Union Factory 2015 - 2014 Review by The Good Ride

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Ethics Statement: The manufacturer doesn’t pay us 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 rider’s perspective.

The only real difference between the 2014 Union Factory vs. the 2015 Union Factory is the Ankle strap connector is a little shorter.  Some might not be able to line up your ankle strap properly with your boot.  If that’s a problem contact Union and they will get you the 2014 ankle strap holder.

Days:  30+
Riders: James, Peter, Jimbo, Ginger and a few others
Boots: Burton Imperial, Burton Hail, Burton Ion, Burton SLX, Nike Lunarendor,  Nike Kaiju, Salomon Synapse,
Boards: Slash ATV, Capita TFA,  Capita BSOD, and Jones Mtn, Rossignol One Magtek, Never Summer Cobra, Lib Tech TRS, Burton Barracuda, and many others.  

In the factory, there is a base plate similar to the higher-end union bindings, but it has a lot more padding and cant. The high back looks kind of like the Contact, but it’s much more responsive and stronger.  The plastic and fiberglass combo seems to make much more sense than the Chargers Carbon Fiber high back.  It seems like it can stand up to abuse more, have a better twist, and still offer a lot of responses.

So when we got on the binding, the first thing we noticed was that we felt like Elvis in the late ’60s on platform shoes, minus the excessive weight, caped suit, and flatulence. It took a few runs to get used to, but after about 1/2 day, you forget about it. I think the extra elevation might make for a little better leverage and response and provide more cushioning. The Factory can provide response enough for almost any stiff freeride board, but it can also work very well with medium flexing all-mountain boards.  It can cruise equally well as it bombs.  This could work for the rider who likes to cushion bones that had a hard living as well as provide a great ride for those that like to bomb the shit out of the mountain or park.

Weight: Size M/L- 4.0 lbs with discs and screws.  Same for 2014 and 2015. 

Flex: The high back is aggressive but still flexible. What do I mean by that? It’s pretty medium to medium soft when you twist it, but when you pull straight back, there is little to no give. I own the Factory and the Force, and the Force feels like the Force might be a little bit stiffer than the Factory even though its high back is cored out.

Adjustability: We really like that you can customize the heel loop length to your boot size.  If you want to rotate your high back, it takes a lot of work compared to other bindings as the screws go through more than just the high back, making it a pretty difficult process compared to other bindings.  The 2014 toe strap requires a tool, and we’d like to see it be toolless like the ankle strap.  Many other bindings allow you to adjust the angle of your ankle strap, too, and this doesn’t give you any options as well. The 2015 toe strap screw is much better because it doesn’t require a screwdriver which almost makes it worthwhile to get the 2015.  You could probably buy the part from C3, though, if you want to upgrade your 2014.

Comfort: Despite its lack of adjustability, it’s pretty comfortable.  Its ankle straps aren’t too cushy but don’t provide pain.  They fit well around the ankle. The footbed is pretty cushioned and feels nice underfoot. The canted footbed is a bonus, too, because most bindings in the Flux line don’t have a cant, and it seems to be better for the body.

Turn Initiation: This board is very responsive edge to edge and is a solid choice for those who want to bend their board edge to edge. It doesn’t feel as sharp edge-to-edge as the MC or Charger. The response is probably the same, but somehow, it feels smoother. Maybe it’s because of all that EVA foam padding on the footbed.

Buttering: So the reduced dead spot tech underfoot in the bindings makes this binding butter and pressboard better than it should be for such an aggressive design.  All Union Bindings do a pretty good job here getting a little more natural feel underfoot.

Boot Support: The support is about the middle ground here. So the ankle straps are of the new breed and a nice improvement over the old thin ankle straps but they still allow you some freedom of movement. It gives you a little bit of both.  If you aren’t into the Locked or firm hold you mainly get with Burton or Flux bindings, you might like the extra freedom that Union provides if you want to tweak out a grab on occasion. Union has 1 or 2 different strap options at C3 here, so if you don’t like the straps, you can get a different one.

Ratchet System: The Ratchet system is great around the ankle but the toe strap in the past has caused issues with some riders.  The toe ratchet on the Factory is better than the older toe ratchets.  It only takes 7 lbs of pressure to release, whereas the older toe ratchets take 10 lbs. Even Peter, who often complained of a sticky toe strap any time he rode Union bindings, had no problems.

Shock Absorption: Excellent here as well.  This super padding gives the board underfoot an extra shield from uneven terrain that almost everyone has to encounter.  It’s also one of the top choices for a binding that I’d like to make an awkward or flat landing on. This binding allows you to ride longer and reduces fatigue that comes from on the mountain and in the backcountry.

So all in all this is a good binding for those that want more padding but don’t want to sacrifice much or any response.  This will be fun for the rider that likes a versatile but responsive binding for boards that take a little more work to turn.