Burton Custom EST Review And Buying Advice

Burton Custom EST 2014 - 2010 Review by The Good Ride

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So the Burton Custom EST binding offers very good feel underfoot for Burton only board riders.  We’d love to see re:flex tech for people who ride other boards but it’s nice to see this kind of flex underfoot for this price point.  If you have a Burton board and want a much better Tip-Tail Flex the EST is going to be a great choice for this price point.

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.

The Burton Custom EST is not a bad binding for Burton only riders on a budget. The 2013 has the old Cartel High back and their EST technology that allows the board to almost naturally flex underfoot.  It’s not as good as the higher end EST bindings but the design really does change the ride.  We like seeing a lower price point have this est option but we’d also like to see the Disc binding get the Re:Flex tech.

The 2014 Burton Custom EST is pretty much the same binding from 2013.

2013 Burton Custom EST Binding: This is the choice if you own a Burton board as it offers a lot more flex underfoot than the standard Custom. You can butter and press much easier than the regular Custom binding, and turn initiation is a little easier as well. We’re hoping to see next year’s Custom disc model with Re:Flex tech so it rides more like the EST. But, until then, the EST is the call for the Burton channel board (2 screws) rider.

This doesn’t come with a canted footbed but you can buy it.

Flex- The high back offers a good middle ground to soft flex that many riders feel is balanced and many like. I liked this high back on the old cartel and I like it with the Custom too.

Adjustability: Very easy to adjust and get dialed out. Almost all Burton bindings are very well thought out here.  No quick strap bull shit but just an intuitive build that makes for an easy binding to fit you well.

Comfort: Pretty comfortable for this price range.  Of course, there are better bindings out there but you get decent straps with this binding that for most don’t cause pressure points.

Heel-Toe Response: Edge to Edge transitioning doesn’t feel that responsive but it actually is better than it seems.  The binding’s reduced dead spot actually makes the board feel like it’s softer and easier to turn. It’s still not an edge to edge master but it has a nice smooth feel to it.

Tip-Tail Response. Very good compared to the Custom Disc binding but it just doesn’t seem as good as the other EST bindings.  Still, it will act like really good Re:Flex bindings and that significantly improves the ride.  Makes your average Burton board feel much more buttery and playful.

Boot Support: It gives you some freedom without feeling too locked in or too loose.

Ratchet System: This hands me down but the old ratchet worked very well. The toe ratchet is not the same as the other Burton Ratchets.  It doesn’t have that nice little lifter thing that the middle to high-end bindings.

Shock Absorption– This comes with a very thin footbed that doesn’t offer much shock absorption compared to the other footbeds but you can upgrade to something thicker.

If you only ride Burton boards and are on a budget then this could work for you but the Restricted Custom EST is better due to the larger ankle strap.