Alpine Touring Bindings
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Top Picks
How we choose: The best alpine touring bindings highlighted here were selected based on 16 reviews of 10 products. Our top picks are those that are readily-available in the United States and have received the highest overall ratings from reviewers.
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Marker F10 Tour
Light-ish frame style tour binding for the rest of us.
Reasons to Buy
- Lighter than other frame-style bindings
- Fit regular boots
- Solid downhill
- Simple to use
- Release ratings within my ability range
Reasons to Avoid
- Issue with heel riser required tweaking
- Must remove boots to switch from skin to ski modes
My first tour bindings. I ski 80% in bounds so solid downhill performance is important to me and I also need to watch my weight because I also go on dawn patrol and up mountains on occasion. I had heard that these rattle, but saw none of that. Marker makes several frame-style tour bindings and I was not ready to shell out the coin for bindings that release at 12 and weigh more than the skis they are attached to. Plus I don't need that much burliness since I am just a moderate (blue/black) skier.
Read more: Marker F10 Tour review (1)
Marker Griffon 13
Great overall binding. Good range of DIN, price to performance, light-ish for an alpine binding, and looks good. Suffers from an imprecise feel, and creaking with soft snow wedged in the binding.
Reasons to Buy
- easy to work on
- hassle free, and simple to operate
- great overall performance
Reasons to Avoid
- loud to ski in
- imprecise in soft snow
- DIN range is a little low for the aggressive skier
I mounted my 2018 pair on a set of K2 Marksmen, to use in various B.C. resorts. I used them for three seasons, before buying a new pair of 2021's to mount on some Blizzard Rustler 11's. Both times I've used a pair of Lange RS 130 with them, in 29.5. I've skied 200 days total, doing everything in the resort, from terrain park to slack country hiking. They've held up to the abuse really well, with little wear and no failures. The main downside is when you start to ski through binding and boot deep powder.
Read more: Marker Griffon 13 reviews (3)
Salomon Guardian WTR 16
I truly forget I am on an AT binding when I am skiing these inbounds. Out of bounds, they are awesome. Easier to use than the Duke. Don't get jammed up as easily. Can switch in a breeze.
Reasons to Buy
- Low profile (for an A/T binding)
- Burly
Reasons to Avoid
- Heavy
I used to use the Marker Duke, but I like these much better. Of course, these are FAR from a lightweight touring binding. These FEEL lower on the ski than the Duke, and seem to feel lighter. They also don't get sloppy after 3 months of using them. I truly forget I am on an AT binding when I am skiing these inbounds. Out of bounds, they are awesome. Easier to use than the Duke. Don't get jammed up as easily. Can switch in a breeze. I was originally scared of the mechanism that flips these into AT mode.
Read more: Salomon Guardian WTR 16 review (1)
Atomic Tracker 16
I truly forget I am on an AT binding when I am skiing these inbounds. Out of bounds, they are awesome. Easier to use than the Duke. Don't get jammed up as easily. Can switch in a breeze.
Reasons to Buy
- Burly
- Low profile (for an A/T binding)
Reasons to Avoid
- Heavy
I used to use the Marker Duke, but I like these much better. Of course, these are FAR from a lightweight touring binding. These FEEL lower on the ski than the Duke, and seem to feel lighter. They also don't get sloppy after 3 months of using them. I truly forget I am on an AT binding when I am skiing these inbounds. Out of bounds, they are awesome. Easier to use than the Duke. Don't get jammed up as easily. Can switch in a breeze. I was originally scared of the mechanism that flips these into AT mode.
Read more: Atomic Tracker 16 review (1)
Marker Baron
The baron is lightweight and easy to use. Responsive feel on the ski when in Alpine mode.
Reasons to Buy
- Lightweight
- Easy to switch modes
- Two heel lift positions for touring
Reasons to Avoid
- None yet!
I bought these for my wife on some fat K2 skis. This was her first season on them and so far she loves them. In alpine mode the binding responds nicely through turn initiation and feels true to an alpine binding. She had to get used to the mechanism to change from alpine to touring (and back), but now it's simple. She does like the 2two different heel lift settings for climbing. We're in the Adirondack Mtns. in N.Y., so though we had a very mild winter we picked some great B.C. locations to get tracks in.
Read more: Marker Baron reviews (2)
Dynafit TLT Radical ST
With the Dynafit TLTs, my entire ski setup weighs less than my daughter's downhill skis, but I can bomb through crud with ease on a slope. In a word, these bindings are tough. I can climb all day, easier than climbing in snowshoes, and the pivot is perfect, it feels like a natural gait. These bindings are deceptively simple but so well designed that you will LOVE them.
Reasons to Buy
- Light and strong
Reasons to Avoid
- If heels are locked in for downhill, it can be difficult to unlock the heel without removing the skis.
- Can be hard to line up toe holes
I started out Alpine Touring with Silvretta 500 bindings, and I liked them. I was reluctant to upgrade, but after researching Dynafit TLT bindings, I was convinced to go with them. The Dynafit bindings are a design marvel, so simple but extremely versatile. The front clip holds fast to the boots, and the heel height adjusters are elegant and work perfectly. These bindings have yet to release unexpectedly or break when bombing down the mountain. They feel like an extension of my legs. These bindings may look too small to stand up to abuse, but they are super strong.
Read more: Dynafit TLT Radical ST reviews (3)
G3 Onyx
A very capable and reliable BC ski binding, while not in the lightweight league of the Dynafit low-tech does have the massive advantage of being able to be swapped between skis.
Reasons to Buy
- Swappability between skis
- Ease of use / reliability
Reasons to Avoid
- Not a light as a Dynafit / Plum tech binding.
- Tricky to get into in less ideal terrain.
After about eight seasons of using the Fritschi Freerides I splashed out on a new ski set up, moving to the G3 Onxy binding mounted on a set of 2011-12 K2 Hardsides, paired with the 2011 Garmont Radiums and have been using them for one (southern hemisphere) season 2012. I now have two set ups — as above for my go-to quiver of one for doing laps on-piste, slack country and backcountry day trips and my old Fischer FX 7.0 for technical ski mountaineering trips. Living and skiing in NZ means that conditions are you are MUCH more likely to come across 'firm' snow (ie anything up to and including blue ice) than nice dry powder. While the change from the more tradtional step-in Fritschi to the tech Onyx sysytem took a little while to get...
Read more: G3 Onyx reviews (2)
More Reviews of Alpine Touring Bindings
Trailspace reviewers have shared 16 reviews of 10 different alpine touring bindings.
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Other Types of Alpine Touring Gear
Find more alpine touring gear reviewed in these related categories:
Alpine Touring/Telemark Skis
Alpine Touring Boots
Alpine Touring/Telemark Poles
+2 more types
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