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Riding Level Intermediate - Expert
Quick Release No
Manufactured in China
Canted Footbed No
Burton Channel Compatible Yes
Mini disc No
Approx. Weight Feels Light
Flex

Stiff

Boot Support

Locked In

Turn Initiation

Medium/Fast

Buttering

Very Easy

Binding Adjustability Good
Stance Adjustability Poor
Comfort Excellent
Ratchet System Excellent
Shock Absorption Excellent

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Burton X-Base 2017 - 2016 Review by The Good Ride

The Burton X-Base Re:Flex is one of those bindings that hard to believe exists in a higher price range than the Diodes.  Not sure if it’s worth it to most but maybe some are ok with spending all this extra money to have a little more performance than the already very expensive Diodes.

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: 3
RidersJames, Peter, Chris, Jimbo,
Boots: Burton SLX, Salomon F3.0, Burton Fiend LTD
BoardsNever Summer West

Flex: Stiff and snappy and it feels like it’s a touch more snap than the Diodes.

Adjustability: Same adjustability as all high-end Burton bindings.  Great for high back rotation, great for toe straps adjusting, good for ankle strap, and good for adjusting the footbed to fit different size boots. Some in the inbetweener sizes like 10.5-11’s find the large a little too large and the Medium a little too small while others don’t so it’s all about personal preference.

Comfort: Even though these are minimalist bindings made to be super light they are still extremely comfortable.

Turn Initiation: I only rode these once and didn’t get to compare these directly to the Diode’s I own on the West but they seem like they might be a touch more responsive but I’m not 100% sure.

Buttering: Same great butter ability and you usually don’t see this for a binding with this much response edge to edge. It will definitely help the boards flex easier from tip to tail than most bindings out there.

Boot Support: The ankle strap was a little more minimized than the Diode ankle strap and I liked the way it fit me better. It was very close to the 2016 Malavita’s strap or even the same. I’m kind of torn between the new toe strap on the Diodes and this somewhat older but lighter design cap strap on the X-Base.  Neither has any major flaws but neither really appeal to me over the other.

Ratchet System: Smooth, fast and easy.

Shock Absorption: Just like the Diode Re:Flex here and I really preferred more shock absorption with this Re:Flex version than the added feel of the X-Base EST.

So, all in all, I’m still in sticker shock and to me, it seems like they finally made a binding to match up with the insanely expensive Mystery snowboard. Is it a great binding?  Well yes but it’s just really hard to rationalize this purchase when you already have the expensive but very good Diode’s. I personally would have liked to see Burton work on a different type of mid-range binding that has a different personality to the existing bindings in their line but at least this tech will eventually trickle down to the rest of the bindings one day.  Also, I really liked the fit and feel of this ankle strap.

 
Burton X-Base Specs

 
Burton X-Base Images

We try to get as many images of the Burton X-Base, but forgive us if they're not all there.

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Burton X-Base User Reviews

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