Hello and welcome to my Union Ultra Bindings review.
In this review I will take a look at the Ultra as freestyle snowboard bindings.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Ultra a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how they compare with other freestyle bindings.
NOTE: The Ultra used to be quite a different binding. A lot stiffer and more what I would call a freeride binding. But that model retired in 2020. See the "past reviews" tab at the bottom of this post for the previous Ultras.
Overall Rating
Bindings: Union Ultra 2023
Price: $299 (USD recommended retail)
Style: Freestyle
Flex Rating: Medium (5/10)
Flex Feel: Medium (5/10)
Rating Score: 90.5/100
Compared to other Men’s Freestyle Bindings
Of the 14 current model freestyle bindings that we tested:
❄️ The Ultra ranked 1st out of 14
overview of the Ultra's specs
Check out the tables for the Ultra’s specs and available sizes.
Specs
STYLE:
FREESTYLE
PRICE:
$299 - BUYING OPTIONS
$299 - BUYING OPTIONS
Ability Level:
flex:
weight:
A little lighter than normal
Mounts to:
2x4 | Channel
Sizing
SIZE | US BOOT SIZE | EURO BOOT SIZE | UK BOOT SIZE |
|---|---|---|---|
S | 5.5-7.5 | 37-40.5 | 4.5-6.5 |
M | 8-10 | 41-43 | 7-9 |
L | 10.5-13 | 43.5-46 | 9.5-12 |
Who are the Ultra Most Suited to?
The Ultra are best suited to anyone looking for a mid-flexing binding for hitting jumps, sidehits and rails, and buttering around everywhere. Basically the ideal freestyle binding.
But they could just as easily be used for cruising the groomers.
Not quite beginner friendly - though would be doable for beginners - but great for intermediate and up.
Best suited to boards in that 3/10 to 5/10 flex range, but certainly doable for 6/10 flex as well.
The Ultra in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Ultra are capable of.
Demo Info
Bindings: Union Ultra 2023, M
Date: March 25, 2022
Conditions
Sunny with clouds. More cloud than blue skies - high cloud. Unlimited visibility.
Temperature: 37°F (3°C)
24hr snow: 0" (0cm)
48hr snow: 0" (0cm)
7 day snow: 27" (69cm)
On groomer: Nicely groomed mid-soft pack. Some glints of slush to start with and then got slushier as the day went on.
Off groomer: A little icy and crunchy to start in spots but not too bad. Got progressively softer.
Set Up
Bindings angles: +15/-15
Stance Width: 555mm (22”)
Board tested with: Lib Tech Terrain Wrecker
Board tested with: Adidas Tactical ADV 9.5
Footbed Length: 23.8cm (9.4”)
Baseplate Length: 23.6cm (9.3")
Highback Height: 21cm (8.3”)
Weight: 880 grams (1lbs, 15oz)*
* for one binding, including screws and disc. The average weight of a small sample size of around 60 bindings (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 & 2023 models) I have weighed, was 913 grams. The lightest was 680 grams and the heaviest was 1,240grams. So the Ultra was a little lighter on the scales than average. Felt just a touch lighter to ride with on snow.
Flex
They felt marginally softer than my control bindings (Malavita's) but very little in it. I rate those a 5.5/10 for flex, so these I feel are very much right on that 5/10 mark.
Response
I felt like the Ultra was about the same as my control bindings when it came to hard carves and riding at speed. At slower speeds, they reacted a little better - made my board feel a little more agile at slower speeds.
Butterability/Board Feel
These bindings have awesome board feel. I could really feel the flex of the board and felt like there was no dead spot.
That mini-disc certainly helps, IMO. And the footbed is like rubbery almost. It's this kind of firm squishy stuff and there's very little of anything that's hard in there. This likely helps the bindings flex with the board too.
Adjustability
This is perhaps the only areas that the Ultras aren't super strong in. They still have decent adjustbility, but compared to everything else about this binding, it's not as up-there.
Heel Cup: Yes - which is great for boot centering.
Stance Width: You do have some micro adjustability with the mini-disc, which has to be run horizontally, but it is limited because of the size of the disc.
Highback Lean: No. There is no highback lean adjustment available.
Ankle Strap Position: No
Toe Strap Position: Yes - 2 position options
Ankle and toe strap length: Tool-less
Gas pedal/toe ramp extension: No
Highback Rotation: Yes - 2 position options
Compatible with: 2 x 4 | Channel (but not 4x4 because of the mini-disc).
Shock Absorption
Bottom of baseplate is this almost rubbery, but kind of firm squishy stuff, that’s really reboundy. It covers the entire bottom of the baseplate. The top of the footbed is nice and spongy and reboundy too.
So, it was no surprise that these bindings absorbed shock really well. Whether it was from flat landings or just absorbing chatter, these bindings felt damp and super shock absorbing. I had to um and ah about giving this a 5 for shock absorption and the only real reason I didn't was because NOW bindings are so darn shock absorbing, and it's not quite to that level, but really close.
Let’s Break up this text with a Video
Entry/Exit
Nice and smooth on the ankle strap in particular. Toe strap not quite as smooth but still fine. The ankle strap has a flexy thing on the base of it which helps to open it out and get it out of the way. Not quite in the same way as Burton’s flex slider. On the Ultra it bounces back, but it’s quite bendy and easily bends out of the way.
Comfort
Ankle Strap: Relatively firm but some flex to it. Not a waffle or honeycomb strap, but still fairly minimal and nice feeling and quality looking. I did have some pressure on the top of foot initially but that went away when I dialed it back. Can over crank ankle strap. But no loss of response or support dialing it back - it's just one of those straps you've got to be careful not to overcrank.
Toe Strap: Nice and minimal and conformed nicely to my boots. Quite flexy.
Canted Footbed: No
Padded Footbed: See shock absorption notes above - really nice in this area.
Highback: Plenty of padding on the highback - and the center of the highback almost semi-floats. All around the center is hard, but that center bit is soft and squishy - quite unique. Most importantly no calf bite.
Ankle Support
You can't change the position of the ankle strap so it sits higher on your ankle, which is nice to have. But the position it was in felt just right for me. With enough support and enough freedom of movement.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
RATING | SCORE WEIGHTING | |
|---|---|---|
BOARD FEEL | 5.0 | 25/25 |
SHOCK ABSORPTION | 4.5 | 22.5/25 |
CARVING | 3.5 | 7/10 |
SLOW SPEED RESPONSE | 4.5 | 9/10 |
ADJUSTABILITY | 3.5 | 10.5/15 |
COMFORT | 4.0 | 8/10 |
ENTRY/EXIT | 4.0 | 4/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 90.5/100 |
Overall, the Ultras are super nice bindings and quite unique in the way the center of the highback kind of floats.
They manage to be really good at shock absorbing shock but at the same time have great board feel. An elusive combination that's ideal for riding freestyle, IMO. And on top of that they still don't lack response.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you want to learn more about the Ultra, are ready to buy or want to research pricing and availability, check out the links below.
If you want to check out other freestyle options or want to see how the Ultra compared to other options, check out the next link.
Bindings: Union Ultra 2019, Medium
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