The Best Backcountry Ski Bindings of 2025

This year’s introduction of the Dynafit Seven Summits binding ($320-430 with or without break) further cements the brand as the overall category innovator and leader. Are the other brands great, and have they caught up to Dynafit? Yes. Would we still choose Dynafit for life-and-death situations any day of the week? Also, yes. But the brand has so much history and so many offerings that sometimes it’s tough to know which way to go.

The new Seven Summits binding somewhat helps eliminate that confusion with an all-arounder approach to ski touring. It does everything well without a lot of bells and whistles. It lauds a return to minimalism, something that Dynafit really invented but has strayed away from time to time over the years.

We appreciated the Seven Summits for its simplicity; it also had a feeling of extreme quality, reliability, and ease of use, which is everything we look for in a touring binding, no matter the terrain. Dynafit says this binding is “pared back to the essentials,” lightweight, highly reliable, and sporting excellent downhill performance — all of which we found to be true.

Impressively designed and improved side towers on the toe piece make stepping in and clicking in the first time a breeze. Thanks to a new extra-wide tension fork, the toes open wider and lock in laterally, providing a cleaner entry and a more stable base for downhill skiing. The Seven Summits binding also has new Ice Breaker Pins that help displace snow and ice from your inserts.

The tension fork also has pins underneath it that push firmly packed snow out, a feature we didn’t notice at first but grew to love as it means you’re not constantly pounding on the binding to get snow and ice out, increasing longevity. A newly designed riser has three handy settings, and importantly, the top two are easy to adjust with a ski pole.

The toe piece mechanism is also improved with a button-like grip perfectly suited for the tip of the ski pole, allowing for easy release when clicking out of the bindings. Other bindings have similar levers, but this is definitely an improvement for Dynafit. It’s also easy to reach down and click the toe into walk mode.

Note that the regular Seven Summits (320 g each) comes without brakes, while the Seven Summits + model comes with brakes. Dynafit boasts about its brake lock-up on the Summits +, a problem that is oft complained about in the comments for every brand.

We found the brakes to be well-integrated and reliable, locking up automatically each time we clicked into climb mode and automatically activated when we clicked out of downhill mode. Pretty standard stuff, but they’ve developed a sound system to ensure brakes stay down when transitioning and up while skiing.

In the heel there is 25 mm of length adjustment to conveniently fit a wide range of boot sole lengths for both men and women. With a DIN release value of 4 to 10, some larger, more aggressive skiers may max out the top of this range. Dynafit bindings are made in Europe and carry a lifetime guarantee.

Some will surely shy away from this as their go-to if they plan to do a lot of resort uphill or if they are bigger, heavier, more aggressive skiers. Still, we found the power transfer to be second to none. We never ejected unwillingly, even while shredding bumps and mixed conditions on my way back into the resort and down to the base, where we will all inevitably find ourselves at various times during the season. The Dynafit Seven Summits is ideal if you’re a moderately aggressive skier looking for a simple, elegantly designed binding that’s reliable.

Roll out the red carpet for the ATK Freeraider 15 Evo ($760), a backcountry binding that stands tall on mountain ascents, totally delivers on the descent. Over the past few months since its release, we have pushed the ATK Freeraider 15 Evo’s limits on everything the Tetons offer. We’ve floated through swift and silent powder turns, charged hard on solid groomers, cranked out below-zero dawn patrols, and slogged on warm, slushy, full-day explorations. Through it all, it exceeded our expectations on all counts. This binding offers the most precise and innovative engineering of any we’ve tested. As a result, it provides unmatched performance and confidence on every mission.

A freshly designed toepiece makes step-in effortless each time we begin an adventure. And, you can adjust two different things on the toe piece alone: how tightly locked in you are on the uphill (low, medium, high) and the release value (7-15), which in most other bindings (except its sister the ATK Raider Evo 13) is typically only adjustable on the heel piece. We tackle many steep approaches with many off-camber sections, so having extra toe lock adjustability for the uphill gives us added security and confidence in tricky skinning situations like we often experience on Teton peaks. And, having toe pieces that feature adjustable release values (in addition to the existing heel piece adjustments), translates to more stability on the downhill and a more precise release.

This binding is intuitive and easy to use. You can easily switch from uphill to downhill mode with a one-handed twist. Two levels of heel risers easily fold up and lock into place due to magnets, and snow-proofing on the heel and toe prevents ice or snow buildup for less fuss in gnarly conditions.

Often, tech bindings compromise a bit of control and responsiveness regarding downhill performance. ATK has an answer for this: the Freeride Spacer. This widens the platform your boot rests on to create a more solid point of contact between your boot sole and the ski, increasing responsiveness and power transmission. The Freeride spacer is for all of us who want to feel skis flexing under our feet and want to drive skis into each turn for a more stable, amplified downhill experience.

To test this, we really turned up the volume on the icy slopes at our local ski resort and at the steeps in the backcountry. We were pleasantly surprised at how well we could generate energy and momentum through every turn despite snow conditions. These skied less like a touring binding and more like an alpine binding, even though they’re relatively lightweight.

These bindings are available in a rainbow of colors, including a palette that matches Nature and a bolder one that allows you to express your true Nature. We chose pink, a color that makes us smile and gives us energy even when we’re miles in and still have thousands of feet to climb.

It’s hard to find anything we dislike about this binding except the price. At $760, it’s the most expensive on our list and may be inaccessible to many. The countless features that make it one of our favorites may also be unnecessary for less aggressive skiers or for those light and fast missions where a less complicated option is enough to get the job done in style.

The ATK Freeraider 15 Evo can do it all; for just a little extra weight (which we didn’t even notice), it delivers dreamy downhill performance, a reliable, no-fuss uphill experience, and quick transitions so you can focus on the joy of skiing instead of tinkering with your gear. Add this well-engineered, quiver-killing binding to your newest skis, and get ready to crush the backcountry.

Once again, Genuine Guide Gear (aka G3) captures our full attention with its tried-and-true G3 Ion 12 Binding ($664). With a simple, user-friendly design that effortlessly performs on both the ascent and the descent, the G3 Ion is “skis down” one of the most reliable and underrated options on the market.

This binding has been around for years, and as a result, its functionality has improved to near perfection. G3 worked out any initial kinks, and now the Ion switches seamlessly from uphill mode to downhill mode with an effortless twist of the heel piece.

Thanks to its more durable, easy-to-clean toe-piece design, stepping into these bindings is a breeze compared to some of the other small, more technical bindings on this list. But rest assured, a simple design doesn’t mean it’s lacking in sweet characteristics.

The Ion boasts many features sure to excite a range of skiers. A variety of heel lift options, easily deployed with the flick of a pole, include a mega high riser that served our tester Ryan Kempfer well on unrelenting climbs in the Tetons while snow-cleaning channels kept ice buildup at bay on arduous (and largely rolling) adventures during wet nukefests in Wisconsin and Minnesota.

Power, responsiveness, and generous DIN ranges (Ion 12: 5-12 and Ion 10: 4-10) allow the Ion to grow with you as your skills improve and to perform extremely well both on and off-piste. We took this binding through powder high on 14ers in Colorado to groomers at the resort with confidence and ease. Once you try it, we’re fairly confident you’ll understand why the Ion has been, and will continue to be, a staple in many quivers for many years to come.

Our only real issue with the G3 Ion 12 is the weight; coming in at 2 pounds, 8.8 ounces per pair, it’s on the heavier side for a true tech binding. So, if you’re an ounce counter, this may not be the binding for you. However, we feel the extra weight is worth it for a reliable and intuitive binding capable of performing well, whether you’re tackling long days in the skin track or multiple laps at your hometown ski hill.

If you’re looking for a binding versatile enough to carry you up the mountain and power you through the downs, whether it’s your first day of touring or your thousandth, the G3 Ion 12 is for you.

The new ATK Raider 13 ($700), also available in an 11 DIN, is an extremely durable model upgrade with an improved toe piece. The Raider’s toe is extremely easy to click into, with a marked indicator and a quick-snap closure that rarely misses the mark. Aptly named an “Easy Entry System,” the pins come in horizontally instead of at an arc, improving accuracy and speed of clicking in, even when boots are a bit worn.

We also appreciate the enormous amount of adjustability in the toe piece; we could change the release strength, which meant we could just it exactly to our weight and style. We also found ATK’s system to minimize snow and ice buildup in the toe, a common problem with tech bindings, to really help on cold and snowy days. We spent way less time fiddling and chipping away at our bindings and instead spent it skiing. The Raider also showcases a new walk-mode flip-lock that can easily pull up/click in.  

Upgrades also include an improved heel piece with a rotating tower versus the push-button that was more akin to the Fritchi system. The binding retains the ATKs Cam Release System for heel pins designed to click in easily and release accurately. The brand says it’s the smoothest step-in and release in the industry. That would be hard to measure, but we found it to be one of the best, taking it out over more than a dozen days touring and ripping groomers just this past spring alone.

Rotating the heel piece from uphill to downhill mode also activates what ATK calls an Automatic Brake System, essentially just snapping down the brakes similarly to other bindings. The other proprietary feature of note is the Elastic Response System — an elastic sliding plate (14 mm travel) that they say reduces pressure on the system and improves release performance. We’ve never crashed hard enough to find out, but we do love the way the ATK Raiders ski.

ATK is a brand that was virtually unknown by American ski tourers just a few seasons ago and now represents a majority of all white-label touring bindings being sold by brands like DPS, Moment, and WNDR, to name a few. Don’t let the brand name fool you; the ATK Raider is a super-high-quality performance binding sure to wow you with its ease, durability, and skiing performance.

Read Review: Flaws Fixed: Atomic Says Latest Shift Bindings Are Dialed

For years, the best skiers in the world have been looking for a binding designed to increase performance and safety by locking in the boot’s toe without relying on the tech pins of traditional touring bindings. They finally found that in the SHIFT, introduced in 2020 in both a SHIFT 10 DIN and the higher DIN model SHIFT 13. This year, the SHIFT got a modest redesign and upgrade to the SHIFT 2, sticking with the 13 DIN model ($650) and the 10 DIN model ($600).

Upgrades, in a nutshell, include a wider toe lever for more leverage when locking the binding into walk mode (uphill mode); a new micro AFD Power Block under the toe which moves up and down in micrometric adjustments to more precisely support the boot and provide a more solid connection; wider/larger toe wings (for improved shock resistance on the downhill); a new single-height climbing riser/aid set at 4mm; and a sturdier brake lever with an improved lock mechanism to keep brakes locked up when skiing.

The SHIFT 2 provides even more stiffness, better durability, improved shock resistance, and more power transfer.

Even though it’s not the lightest alpine touring binding on the market, the SHIFT is one of the most sturdy bindings available, and this is even more apparent with the SHIFT 2. Aggressive skiers who want a reliable and robust binding for the resort and the backcountry will love it.

The primary difference between the SHIFT 10 and SHIFT 13 is DIN settings, although they are marketing the 10 as more of a “freeride” binding, not just a junior binding. Both the 10 and the 13 get all of the upgrades, addressing some of the concerns from the initial SHIFT, which shook up the hybrid touring world, previously dominated by MARKER.

The functionality of this binding isn’t much like your usual tech-pin bindings at first glance. Figuring out how the toe fits into the SHIFT 2 binding for touring can take some practice, so play with it on dry land or at the ski area base before your first hut trip.

While the SHIFT 2 looks a lot like an alpine binding, with an alpine-style heel, toepiece, and Multi Norm Certified (MNC) boot compatibility, it is a true touring binding. So, you will need tech pin inserts in the toes of your boots to tour uphill (as well as skins, of course). The binding’s toe height automatically adjusts to accommodate standard alpine, WTR, AT, and GripWalk soles. So, if you tour regularly or enjoy skiing out backcountry gates but prefer the downhill performance of an alpine binding, the SHIFT 2 shines.

Salomon makes this unique binding from carbon-infused polyamide to keep weight down while still offering a robust and responsive binding. They’ve combined the best pin technology with an alpine binding in a single package. But just like with any type of gear design, with versatility comes compromise.

At $800, this is an investment, but its unique to the market; the SHIFT 2 allows you to tour in a tech binding while skiing in a full 13 DIN, MNC alpine binding. It also comes with alpine-style drop-down brakes, so order the appropriate width for your skis.

Manufactured by Salomon, the original SHIFT was introduced under both the Salomon and Atomics brand names. It became a best seller for both brands, representing a more accessible entry into touring for many alpine-oriented skiers.

We might argue, however, that the fiddle factor and weight of the SHIFT, and now the SHIFT 2, over a lighter, more barebones touring binding isn’t worth the trade-off unless you are a heavier, more aggressive skier who’s worried about ejecting from a typical touring binding on hard landings or moguls. And that’s fine; we completely understand those concerns, especially if you plan to use the binding in-bounds a lot.

These bindings also work great for alpine skiers investing in their first pair of touring bindings because they don’t require specialized Alpine Touring boots … any alpine boot with tech inserts and a walk mode will work (and provide the stiffness and stability these skiers are used to).

The SHIFT 2 remains one of the best options if you only want one pair of skis in your garage or if you are skiing at the resort 80% of the time and don’t want to invest in a secondary set of touring equipment.

Dynafit announced its new Ridge bindings ($600) at the tail end of 2023 and launched them for sale ahead of the 2024/25 season. We skied a handful of days on these bindings in the Colorado backcountry, and like most of Hoji’s Ridge series equipment, these bindings were techy, high-performance, and pretty darn impressive.

Above all, it seems Dynafit focused on ease of use when designing these touring bindings. Rotating the heel tower between walk and ski mode is straightforward with its patented Easy-Turn-Tech heel unit. It employs a nifty little lever that unlocks the heel tower and allows you to turn it quickly and lock it into position again.

The brakes automatically engage when you step on the heel plate in walk mode and disengage when you rotate the tower back into ski mode. Supposedly, the patented design of the brakes prevents them from engaging accidentally; we never had any issue with that.

The toe piece on these bindings has a “toe stopper” that helps line your boot up with the pins. We noticed that this feature resulted in fewer toe pin misses than usual. It also helped make the transition a little faster (for you second shavers out there).

On the downhill, these bindings performed nicely. The Ridge bindings efficiently transferred power to our skis, and we had great control. We did have a couple of early release issues with our heel, but that could have been user error as we were getting to know these bindings when it happened. We may have failed to lock the heel fully in place after transitioning.

Aside from that, though, we have no complaints about the performance of these bindings. They’re rad. Dynafit makes some pretty bold claims about them on its website, though. It says the Ridge “solves every problem confronted by ski touring enthusiasts on the mountain” and that this is the “only touring binding on the market that allows a totally effortless rotation from the climbing to the downhill position.”

We don’t know about all that. The Ridge is very easy to use, and it has some clever and useful design features that make it a solid choice for ambitious backcountry skiers. But we’ve used backcountry bindings that make it just as easy (and maybe even easier) to switch between walk and ski mode, so we don’t know what Dynafit means when they say this is the only one that makes that transition effortless.

Overall, we’d say that you shouldn’t expect the Dynafit Ridge to “solve every problem ski touring enthusiasts encounter on the mountain.” But you should expect them to be high-performance, well-designed, and highly functional backcountry touring bindings that are ideal for ambitious backcountry skiers who value speedy, easy transitions.

The Fritschi Xenic 10 ($520) is more like other tech pin bindings in its class than previous models from the brand. It has some innovative design features paired with high-quality materials to make a lightweight, easy-to-use backcountry binding with a DIN setting from 4 to 10 at a great price.

A Swiss brand that many Americans may not have encountered yet, Fritschi tries to differentiate itself by incorporating safety into each of its modern bindings. Many skiers use Fritschi bindings for their safe release, which includes lateral release in the front, frontal release in the back, and active length compensation.

The Xenic 10 has a bombproof toepiece with a unique fixed-stop and step-in pedal. This, combined with broad heel support, creates unquestionable control on any descent and any type of terrain. For uphill objectives, the Xenic is lightweight and has a heel riser climbing aid that flips into an 11-degree position.

This AT binding has a 10 mm length compensation when skiing in downhill mode, which the brand says creates a more “reliable and quantifiable release.” This helps eliminate some of the prerelease and popout problems occasionally encountered by people using tech pin bindings in-bounds.

The Xenic 10 also has a unique “lock” position when in “ski” mode, so there is no need to “block” the binding into tour mode to prevent pre-release. This binding could easily become your new go-to for any terrain, as most skiers don’t employ more than a 10 DIN in the backcountry.

Unlike the Vipec binding, which slides back in tour mode and forward in ski mode, the Xenic’s transition is achieved by a simple 180-degree rotation of the heel, much like its competitors. Additionally (and this won’t matter to anyone but serious tech pin geeks), the toe pin wings or jaws on the Xenic 10 snap out completely horizontally, not out and down like the others in the class. Again, the brand says this design is to help prevent accidental prereleases.

Plus, Fritschi toepieces have a lever that stops the boot in the right position and engages the toe jaws. When you’ve practiced it, and it’s working properly, this can prove very helpful in deep snow and dicey situations when you are trying to get your ski back on.

The Marker Alpinist 12 ($550) is a touring binding designed for alpine climbs and descents, made to be the ultimate ultralight option for serious backcountry tourers. It sports pin technology with a lateral (and fixed vertical) release.

On the skin track and while stopping for snacks, innovative anti-ice pads prevent snow and ice from building up in the toe and heel. So you don’t have to worry about clearing out the binding with your ski pole when it’s time to step in. Gray elastomers serve as a visual aid to enhance boot placement for step-in.

When touring uphill in walk mode, you can easily switch between 0, 5, and 9 degrees, depending on the slope angle, without having to rotate the heel with two risers. Once mounted, 15 mm of fore and aft adjustment allows you to use boots with different sole lengths.

Carbon-reinforced toe jaws are engineered to remain stiff, which aids in responsive power transmission to the ski. The Alpinist 12 lateral release adjusts from 6 to 12 DIN, while the Alpinist 8 adjusts from 3 to 8 DIN setting for smaller skiers.

Marker also added “active length compensation” to the heel piece, which moves slightly as the ski flexes to improve the release consistency and avoid prerelease while skiing aggressively on-piste.

If you’re just getting into backcountry touring, the G3 ZED 12 ($572) is a lightweight, high-performance binding loaded with features you can count on as you learn more about traveling uphill. And it costs less than your boots, which is always nice.

G3 and its reputation for authentic alpine touring expertise across its entire backcountry product line precedes it. In 2009, the company produced its first AT bindings. Since then, G3 has become one of the leading players in the game, focusing on engineering products that perform on the downhill and the uphill.

One of the great things about G3 bindings, especially for beginners, is its ease of entry and dedicated Boot Stop. And you won’t worry about snow buildup when you have to re-engage in powder, thanks to the binding’s anti-snowpacking in both the toe and heel.

Born in Canada and designed with touring in mind, it’s easy to move the QuickFlick heel lifts with your ski pole, as they offer two riser settings for any slope angle. You can also adjust the heel turret in either direction to support your position when moving uphill.

The 30 mm of length adjustment on the heel lets you fine-tune for any sole length. Everything on the binding can be adjusted with just one Pozidriv tool. When it’s time for the descent, the ZED 12’s wide center of support of the turret and metal wraparound base transfer power and precision to your skis.

We skied these bindings many days in bounds and have never pre-released, something we credit to the binding’s toe elasticity. When approaching the release point, the toe jaws actually clamp the boot tighter until the specified release point is reached. Meanwhile, you can adjust vertical and lateral release with the turn of a screw. If you’re new to backcountry skiing or just looking for an easy-to-use, reliable binding that will let you focus on skiing instead of fiddling with your equipment, the G3 Zed 12 is for you.

One of the lighter offerings from Dynafit, the Superlite 150 ($600), weighs just 150 g per binding and comprises a 100% aluminum construction. The Superlite is designed for eager ski tourers and the race crowd.

With an adjustable DIN from 4 to 13, this binding is appropriate for skiers of all ability levels. However, it does have a fixed toe release, which can be perceived as less safe during a crash. The binding also has four innovative walk modes for increased uphill efficiency. Skiers can employ the Race setup (no stoppers), or the Touring setup (with stoppers).

As it’s designed for randonnée racing, Dynafit made it easy to attach optional crampons to the Superlite 150. And while the binding’s vertical release is fixed, users can swap out springs to adjust between a 6 and 9 DIN. Plus, an optional adjustment plate can be employed to accommodate differing sole lengths.

To raise the heels, you must rotate the heel piece. This isn’t our favorite method since it takes some practice and isn’t as easy as simply flicking up an aluminum tab with your poll, but fewer moving parts mean lighter weight and fewer things that can break, so there are many fans out there of this simpler design.

Redesigned for 2025, the Marker Duke PT ($650) delivers downhill performance with the freedom of uphill travel for aggressive big mountain skiers.

Like the SHIFT, the Duke is designed for those looking for a more alpine-oriented downhill experience. Marker went one better and made the step-in-toe lock mechanism removable for climbing, so you save about 300 g off your feet on the uphill.

Instead of carrying this weight on your skis, where every gram counts and you also deal with additional snow weight, you can store what Marker is calling the “convertible toe” in your jacket pocket or backpack.

Again, aimed more at downhill chargers than free-touring, this Duke has the latest Marker heel with lightweight magnesium housing to give full stiffness and power transfer to the skis. The bindings are further enhanced with just 24 mm of height off the base, making for quicker turning. The binding also uses a multifunctional “Lock & Walk” unit that locks up the brakes and gives a 10-degree climbing aid (but no other adjustable heel risers).

When preparing to descend, users will click the front toepiece back into place to activate the Auto Quad-Lock technology (quadruple secured), and then step in just like a normal downhill alpine binding. DIN may be set between 6 and 16 for one of the highest values in the category. It’s also available as a 4-13 DIN. The Duke PT is compatible with all alpine, touring, and GripWalk boots as long as you’ve got tech pin inserts for the way up.