Considering getting Flow bindings, should I?

Question

I started snowboarding seriously this year and have been going at-least 1 time a week. The season has just ended but I am going to a snowboarding camp in the summer and i am also getting ready for next season. This year I have been uses the traditional cranking bindings but it has been really annoying to take up so much time to put them on. What annoyed me even more is having to do that while watching a flow binding user snap in and go in lass then 3 seconds. So this is basically what I want to know.

1. Are flow bindings good for terrain park use? (I heard there horrible this is important)

2. What boots should I be using with them? (I heard that they ruin your boots because of the strap or something like that)

3. Are they as comfortable as the regular crank bindings?

4. If you need to suddenly tighten them because your getting a lot of heel lift or something like that can you?

If you can answer any or all of these questions I would appreciate it, thanks.

Answer 1

My brother has a pair of Flows and regret buying it.  The response is horrible.  

His words:  "I rather take couple of additional seconds to put on straps and enjoy the ride, then using this flows that is easy to put on and off"  

If you really want easy on/off.  I suggest K2 Cinch.  Their response is much better as they are more like regular bindings.  

Flows are  not as comfortable as crank bindings.  As you can see they cover your whole top and isn't as easy to adjust.  They will have a tight feel around your foot and if you have wider feets, you are really in trouble.

Answer 2

I have had 2 pairs of  flow bindings now and i love them. Everyone always says how bad they are and dont really give them a chance. I have had no trouble in the terrain park and see no difference to regular bindings in this aspect. The newer models have a more stiff high back than the older ones so you do not need to stiff of a boot. I think that flows are even more comfortable than regular bindings because you dont have two pressures spots that the straps are pushing down on, it is spread across the whole foot. I have the NXT ATs and if for some reason you need to tighten them, all you do is reach down and they crank almost exactly like regular bindings and than lock back into place.

Answer 3

Go Flow.

All my mates knocked them at the start of the season , got them to try flows NXT-at , Scotty Lago style . They all bought them bar one guy , he stuck to Burton , his mate gets him deals.

The NEW flows are great , have tried all the others, but the Flows you can go hard ALL day and my feet don't feel like they've been put through a meat grinder.

Re your questions

1.Terrain park i was using NXT-at, they have been replaced i think.

2.Use flow boots

3 Way more comfortable

4 Unlike other bindings , set once and they don't budge

Answer 4

Low-end flows are Trizash dude> BUT BUT  BUT The 500 flows are madd steezy.  They are lighter than any bindings. And are really great for any riding. BUT  they are 500 bucks . ITs like burton snowboards. The low end burton snowboards are c**p. But decks like the Custom and Vapor, are great. The only way its worth getting flow bindings is if your going to get the super high end TEAM bindings that are like 500 otherwise it would be a waste of money

Answer 5

i wouldn't.

i had flow bindings for a season and i will admit, they were convenient.  but they have very little responsiveness.  instead of having two contact points on your foot, they have one large point of contact.  this reduces the amount of information they recieve from your foot.

in other words, you're not going to do as well with quick, compact turns.  so, you won't be doing as well on rails.

Answer 6

I've had only one day's experience with Flow bindings but... Honestly...

I'd rather cut off my own foot like the guy in Saw than ride them again.

I do have friends that love them but I dont think I've ever hated anything more on the snow. The ONLY cool thing in my opinion was how quick you could get in them. Aside from that, I though they were flimsy and generally cheap feeling and had way too much flex (not the good flex, the hollyshit I think I'm about to lose an ACL flex) and werent cheap. It was a buddies board but, if I remember right, he'd paid over $200 for them.

Personally, I'd stick with Burtons. I'd rather have a $100 pair of customs than the top of the line Flows.

If you've never ridden them, you can probably rent a rig somewhere to check 'em out but they definately weren't for me.

Answer 7

Flows are just a step above using duck tape to tape your feet onto the board.  I don't see how people think they're SO much faster.  Maybe an extra, let's say two seconds shaved off?  If you have correct fitting straps, you can strap in pretty darn fast.

They don't hold your boot very tight, so park is kinda sketchy.

Not sure about the boot-wearing down part.

If anything I would say they're more comfortable that low-end strap-ins, but the general lack of tightness makes it kind of scary to use.  In fact, if you invest in decent bindings, they'll be pretty comfortable.

Suddenly as in sit down on the side and completely fix it is about right.  There are latches on the sides of the top piece that are adjusted to tighten or loosen your binding.  Not very easy compared to simply crouching a little and getting an extra crank or two.

I've heard the latch on the back of the Flow's wears down too fast.

Just look over the Flow's and get regular strap-ins.

Answer 8

I ride with a large group of friends.  I am the newest at park riding in the group so I look to other for suggestions on equipment and so on.  Only one of them rides with Flow bindings (out of about 20 to 25 riders).  That one likes the Flow bindings because he is an instructor and has to take his board off and put it back on several times an hour.  The rest of them hate Flow.  I only tried them on a demo day, but my little experience with them has me agreeing that they are not for me.   So with this info in mind, here are my answers:

1. Not good for terrain park use.

2. I don't think the boots matter.

3. I did not find them nearly as comfortable as my Rome 390's

4. Not sure - I didn't have that problem when I tested them

Flows seem to be a "love-em" or "hate-em" kind of binding.  I just now many more people who hate-em.  As for me, I just didn't feel right with them.

Answer 9

no i would always go with burton i tried flow and the binding snaped

Answer 10

i just started using flow (amp 5) and i haven't noticed ANY problems.

1. i wouldn't know i'm not that big on terrain yet

2. i don't notice a difference

3. i don't notice a difference

4. it is difficult to get it SUPER tight, but i don't notice a lag in responce or ability

i think if you're uncomfortable with a change and the ones you use are fine, than there's no big a reason to change.  i got them because i live in a family of skiers, so i was always being picked on for my strap in time. hope i helped.