So most people who snowboard have seen or at least heard of flow bindings. For those of you who haven't, the idea behind them is that they're supposed to be much easier to get into. Instead of strapping in you just put the back side down and slide your foot in the back (that sounded different in my head). You dont have to use any straps or anything like that, you just adjust them the first time you get them. Any way, since it's summer time gear is way cheaper and I think I'm going to get some new bindings. Has anyone here ever used them? Have friends that do? I've heard very mixed reviews but I want to know what you all think of them.

I use them and I love them but there are definitely mixed feelings about them and a whole lot of BS too. The newer ones have solved many issues that plagued the old ones, most of those issues revolved around the strap not having a clicker to crank them down. The newer ones have traditional style clickers so you can go that route if you want extra pressure on your foot or you can just go the rear entry route.

I love them because they spread the point of contact out so there is little to no point pressure on your foot. Pair them up with comfortable boots and you're in for a pretty good day. I've ridden all sorts of other bindings, including Union which are regarded as the best, and I still prefer my Flow binders. Some will argue that they don't have as much control which I think is BS. I have just as much control as any other binding. To be honest to get the same control with regular bindings I have to crank the straps so hard my feet ache. Because it is all one strap I thing it gives better total control through the body of the binding to the board.

I also had one guy tell me that they tend to flop open at the back. I've ridden them for 6-7 years in all conditions and never ever had that happen. I've also never broken a cable and believe me I'm not a small guy. I'm 230lbs and I ride aggressively.

I did break a toe strap two years ago. I think the strap got dry rotted or fatigues in the off season and it broke in the middle of a tree run. Because of the strap design I didn't even notice until I came out of the trees and it felt a touch loose on the hardpack. I ended up riding back to the lodge at full speed and even managed to ollie some rollers on the way.

If you buy them keep in mind that they may take a little time to get used to them. Keep tweaking the highball lean, strap tension front and back, stance angles etc. until they feel right.

Used to sell them. Used them for a couple of years. Pros: easy to use, reliable. Cons: get better feel and comfort from my old Burton P1's. Flows can be tough to close if you have to put them on in the middle of steeper terrain and/or deeper snow. For Mid-Atlantic use they'd be fine.