An Honest In Depth Review of the Bataleon Astro Asym Wrap Binding Review by The Good Ride

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A Detailed Breakdown Of How the Bataleon Astro Asym Wrap Rides And Who It Is For

How It Was Tested:

I borrowed the Bataleon Astro Asym Wrap for an extended demo and hoped to return it, but Bataleon hasn’t sent me a return label.
I was not paid by Bataleon to do this review, and this comes from an honest, objective perspective with no brand oversight.

Size: M/L
Days: 8+
Conditions: Varied Spring Conditions and an early morning slackountry run or two on some lucky late spring powder with Drift Boards & Union Rovers
Riders:  James (Size 9, 5’10”, 185-190lbs). I’ve tested and compared 800+ boards, over 180 bindings, and 100+ boots.
Boots: Ride Deadbolt, Bataleon Acid BOA
Insoles: F.I.T. Gamechangers
Redundancy: Strapins in case boots or bindings break.
Jacket: Jones Mtn Surf Anorak, Skyline Fuse Jacket, Skyline Fuse fL
Pant: Jones Mountain Surf Pant, Burton AK Gore-Tex Pro 3L Hover Pant, Skyline Faze Pant, Skyline Faze FL
Helmet: Smith Method, Smith Scout
Goggle: Smith 4D Mag
Gloves: Burton AK Clutch Mitt, Burton AK Tech Leather Glove

Boards: Many

Similar (but not the same) Bindings: Union Atlas, Union Force, Union Strata, Union Falcor, Rome Katana, Salomon Highlander, Salomon Hologram Nitro Team Pro, Nitro Team,

Weight

The Bataleon Astro Asym Wrap is 2.2 Lbs, and so is the Atom and many bindings like this in the industry. It’s on the heavy side of normal.

Highback Flex

I really like the flex of the Bataleon Astro Asym Wrap high back. It has an easy give at the top to eliminate calf bite and an easy twist but also decent snap back after you flex it. And, of course, it’s easy to rotate the highback to match better with your heel side.

Flex Underfoot

The Bataleon Astro Asym Wrap has a very easy flex underfoot that is on par with many of the best true mini-disc bindings when it comes to allowing the board to be itself when turning, especially buttering. Other than the disc, there is no contact with the board. It’s all a medium-ish EVA foam.

Turn Initiation/Response

I liked how the Bataleon Astro Asym Wrap turned many more demanding boards I tested with the more responsive ankle strap configuration. I was worried it would be too high up on the ankle, but it felt great.

The ability to flip the strap angle makes for a versatile binding with a medium response in the lower setting and a medium-fast response in the higher configuration. It can work very well with a quiver of boards. It’s not almost infinite like high end Rome bindings like the Katana but better than nothing like the DOD and 390 Boss from Rome.

Shock Absorption

There is near-excellent shock absorption. The EVA Foam in this does a great job for all-day riders and makes those fland landing fuck ups we all have better than they could be. I feel very good dampness/chatter absorption as well. There are more damp bindings, but these are definitely up there. It doesn’t have that Boost style tech that started with Adidas snowboard boots (why’d you bail on snowboarding Adidas! ) that the Atom, Rome Katana, Black Label, and Cleaver have, but it’s very good.

Boot Support

Like with response, you can adjust the straps to give you more or less support. Either way, the Astro works well in uneven snow and never makes you feel like your ankle isn’t supported. The ankle straps are very comfortable and have no pressure but they are heavy and stretch a little too much for my taste.

The Toe Straps are much better than Rome’s high-end straps, but they still stretch too much for my taste. I have to set them up off-center. They stretch so much.

Ratchets

The Ratchets were always smooth on and off.

Adjustability

I like how adjustable this binding is when centering your boots in the binding and, therefore, the board. It’s just like Rome bindings and has an adjustable gas pedal and heel loop, which means most 8-10 US-size boots should be pretty easy to center with some adjusting. If you are in the 7-7.5 or 10.5 you might have trouble.

When you are centered on your binding/board, you can turn the hybrid-size discs sideways to give you excellent adjustability with inserts spaced 20mm apart. If you have 40mm/setback inserts like on many Bataleon boards and many brands in the industry, these discs will work, but you can’t adjust your stance at all like full-size disc inserts.

Conclusion

If you like Rome bindings, the Bataleon Astro Asym Wrap is a direct competitor to the Rome Katana but with a little aftertaste of the DOD, and 390 Boss. I like the Rome ankle strap better. I don’t really care for either toe strap, but I like the Astro better. Both bindings have their strengths and weaknesses and both are super recommendable.

Ethics Statement: This review has zero brand oversight. This is our best effort at an honest, objective review to help you, the consumer.
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