Hello and welcome to my YES Airmaster bindings review.
In this review I will take a look at the Airmaster as all-mountain snowboard bindings.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Airmaster a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how they compare with other all-mountain bindings.
Overall Rating
Bindings: YES Airmaster 2025
Price: $299 (USD recommended retail)
Style: All-Mountain
Flex Rating: Medium (6/10)
Flex Feel: Medium (6/10)
Rating Score: 86.6/100
Compared to other Men’s All-Mountain Bindings
Of the 25 current model men's all-mountain bindings that we tested:
❄️ The Airmaster ranked 4th out of 25
Overview of the Airmaster’s Specs
Check out the tables for the Airmaster’s specs and available sizes.
Specs
STYLE:
All-Mountain
PRICE:
$299 - BUYING OPTIONS
Ability Level:
flex:
weight:
FELT normal
Mounts to:
2x4 | 4x4 | Channel
Sizing
SIZE | US BOOT SIZE | EURO BOOT SIZE | MONDO |
|---|---|---|---|
S | 5-7 | 36.5-39.5 | 23.5-25 |
M | 7.5-10 | 40-43 | 25.5-28 |
L | 10.5+ | 43.5+ | 28.5+ |
Who are the Airmaster Most Suited To?
The Airmaster are best suited to those looking for a mid-flex binding that's capable of both higher speed and lower speed performance and strikes a nice balance between being able to be aggressive with them, but not having to be to get them to respond, when you want to ride more chill or playful.
Even better for those that want the above, but also really want/need good shock absorption from their bindings.
Not for beginners, IMO, but well suited for anyone from intermediate and up.
Best matched to boards in the 4/10 to 7/10 flex range and even more optimal in the 5/10 to 6/10 flex range, IMO.
Test/review details for the Airmaster
Somehow this was the only pic I was able to find!
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Airmaster are capable of.
Demo Info
Binding: YES Airmaster, M
Date: February 15, 2024
Responsiveness
For higher speed carves, I found the Airmaster improved my overall setup compared to with my control bindings. Not by a huge amount, but I felt I could get a little deeper more easily and that they provided a bit more power.
What really stood out was their slow speed turning performance. For how good they are for higher speeds/carves, they were impressively good for short/sharp slow speed turns.
Board Feel/Butterability
I found that they didn't provide as good a board feel as my control bindings. Not terrible, but I found them a little trickier to work with for setting up ollies, buttering etc.
Pop/Ollie Power
While setting up ollies/pop was a little trickier, I did find that they had as much power.
Adjustability
Heel Cup: No
Stance Width: Can run disc horizontal and that gives some good stance width adjustability.
Highback Lean: Yes - toolless.
Ankle Strap Position: A lot of NOW/Jones bindings you can flip the straps over and get either a more responsive, more supportive feel or a looser/surfier feel. I wasn't able to confirm if these do that or not.
Toe Strap Position: No
Ankle and toe strap length: Yes as is the case with every binding - toolless.
Gas pedal/toe ramp extension: No
Highback Rotation: No
Compatible with: 2x4 | 4x4 | Channel
Not a lot of adjustability but there is one area you can adjust that's pretty unique - and that's that you can swap out the bushings. These don’t come with additional bushings, I don't think, but you should be able to buy them separately, if you wanted to tweak the feel.
Shock Absorption
As is typical of YES (formerly NOW) bindings, these did a great job of absorbing shock and chatter. Consistently the best going around for this, in my experience.
Entry/Exit
I found the ratchets were pretty smooth and easy to ratchet up or loosen off. And both the ankle strap and toe strap have hinges that allow you to open out the straps, so they don't get in the way when you're putting your foot in. This makes them particularly easy to get on, without risk of stepping on your straps.
Comfort
Overall nice and comfortable.
Ankle Strap: Conformed nicely to my boots and no major pressure or hot spots.
Toe Strap: Ditto ankle strap.
Canted Footbed: Yes
Padded Footbed: Really good padding. And really shock/chatter absorbing.
Highback: I didn't experience any calf bite or anything like that.
Ankle Support
Nothing out of the ordinary, but still really good and as much as I would personally ever need.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
| Factor | Rating (/5) | Weighted |
|---|---|---|
| Carving | 4 | 12/15 |
| Slow Speed Response | 4.5 | 13.5/15 |
| Board Feel | 3 | 9/15 |
| Shock Absorption | 5 | 15/15 |
| Adjustability | 3.5 | 10.5/15 |
| Comfort | 4 | 8/10 |
| Ankle Support | 4 | 8/10 |
| Entry/Exit | 4.5 | 4.5/5 |
| TOTAL (after normalizing): | 86.6/100 |
The Airmaster are great turners and carvers and have the ability to respond to a more aggressive input or a lighter touch. This gives them a great versatility for those who have a varied style and like to mix things up.
They are high-end shock absorbers too, in my experience and are nice and easy to get in and out of, thanks in part to the hinged ankle and toe straps.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you want to learn more about the Airmaster, are ready to buy or want to research prices and availability, check out the links below.
If you want to see how the Airmaster compares to other men’s all-mountain bindings or want to check out some other options in that category, check out the next link.
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