Splitboard bindings are getting lighter, stronger, and simply better through the adaptation of different materials and processes. What does this mean? It means splitboard bindings have gone high-tech. The good news is the product is better than ever. The flip side is that choosing the right product for you has become even more challenging. How do you choose? Well, that's where we come in. Bindings can work perfectly or be the root of your problems when conditions are not on your side. We're here to give you the advice to make a deliberate and informed decision.
Resort Bindings vs. Splitboard Specific Bindings
If you're here, you're likely already pretty familiar with snowboarding. Maybe you've been going to the resort since you were a kid, but want to venture into something more challenging, or you're simply trying to get away from the crowds to find a patch of untouched powder in the backcountry. This is a good place to start, but there are a few important things to know about the difference between your standard resort bindings, and a pair of bindings made for a splitboard.
Resort Bindings
A resort binding is designed strictly for the downhill. They're offered in a variety of responsive levels to accommodate all riding styles from the park rider to the big mountain expert. Comfort, damping, and stiffness are some of the performance driving criteria in downhill bindings. Uphill-specific features, such as weight or negative lean hi-back, aren't found in resort bindings as they are not very relevant to the goal of the product.
Splitboard Specific Bindings
Splitboard bindings need to function across polarized metrics. We expect them to be light and featured for the way up, efficient in transitions, and able to ride with the utmost response on the way down. To do this well, some compromises are made in the design, and only the best ones can achieve a well-balanced performance.
Splitboard Bindings will have targeted uphill features, like negative-lean highbacks and heel risers integrated into a resort-inspired binding. Most will forego the cushy padding on both the baseplate and straps to reduce weight. Instead, split bindings often use a metal baseplate to create a responsive and lightweight product for the way down. Overall, they provide less padding than your snowboard binding but are plenty comfortable for full touring days. This product category is designed to improve and support your experience while climbing, transitioning, and riding.
Do I Need It
It is possible to use a splitboard without a dedicated splitboard binding (by using Voile Slider plates attached to the bottom of a conventional snowboard binding). These are not recommended, especially given the price point and performance of split bindings today. This setup will work okay for a few short trips, but even the heaviest splitboard binding is significantly lighter and worth the investment. The binding is one of the most handled items throughout any given day of touring, and it is central to your experience. The required functions of the product require intentional design work, and the functions simply cannot be accomplished to a comparable degree by retrofitting a product. We strongly encourage you to purchase a splitboard-specific set.
