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Union Ultra bindings Review

Last Updated: October 19, 2020 by Nate 6 Comments

Union Ultra Bindings

Hello and welcome to my Union Ultra bindings review.

In this review, I will take a look at the Ultra’s as freeride snowboard bindings.

As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Ultra’s a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how they compare with other freeride bindings.

NOTE: The 2020 model was the last model of the Ultra, so this review will no longer be updated.  

Overall Rating

Bindings: Union Ultra 2019

Price: $449 (USD recommended retail)

Style: Freeride

Other Uses: Aggressive All-Mountain

Flex Rating: Baseplate = 7/10, Highback = 9/10 (based on Union’s slider graph scale)

Flex Feel: Stiff (8/10)

Rating Score: 87.1/100

Compared to other Freeride Bindings

Out of the 1 men’s freeride bindings that I rated:

  • The average score was 85.7/100
  • The highest score was 91.9/100
  • The lowest score was 80.1/100
  • The average price was $429
  • The Ultra ranked 3rd out of 11

Overview of the Ultra’s Specs

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

Specs

Style:

Freeride

Price: 

$449

Ability Level: 

Ability Level Advanced to Expert

Flex: 

Snowboard flex 8

Edge-to-Edge: 

Fast

Weight: 

Heavy

Mounts To: 

2 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 Ultras Most Suited To?

The Ultras are best suited to those who like their bindings nice and stiff and responsive and like to charge hard and carve aggressively, but at the same time still want good board feel. 

Matches well to medium-stiff to stiff flexing boards (7/10 to 9/10 flexing boards).

For advanced to expert rider's only and who like an aggressive style. Not suitable for beginners or intermediate riders. 

The Ultra in More Detail

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

Demo Info

Binding: Union Ultra 2020, M

Date: March 29, 2019

Conditions: Not a cloud in the sky (OK maybe 1 or 2). Perfect vis.

Snow was quite hard first thing but with some softer spots but predominantly harder with a few icy patches. Pretty cruddy for the most part but smoother sections too. 

Got softer and a little sticky as the day went on.

Union Ultra 2020 Review

Bindings angles: +15/-15

Stance width: 545mm (21.5″)

Board demoed with: Rossignol One LF 2018, 159

Baseplate Length: 26.3cm (10.35”)*

*measured on the top side of the footbed - quite a bit of angle down to underside of baseplate - which measured 24.3cm (9.57")

Highback Height: 21.1cm (8.3")*

* from bottom of heel cup to top of highback

Height from Bottom of Baseplate to top of Highback: 26.0cm (10.24")

Weight: 980 grams (2lbs, 2oz)*

*for one binding, including screws and disc. The average weight of a small sample size of 26 bindings (2019 & 2020 models) I weighed, was 894 grams. The lightest was 760 grams and the heaviest was 1,000grams. 

The Ultra is quite heavy, which was extremely surprising given how light the 2019 model was - just 780 grams (1lb, 11oz). Adding 200 grams between models seems crazy. Maybe the production model is lighter. 200 grams per binding is super noticeable. You can notice much less than that. I had to reweigh it a few times to make sure - and even re-weighed other bindings of mine, to make sure the scales weren't off. 

Flex

Ultra, from deciphering their new scale graphs seem to rate the highback as 9/10 and baseplate as 7/10. However in their video (see below), they rate it 7/10 overall, so it's a bit confusing. In any case, the overall feel was stiffer vs last year. I would say 8/10 overall on snow. And that highback is super stiff - can barely twist - so 9/10 for the highback would be accurate, by my feel of it. 

Responsiveness

When you get some speed going, these bindings really help you to get on edge and get really deep into a carve and I could hold carves noticeably deeper and longer vs my control bindings (Burton Malavita). 

Not overly maneuverable at slower speeds - but these are bindings that are made for riding more aggressively - and stiffer bindings typically aren't agile at slow speeds - so I was expecting this for sure. 

Board Feel/Butterability

Really good board feel, especially for bindings this stiff. Though they have that heel to toe response in spades, you can still butter well in these bindings and they give you a good feel with the board. Largely down to the mini-disc they use, I would say. 

Pop/Ollie Power

They help to get some good pop out of the board. Typical of most stiffer bindings, you do need to load them up a bit more than you would with softer bindings - but when you do, they give good pop power to the board.

They didn't feel quite as good in this respect vs the 2019 model - and that's probably something to do with them being heavier - and maybe the stiffer base plate is a contributing factor to why the pop isn't as easy to extract. 

Let's Break this Text Up with a Video

Adjustability

Like most Union bindings, there is some good adjustability for the Ultras. The thing I like most is having that adjustable heel cup so you can make sure you get your boots centered. 

Heel Cup: Yes 

Stance Width: The mini-disc has to be mounted horizontally, but that's a good thing for stance adjustability. And since you can adjust the heel cup, there's no need to run them vertically anyway, as you can adjust your boot centering with the heel cup adjustment. Because they're mini - there's not a massive amount you can do with stance width options, and sometimes you have to go like 5mm off the stance width you were aiming for, but I've never found that to be a big thing.  

Highback Lean: Yes - easy tool-less adjustment

Ankle Strap Position: No 

Toe Strap Position: Yes

Ankle and toe strap length: Yes, tool-less

Gas pedal/toe ramp extension: No

Highback Rotation: Kind of with the heel cup adjustments, though I'm not sure they're really designed for it

Compatible with: 2 x 4 | channel - with the minidisc they're not compatible with 4 x 4 boards. They're aren't too many of those around, but just so you know they won't be compatible if you have a 4 x 4 board. 

Shock Absorption

These bindings absorb shock and chatter really well. The padding is relatively firm but has good give to it. It feels like there's gap between the layers of padding, like a cushion of air, which aids in that give. 

That same cushion of air feel is on the highback padding too. 

Entry/Exit

Nice smooth ratchets typical of Union. Nothing else making entry exit easier, but they're fast and smooth to strap in an unstrap from. 

Comfort

These bindings are really comfortable, which isn't always the case with stiffer bindings. But the Ultras do comfort really well, IMO. 

Ankle Strap: The ankle strap is super nice. When I first held it, I thought it felt very stiff and didn't know if it would be that comfortable, but when riding I didn't even notice it. It conforms really well and feels comfortable and supportive. 

Toe Strap: Typically good strap from Union here. It's one that you can really crank and it's still comfortable but allows you to get a really secure feel. But you do need to make sure you crank it enough. 

Canted Footbed: Yes

Padded Footbed: As per the shock absorption section above, the footbed has some decently thick padding which feels like there's a pocket of air between layers.  

Highback: The padding on the high back feels like it has that same pocket of air. I didn't feel any kind of calf bite or any discomfort from the highback - which can sometimes bet he case with stiffer highbacks. 

Ankle Support

The Ankle support has really improved on the Ultra over the last couple of years. The new ankle strap is wide and stiff and just gives you a nice secure feel. Really good ankle support. The only thing that would make it better, would be if there was an option to go with  a higher position for the ankle strap. Personally I like it where it is, for my feel, but to have that option, if you wanted it a bit higher on the ankle is always nice. 

Score Breakdown and Final Verdict

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

RATING
(out of 5)

Contribution to Final Score

RESPONSE

4.5

31.5/35

ADJUSTABILITY

4.0

12/15

ANKLE SUPPORT

4.0

12/15

SHOCK ABSORPTION

4.0

8/10

COMFORT

4.5

9/10

BOARD FEEL

4.5

9/10

ENTRY/EXIT

4.0

4/5

TOTAL after normalizing

87.1/100

Overall, the Ultra definitely prefers speed over riding slow - super responsive at speed and you could really dig in and hold carves deep. Made my board feel more stable at speed and carvier. 

And it manages all of that whilst also having great board feel and being really comfortable and supportive. 

More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online

If you want to learn more about the Ultra’s, are ready to buy or want to research current prices and availability, check out the links below.

  • US
  • CANADA

>>Union Ultra at evo.com

>>Union Ultra at REI.com

>>Union Ultra at backcountry.com

>>Union Ultra at PRFO.com

Union Ultra Bindings 2020

If you want to see how the Ultras compare to other all-mountain-freeride bindings or want to check out other options, check out the next link.

My Top 5 Men's Freeride Bindings
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Past Reviews for the Ultra

 

Union Ultra Bindings

Hello and welcome to my Union Ultra bindings review.

In this review, I will take a look at the Ultra’s as all-mountain-freeride snowboard bindings.

As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Ultra’s a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how they compare with other all-mountain-freeride bindings.

Overall Rating

Bindings: Union Ultra 2019

Price: $449 (USD recommended retail)

Style: All-Mountain-Freeride

Other Uses: All-Mountain, Freeride

Flex Rating: Baseplate = 5/10, Highback = 8/10

Flex Feel: Medium-Stiff (7/10)

Rating Score: 88.3/100

Compared to other All-Mtn-Freeride Bindings

Out of the 13 men’s all-mountain-freeride bindings that I rated:

  • The average score was 82.6/100
  • The highest score was 94.1/100
  • The lowest score was 57.4/100
  • The average price was $321
  • The Ultra ranked 4th out of 13 

Overview of the Ultra’s Specs

Check out the tables for the Ultra’s specs and available sizes

Specs

Style:

All-Mountain-Freeride

Price: 

$449

Ability Level: 

Ability Level high intermediate to expert

Flex: 

Snowboard Flex 7

Edge-to-Edge: 

Medium-Fast

Weight: 

Super Light

Mounts To: 

2 x 4 | Channel

Sizing

SIZE

US Boot Size Range

Euro Boot Size Range

UK Boot Size Range

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+

43+

9+

Who are the Ultra Most Suited To?

The Ultra are perfect for anyone looking for a responsive binding with a stiff highback, but at the same time with great board feel, a binding that's responsive where you want it to be, but something that can also butter and has a bit of forgiveness in the feel. 

Anyone who wants all that, plus the lightest possible bindings, and otherwise quality materials and a high level of comfort and don't mind paying for it, will enjoy this binding. 

Certainly not for beginners or even low level intermediate riders. For high-end intermediate riders, looking for more response and wanting to lighten up their setup, and of course advanced and expert riders, the Ultra are worth looking at, if you have the budget.  

The Ultra in More Detail

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

Demo Info

Union Ultra Bindings review 2019Bindings: Union Ultra 2019, Medium

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.

This was my initial conditions, I have since bought these bindings, and have ridden them in various conditions.

There were a couple of harder spots but mostly pretty soft/medium all round.

Bindings angles: +15/-15

Stance Width: 555m (21.85”)

Board demoed with: Rossignol One LF, 2018

Baseplate Length: 24.8cm (9.8″)

Highback Height: 21.0cm (8.3″)

Weight: 780 grams (lbs, oz)*

*a.k.a. super-light! This is per binding and includes disc and screws. For perspective, the average weight of a small sample size of 10 bindings I took was 864 grams. And 5 of those were Union bindings, which are all really light. Take out the Union’s from that equation and the average was 940g. Without disc and screws I weighed the Ultras at just 700g. I could even feel the weight of the board and bindings combined felt noticeably lighter to carry.

Flex

The Ultras have the biggest rating difference between highback and baseplate of all Union bindings. They rate the highback at 8/10 and the baseplate at 5/10. The highback does feel very stiff and there’s little twist in it when trying to twist it. But the feel on snow is more forgiving than that. There’s a more forgiving feel that borders on 6.5, but overall I think it’s closer to a 7/10. That softer baseplate does give it a more surfy feel than you would expect after feeling the highback.

Responsiveness

These bindings give a good amount of response. I wouldn’t say the most responsive that I’ve ridden but pretty darn close. 

Board Feel/Butterability

Given the stiffness of the highback, and the overall response, these bindings have a great board feel. That comes down to a few things I would say. Firstly, the mini-disc that they use reduces deadspot on the board. That’s likely a big part of it. But the softer base plate and the fact that these bindings are so light, likely also contributes to how good the board feel is with the Ultras.

Adjustability

The Ultras have all the adjustability you would expect with Union, including:

  • Heel cup adjustment – great for easy centering of boot
  • Stance width adjustments – the mini disc allows for micro-adjustments when using it horizontally. And with that heel cup adjustment you can pretty much always use it horizontally, because you can use that for boot centering instead of running the disc vertically.
  • Ankle strap length adjustments, which of course every binding has, but they are tool-less, which most have these days, but still good to have
  • Toe strap length adjustments, tool-less
  • Tool-less highback lean
  • Two toe strap positions

What it’s missing in terms of adjustability:

  • No gas pedal (aka toe ramp) extension
  • Can’t rotate highbacks (well you kind of can but not independently of the heel cup adjustment, and it feels kind of weird when you try to do it and not sure if it’s good for the bindings or not)
  • Only one position for the ankle strap

Let’s Break up this text with a Video

This video is for the 2018 model but most is still relevant. The main changes for the 2019 model are outlined below. 

Shock Absorption

The Ultras provide really good shock absorption. And the “Vaporlite” cushioning they use is nice and light, so it doesn’t add weight to the binding. And perhaps even more importantly it’s designed to remain cushy (technical term, I promise :-)) even when it gets really cold. I can’t attest to that as I only rode them in one set of conditions, but this is good to know, if you tend to ride in really cold conditions. 

Entry/Exit

As is typical with Union bindings the Ratchet system is nice and smooth, which makes for a nice smooth entry/exit. 

Comfort

The new ankle strap is a step up from the old one, adding even more comfort. That plus the all that cushioning and did I mention how light these things are! Even with the same board and boots that I ride all the time, when not demoing and which I keep consistent for binding demos, it was actually noticeable how much lighter they felt on the lift. 

The only thing that I would prefer to have for comfort that they don’t have is a canted footbed, but otherwise very comfortable bindings that conformed to my boots well, without any pressure points.  

Ankle Support

The new ankle strap has lead to increased ankle support for the Ultras. This was one thing about the older model that some people complained about, so it’s good to see an improvement there. 

Changes from the 2018 Model

The 2019 model has a couple of new things compared to the 2018 model, namely: 

  • A new “Forma Elite” ankle strap (also featured on the Falcor)
  • New ankle strap – but a more subtle change compared to the ankle strap
  • Non-stick coating applied to the footbed and highback to keep ice from building up

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

Response

4.5

27/30

Board Feel

4.5

13.5/15

Adjustability

4.0

12/15

Ankle Support

3.5

10.5/15

Shock Absorption

4.0

8/10

Comfort

4.0

8/10

Entry/Exit

4.0

4/5

TOTAL after normalizing

88.3/100

Let's face it, these binding are pricey, there's no getting around that. But if budget, isn't an issue and you're looking for something that provides both great response and great board feel - and want them to be as light as possible, and still have good shock absorption and comfort, then they might be worth the investment for you. 

Filed Under: 2019 Snowboard Binding Reviews, Binding Reviews, Men's Freeride Bindings Reviews, Men's Snowboard Binding Reviews, Union Tagged With: union ultra bindings, union ultra bindings 2018-19, union ultra bindings 2019, union ultra bindings 2019-20, union ultra bindings 2020, union ultra snowboard bindings review

About Nate

Nate is passionate about and loves learning new things everyday about snowboarding, particularly the technical aspects of snowboarding gear. That, and becoming a better rider and just enjoying and getting the most out of life.

Comments

  1. Hendrik Weiss says

    November 20, 2020 at 7:14 am

    Hi Nate,

    Why is its Responsiveness lower compared to the falcor? Its stiffer tho.
    Would you take these (199€) or the falcor (175€) for the Jones Flagship (both 2020)?

    Regars,
    Hendrik

    Reply
    • Nate says

      November 20, 2020 at 11:28 am

      Hi Hendrik

      I found the Falcor more responsive, just that it has this spring to it that the Ultra didn’t have. Also the Falcor is as stiff or stiffer in the baseplate, but with a softer high back. And with the highback, the Falcor is pretty rigid in terms of pulling straight back. But had more give when twisting it. Also, I found the Ultra was something I felt I had to wrestle the response out of, where the response from the Falcor felt easier and more natural, to me. Potentially a stronger rider or a heavier rider would get more out of the Ultra and more easily,

      I would personally take the Falcor – even riding a stiffer board like the Flagship.

      Reply
      • Hendrik Weiss says

        November 20, 2020 at 3:21 pm

        Hi Nate!

        Excellent explanation as always 🙂

        I have to decide between the Union Falcor für 179€ or the Salomon Quantum für 229€ (both 2020). Both are really good prices tho!
        Atm I would go with the Falcor, but I have already bought the strata now and it kinda feels like I’m buying nearly the same binding 😀

        Regards,
        Hendrik

        Ps: I really love your side

        Reply
        • Nate says

          November 21, 2020 at 2:08 pm

          Hi Hendrik

          The Strata and Falcor are certainly different and I think you would notice the difference between them. But yeah, they’re not streets apart by any means.

          Reply
      • Hendrik Weiss says

        November 20, 2020 at 3:35 pm

        Or even the union forged force for 259€, but I can’t find many infos

        Reply
        • Nate says

          November 21, 2020 at 2:11 pm

          Hi Hendrik

          Unfortunately I didn’t get on the Forged Force for their one season, so can’t say much about them (except that being high-end Union bindings, I can’t imagine them being bad!).

          I did ride the Atlas FC this year, which is the replacement for it – certainly not an exact replacement but fills the spot that the Forged Force left. I really liked the Atlas FC. It’s really stiff, but somehow I preferred the feel of it over the old Ultra. Not sure why, but something about it I preferred. But not sure how the Forged Force felt in comparison.

          Reply

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