The binding is the key component in the interface between you and the board. Along with the boot it totally dictates how much energy gets delivered into the edge. Get it wrong and its effect can be catastrophic. Get it right and you have a set up that delivers the perfect balance between response control and comfort. For such an important part in the set up it's often the most overlooked, that's why this season we have totally changed the way we present bindings. We have dropped the long winded write up for each binding and have replaced it with a brief overview which gives a quick explanation of what the binding does and who it's aimed at. This is then followed with a performance rating, 10 being the highest. After that we break down the construction to give you an understanding of what's inside each binding. Cross reference this with the section below to give you a fuller picture of why each binding does what it does.

Baseplate: The baseplate is the key component in the binding, it's the bit your foot sits on and the bit that everything attaches to. Being such a key component it has a major effect on the overall performance of the binding and that's why understanding what it's made of can answer a whole lot of questions on the way the binding delivers energy to the edge. The main baseplate construction types are as follows.

Polycarbonate: Only really used on lower priced and softer flexing bindings, gives a really forgiving ride and quite durable, smooth and well damped.

Nylon Composite(Zytel): Nylon composite is the main construction used in plastic bindings; its ability to be tuned with the addition of glass fibres makes it the perfect material for binding construction. Its stiffness and response can be controlled with the addition of the fibres, so say you want a binding that is responsive but still forgiving you add between 11-15% glass. This can then be controlled up to around 45% for optimal stiffness. After that the nylon/glass mix goes too far and the binding becomes weaker. For even more response and a stiffer flex the glass can be replaced by carbon fibre which gives the perfect balance of strength and response. Again, stiffness is controlled by the percentage of carbon to nylon.
Aluminium: Generally seen as the stiffest and most responsive material (excluding carbon) aluminium is becoming more and more popular. Generally aircraft grade 6061 aluminium is used. Being super light and rigid it gives the perfect material for binding construction. The only downside with this form of construction is it has zero ability to absorb vibrations so the binding needs to have dampening material added.

Bushings: Bushings come in 2 forms, under binding dampening and side bars. The under binding type are there to absorb vibrations and dampen the foot. They are nearly always standard fit on aluminium bindings as aluminium has little or no dampening properties but not so common on nylon bindings. Side bars serve another purpose; they are there to soften the edge of the binding. As a board flexes hard, say when landing on the tail, the hard edge of the binding can dig into the board. This is known as core compression and is the no.1 cause of board snappage. By dampening the edge the bush absorbs the compression, hopefully reducing damage to the core.

Heelcup: The Heelcup is the rear section of the binding. There are generally two types; adjustable, where the heelcup is an independent part from the baseplate or Unibody where the heelcup and baseplate are one piece. Both types have their advantages and disadvantages but in all honesty there is very little difference. In a Unibody binding the heelcup is manufactured from identical material as the base plate, so the performance is consistent with the overall feel of the binding. The adjustable heelcup is normally made of aluminium but on top end bindings can be made from more exotic materials. The key benefit of an adjustable binding is that the foot can be centred over the centre of the binding, this gives an advantage for those riders with larger feet, but overall there is little to no difference between the two types.

Highback: Highback construction generally follows the construction of the baseplate, especially in Unibody bindings. The key to good highback design is being able to deliver a responsive flex fore and aft without being too stiff laterally that it becomes uncomfortable. You can achieve this with a combination of shape, profile and material mix. Again the same rules apply; the higher the glass mix the stiffer the binding will be, add carbon to this mix it becomes stiffer still. The key thing to remember on highbacks is really stiff ones don't exactly give great all day riding comfort.

Straps: One of the most important elements in the binding is the straps. These have two main roles; the first and most important of these is to hold the foot in place and deliver the energy into the binding, the second is to dissipate the pressure from the strap evenly over the foot to reduce foot pain. To achieve this, the strap needs to combine strength with comfort, that's why binding manufacturers use the latest in material technology to create their strap designs. 3 dimensional stitching creates a pre-shaped form that sits over the boot without unequal pressure points whilst multi layer padding absorbs the strap pressure for increased comfort.

Ratchets: These are normally aluminium but can also be resin or plastic on lower priced bindings. Look at the number of teeth on the buckles as these determine closure speed.

Disks: There are generally two types of disk; 4x4, standard on most boards or 3D standard on Burton. Some brands use a combination disk that fits both patterns whilst other supply a 4x4 disk as standard and then offer a Burton compatible disk as an option.

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