K2 Bliss Snowboard Binding Review

$149
Discontinued 2012
Beginner to Advanced All Mountain Freestyle
A good all mountain/freestyle binding at a good price. We are not fans of K2's Auto or Cinch bindings but if you are going to buy K2 bindings we suggest buying their normal bindings like the Bliss. The Bliss doesn't offer anything special but is a reliable binding. The base plate of most K2 bindings destroys the top sheet of most boards.

How It Rides
Flex	Soft	Response	Average	Dampening	Average
Adjustability	Average	Weight	Medium	Shock Absorption	Rough
Comfort	Average	Lateral Movement	Good	Board/Boot Integration	Average

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The Good Ride Take

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 plague “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.

The Good Ride Take on K2
K2 is a big company and is almost secretive when it comes to trying their gear before you buy it. So many companies are really proud of their gear and try to do everything they can to get you to ride it. K2 seems to do the bare minimum and despite its size has the least amount of gear to demo than almost any other company. Their policy seems to be if you want to try our stuff you have to buy it. K2 choose Flat Camber and rocker/camber snowboards and hasn’t chosen to work with any hybrid shapes. Some people love or hate their flat camber but their flat/rocker shapes seem to be some of the best out there and are well liked. When it comes to Bindings K2 spends a lot of time working on the quick release side of things instead of working on improved board flex and turn initiation like other companies have as of late. Their boots are well made and pretty comfortable but many don’t have the traditional upper and lower BOA system that others do. Instead they have an inner and outer lacing system which some like but to us it doesn’t make sense. Their customer support is not on par with some of the best out there. There is no customer service phone # on their site to call so you must contact them via email.

Company Info & Specs

EVERY GIRL'S BEST FRIEND

Customized fit and function for every rider, the Bliss is smooth, responsive and more comfortable than ever.

Every rider enjoys what the Bliss has to offer. Enhanced this season with our lightweight A-line Chassis and NEW! Asym Flair Frame Highback, maximizing women's comfort and precise boot-to-binding fit. Whether you’re braving the trees or conquering the park, the Bliss offers a smooth, responsive ride.