Positives

  • Smooth Med/Fast Response
  • Great Shock Absorption
  • Excellent Adjustability

Negatives

  • Stretchy Toe Strap

Summary

If you aren’t into the adjustable response of the Katana or Vice but still want a ton of boot-to-binding adjustability, you have the Rome DOD.

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

Medium/Stiff

Boot Support

Medium

Turn Initiation

Medium/Fast

Buttering

Easy

Binding Adjustability Great
Stance Adjustability Great
Comfort Great
Ratchet System Good
Shock Absorption Great

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Rome DOD Written Review Review by The Good Ride

Ethics Statement: We don’t get paid by the manufacturer to write these reviews.  We do make money from the “Where To Buy” links, but this is our best attempt at an honest and objective review from an average riders’ perspective.

How it rides and who it is for

Rome DOD Review

Days: 4+
Conditions: Variable spring conditions.
Riders:  James (Size 9, 5’10” 185-190lbs)
Boots: Burton Kendo
Insoles: Footprint Insole Technology Gamechangers
Boards: Jones Mountain Twin
Jacket: Burton AK Gore-Tex Pro 3L Tusk Jacket, Volcom TDF Infuse 3L Gore-Tex Jacket
Pant: Burton AK Gore-Tex Pro 3L Hover Pant, Burton AK Gore-Tex 2L Swash Pant, Burton Gore-Tex Ballast Pant
Helmet: Smith Maze, Smith Vantage
Goggle: Smith 4D Mag
Gloves: Burton AK Clutch Glove, Burton AK Tech Leather Glove, Burton AK Tech Glove, CG Habitats Work Glove, Drop Cascade Glove

Similar (but not the same) Bindings: Union Atlas, Union Strata, Union Force, Burton Cartel, Burton Malavita, Salomon Highlander, Salomon Hologram, Nitro Team Pro, Now Drive

How It Was Tested

I did a sampler with the Jones Mountain Twin, Union Atlas, Rome Cleaver, Katana, Vice, DOD, and then 390 Boss.

Weight

2.0 lbs with discs and screws.

Highback Flex

There is a pretty medium/stiff high back with the Rome DOD, but it doesn’t feel too stiff and unforgiving. I needed it rotated so it didn’t bite into my calves, and it felt in between the Cleaver and Katana flex-wise.

Flex Underfoot

The medium-sized disc on the Rome DOD and all Rome binders can be mounted mini disc style or full-size disc style. It’s pretty cool. Then the rest of the footbed is EVA foam so the only major contact is the disc. You can get your board to flex pretty naturally in either set up but get it to feel a little stiffer in a full-sized screw setup.

Turn Initiation/Response

I really missed the Adjustable response of the Pivotmount Rome bindings when I went from those to the Rome DOD. It is weird how it felt so plane vs. them, but then you compare them to any other binding out there, and they had a very good med/fast response that matched up well to the med/stiff highback flex.  The adjustable response really spoiled me during this demo.

Shock Absorption

Really good dampness and shock absorption. Up there near the top of the class… a place I was never at.

Boot Support

I missed the adjustable ankle straps again because I liked having the ankle strap a little higher than where this is stuck permanently. Still, the Rome DOD has a very good balance between having freedom of movement for mountain freestyle to park play while not letting your ankle feel exposed riding off-piste in uneven snow.

Ratchets

Good and functional.

Adjustability

So you don’t have a canted high back or adjustable strap angles to improve support or response, but you do have all the stuff you really need to dial out your boot to fit centered in your binding. That is super important, and the Rome DOD has an adjustable base plate. This really helps with turning and enjoying snowboarding more.

Because you can center your boots, you can get just about any stance width you want with a mini disc screw config. If you set the Rome DOD up like full-sized discs, you don’t have any adjustability like Re:Flex bindings from Burton. Still, you can do it, and that is more than almost all mini discs can do. So, set-back inserts will work.

Conclusion

So the Rome DOD is a really solid binding and works well with a good amount of boards. It doesn’t have the quiver diversity of the Cleaver, Katana, and Vice, but it does have more reliability with fewer parts.

 
Rome DOD Past Reviews

The Rome DOD feels a little heavy, the toe strap felt a little too stretchy and it wasn’t super buttery. Despite that, it does offer up a pretty damp, cushy, responsive, adjustable and supportive ride for having such a twisty high back.

Ethics Statement: We don’t get paid by the manufacturer to write these reviews.  We do make money from the “Where To Buy” links, but this is our best attempt at an honest and objective review from an average riders’ perspective. 
How This Review Happened: 
We borrowed this for an extended demo and then returned it.

Days:  4+
Riders:  James (Size 9, 5’10” 185-195lbs), Nick (Size 10, 160lbs, 5’8”) 
Boots: Adidas Tactical ADV, Burton Imperial
Insoles: Sandsole Custom Insoles, Footprint Insole Technology Gamechangers
Boards: Rome Agent, Rome Ravine and others.

Highback Flex: Medium when you twist it and med/stiff when you pull it back.

Binding to Boot Adjustability: Pretty good all around adjustability that works well with most boot sizes in it’s suggested size range.

Stance Width Adjustability: Not bad here either.

Ratchet System: Pretty good glide and seemed reliable but nothing that stood out either.

Boot Support: The ankle strap was comfortable and held the boot in very well. The toe strap just kept stretching and didn’t really lock in the boot. Neither of us felt unsupported though and despite that weird thing going on with the stretchy toe strap.

Turn Initiation/Response: Very good edge to edge and it surprised us how much response we got out of this binding. Definitely a standout part here.

Feel Under Foot/Buttering: The Rome DOD felt pretty dead underfoot in comparison to the Crux and Black Label. So on both ends of the price spectrum, there was a better feel underfoot. If you want the board to be stiffer underfoot and damper then this is a good choice. If you want it to flex easier then there are better bindings out there.

Shock Absorption: Most of what happens underfoot stops at the Rome DOD. It’s a very damp binding that is very good in uneven terrain.

The Rome DOD offers up a pretty damp, cushy, responsive, adjustable and supportive ride for having such a twisty high back.  It feels a little heavy, the toe strap felt a little too stretchy and it wasn’t super buttery but overall we liked the ride. We’d really like to do an extended demo to see how they compare to some of our favorites but as it stands now it’s a pretty good binding.

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.

 

 
Rome DOD Specs

 
Rome DOD Images

We try to get as many images of the Rome DOD, but forgive us if they're not all there.

2022

2020

2019

2017

Rome DOD User Reviews

Rome DOD 2017-2022 Snowboard Binding Review SKU UPC Model

2017 Rome DOD - Meh

Mar 24, 2018 by KacyB
Ability Level: Intermediate • 
Riding Style: Aggressive freeride/all-mountain • 
Days You Ride A Year: 5-10 • 
Height, Weight And Boot Size (for Boards, Boots & Bindings): 6'1", 210, 11.5 

I don't love the Rome DOD bindings. Once strapped in, I think the performance is just fine and I like the canted footbeds, but there are a couple of features I found annoying. Specifically, they put an extra rubbery "band" on the ankle strap that's supposed to pull and hold the ankle strap out of your way after you unbuckle. All it really does is hold it right on top of my stomp pad so it's MORE in the way and if you let go for a second while strapping in it springs back out of position. Fortunately, the rubber band is easy to disconnect, which I did. Also, the toe strap is mostly a stretchy rubber, so it takes longer to tighten down and I worry that it can/does give a little under stress while riding (though I never clearly noticed that). I suspect I'll be replacing the toe straps next season.


3.0 3.0 1 1 I don't love the Rome DOD bindings. Once strapped in, I think the performance is just fine and I like the canted footbeds, but there are a couple of features I found annoying. Sp Rome DOD 2017-2022 Snowboard Binding Review

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