Burton Cartel Limited EST 2013 Review by The Good Ride

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The Burton Cartel Limited EST has the same better look/quality as the Limited Re:Flex but the addition of the Hinge Tech makes this our favorite EST binding. The ankle strap is closer to the Cartel EST model, and not like the Diode. If you ride a Burton Board, this is a great choice because the Hinge Tech really does increase your ollie power. It’s also a great alternative to the Burton Diode or Malavita. To each his own, but most of us at The Good Ride would choose this binding when riding Burton boards if you can find it.

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.

So the Cartel Limited Re:Flex is one of our favorite bindings but the Cartel Limited EST is our favorite Burton only binding. This is the Burton Diode EST with a Cartel High back.  The only difference is the ankle strap is a little thicker and I wished Burton but the Cartel Limited Re:Flex ankle strap was on this instead. This is a minor nitpick though.

We didn’t get a chance to ride these bindings because we’d have to buy em to try em. They weren’t at the demos. That being said we rode the Burton Diode EST with hinge tech, Cartel EST, and every other binding with hinge tech. Because this the Diode Base Plate with the Cartel High back I can speak to this pretty accurately because I know both parts very well and also rode extensively the Limited Re:Flex.

Most of us really liked the Diode but my biggest complaint was the Diode has an ultra stiff high back that just didn’t feel right for me. So putting a cartel high back on the diode would make this a very balanced ride.  It’s going to ride just like a little more mellow smoother flexing Diode EST with the same pop and have the same flex underfoot.

There is one feature here that is unique to any other binding company and even more specific unique to EST bindings only.  It’s called high tech and it has a very unique feature.  There is a spring hinge at the base of each side of the heel loop at the base. It gives you added ollie power and makes any Burton board you ride ollie higher than a regular binding. It’s no bullshit and if you ride only Burton boards and like to ollie then you are going to love these bindings.