The Best Backcountry Ski Bindings of 2024-2025

Built by one of the most trusted names in ski bindings and the brand’s first tech bindings, this alpine touring-specific binding just makes sense. It’s intuitive and powerful, striking an ideal balance between lightweight uphill functionality and downhill power transfer, with safety and reliability — two things that aggressive skiers often complain about regarding these types of speedy tech bindings.

The most unique-to-the-category feature of this binding is the way the heelpiece body rotates, a very sturdy design that leaves the risers always facing forward. The toe lock lever (walk mode) is easy to lock into place, and you don’t have to be an Olympic bodybuilder to get it locked up as you do with some other bindings.

Three climbing aid levels (two risers) give you great dynamic flexibility for the most efficient climbing. Plus, you can switch levels with an easy flick of the ski pole (unlike the SHIFT, which is very difficult to flick with a ski pole and only has one riser level). The all-aluminum alloy frame is bombproof and light. The minimalist toe is really intuitive to step into, featuring a patented “Step-in Aid” that rarely misses the click into your boot’s inserts.

The MTN PURE bindings come with a very nice little ski leash, a nod to their true alpine touring purpose. They are also available with alpine-style drop-down brakes, which we personally installed and appreciated. Also available upon installation are three release value spring options labeled by the brand as Women, Men, and Expert. Your shop will also appreciate the wider (40 mm) mount pattern for increased stability on wider skis.

Additionally, 30 mm of adjustment means it’s easy to switch between different boot sole lengths if you’ve got multiple pairs of boots for different types of days. And yes, like almost all of these bindings, they are crampon-compatible. We toured AND skied hard in-bounds with these bindings and felt like they performed just as well in terms of power transfer and downhill performance as any touring bindings we’ve used, if not of any binding period.

If you are a backcountry skier who appreciates a lightweight binding that crushes it on the uphill and the downhill and won’t let you down during transitions, the Salomon MTN Pure/Backland is the binding for you.

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.

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 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.

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 bare-bones 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.

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

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.

If you are going for shorter skins to huck side-country or backcountry cliffs and then shred bumps for the rest of the day, this is your binding. Built on Marker’s Extended Power Frame, the brand says this binding combines the power of a 13 DIN alpine binding and the walk option of a touring binding.

The Baron sits on a wide chassis, allowing you to drive big mountain skis without worry, as freestyle skiers and heavy huckers are accustomed to. While they aren’t the lightest bindings, Marker aims to make up for the extra grams with power and control on the downhill.

Again, these are a great option for a resort skier who wants to explore the side country without simply hiking in your boots — as you’ll see happening at most resorts through backcountry gates. All you have to do is invest in skins, and you’re ready to go. When you’re ready to climb, convert the binding from ski to walk mode by flicking a switch.

Like most alpine touring bindings, the Baron lets you adjust the heel riser to the slope angle, with two climbing modes at 7 and 13 degrees. And importantly, the newly designed toepiece is constructed with a unique anti-ice rail on top. DIN goes from 4 to 13.

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.

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.

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.

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.