Your Quiver — Post your ride here!
What made ya buy a pair of bindings that looked like kids bindings?????
I think I gotta defend Union a bit. I have a bit of experience in them (with my contacts and I have tested some forces) and they are great bindings.
I don’t think anyone would be stupid enough to get their fingers cut off in any binding, that a pretty bad way to judge a binding. Union provide a lifetime warranty on their base plates and as long as you have normal feet, they fit well. The buckles are decent on the contacts but you are comparing them with the cartels, a binding worth 50% more money.
Burton Cartel = $300 - STM
Burton Custom = $209.97 - STM
Union Contacts = $209.30 - STM
Union Force = $230 - STM
So if you compare the Contacts to the Burton Custom, you’ll find that the fibreglass in the bindings makes them feel cheap compared to the unions and the buckles are pretty similar. In regards to the Cartels, I have heard that there is insane forward lean as standard which can be painful if you prefer to ride with a lower amount.
Overall, everyone will like something different and as long as people aren’t riding cheap crap like SP or Tech Nine’s I don’t really mind. I have ridden Burton’s and they feel as good as my Unions and I wouldn’t mind checking out the Missions vs Forces for my next pair. I just think you are getting a bit harsh against union and only pointing out the positives of the Burtons. (Top vs Bottom of the range, Stiff vs Soft, The fact that if you are a retard you could hurt yourself?)
think about when you are hiking up something steep. You normally hold the bindings by the heelcups and if you slip, you will fall on the board and the highbacks will snap shut on your fingers. Same goes for when you are hiking a pipe, except that then you only have one hand in the heelcup. Union heelcups don’t have much room in them when the highbacks are folded down. Also, the material is not so nice to hike without gloves on - it’s freezing!
Sure, it’s not a deal breaker but it just means you have to walk around holding your board by the edges and not by the bindings.
I never touch forward lean since I have stiff ankles, but I’ve never had a problem with forward lean on cartels. There does appear to have been complaints and for 2012 Burton has put the highbacks back to 0 forward lean.
Not sure about the prices you’re quoting - are they all from the same year? In US prices, cartels are $229 and contacts are $179, forces are $200 and contact pros are $219. If your prices are all from the same model year then holy jack up on the burton prices lol. Maybe comparing contacts to missions would be better. I was talking about contact pros though, in reply to Chucky’s question.
I’m pretty sure Burton buckles are the same throughout the line and there is no doubt in my mind that they are smoother than unions. From a manufacturing standpoint, Burton bindings are better built than unions. Burton baseplates have lifetime warranties too.
Yeah, you’re right, I’m only pointing out the positives of Burtons and negatives of unions - otherwise how could I make a convincing argument 
You’re right, that the best bindings are the ones that fit well and make you happy. A 2011 cartel vs force comparison however would have been a lot closer. My main point being that with the addition of reflex bases on the 2012’s, it’s a game-changing addition (like capstraps) that make Burton’s way better imo.
What made ya buy a pair of bindings that looked like kids bindings?????
the pair i got were all black, and this was in 2002 before all the recent tech improvements.
but anyways, Mizu, I know that you have gotten many posts in singing the praises of the Flux’s, so it’s now my turn to label Burton’s as a gift from the heavens.
if your doing that kind of price comparison
Do the RRP
2011 models - prices off STM
Cartel - 379.95 ...429.95 for the EST
Custom - 299.95
Mission (EST) - 359.95 -can find the normal one
Contact - 299.95
Contact pro - 359.00
Force - 329.95
i always thought missions were like bottom of the range almost…is it the EST pricing it up?
Finding RRP prices for gear in Australia is generally a pain in the butt
they usually omit it from the main websites (ie Burton AUS does not list RRP but US one does)
ok since i started researching…..here comes my gripe with Aussie retailers
lifting the RRP to give a better perceived discount!! 
Checked Rhythms page for RRPs
forces 369
contacts 329
no Burton comparisons as they only have EST bindings
est is around $30 more in us$.
the 2012 missions are a great deal since they are basically 2009-2011 cartels with updated straps.
What made ya buy a pair of bindings that looked like kids bindings?????
the pair i got were all black, and this was in 2002 before all the recent tech improvements.
but anyways, Mizu, I know that you have gotten many posts in singing the praises of the Flux’s, so it’s now my turn to label Burton’s as a gift from the heavens.
So that means it’s my turn to put shit on Burton bindings then?????
bring it on! 
but only about 2012 bindings. and I’m not a fan of est, so slagging that doesn’t count, since I probably agree with you
There are NO RULES when it comes to Brand Fights!!!!!! 
rome 390’s ftw
New bindinggsss :D. ‘11 T.Rice w/ ‘12 Contact Pros
The highback doesn’t wanna fold all the way down when it’s rotated to parallel. So I rotated back to normal. Also the toe cap ratchet seems a bit hard to release. Other than those 2 small problems, I’m really stoked on the contact pros.
I havnt been on these forums for a while but today i picked up a Yes Tasman in a 154 now to get some flux ds30s for it… this will be an all round board but wont replace my bataleon airobic
The highback doesn’t wanna fold all the way down when it’s rotated to parallel. So I rotated back to normal. Also the toe cap ratchet seems a bit hard to release. Other than those 2 small problems, I’m really stoked on the contact pros.
when you rotate the highback you have to sort of bend it to push it all the way down. Not too good a system. and Union ratchets are hard to release? that’s normal
Ya, so I ended up just rotating it back to normal so it’ll fold all the way down with no hassle.
The ankle strap’s fine though, only the toe cap weird. But just based on carpet boarding (lame I know), I like the bindings more than my Targas. I guess it’s the baseplate being only 19% (I think) in contact with the board.