Union Legacy Snowboard Binding Review By Steph W

2021

The Union Legacy is the most responsive and damp binding in the women’s line but can also butter really well. The Legacy bindings come with the comfort that Union bindings always deliver. They are responsive and really light, and it is an interesting mix of all mountain charging with a freestyle attitude.

New for the 2021 Season is the upgraded FORMA LAB ankle strap. These ankle straps have a somewhat asymmetrical fit that deliver more response and support towards the outside of the boot, and a softer more comfortable feel towards the inner part of the boot.

New for the 2020 Union Legacy, is an upgraded Duraflex ST Base, but nothing else has changed since 2019. It is still the lightest binding on the market right now, and has great response while still having that Union skate like feel on foot.

The 2019 Union Legacy has had a pretty sizable overhaul compared to 2018.

1. There are new washers around the screws that attach the heel loop, high back, and ankle strap altogether that don’t come loose anymore.

2. New High-back that’s very similar to the men’s Strata High-back.

3. New Ankle strap that’s very thin but has more surface area as well as more support, and very fast response.

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 rider’s perspective.

Riders : Steph (Boot size 7.5, Binding size M, Weight 108lbs)

Days: 3 days for an extended demo

Conditions: Soft spring snow

Boots: Vans Ferra

Union has strap upgrades here too.

2020

Riders : Steph (Boot size 7.5, Binding size M, Weight 108lbs)

Days: 4+ for an extended demp

Conditions: All types of conditions

Boards: A wide variety of boards

Boots: Vans Ferra

Union has strap upgrades here too.

The Union Legacy is the most responsive and damp binding in the women’s line but can also butter really well.

New for the 2020 Union Legacy, is an upgraded Duraflex ST Base, but nothing else has changed since 2019. It is still the lightest binding on the market right now, and has great response while still having that Union skate like feel on foot.

The 2019 Union Legacy has had a pretty sizable overhaul compared to 2018.

1. There are new washers around the screws that attach the heel loop, high back, and ankle strap altogether that don’t come loose anymore.

2. New High-back that’s very similar to the men’s Strata High-back.

3. New Ankle strap that’s very thin but has more surface area as well as more support, and very fast response.

2019

The Union Legacy is the most responsive and damp binding in the women’s line but can also butter really well.

The 2019 Union Legacy has had a pretty sizable overhaul compared to 2018.

1. There are new washers around the screws that attach the heel loop, high back, and ankle strap altogether that don’t come loose anymore.

2. New High-back that’s very similar to the men’s Strata High-back.

3. New Ankle strap that’s very thin but has more surface area as well as more support.

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 rider’s perspective.

2014 and 2015 Union Legacy Review

The 2015 Union Legacy is very similar to 2014 except it’s got more padding in the heel.  So there are a few changes with the 2014 Union Legacy that makes it a better binding.  It’s got a better toe ratchet and a newer high back.

Flex: The Legacy has a new high back that offers a little tweak on the original high back that looked just like the Men’s SL.  Now it has about the same response but seems to be just a little more asymmetrical when it comes to the flex. It has a medium flex when you twist it that doesn’t seem as responsive when you flex it in the shop but when it’s on the hill you will be surprised.

Adjustability: Union’s adjustability could best be described as plug and play. Thier isn’t much you can do compared to most bindings when it comes to dialing it out.  You can adjust the heel loop to fit your exact boot size and that is good but there is nothing else you can do around the ankle strap to adjust the angle or rotate the high back as much as other bindings allow you to do.  Still the binding fit’s most pretty well but you need a tool for everything but adjusting your ankle strap’s length.

Comfort: This is pretty comfortable.  The ankle strap is middle sized and it fit’s most ankles well.  The toe strap is smaller this year and it holds better as well as has the same minimal pressure points.

Heel-Toe Response: Exceptional response here when it comes to edge to edge transitioning.  It can power even the more difficult boards to turn and it’s one of the best in the business here. The Union Legacy does a lot for a medium to bordering medium/stiff flex. It has a very sharp response that makes the board underneath you feel like it’s not as hard to turn.

Tip-Tail Response: The Union Legacy is better for edge to edge speed but it’s not bad for a butter either. There is minimal contact with the board so it flexes pretty well underfoot.  It’s pretty close to the Burton Re:Flex bindings.

Boot Support: There is good support but it’s not super locked in like the higher end Burton or Flux bindings. However, it’s got a nice balance between freedom of movement and support. We’d like to see Union offer a larger ankle strap for the high-end bindings to give it more of a supportive feel but its good enough and in line with the industry standard.

Ratchet System: Nice improvement this year.  The ankle ratchet is about the same but the toe ratchet now looks like a mini version of the ankle ratchet.  This makes the ratchets work a lot better on the toe side which is where most complaints came from. From our initial testing with this strap, we were pretty happy with it. It doesn’t stick as much and feels a lot smoother than previous years.

Shock Absorption: Same great shock absorption that can handle a bad landing or two. It’s not a deep bed of EVA foam but it’s a nice balance between response and shock absorption.

So, all in all, there was a nice bit of work done on the Legacy for 2014 and it makes this year the call over the 2013 model.

The 2013 Union Legacy Review

Flex: With all years bindings we were so impressed with the flex and don’t really understand how something so soft to mid flexing could be so responsive.  As long as they are this good we don’t really care.

Adjust-ability: Just like all Union Bindings the heel cup slides to adjust perfectly for any boot in its size range.  We like this better than an adjustable toe plate/gas pedal.  The one draw back is that you can’t adjust the angle of the ankle strap like you can with other bindings. Where most bindings have three angles/positions for the ankle strap the Union Legacy’s only have one unless you want to change the position your boot sits on the binding.  Everything else is like most other bindings you use.  You can change up the angle the high back lines up with the edge of the board and have 2 position choices.  You also have the same adjustability with the ankle straps as any other binding.

Comfort: A good fit makes good comfort.  The ankle strap is comfortable and supportive which almost completely changed the comfort game compared to the ankle straps of old. The  toe strap fits really well over the toe and just the same if you do an old school strap too.

Heel to Toe Response: These soft bindings have a stiff binding response.  They are incredible on a toe or heel side turns and feel equal. We especially enjoyed these bindings on stiffer boards.  They seem to make the stiffest board more responsive.   They aren’t bad on softer park oriented boards but the Danny Kass or Union Contact’s might be a better choice.  It really all comes down to personal preference.

Tip to Tail Response:  The ankle strap as well as the base plat’s design is supportive and allows you to get a lot more lateral flex out of the board.  It’s mainly because the only real contact is with the board is at the disc.  This makes it a lot easier to butter.
Shock Absorption:  There is EVA foam everywhere on these bindings.  They cored out the heel and put in EVA padding, have EVA across the foot bed and EVA under the toe.  These binding can handle just about any jump.

Unions Toe straps can be a bit sticky and especially so for those that like to crank em down tight. For some, this is a big problem and for others, it’s not that big of a deal. Until Union addresses, this issue here are some pointers on how to make the toe strap less sticky so you can enjoy the bindings better qualities.