Intermediate To Expert All Mountain The Union Force is the #1 selling binding in Unions line and giving the Cartel a run for it's money in the binding popularity contest. The 2011 Union Force are almost exactly the same bindings as the 2010 Union Force except for a very slight change in the ankle strap. It has some air bubles in it but that is about it. The 2012 Union Force changed the toe strap. It better fit's over the toe which we like but we would of liked it better if they added the new asymmetrical ankle strap that the Atlas , Force SL , Contact Pro, Asadachi and Force MC have. These have been great bindings for many years but this is the first year we felt the Force has gone to long without a serious upgrade. We'd like to see the Force get the make over that the Force SL's did. Check out the detailed review below.
The Union Force Snowboard Binding Review by The Good Ride Days-40+ Riders- Too many to count
At first glance the union binding line has a very traditional look compared to allot of other bindings out there and the Union Force is no exception. If you look closely you start to see allot of subtle tech in this binding that no other company has. After your first day on them you look at them again and they will look more modern than any binding out there. This binding is made for someone who knows what they want, doesn't like to fiddle around, set it up once and never think about it again. You cant get too tweaky with these like you can with Burton and flux. Some of our riders really crank their toe straps down and they seem to have issues with all Union Bindings they try due to the toe straps release system. The straps seem to get stuck or loosen up a few notches. If you don't crank down your toe straps then don't worry about this.
A Quick look at the 2012 Union Force
Stiffness- They feel medium soft torsion-ally but when you pull straight back they are very stiff. The high backs are right up there with Burton's team high back in length and very close to being some of the most responsive high backs out there.
Comfort- Union understands what it is like to ride every day. If set up properly you can almost completely avoid any pressure points. The toe and ankle straps come in at the right angle. The base plate has a cap that covers the plates which helps the sole of your boot line up exactly the way it should. The one complaint for comfort with the ankle straps could have more of a taper in the center. That way their would be less pressure on the forward lean. If you don't crank down the straps real tight this won't be an issue but just our 2 cents. Another issue is the toe strap buckle. It is a little more difficult to get it off that most toe straps. We'd like to see something similar to the ankle strap or a little more of an extension over it to make them work.
Response- Despite the Union Force's semi flexy nature these bindings respond jack rabbit gigolo fast. Its fast like Mike Tyson before he started biting ears. But seriously we haven't felt a response like this from any other binding out on the market. If you come from an old pair of Burton's the quick response might almost be too much for you. These are great all mountain bindings. There is allot less binding/board contact so it helps you get a little more out of your turns and tricks. The toe response is probably the best in the industry. We are not sure if it is the design of their gas pedal or the minimal contact that the binding has with the board but something is exceptional about turning with these. This is a bit of a bold statement but some of the riders felt that these were slightly better than the burton C60's. The high backs are about the same height as the cartel team high back. Surprisingly enough they are almost the same width as well. It has alot of lateral flexibility but if you were to pull this straight back to the heel edge you will be surprised at how stiff this feels. The toe response seemed to match perfectly with the heel response where most bindings are laking a little on the toe side. Adjustability- A lot of companies have nearly tooless adjustment these days (check out Flux) so its a little disappointing to see that you need a screw driver for almost every adjustment except part of the ankle strap and high back. Despite that fact you can still tweak these bindings out to fit your weird feet/riding style. The heel and toe can slide out/in where most companies have only the toe. The drawback with the heel adjustability is that angle of the ankle strap will lower. Most other bindings have 2 to 3 positions for the ankle strap angle where this only has one. The high back has 3 holes so you can adjust the high back to line up with the rail of your board where Burton has a channel so you can really dial it out. If they could change these issues we mentioned then their is no excuse to buy the cartel's over this binding. All and all the adjustability is pretty good. Dampening- There isn't much you can't do with these bindings. These are designed to be good every where so if speed is your only thing then there are better bindings out there. However they do perform as good or better than most in their category. They give a smoooooth ride (insert Bill Murrays voice from Catie Shack)........ a smmooooooth ride!
Shock Absorption- Not bad but could use some work here. Instead of using padding across the entire heel there is some sort of metal over the padding. We'd like to see the same set up as the Union Force SL or Union Force MC where it's all dense padding on the back heel. Board/Boot Integration- The minimal board contact and control can make a 3 company set up work very well.
After many days on the hill we found one issue with the Union Force and Force SL aroud the Ankle. The small strap does not give you that feeling you are locked in and supported like many larger ankle straps do. When riding stiffer boards through chopped up mogul powder runs to get back to the chair your ankle feels very exposed and there is a lot more stress. On groomed runs or in most situations in the park you don't notice this. If the Ankle strap had more volume on the side we think this might eliminate this feeling in less than ideal situations and create more stiffness. It's not something that will be a problem for everyone but some will not like this at all. Because the turn initiation is exceptional it makes the ankle problem worth putting up with but we'd love to see an investment in a better ankle strap and more adjustability around the ankle.
All in all we at the good ride feel this binding and company is stepping up as the industry leader. If they could make a few slight changes to the adjustability, comfort and shock absorption this binding it would not have an equal!
The Good Ride Take on Capita and Union (same parent company) Union- Union really lead the charge with the concept of eliminating the dead spot bindings create on snowboards. Because of that they have some of if not the easiest turn initiation out of any binding we have tried. The bindings with the Force style base plate really shows this and can make a stiff snowboard turn easier than most bindings out there. The bindings with the Contact style base plate have a more mellow turn initiation. The last few years many companies have picked up on this design style and Union isn't alone any more in this category. Still Union makes some of the best bindings in the industry. One of the only complaints we have is the buckle on the toe strap is very difficult to undo when it’s cranked down. We would like to see something like the ankle strap buckle that releases with little effort. Another complaint is the adjust-ability of their bindings. You can make some minor tweaks to make the bindings work for you but Union pales in comparison to Burton when it comes to adjust-ability. If you aren't that into adjusting and want possibly the best turn initiation in the industry the Union's are your choice.
Capita- Capita knows how to make a good sturdy park and all mountain board. They even have a good Pow board that’s priced appropriately for the amount of times you’ll use it a year. As you start to look closer in the tech of Capita you can see little issues like some of their boards still have an extruded base instead of a sintered base. You won't really see this on their high end boards like the Black Death but you will see it on their mid to entry level boards. Because of this style of production you can sometimes find a Capita snowboard for $100-$200 less than some of their competitors in that class range. If you are willing to put up with low tech in some places but still receive good performance Capita might be a good choice for you.
A Good Ride Take on Binding Tech
Metal vs Plastic Bindings
This is a Goodride breakdown for all you that are having a tough time choosing your bindings and what to make of the material you are looking at. Most bindings are Metal, Plastic or some combo of the 2.
Metal Bindings have a lot of great aspects. Almost all-metal bindings are made from aluminum. Aluminum is great when it come to weight to stiffness ratio and also pretty durable. There is one key issue with metal/aluminum bindings; they transfer all the vibrations from the board right into your feet. This is the same principle that pelage “bass-less” bindings, your feet got totally tired or fatigued. The newer generations have much better/damp bases so this problem has been minimized and in some cases eliminated. There are some companies that make great bindings despite the vibration issue with Aluminum. Some that come to mind are Ride and Rome.
Plastic Bindings also have many great features but let’s address some technical stuff first. Most plastic bindings are really hardened glass plastic mix. The high-end stuff tends to have a more carbon, and carbon fiber added for extra stiffness and weight savings. Plastic bindings really dominate the market right now and most top bindings these days are mostly or all plastic. They can be really stiff and react well to your commands. The new bindings finally dialed in the carbon/ fiber integration to the point that the bindings will perform with the stiffness of metal and absorb more chatter. Most industry leaders have limited or completely eliminated metal from their bindings and we feel that with the materials used right now this is the future. Some mostly plastic companies that we feel rock are Burton, Flux and Union.
What kind of binding should you buy? It’s a tough call. Both Plastic and Metal bindings offer freestyle, freeride and all mountain styles. At this point we feel that plastic bindings are edging out metal bindings when it comes to the very high end $300+ category. However it is a tough call in the below $300 category as to which material has the advantage.
An enduring team favorite, the Force Delivers the durability and purity of performance demanded by 100-plus-day-a-year riders. This means a bombproof binding that can handle any condition or terrain with all the features you need and nothing you don't. Extreme all-day comfort, season-after-season dependability, and a lifetime warranty baseplate- the force is very simply down for the duration.
Extruded Anodized Aluminum Heelcups
Anodizing process ads 30% strength - Completely Indestructible.
Stage II Base -- Lifetime Warranty
Guaranteed against breakage for life.
3d Multi-layer strap + autofit core
Multi Layer material evenly distributes strap pressure.
Injected EVA bushings
Lightweight and durable materials allow for true board flex.
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