Burton’s Snowboard Binding Size Chart & Buyer’s Guide
Properly sized gear is an important part of a good day on the mountain, and that’s exactly why we sat down with our team of experts to get their advice and put together this Snowboard Binding Size Chart & Buyer’s Guide. For new riders, this guide will help you understand the available options while laying out a process you can follow to get the perfect snowboard bindings for your needs. And for seasoned riders, this guide will elevate your knowledge about snowboard bindings and outline how industry professionals approach this topic.
In this buyer’s guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know when shopping for a new pair of snowboard bindings, from selecting the performance characteristics and features to unlock your full riding potential to picking the right size. By the time you finish reading this, you’ll know exactly what you need, whether you prefer to air it out in the park or lay trenches down your favorite groomer.
How to Choose Snowboard Bindings: The 6-Step Process
- Establish a Budget
- Identify Your Riding Style & Preferred Binding Response (Stiffness)
- Choose a Type of Binding
- Confirm Binding & Snowboard Mounting Compatibility
- Select a Color to Complement Your Snowboard
- Consult a Snowboard Binding Size Chart
Pro tip: Brush up on your knowledge of snowboard binding parts to better understand everything we’ll discuss in this guide.
1: Establish a Budget
Assembling a snowboarding kit is a big investment, and bindings can be a major part of that cost. So, we recommend beginning your purchasing decision by setting some guardrails for your spending. After all, you’re still going to need to pay for lift tickets, lunch, and après, so it’s wise to be thoughtful with those dolla dolla bills, y’all. The great news is that most snowboard brands (including Burton) manufacture excellent quality bindings at every price point, so even if you select a less expensive binding, you’re still guaranteed to have a blast on the hill.
Pro tip: When shopping on burton.com, use the filters to drill down to your price range. For example, you can sort by price from low to high to view the most affordable options first.
2: Identify Your Riding Style & Preferred Binding Response (Stiffness)
With a budget in mind, the second step in selecting snowboard bindings is figuring out your primary riding style and preferred binding response, or stiffness. Generally speaking, there are a few main riding styles, and bindings are often designed with specific response profiles that enhance the nuances of each style. The three primary riding styles are: all mountain, freestyle, and freeride.
All Mountain Snowboarding
As the name implies, all mountain snowboarding encompasses a wide variety of terrain. All mountain riders regularly encounter variable snow conditions, from groomers to powder and everything in between. All mountain riding includes everything from casually cruising green and blue terrain, to fast, deep carving down the steeps. All mountain riding can even include occasional laps through the terrain park to catch some air.
Snowboard bindings to consider for all mountain riding: Medium Response Burton Snowboard Bindings are usually well-suited for riders who need one pair of bindings that will perform everywhere on the mountain. They’re also a good choice for riders who are still learning the fundamentals of snowboarding.
Freestyle Snowboarding
Freestyle snowboarding involves riding man-made features like terrain parks, halfpipes, jumps, rails, and boxes, as well as urban features and even natural obstacles, like tree jibs. The focus of freestyle riding is generally performing tricks or maneuvers in and on these features.
Snowboard bindings to consider for freestyle riding: Softer Response Burton Snowboard Bindings offer plenty of flex for pressing rails and tweaking out grabs. Soft response bindings can also be a great choice for light weight riders who have a hard time getting the flex they want from medium response bindings.
Freeride Snowboarding
Steep lines, drops, and hard-charging in deep or variable snow characterizes freeride snowboarding. Backcountry touring often falls into this category as well.
Snowboard bindings to consider for freeriding: Stiff Response Burton Snowboard Bindings are often preferred by freeriders for their quick edge-to-edge power transfer and support. Stiff response bindings can also be a good choice for heavier riders who desire more support when hammering turns. Note: For beginners who are learning the fundamentals of snowboarding, a medium response all mountain binding is a great place to start. For more experienced riders, experimenting with soft or stiff bindings can be a great way to unlock full potential (and full fun).
3: Choose a Type of Snowboard Binding
Step three in selecting snowboard bindings is choosing what type of binding to ride. The type of binding refers to the method in which the snowboard bindings secure your feet to the snowboard, and there are four main types of bindings to consider.
Strap Bindings
Strap bindings are the most common type of snowboard bindings, and they can be easily identified by the flexible straps (or sometimes a single strap) that connect across the top of the snowboard boot to hold it in place. A ratcheting buckle tightens the straps across the top of the ankle and toe of the boot. Because each strap is adjustable and can be tightened individually, strap snowboard bindings offer a high degree of adjustability.
Strapless & Burton Step On® Bindings
Strapless snowboard bindings, which include Burton Step On Bindings®, can be identified by their lack of straps. Strapless snowboard binding systems typically require compatible boots to function properly. For example, Burton’s Step On system requires Step On boots that have a heel cleat and toe cleats that connect to corresponding hardware on Burton Step On bindings. Strapless snowboard binding systems are extremely quick and easy to get in and out of, while offering the same board control and holding power of a traditional strap binding.
Rear-entry Bindings
Rear-entry bindings, manufactured by brands like Gnu and Flow, have a hinged highback that folds down to allow you to put your boot into the binding from the heelside edge of the snowboard. The main advantage of this system is speed, because the straps of rear-entry bindings don’t need to be adjusted each time you strap in.
Splitboard & Touring Bindings
Splitboard bindings, which are also known as touring bindings, are modular bindings that are designed specifically for backcountry and uphill travel. The Burton Hitchhiker Splitboard Binding (manufactured by Spark R & D) is one example, with a highly adjustable, stiff, aluminum frame, and special touring brackets that allow them to be quickly switched from uphill to downhill mode.
4: Confirm Binding & Snowboard Mounting Compatibility
Snowboard bindings are attached to a snowboard via a variety of mounting systems, and it’s important to ensure that the binding hole pattern interface you select is compatible with the board hole pattern interface you have. The short version is that almost all snowboard bindings are compatible with almost every snowboard; with the main caveat being that adapter discs may be needed. The four main types of binding mounting patterns are 4x4, 4x2, 3D, and The Channel™.
4x4
The 4x4 hole pattern features two rows of holes. The rows are spaced four centimeters apart, and each hole in the row is also spaced four centimeters apart. Each snowboard binding is secured to the snowboard using four bolts. This pattern offers the rider some flexibility with binding placement forward or backward compared to the manufacturer’s suggested reference stance position. This mounting system has mostly been phased out in favor of more modern systems.
2x4
The 2x4 hole pattern features two rows of holes. The rows are spaced four centimeters apart, and each hole in the row is spaced two centimeters apart. Each snowboard binding is secured to the snowboard using four bolts. This pattern offers the rider some flexibility with binding placement forward or backward compared to the manufacturer’s suggested reference stance position. The 2x4 system is the most common pattern in non-Burton snowboards.
3D
Exclusive to Burton snowboards (pre-2014), the 3D hole pattern was discontinued, but you might still come across it from time to time if you purchase a second-hand snowboard (we love to see retro boards on the mountain). The 3D pattern features eight holes for each binding arranged in overlapping triangles. Three bolts are used to secure each binding with flexible positioning forwards or backwards compared to the manufacturer’s suggested reference stance position. At Burton, we still use the 3D mounting pattern on some kid's boards as well as some of our rental fleets.
The Channel™
The Channel replaced Burton’s 3D mounting pattern in 2014. The Channel consists of two slots running parallel to the edges of the snowboard (one for each binding). It allows nearly infinite binding mounting options using just two screws per binding. The Channel works best with Burton’s EST Snowboard Bindings, but with the correct mounting discs, a variety of other bindings can be used, too. The Channel allows adjustment of stance width, angle, centering, and setback to nearly any position without the constraints of a four-screw pattern.
Pro tip: Review How to Mount Snowboard Bindings & other Binding Basics for a more thorough explanation of board/binding compatibility.
5: Select a Color to Compliment Your Snowboard
Style is an important part of snowboarding, and your snowboard bindings can be part of how you express that style. Many manufacturers offer snowboard bindings in a variety of colors and patterns, so you can find something that is uniquely you. Disclaimer: Burton makes no guarantees regarding any color being faster or more likely to get you a compliment from the attractive lift operator.
6: Consult a Snowboard Binding Size Chart
Two examples of incorrect boot-to-binding fit.
The final step in the process of choosing snowboard bindings is consulting a snowboard binding size chart to figure out your size. Typically, binding sizes range from small to medium to large, with each size accommodating a range of snowboard boot sizes. However, because there are small differences across binding sizes from different brands, make sure to consult the manufacturer’s size chart before making a purchase to confirm that your boots will fit. No matter what brand of snowboard bindings you choose, you’ll want to make sure that you have a moderate amount of adjustability in the straps, without an excessively long tongue length when your boots are secured. You'll also want to be sure that once strapped into the bindings, your boots don’t move front to back or side to side.
Correct boot to binding fit.
Pro tip: Check out the Burton Binding to Snowboard Boot Size Chart for specific information on fit.
