Burton Cartel EST Snowboard Binding Review

The Burton Cartel EST is the binding made specifically for Burton boards.  We hate this and love this binding. The flex underfoot has almost no dead spot and it has a very smooth predictable response to it that many love. The bad is the binding only works for Burton and this proprietary tech reduces your board options to Burton or whoever else licenses the tech from Burton which is only a few companies.  

Ethics Statement: We don’t get paid by the manufacturer to write these reviews.  No one is perfect and we do make money from the “Where To Buy” links below, but this is our best attempt at an honest and objective review from an average riders’ perspective.

Days: 1
Riders: James, Peter & Jimbo

Boots: Adidas Tactical ADV,
Insoles: Sandsole Custom Insoles, Footprint Insole Technology Gamechangers
Boards: Burton Hometown Hero

Highback Flex: The Cartel and Cartel Re:Flex offer up a very good flex

Binding Adjustability: The Burton Cartel EST has decent strap adjustability for getting the binding to fit around the boot. However, there isn’t as much as some companies to center the boot in the binding to get it to match up properly on the Gas Pedal/Toe Ramp. Still, you can center the binding well on the board with the EST channels on either side of the binding.

Stance Width Adjustability: Infinite Stance width adjustability with the Channel System and this is the best out there for that. At the time this is written though we only know of Burton, Endeavor and some Signal boards that use this Channel tech.

Comfort: The ankle strap and all-around binding build from the heel cup to toe ramp are all about comfort for us. It’s very well done.

Boot Support: The Ankle strap on the Burton Cartel EST offers up great support and still has some freedom of movement too. We like the support you can get from the Cartel Re:Flex better because you have two holes to mount your ankle strap. If you choose the higher point you get more support. There is only one with the Cartel EST.

Turn Initiation: Very smooth but pretty responsive. We don’t feel like Burton Cartel EST bindings, in general, are not the most responsive out there but that’s not really a bad thing. These offer up a predictably smooth response that never really makes a board feel twitch but it’s not super slow either to make you feel like you need more edge to edge.

Buttering: The Burton Cartel EST tech really makes the board flex naturally underfoot and this is far from being a gimmick. The Burton Re:Flex Cartel is close but not quite there. While we aren’t fans of this proprietary tech we have to admit that it does make a lot of sense in getting a board to flex well underfoot. With softer to mid/flexing boards you can really feel the difference if you do an A/B test with a traditional disc binding, a Re:Flex binding and an EST. You will find that with most companies the Re:Flex and EST really make the board flex easier. So, in other words, this kills it when buttering if you pair it up with a butter friendly board.

Ratchet System: Normally Burton’s ratchet system is really smooth and trouble-free. However, we were having issues with this demo model and it didn’t crank down well or hold as it should. They were a bit worn and looked beaten on. That kind of abuse can happen when they travel in a bin with other bindings around the country from demo to demo.

Shock Absorption: We like the shock absorption better with the Re:Flex but this was pretty good. That being said we were on Adidas Tactical ADV’s which have the most shock absorption out there that we have tried so it might not feel as cush underfoot if you have boots with less shock absorption like Burton EST Outsoles.

So all in all, we say get the Re:Flex as they aren’t that much behind the EST’s and you can ride them with anything. However, if you are a Burton for life kind of rider, then these are a better choice.  I’ve just had soo many readers buy a Burton board and bindings and then want to get another board in their quiver or replace their old board for whatever reason and then have to buy new bindings too so don’t buy EST unless you know you are never going back.

The 2016 Burton Cartel EST is the same general ride as the 2015 but it has the higher end straps/ratchets that are on the Diodes, Genesis and Malavita.

Days: 30+
Riders: Almost all of us
Boards: These are for Burton boards Only.
Conditions- Most conditions an average rider would want to experience
Boots: Salomon, Burton, Nike and a few others

Flex– This is the same flex as all the other cartels offering a smooth middle ground feel that most love. It’s the kind of flex that blends into just about any kind of riding.

Adjustability: EST bindings from Burton offer superior adjustability compared to the other non-est bindings.  It’s a little different but after a little time, you get to see how easy these are to set up on the board and how versatile they are adapting to your boot.

Comfort: Very very comfortable.  These bindings offer a nice balance between comfort and support.

Heel-Toe Response: EST is just a little bit more responsive edge to edge than the Cartel Re:Flex because you have 4 screws instead of 8 attached to the board.

Tip-Tail Response– Now the EST tech here does have an advantage flexing any Burton Board lengthwise over the Re:Flex Cartel. It’s very easy to butter and press almost any board in Burton’s line except for the very stiff ones.  It really changes the feel underfoot and the dead spot is almost non-existent.  If you go from a non-Burton binding to an EST binding the Burton board comes alive. Some higher end Re:Flex bindings like the Cartel Limited can come close but EST is still the 11 out of 10.  It’s a damn shame they aren’t compatible on other boards. With the 2014 Burton Cartel, you lose a little flex underfoot but you get a lot of extra ollie power due to the Hinge Technology. This is a very nice upgrade and we now feel this is the only year to get unless you don’t ollie ever.

Ratchet System: All Burton Cartel ratchets are the same (I think).  They might be different but all offer amazingly smooth glide on and off.

Boot Support: Very good almost locked in feel.  The footbed is a little soft so it doesn’t allow a completely locked in feel. It’s worth it to get the kind of shock absorption you get with this kind of binding.

Shock Absorption– The thicker EST footbed has amazing shock absorption and the Cartel EST comes with this.  It’s also canted.  You can go pretty thin (5mm) to get a skate feel that has less cushioning. The footbed you get with the Cartel EST really makes a big difference just riding over a rough bit of snow and even more so on a bad landing. The 5mm thick option is rougher but you get more board feel.

So all in all the Cartel EST is a great binding and if you can’t find the Limited Cartel EST with Hinge Tech this will do a very good job handling a wide variety of Burton boards.

The 2015 Burton Cartel EST is the same as the 2014 except for the ankle strap.  It folds out really easy so you can get your boot in quicker and it’s got a thin ankle strap that we really like about it.  Otherwise it’s the same binding as last year in terms of ride and response.

The 2014 Burton Cartel EST has the same high back and ankle strap as the Cartel Re:Flex but this year it has the Hinge Technology that the higher end Burton bindings like the Burton Genesis EST. This really changes up the EST ride by giving you much more ollie power.  It makes the 2014 Cartel EST the much better choice over past models.