How to choose your snowboard and splitboard bindings in 2023
the complete guide
Whether you own a snowboard or a splitboard, the choice of bindings is essential to ensure maximum comfort during your descents. These are the bindings that connect your feet to your board and it is thanks to them that you transmit your movements and that you control your trajectory. It is therefore important to be well equipped. The objective is therefore to choose bindings adapted to your board and your style.
How to choose your snowboard bindings?
Before going any further, it is important to understand that a binding is made up of 4 main parts:
1 - A base: the base is the main part of the binding. It is the part of the binding between your foot and the board. It absorbs shocks and transmits your energy to the board. A good base should not affect the flexibility of your board.
2 - Straps: the straps are the two fasteners that go over your foot. They hold your foot at the ankle and toes. This part is adjustable to fit the size of your boots.
3 - A spoiler: the spoiler is the vertical part at the back of the shoe on which the lower part of your calf rests in backside support. The highback supports your support in turns and transmits your movements to the board.
4 - A heelcup: the heelcup is the arch at the heel between the base and the spoiler. The more rigid this part is, the more responsive your binding will be.
Only the materials and finishes present on these 4 parts make your bindings more or less high-end. At Stone, all our bindings have an assembly of high-end materials. We do not have fragile bindings to have a call price. Consequently, your choice will be more focused on aesthetics. Concerning the riding styles: our bindings adapt perfectly to freestyle and freeride practice. Their weight/solidity/performance ratios make them trusted allies for comfortable sessions, with peace of mind.
How to choose your splitboard bindings?
Regarding Splitboard bindings, the 4 main parts are the same (1 to 4). They obviously allow snowboarding in very similar conditions as specific snowboard bindings. Except that they also allow ski touring by integrating a mode that will allow you, by simply changing their position, to switch to ski mode without changing boots or bindings. This way you can tackle the climbs on skis and the descents on snowboard without accumulating heavy and bulky equipment. Here is how our splitboard bindings are composed:
1 - The base: we must go back point by point by differentiating the Spark & Union base. For the Spark base, it is an ALUMINUM base in which the pucks installed on the splitboard slide. At Union, the bindings are installed on the puck system installed on the board by making a quarter turn. The Union base is made of injected plastic. There is a difference in comfort between Spark and Union. Your boots will be on aluminum at Spark while you will have the feeling of having real snowboard bindings under your feet with Union.
2 - Straps: the straps are the two fasteners that go over your foot. They hold your foot at the ankle and toes. This part is adjustable to fit the size of your boots. At Union as at Spark, the straps at the instep or on the toes are of very high quality. These are both what will allow you to be well held at the bottom of your bindings during your ascents and descents.
3 - The spoiler: this is the plastic part that will allow you to place your calf on it. This part allows you to support your trajectories in backside turns.
4 - A heelcup: heelcup is the half-circle aluminum part below the spoiler which allows the spoiler to come to rest on it and rest your weight on it when turning.
5 - The Climbing Bar: this is a simple system integrated into all splitboard bindings. For greater efficiency and to avoid losing it, this system unfolds but cannot be dismantled. Its sole purpose is to adjust the positions of your bindings to allow you more comfortable positions on the steepest climbs.
6 - The touring position binding system: as its name suggests, this is the system that will allow you to put your binding in the touring position. For each binding, it will be necessary to remove the bindings from the board in the snowboard position in order to reposition your bindings in the touring position. In the touring position and like any ski, the position of the bindings will be in the same direction as the skis. Other inserts (which are not present on snowboards) integrate additional parts allowing you to put your splitboard in the touring position quickly, simply and efficiently.
7 - The snowboard position fixing system: the snowboard position will use inserts on both skis, in order to ensure the rigidity and hold necessary for snowboarding.
Of course, each binding has been designed to be able to easily switch from ski mode to snowboard mode without tools and without removing your gloves. They all do the same thing, but differently: the Union Explorer has a pin system, the Union Charger has a rotating locking slide system, the Spark Arc has a non-rotating slide system with a lock. Each system is proven, they are all very solid and resistant. Apart from the price criterion, your choice will then have to be based on the system that will suit you. In order to give you a precise idea of these systems, presentation videos are available on each product sheet. Still to help you choose, the other difference is that the frames of the Union bindings are built with the best injected plastic on the market, while the Spark are made of aluminum, which makes the binding light & minimalist, also renowned in the splitboard world.
Warning: the parts that are fixed on the inserts and allow the snowboard position called "PUCKS" are included in all Union bindings while the Spark can be ordered with or without. You will have to be careful if you choose the Spark Arc to make sure to order or not these parts, depending on whether you are already equipped or not.
Choosing your bindings is easy!
Whether they are manufactured by Stone Snowboards Canada, Union or Spark, for reasons of simplicity we have chosen the high-end. Thanks to our economic model our prices are already below the competition, which does not require a low-end product and saves us all a lot of worries. We also do not integrate technical bullshit by talking to you for example about the flex of the materials or other too smart technicality which in the end will only have a really minimal impact on your ride. On the other hand we guarantee that they are all comfortable and custom-adjustable, solid, durable and efficient, guaranteeing you an optimal riding experience. Therefore and to guide your choices as simply as possible, here is what we advise you to do:
SNOWBOARD BINDINGS as we told you above, our snowboard bindings have no construction differences and are all designed as high-end. Your choice must therefore be based on style.
SPLITBOARD FIXINGS the choice is slightly more complex due to their fixing systems. One is a rotating pin, the other is a rotating slide and the last one is a non-rotating slide. Each product sheet includes a presentation video that will help you understand and choose which system will suit you. If you are a beginner and have a tight budget, the pin system, although slightly less efficient than the others, remains an excellent choice. It should be kept in mind that these 3 different systems do the same thing. If you have a larger budget and want optimal comfort, the other systems will then appeal to you.
Of course, you have to keep in mind that snowboarding and splitboarding is all about feeling. The ideal bindings for you will be those that will allow you to enjoy your outing.
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