Looking for the best splitboard bindings for your rig, huh? I must say, this is commendable. A sprinkle of research here can mean a powder day of comfort and fun in the not-so-distant future. Whether you’re looking for an upgrade, or you’re trying to setup your first rig, you’ve come to the right place.
I’ve been around this sport for awhile. I remember the early days of click-in bindings, back before splitboarding even existed. I’ve had my fair share of shops shamelessly selling me on unproven garbage.
Things are a little better now. Materials are stronger and lighter. The shops that have survived know that their reputation is worth more than a sale. But we’re still talking about a relatively small subset of the snowboarding universe when it comes to backcountry. That is, there’s still plenty of room to go wrong.
In this post, we’ll first sort out the main types of splitboard binding setups. Then we’ll take a look at some of the differences in terms of design, materials and just overall performance in the key splitboard brands. And finally, we’ll point you to the best binding options for your splitboard in 2023 and shuffle you on to a thorough guide to setting up your adventure rig.
The 2 Main Types of Splitboard Binding
Break out the notepad cuz here I’m about to lay waste to the most confusing element of splitboarding; how the hell these bindings actually work, and which ones to use.
There are 2 common methods of affixing slippery sticks to your weary doggos. Both of these systems provide the same ability to literally remove the bulk of your binding structure and reaffix it to your deck in a different orientation. And they both have their selling points.
For a newcomer to the backcountry game, I have to highly recommend that you go with the first system. It’s just a little more cost-effective and widely compatible. Still, you should understand both styles.
And it’s important to remember… Minor innovations will hit any snow equipment on a frequent basis. Some innovations will last and spread. Others will not. Especially in the beginning, be wary of the new stuff.
The Voilé Puck System
The Voilé Puck system revolves around these four pucks. It’s like the shell system from Demolition Man if you’re old enough to get the reference. People will keep throwing this ‘puck system’ thing around like you’re supposed to understand what that means.
Four pucks are mounted to your split deck where your stance prescribes. In ride mode, your bindings slide over these pucks and lock into place with pins. In touring mode, the bindings are removed and fixed to 2 separate pivot points with those same pins. This anchors your toe while freeing up your heel for those ski slides.
As I mentioned, Various bindings will work with this system. It’s directly compatible with a bunch of splitboard specific bindings like the Spark R&D system, Voilé, or the Union Expedition binding. The little secret of this system is that it even allows for the use of traditional bindings. Skip ahead if that’s your jam.
Karakoram Splitboard System
The Karakoram system is designed to work with only Karakoram bindings. Honestly, this really decimates the value for me. Unless you’re especially confident in this system and its longevity, you probably want to go with a more flexible system, at least to start.
But it has its proponents for sure. Plenty of backcountry riders love it. It’s popular in the Pacific Northwest where the company started. And where the Karakoram setup does start to shine is if you’re looking for a different type of performance. Maybe not explicitly better, just sorta different. Like, it’s not the same as the Voilé setup. It’s different.
So yeah, this makes the Karakoram a reasonable choice for a select group of riders with cash to burn and curiosity. Like, if you’ve tried the standard systems and you’re frustrated with them, maybe try something different. It’s a tough sell. But different can be fantastic.
The Karakoram setup consists of four metal plates (not pucks?) that interface to your bindings with a lever and pin system. The key argument for these is that this system better mimics the feel of a solid snowboard. They also feature a heel lock so you can enter full ski mode. This is debatably necessary.
A saving grace is that the price includes the interface, where the voilé interface will add 50$-200$ to your bindings. Also, there’s an add-on system available that’s designed to make it easy to swap bindings across decks. Theoretically, this allows you to ride your splitboard bindings on your resort board. The thing there is, I kinda just want to ride my cheaper, and more rugged bindings on the resort rather than risk breaking my pricer setup.
I haven’t ridden these. So maybe it’s a dick move to speak on them. I do hope to ride them eventually. But seriously, if you’re just getting into this sport, there’s not a lot of evidence to suggest that you are looking at a significant chance at justifying the minimum 25% price jump you’re looking at to get a Karakoram-powered rig under your feet.
Can you use Regular Bindings on a Splitboard?
Yup. That’s the thing. It’s not ideal, but it’s perfectly doable, and it will save you some bread if you’ve already got a setup and you don’t mind swapping over between outings. Now, this can get a little sketchy, depending on how whacky your traditional bindings are. But check this out…
That’s the standard binding adapter system. It combines the voilé puck system with a special rail that can be mounted to the bottom of a traditional binding puck. The price is a little steep, at nearly 200$. But you’re potentially avoiding 400$+ of split specific bindings.
The downside is that these will ride quite a bit higher than splitboard specific bindings. The adapter rail is significantly deeper than the rail on the backcountry bindings. Personally, this doesn’t bother me too much. This setup is what I’m riding until I get a bug to find something better.
But there’s actually one more option you might want to consider if you’re planning to operate both a resort and a backcountry rig…
Can I use Splitboard Bindings on a regular Board?
Yes. No. Time, not space. No, I have no idea what you’re talking about…
But One Binding Systems will sort you out if you’re trying to put your backcountry bindings on your resort deck. I can’t vouch for these specialty pucks, but theoretically, they allow you to mount your Spark R&D or Voilé split bindings right to your regular old deck.
Karakoram offers a similar adapter for use with their setup that they call the ‘Quiver Connector‘.
You can save a little money and space I guess. The downside is that splitboard bindings may not be what you want out of a resort binding. Personally, I want to rip on my resort bindings, so I’m perfectly happy to pick up some extra weight in return for strength. And splitboard bindings are significantly more expensive, so I’d rather preserve those babies for the uphills.
What About Hard Boots?
This is a whacky setup. But if you’re serious about those uphills, and equally serious about not just switching to skis, you might be interested. In the rarest of splitboard setups, we have the ski AT splitboarding rig.
You rock ski boots for this. Not just any ski boots mind you, Alpine Touring ski boots. This can provide you with the structure and positioning that skiers love for charging ascents. On the downkill, you have to contend with that rigidity, but maybe you’re cool with that.
At any rate, the only feasible option is Spark R&D. They produce the Dyno DH, a low-profile rail that lets you strap right on for the descent. they also produce toe-pieces and height wires that are custom built for the standard splitboard drilling pattern.
The 2023 Splitboard Binding Market
Popular Splitboard Binding Brands
Spark R&D
At this point, Spark is the name in splitboard bindings. They have an extensive and widely-appreciated line of impressive quality splitboard bindings at a competitive price.
Union
I’m happy with my Union resort bindings. I can’t vouch for their line of splitboard bindings, but
Karakoram
Burton
Voilé
Voilé is based in Utah (I was a little surprised myself) and they’ve been around since 1980. More importantly, they’ve been producing splitboarding equipment since 1991. They were the first. Which explains why a lot of splitboard bindings are based on their setup.
They still put out some quality equipment, covering everything you need for the backcountry. And that has been something of their MO for generations now. They endeavor to build equipment that helps you get way out in it. A commendable mission.
K2
K2 is in on the splitboard game too. I haven’t been a huge fan of K2 stuff over the years. But they’ve been putting out quality snowboard equipment for decades. Still, they are a ski company. You can find great stuff from them, and sometimes you can score a deal, but I’d rather see a snowboarding company succeed when it comes to snowboarding gear.
Nitro
Conclusion
Did I cover it all? I mean, part of the reason I built out this post in the first place was that I needed a place to stash my notes on all of the crazy details of my own quest to find the best splitboard bindings. There’s a lot to know, especially if you’re new to the sport. And backcountry isn’t exactly offered as a group class at your local mountain, so unbiased beta can be a little tough to come by.
I know my ultimate decision was to run the Union bindings off my resort board with the Voilé adapter rail. It works for now. But I am looking forward to an upgrade. If you found this post helpful at all in sorting out your own struggles, let me know, huh?