Snowboard bindings come in a wide range of styles and options to choose from. Each system, whether it be step-in, step-on, or speed-entry (hybrid), has its own set of pros and cons to navigate. The best snowboard bindings will be a true love affair with the snowboard they match up with. A soft flex board will do best with soft bindings so the boarding experience is more organic.
There are 3 major types of snowboard bindings:
- Step-in: The most common snowboard binding type is the step-in system.
- Speed Entry (Hybrid): The speed-entry system has a similar appearance to the step-in system, although they prioritize entry efficiency over adjustability. The idea is to set your desired adjustments once, allowing for a quick and easy transition from chair-lift to run. Unfortunately, these bindings are often heavier and provide reduced control in comparison with traditional step-in bindings.
- Step-on: The 2017-18 season marked what could be the beginning of the next evolution of snowboard bindings, although it’s still too early to tell for sure.
With a reliable 3-point snapping attachment system, it is easy to step your boot securely into place, no straps required. This system has received mostly good reviews so far, with only a few reported downsides. These include trouble clicking in and out in deep snow, and an annoying clicking sound while riding.
Since this is a brand-new technology, many people in the industry refuse to take them seriously yet.
Almost every guest I get these days, whether it be on my Swedish Freeride Camps or private lessons, asks me what I think about the Burton Step Ons. Up until today, I have only been able to give these people my impressions based on observations I've made when coaching clients or trainees.
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I'm an average rider with exceptional gear knowledge so my take translates to most riders out there vs. I was not paid by to do this review and this comes from an honest objective perspective with no brand oversight.
Let's delve into a detailed review of step-on snowboard bindings, focusing on the Union Atlas Step On and Burton Genesis Step On models.
Riders: James (Size 9, 5’10”, 185-195lbs).
Conditions: Mainly good groomers and some microbumpy uneven snow.
Union Atlas Step On
The 2026 Union Atlas StepOn Snowboard Binding Review
The Union Atlas Step-On is nothing like the regular Atlas. The Union Atlas Step On has a Medium Soft flex with a bit of give straight back but much more of an easy twist. The Union Atlas Step On is super responsive, just like all Step On bindings, and you wouldn’t think that by feeling it in the shop. Being attached to the high back really improves the response, and the Ion Step On/Atlas Step On combo was very responsive. The response was felt not only in turn initiation but the way it Ollied.
The Union Atlas Step On is Almost there with the Burton Genesis Step On when it comes to how easily the board flexes underfoot. It’s almost like it isn’t interfering with the board’s natural flex, and I could really feel the difference when I compared these to the Union Force and Nidecker Supermatic Carbon.
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The Union Atlas Step On, like all Burton Step On bindings, limits your natural range of motion when riding. It’s because you are locked into the high back. I found I needed to narrow my stance by about 1/2 inch to feel more normal because I couldn’t move my legs like I usually can from tip to tail.
When it comes to adjustability, it’s a big step down from other Union Full-size disc bindings, and it’s not much better than Burton’s Step On system. The heel loop is fixed and you only have a Gas Pedal that slides. The forward lean is also limited, with two interchangeable screw-in pieces to get the forward lean you want.
Regarding stance width adjustability, you have a very different disc with the Atlas Step On vs traditional full size/camber discs. The Camber disc is set up with mini-disc spacing that allows for a little easier flex underfoot vs. the flex point in the disc on the Burton Re:Flex. It’s also made only to slide tip to the tail so you can center your boot on the board but not the binding.
If your boot can fit centered in the binding, you could get traditional Camber Discs, like the disc in the first pic, to adjust the actual stance width.
Stepping on is so easy. I must admit, it’s really satisfying to just click in like a skier and go. It’s an addictive feel, but getting out isn’t. There is just an awkward out with Union Atlas Step On or Burton Genesis Step On. It’s contrary to how you get out when you unstrap a normal binding.
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So overall, The Burton Atlas Step-On is an excellent option for those who like the Step-On System. My takeaway from testing this Atlas Step On is how much I liked the easy flex underfoot of this new base plate construction.
Approx. I rode these several days on many different boards. 1.8lbs - Very light.
Burton Genesis Step On
I put the Atlas Step On on one foot and then the Burton Genesis Step On on the other foot for a run and then switched.
The Burton Genesis Step-On has a very easy flex underfoot. I love the soft high-back flex of the Burton Genesis Step-On. Especially since the high back rotation is quite limited. Especially when your boot is stuck to the high back. Having the hammock and a soft high back brings back some of that traditional strap binding feel that I really appreciate.
I forgot to mention this, but you feel like you are a little too far forward on the gas pedal as a result of the pressure from the plastic under the gas pedal, but it’s something you can get used to. Or you can just slide it forward ½ size, and it feels better. For testing purposes, I slid the gas pedal to size 9 to match my size 9 Burton boot, but if I were to ride this every day, I’d probably slide it to 9.5. It butters very easily, though, and it is pretty close to all EVA foam gas pedal Burton Genesis Re:Flex.
The response of the Burton Genesis Step-On is mellower than other Step-On bindings, but man, it is still responsive. Switching from Genesis Re:Flex to Genesis Step On was a massive difference. I wish I had regular Burton Photon’s or Kendo Step On’s to make it 100% perfect but they do have a similar flex and response.
I forgot to talk about this in the video, but there is great shock absorption. If you don’t get a boot with a built-in strap around the ankle like the Ion or Photon, you are not going to have the same kind of ankle support as you would with traditional strap bindings. With the Burton Ruler, I had a massive response but felt the tongue fold a little on me in uneven terrain. This is a huge drawback for the Burton Genesis Step On.
There is minimal boot-to-binding adjustability. You have an adjustable gas pedal to help with your boot and only a disc with 3 options to slide your boot towards the heel or toe. It only has 2 holes, so you have to flip it to slide the other way. Then you only have limited high back rotation. You have to adjust the small screws on either side of the high back to get minimal rotation, but it doesn’t work as well or adjust as easily as Re:Flex or EST. Burton Re:Flex and EST have excellent high back rotation with an easily adjustable channel on the side and it’s arguably the best in the business.
You have forward lean, but it isn’t easy to do with the small screws on either side of the high back that you also use for forward lean. When it comes to stance width adjustability, there is nothing if you leave the channel system. For me, this is a deal breaker. I need a binding with discs you can turn sideways and slide tip to tail to get your exact stance width.
So, the Burton Genesis Step On really took a step in the right direction for me and for other riders who prefer regular strap-in bindings.
Step-On Bindings: Initial Experiences and Evolution
I first got to try out some early Step-Ons a few years ago at a demo day, though only for a couple of runs to quickly get an idea of how they worked. After a quick run down on how to get in and out I was off. I couldn’t remember exactly if they had the little clip on the heel cleat to hold your pants up and out of the way, but even if they did, my worn out pants with a hole in the heel did manage to get properly jammed in the binding at the top of the next lift.
As far as the original set worked, it was fine. They clicked in and out easily, and I didn’t ever worry that they felt like they could release when I wouldn’t want them to. The main thing to keep in mind with the whole setup is the fit of the boots, and the boots I used didn’t fit me that well. I have been using Cartels for quite a few years, and like having a binding that is more responsive. I’d say the most important part of a snowboarding setup is the boots anyway, but especially with Step-On seeing that you are locked into a small range of boots.
The Photon Boa boots have been great for me so far. They fit very well, are warm and comfortable and have a good flex rating that suits me well. Getting into the bindings does seem to work a different way to what I first imagined. There are two positions for the heel connection, with the first one is quite easy to click into.
Being realistic, strapping into a board in powder is a pain with regular bindings, and it still is with Step-Ons. The main difference with regular bindings is that you can get by with leaving some snow under your boot, and it will still work fine - you just won’t be able to tighten the straps up as much. The process is roughly similar for Step-Ons in deep snow. Even if you do a good job clearing your boots and the bindings of snow, it is unlikely you will easily get the heel locked into the second position. Once you have the first click, as well as the toes you can try and force your weight down to get the second click, but that is hard to do in soft snow.
Getting out doesn’t take too long to get used to, but it does feel unnatural at first. Not many people will talk about this, but you need a solid or almost flat section of snow to get in and out of the system. That isn’t usually an issue at the top and bottom of lifts, but you will find yourself slowly sliding around while trying to align the boots. This is solved by learning to get in and out while moving, which isn’t as hard as it seems after a bit of practice.
I have no problems at all with how they ride. I assumed that they would feel very responsive on heelside turns, and less on toeside (with no ankle strap). The opposite turned out to be true, they had a very direct feel on toeside turns, which does make sense seeing that the boots are mounted/connected so low on the heel, and there is zero slack.
The older bindings came with two sets of discs, one set for regular boards and one set for Channel boards. The new disc combines both into one disc, which still has all the options you need to position the binding properly on the board. In the photo above you will be able to see the line running through some of the mountain positions on the disc. This gives you the option to mount the board in the centered position (with the screws running through the line). You can move the screws to the position behind the line if you want to mount the bindings forward.
The current version of Step-On bindings have a different style toe cleat, which gets rid of the annoying noise. All versions of the binding now have the filled in toe-cleat part.
I really don’t know who Step-On X bindings are designed for. Could i recommend Step-On bindings? I can. I found myself using them more often last season than my regular bindings, because the boots are so comfortable, and getting in and out is very quick and easy.
As always, when a new product comes out, I tend to have my doubts, a little bit like a grumpy old man. One of my mottos is "if it ain't broken, don't fix it", but if Burton could pull this off, it could be really good for the sport, I thought to myself.
First, the boots wouldn't always click in, or there was powder under the boot, the pants got in the way, etc. The ones who found themselves in the intermediate range of riders had trouble balancing to get their foot in and would end up sitting down anyway. In the case of the more advanced riders, it was more subtle, and there were fewer of those who had made the switch on year one of this new binding being released.
One of the things I noticed was how much the boot actually moved in the binding. The toe clips weren't fully snug into the hooks, so there was play when he was rolling his foot from side to side. This translates into a delay when moving body weight or pressure in the fore and aft (nose to tail) or lateral (edge to edge) planes while riding. To me, this was a big no no. I am a big believer in that there shouldn't be any play between the boot and the binding so that an action would create an immediate reaction. If there's a bit of free space or looseness, that will result in a lack of responsiveness.
We can quite regularly get more novice riders, who, from their inexperience, just have no idea that the boots need to be tight, and the bindings need to be ratcheted in all the way. Otherwise you may be moving more than what you actually need to reach the desired outcome.
As the years went by, the Step Ons became more and more popular, and more and more frequent amongst my clientele. I kept an eye on it. Folks became better at balancing and clicking in, less pants got stuck in the way, and powder, by some miracle, became a non issue. I also started noticing less and less of that looseness in the system. It got me a little interested.
For these reasons, I was even hesitant to even try one. But one day, I showed to Åre Hjärtat, a public relations firm in the heart of the Swedish mountains. They asked me if I'd like to try one while we're out riding for the day. So, since I'm comfortable with who I am and what I want, I decided to give it a go with a fully open mind.
Right away, I noticed that once I finally stood in the bindings, that looseness I have been mentioning, had not actually gone away. I noticed quite a high degree of heel lift when I pressured my toe edge.
Electric mountain bikes have actually changed the whole face of the mountain biking industry, and brought into the sport a whole demographic of people who either would've never tried the sport before, or would quit because they are just not physically capable anymore. That has brought popularity (and mostly money) to an industry that had a hard time finding funding for expansion in trail systems for example. But now, so many municipalities are investing heavily in trail systems, bike shops are alive and well, and more and more people mountain bike, because the sport has become more accessible. Well, my friends, the Burton Step Ons are the eMTBs of the snowboarding industry. They are convenient. They are easy. They are effortless.
I would just make a bigger movement to compensate for the lack of responsiveness. But I was kind of ok with it. For a while... When the adaptation period was over, I then decided to start pushing on the board, and finding the limits. It didn't take long before I started missing my stiff boots and extremely responsive bindings. I felt like the conditions and my board could give me more if I had had the ability to engage my edge earlier, and with more confidence. It was hard packed, but not icy, the kind of hard packed when it's really fun to go carving. But I was just slipping away.
All in all, I think the Burton Step Ons have a place in the snowboarding industry. They are definitely not for everyone, tough. The rider who prefers a more precise feel to their boot/binding combo will probably be served better by some other setup out there. But the light charger (like Teodor) and the average weekend warrior will probably find that it is a very efficient binding for them. The whole concept is really cool, the feeling you get when clicking in makes you feel like a snowboarding god, and so I hope Burton is working on some more responsive iterations of the product. It is new smart products like these ones that will keep more people in the sport, which in turn will develop and evolve to be around for a long time still.
Key Considerations for Choosing Bindings
What brand are your board and boots? Would you consider yourself a beginner, intermediate, or expert level rider? Do you plan on cruising around on green and blue runs, shredding the park and hitting jumps, exploring tree-runs and backcountry areas.. These are the most important questions to ask yourself when deciding on the price-point and style of bindings to purchase.
- All mountain: An all mountain rider with an all mountain snowboard would be best suited with a medium flex binding. All 3 entry systems mentioned above would serve this category well.
- Freestyle: Freestyle bindings feature a very soft flex. This is most appropriate in park riding, as in hitting jumps and rails. The softer flex provides the rider with a more playful range of motion, making it easier to achieve certain tricks and grabs.
- Freeride: Freeride bindings are designed to take a beating with a stiffer and more secure feeling amount of flex. Designed with more expert-level riders in mind, freeride bindings find their place in either technical resort riding, or in the backcountry.
Just like with snowboards and boots, binding flex can vary wildly between brands and models. Flex is usually measured on a scale from 1 (extremely soft) to 10 (extremely stiff). Freestyle and All-mountain bindings will usually feature a softer flex. This means they will be more forgiving and easier to turn with, which is great for beginners. Freeride and Powder snowboard bindings will be much stiffer. A stiff binding will provide improved stability and power when riding at higher speeds.
When considering the quality of any piece of gear, it is usually the safest bet to choose a well-known brand. The reasons for this are simple. When a company makes much less money than others, they will purchase their materials from a less reliable and cheaper source. While there are a few instances where you might truly pay extra just for the brand name, purchasing gear that your safety relies on usually isn’t one of them. When it comes to bindings, sticking with the options at different price points from the major brands is recommended. On top of the quality aspect, there is also maintenance to consider. Availability of parts for repair is a really important aspect here. Most often, a binding failure will happen in the middle of a ride day. While most shops will have spare parts lying around from major brands, having a lesser known binding brand will usually mean ordering a new part in.
The difference between men’s and women’s ski and snowboard gear is a very hot topic at the moment. In terms of hard goods, women’s snowboards do tend to be smaller and lighter, with a softer flex than the mens. So this is why buying woman’s snowboard bindings, rather than considering the men’s to be unisex could be helpful. Women’s bindings will be scaled down with slightly smaller sizing and have different strap designs than the men’s, to pair with smaller women’s boots. While women certainly can decide to ride a men’s board and bindings simply by choosing smaller sizes, keep in mind that there are considerations being made to fit women’s unique body type better.
| Binding Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Baseplate | The piece which attaches the binding to the board, using bolts. |
| Heel Cup | The ring at the base of the highback for keeping your heel in place. |
You will definitely be able to hear it in the video review, but the clicking noise drove me crazy. It didn’t happen everyday, but when it did it ruined the riding completely. Some days it didn’t happen at all, so it seems like it is quite dependant on the temperature and amount of moisture in the snow.
That advice worked great, I would rub a small block of whatever wax was lying around on the metal cleats, and the clicking completely disappeared.