Summary
The Union Trilogy is a binding that can offer a lot of response at a pretty reasonable price. This is a binding that can fit a wide variety of boards and we find ourselves recommending this to many riders that want a versatile binding to go with a versatile board. The new 2024 Trilogy bindings come with a few upgrades and changes. A brand new high-back, upgraded straps, fancy magnesium patches, and added shock absorption.Where To Buy
No obligation, but these links support the site.
Blauer Board Shop
Favorite Storeevo
Tactics
Christy Sports
Sun & Ski Sports
Stoked Board Shop
Behind The Pines
BlueTomato Belgium
BlueTomato France
BlueTomato Sweden
PRFO Sports Canada
Riding Level | Intermediate - Expert |
Quick Release | No |
Manufactured in | China and Italy |
Canted Footbed | No |
Burton Channel Compatible | Yes |
Mini disc | No |
Approx. Weight | Feels Normal |
Flex | |
Boot Support | |
Turn Initiation | |
Buttering | |
Where To Buy
No obligation, but these links support the site.
Blauer Board Shop
Favorite Storeevo
Tactics
Christy Sports
Sun & Ski Sports
Dreamruns
Public Lands
Stoked Board Shop
Behind The Pines
BlueTomato Belgium
BlueTomato France
BlueTomato Sweden
BlueTomato Denmark
BlueTomato Finland
BlueTomato Italy
BlueTomato UK
BlueTomato Netherlands
BlueTomato Austria
BlueTomato Germany
BlueTomato Spain
SnowCountry
PRFO Sports Canada
Union Trilogy 2024 - 2010 Review by The Good Ride
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
Days: 4+
Conditions: All over the mountain, hard pack, bumpy, powder, park.
Boots: Vans Luna (Women’s 7.5)
Boards: Weston Riva, Yes Women’s Basic
Size Tried: Med
Sizes Available
S – 4-6.5
M – 7-8.5
L – 9-11
I like that the Trilogy can accommodate a wide range of boot sizes. And since they are highly adjustable they can be dialed in to make sure they fit exactly how you want them to fit.
The adjustable heel cup and toe ramp add to its versatility in sizing as well.
Adjustability
These bindings come with a lot of different adjustment options. There’s a rotatable high-back, adjustable heel cup, high-back forward lean, adjustable footbed, straps, and toe strap ankle. I love how many options these bindings have for customizing the fit.
Flex
They come with a 7/10 flex. They are responsive and supportive while still being comfortable.
Highback
One of the main updates to the Trilogy are the new high-backs. The new Stage 19 Duraflex ST high-backs have a smaller, lower profile shape. They have a layer construction that makes them responsive and stiff edge to edge, but allows the high-back to twist at the same time. This allows for a ton of response but you can also butter them and tweak them without discomfort or too much effort.
Ankle Strap
The ankle strap is the ExoFrame 6.0 strap. This strap offers a lot of support on the boot when flexing the ankle, but it is also extremely comfortable and has a great fit across the boot as well. It comes with a layer of padding over the entire ankle strap as well.
The strap adjustment is completely tool-less. No extra pieces or complications. I like that there isn’t a chance to loose any small pieces or screws while adjusting the strap.
It also comes with a hinge at the base of the strap that allows the ankle strap to shift away from the footbed. This keeps the strap out of the way when putting the binding on. But if the ankle strap has too much of an upward angle, it sometimes flops towards the center of the board. This can complicate skating and one foot riding from time to time. But if there’s a slight forward angle on the strap, then it works great and stays where it should.
Toe Strap
The new TS 5.0 Toe Strap has a somewhat asymmetrical shape, and fits great to different shaped boots. You can also adjust the angle of the toe strap to be more forward or more upright depending on preference. It also has a tool-less adjustment, but it is the classic kind with a removable screw that you can take off without a screwdriver.
Footbed / Base
The Trilogy comes with a full size disc that is channel compatible as well.
The canted footbed is slightly adjustable via a little screw. It comes with a dense foam throughout the entire footbed that adds a lot of shock absorption. There’s extra cushion in the toe ramp as well as the heel.
There are also added cushion throughout the baseplate. Union calls it the Molecular Bushing System. This increases the dampness of the bindings and helps keep the Trilogy bindings riding smooth.
Binding Personality
These Union Trilogy bindings are a great choice for all mountain riding. They could fit well with an intermediate to advanced/expert rider. And would pair well with a medium to stiffer flexing board. They are a responsive and really comfortable binding that come in a wide range of sizes. They have great shock absorption and make for an awesome all mountain ride that still allows for some stylish and playful riding.
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Union Trilogy Past Reviews
2020
The Union Trilogy is a binding that can offer a lot of response at a pretty reasonable price. This is a binding that can fit a wide variety of boards and we find ourselves recommending this to a lot of riders that want a versatile binding to go with a versatile board.
One thing that the 2020 Union Trilogy has that those past models don’t is a new washer system that holds the ankle straps, heel loop, and high-back in place without coming loose like it used to do. This addresses the biggest complaint that most had with Union bindings.
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
Days: 4+
Conditions: All over the mountain, hard pack, bumpy, powder, park.
Boots: Vans Ferra
Boards: Yes Hel Yes, Yes Emoticon, Jones Flagship
Union has other straps at C3 here in case you want to change it up.
2018
2017
2015 Union Trilogy
The 2014 Union Trilogy has a few nice upgrades making it the call over the 2013.
1. New larger high back.
2. New toe ratchet.
So off to the review.
Flex: Much more going on in the high back. Before it had a softer older high back that was pretty old school. The new high back is very much like the popular mens’ binding the Union Force. It’s a little wider at the top and it allows you to get a little more leverage. This is a nice upgrade.
Adjustability: Same Union binding that requires a tool for all of the adjustments except for the ankle strap. It’s also not easy to rotate the high backs and you can’t really adjust the ankle strap angle like it is with most bindings. There is one good thing about the binding and that is the ability to adjust the heel loop to your boot length. They don’t have marks on the heel loop according to boot size which is good because a size 7 with one company usually has a different length on the outside than a size 7 with another company. They just have Ruler type marks so you can size according to your boot.
Comfort: Pretty comfortable and if you have a good set of comfortable boots you shouldn’t have any pressure points.
Heel-Toe Response: There is a lot of response going on here edge to edge and it’s almost there with the Legacy. It could even be argued that it’s almost the same edge to edge with both bindings.
Tip-Tail Response: There is a nice reduced dead spot under foot making pretty much the disc the main contact point so the board flexes better length wise with Union. You can get a nice butter after a carve.
Boot Support: The ankle strap is medium size so it gives you medium support so you have some room to move but you also have a little support going on the larger side of the ankle strap. Also the toe strap is improved this year to make it hold your boot in better than the past models.
Ratchet System: Big improvement with the ratchet system in the toe. It’s got a little lever like the ankle ratchet does now and it makes it less sticky when you take it off. Most complaints came from the toe strap so it was nice to see this fix.
Shock Absorption: Nice shock absorption and a nice binding to have under foot when you land badly or hit some shitty chunder.
If you ask me I wouldn’t even think about buying the 2013 Union Trilogy. The 2014 Union Trilogy is definitely the call and worth the extra money.
2013 and Below Union Legacy Review
They are also very light. This is definitely a plug and play style binding. If you can get past the little things like lack of adjustability around the ankle and high back then you will be very happy with the Trilogy. If you need more adjustability and comfort then you will have to sacrifice response and go with the Burton Escapade. Some of our riders really crank their straps down to the point of pain and they seem to have issues with all Union Bindings they try. The straps seem to get stuck or loosen up a few notches. If you don’t crank down your bindings then don’t worry about this. Unfortunately very little has changed from the 2011 model in 2012 except for the toe strap. For 2013 the Trilogy is pretty much the same except for one good thing. The ankle strap is a larger asymmetrical one similar to the men’s line. This small change makes the 2013 Trilogy the call over the past bindings. It’s more supportive and has a better all around ride to it.
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.
Union Trilogy Specs
Union Trilogy Images
Union Trilogy User Reviews
Faff
Very frustrating to setup. Not ridden them yet as the high back angle adjustment screws won’t push in. Tempted to stick to my Burton Lexas and send these back.
Worth the Trouble (I Think?)
I have the 2015 version of these bindings, and--like many others here have said--I have had a lot of problems with the straps. I lost a few screws on my second day with these bindings, and that was something that had never happened to me before. I replaced the screws, though, and now I just have to remember to tighten the screws on my straps every few days I ride.
However, I've also had a few pieces actually break. After about 30 days of riding, a toe strap ripped off. Next, after about 100 days of riding, I broke one of my ladders. And then an ankle strap snapped a few days after that. Which sucks.
Somehow, though, I'm still using these bindings, and I'm actually considering buying another pair of Trilogies next year because despite all of their problems, they are extremely comfortable and fun to ride and I've progressed a lot while wearing them. These bindings even feel light and comfortable and pressure-point-free while riding the chairlift with the board dangling below.
As for the (2015) ratchets, they aren't as smooth and fast as the ones on my old (2011) K2 Cassettes, but they're still fast enough that I can strap in just as quickly as anyone else.
The highbacks on these are apparently kinda tall for some people, but I'm just under 5'3," which is slightly shorter than average, and I didn't have any issue with them. I feel like they support me well on heelside turns, and they are pretty flexible laterally too, but the forward-lean adjuster didn't seem to make much of a difference if that's something you're into.
They also look really cool. Even as I start to get some holes in the fabric of the ankle strap and the paint continues to chip off the metal heel cup, people compliment them and ask if they're new. And if you were paying really close attention to the women riders in the olympics this year, you'd have noticed that a bunch of them were using the Trilogies :)
Overall, these bindings have been a pain in the [neck], but I've also worn them a lot and put them through the wringer this year, so I'm not really surprised that they've had some issues, and I love how they feel. There's a good chance that the next set of bindings I buy will be another pair of Trilogies. So I'd still recommend them... I think... just bring a screwdriver wherever you go and be prepared to befriend the shop guy :)
120+ days so far and I love them
I've had mine for over a year now and have more than 120 days on them and they've held up great. No issues with the straps, last year in March I hit a tree and broke my board and my right hi-back and Union sent me replacement parts right away and they were at my door in 2 days.They're very lightweight and I like how the 3D designed toe strap hugs your toe cap regardless of the shape of your boot. Amazing customer service and the quality is unreal.
Where To Buy
No obligation, but these links support the site.