| Awards | | | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $549.95 at Backcountry | $450 List | $498.95 at Amazon | $445 List | $500 List |
| Overall Score |
73
|
73
|
72
|
70
|
70
|
| Star Rating |
|
|
|
|
|
| Pros | Light, solid, just the right set of features | Light, innovative downhill performance | Light, simple, advanced features for the weight | Light, simple | Unique toe piece, lightweight |
| Cons | Not ideal for truly hard-charging downhill skiers | unsophisticated heel lifters, untested aftermarket brake | Crampon mount and brakes not included, heavier than closest competition | Limited release functionality, no brakes, only one heel elevation | No brake option, narrow heel elevation range |
| Bottom Line | If you truly need more performance features than this lightweight binding provides, you fall into a tiny sliver of skiers at the hard-charging end of the spectrum | For any sort of human-powered wild skiing, this is a reliable choice | For the weight and cost, you get great functionality and features | For moderate backcountry skiing, these bindings could be just the ultralight ticket you need | A unique design and engineering that certainly doesn’t detract from its performance |
| Rating Categories | Atomic Backland Tour | Marker Alpinist 12 | G3 Zed 12 | Plum R170 | Ski Trab Titan Vario |
| Touring Performance (30%) |
8
|
7
|
8
|
7
|
7
|
| Downhill Performance (25%) |
6
|
7
|
7
|
3
|
7
|
| Weight (25%) |
7
|
8
|
6
|
9
|
8
|
| Ease Of Use (15%) |
8
|
7
|
8
|
10
|
5
|
| Durability (5%) |
9
|
7
|
6
|
8
|
7
|
| Specs | Atomic Backland Tour | Marker Alpinist 12 | G3 Zed 12 | Plum R170 | Ski Trab Titan Vario |
| Weight (pounds for pair) | 1.26 lbs | 1.18 lbs | 1.97 lbs | .88 lbs | 1.23 lbs |
| Weight of one binding, grams | 199g | ||||
| Release value range | "Men", "Women", "Expert" | 6 to 12 | 5 to 12 | 8 Fixed | 9 to 11 |
| Stack height. (mm. average of toe and heel pin height) | 37 | 36 | 41 | 34 | 40 |
| Toe/Heel Delta. (mm difference in height between heel pins and toe pins) | 10 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 9 |
| Brake options | 80, 90, 100, 110, 120 | 90, 105,115 mm | 85, 100, 115, 130 mm | No brakes | No Brakes |
| ISO/DIN Certified? | No | No | No | No | No |
| Ski Crampon compatible? | Yes. "Standard" Dynafit/ B&D style. | Yes. "Standard" Dynafit/ B&D style. | With aftermarket part. Only G3 brand. | With aftermarket part. Best with Plum brand. "Standard" Dynafit/B&D style ski crampons can be lightly filed to work. | Yes. "Standard" Dynafit/B&D style. |