Hello and welcome to my Union ST snowboard bindings review.
In this review I will take a look at the STs as Beginner snowboard bindings.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the STs a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how they compare with other Beginner bindings.
Overall Rating
Bindings: Union ST
Price: $179 (USD recommended retail)
Style: Beginner
Other Uses: All-Mountain/Freestyle
Flex: Medium (4.5/10)
Rating Score: 80.6/100
Compared to other Men’s Beginner Bindings
Out of the 34 Men’s Beginner bindings that I rated:
- The average price was $230 (USD)
- The average score was 79.7/100
- The highest score was 90.8/100
- The lowest score was 59.2/100
- The ST ranked 17th out of 34
Sizing
Check out the table below for the available sizes for the STs.
| Size | Fits Men’s US Boot Sizes | Euro Boot Sizes | UK Boot Sizes |
| Small | 5.0 – 8.0 | 37.0 – 41.0 | 4.0 – 7.0 |
| Medium | 7.0-10.0 | 40.0 – 43.0 | 6.0 – 9.0 |
| Large | 10.0 & up | 43.0 & up | 9.0 & up |
Who are the STs Most Suited to?
The STs are best suited to beginner to intermediate level riders who want high quality bindings but at a reasonable price. Union basically don’t do bad bindings (IMO) – so even their lower cost bindings are high quality.
The only thing that would make the STs slightly better as beginner bindings would be if they were slightly softer flexing – but not by much so that’s really a minor point. If you’re a heavier rider – or if you’re a high-level beginner or intermediate, then that’s not an issue at all.
And the Emphasis on the STs is durability – so if you want bindings that will last, the STs are known for that – and Union have a life time warranty on their base plates, so they back it.
This is how they rated as other types of bindings in my bindings rating systems.
Beginner: 80.6/100
All-Mountain: 72.5/100
Freestyle: 71.6/100
All-Mountain-Freeride: 70.1/100
Freeride: 67.0/100
The STs in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the STs are capable of.
Demo Info
Bindings: Union ST 2017, M
Date: March 31, 2016
Conditions: Very slushy especially by the end of the day. Slow conditions but fun.
Bindings angles: +15/-15
Flex
I rate the STs as having a medium flex somewhere around 5/10 but probably just slightly below that – but not soft enough to be a 4/10 – so I’d say 4/.5/10. That fits with how Union rate them too. They rate the base plate flex as a 5/10 and the high back flex as a 4/10.
The highback is stiffer towards the base of the high back and softens up towards the top. The idea of this is to have that stiffer flex at the bottom for better response and the softer flex towards the top for more forgiveness and for tweaking grabs.
Butterability
The STs don’t have Union’s mini disc and you can definitely tell the difference between the two discs when it comes to butterability. As a beginner you probably wouldn’t be too worried about this though.
Adjustability
All Union Bindings have a high minimum of adjustability and the STs are no exception. So you should be able to adjust everything you would need to and most of those adjustments can be made without needing tools.
Shock Absorption
I found the shock absorption really good on these bindings. Again, this is pretty typical of Union and they have a pretty high level of minimum in this case as well.
Entry/Exit
The ratchets are pretty smooth and easy to do up and undo. Not the easiest/fastest that I’ve used but as good as you need them to be.
Let’s Break up this text with a Video
Comfort
I found the STs to be really comfortable. Which I consider to be reasonably important for a beginner. You don’t want to be riding all day and be in pain as you’re learning. So comfort is a great thing to have.
The STs have a canted footbed – which is rare in bindings at this price. This basically means that the footbeds are angled in a way that allows your hips, ankles and knee joints to be aligned in a way that is easier on the body – especially over a long period of time.
The great shock absorption and the straps also help to make these bindings really comfortable.
I didn’t notice any pressure points and overall found them to be very comfortable.
Responsiveness
These bindings are mid-level responsive. They are about as responsive as you’d expect from a mid-flexing binding.
Boot Support
The STs haven’t got a heap of boot support. So, if you’re someone who likes a lot of ankle support or who has ankle issues, then they won’t be ultimate in that sense. But the support isn’t bad either – they’re mid-range in terms of support.
Price
Perhaps one of the best “features” of these bindings is their price. Not just because they come with a low price tag – but because of the general build quality of them for the price tag.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
| Flex: | 4.0 | 16/20 |
| Price: | 5.0 | 20/20 |
| Comfort: | 4.0 | 12/15 |
| Adjustability: | 3.5 | 10.5/15 |
| Boot Support: | 3.0 | 6/10 |
| Entry/Exit: | 3.5 | 7/10 |
| Responsiveness: | 3.5 | 3.5/5 |
| Shock Absorption: | 4.0 | 4/5 |
| TOTAL after normalizing | 80.6/100 |
Overall the Union ST bindings are great for beginner to intermediate riders who want bindings that will last, are comfortable and have great build quality – but that also won’t break the bank.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you want to learn more about the STs, are ready to buy or want to research availability and prices, check out the links below.
If you want to see how the STs compare to other beginner bindings or want to check out some other options, check out the next link.
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