much of a drop and if you can get the Force at a good price, then I’d say that’s a good way to go.
Hope this helps