# Burton Lexa vs Union Flite Lady



## Judestudio (Apr 16, 2011)

Need a bit of advise here....

I currently ride the NS Lotus with Union Trilogy as my freeride setup. But I've recently added a Signal Vita Rocker to my fleet to make a start on freestyle and rather of having to move my Trilogy back and forth all the time, I thought I'd get a new set of bindings.

I'm tossing between the Burton Lexa 2012 and the new Union Flite Lady. Question is, which of the two would be good for a freestyle setup? I'm looking for something that is light, flexible, but also with good response as I will be riding the board outside the park at times, and it's very icy most of the time here in NZ. Being a super rocker board which doesn't grip ice at all, I need the bindings to at least response when I ask them to.

Thanks in advance!!


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

Burton or Union? This is like choosing between Obama and Romney 'round these parts. People feel pretty passionately about both these companies and the fact is you could probably make either work for you. My choice is the Burtons.


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## phony_stark (Jul 2, 2011)

Judestudio said:


> Need a bit of advise here....
> 
> I currently ride the NS Lotus with Union Trilogy as my freeride setup. But I've recently added a Signal Vita Rocker to my fleet to make a start on freestyle and rather of having to move my Trilogy back and forth all the time, I thought I'd get a new set of bindings.
> 
> ...





If you want something similar to your trilogies, and the only issue is you just hate swapping. Go lexa, I haven't ridden them, because I'm a dude, but they seem to be the the ladies' version of the Malavita a good park binding you can take outside of the park.

If you want a totally different binding that is flexier, lighter and more park oriented. go Flite. I have used flites for men, they're insanely light, great for progressing in the park and I had no problems with response from the baseplate. If you're a person who likes to get the majority of your heelside response from smashing into your highbacks though, you're going to have to use more foward lean than you're used to as the highback is soft.

As far as Edge grip?engagement goes, no binding you have strapped on that board will beat sharpening your edges, especially, like you said, since it's a fully rockered board. If you're hitting rails there's gonna be a tradeoff that people who know far better than me can help you with.


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## mixie (Mar 29, 2011)

I have the 2011 Lexa bindings. They're ok I would say they're mid range on flex. I personally am looking to replace my pair with somethign stifffer tho I do entirely different type of riding. 


I like to hit the blacks/and trees. Off trail if I can. I will hit the baby/medium park in the spring and such. So for me the only thing Ive wished for is that the high backs were stiffer. Lateral support? Not sure if that makes sense. Probably not Which might make them good for the type of riding you want to do. . But As far as how the straps and ratchets worked, that was all good but not great. I've got about 100 days on them and I could probably get another season or so out of them. I'm hoping to upgrade and put them on my beater board next season  


So all around decent bindings. You can probably do better for the price unless you're scoring a really good deal on them or something.


oh and depending on your foot size look at mens bindings. I wear a W8 boot and can easily fit into a mens binding. More better options, more better pricing. And I like ugly colors so it works for me. Neon green with orange polka dots? sign me up.


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## phony_stark (Jul 2, 2011)

mixie said:


> I have the 2011 Lexa bindings. They're ok I would say they're mid range on flex. I personally am looking to replace my pair with somethign stifffer tho I do entirely different type of riding.
> 
> 
> I like to hit the blacks/and trees. Off trail if I can. I will hit the baby/medium park in the spring and such. So for me the only thing Ive wished for is that the high backs were stiffer. Lateral support? Not sure if that makes sense. Probably not Which might make them good for the type of riding you want to do. . But As far as how the straps and ratchets worked, that was all good but not great. I've got about 100 days on them and I could probably get another season or so out of them. I'm hoping to upgrade and put them on my beater board next season
> ...


Like mixie said, I'm assuming the flite and lexa are the same price...if the flite is cheaper go flite. 

Again, like mixie said, if you can swing a men's binding, consider the contact pro in S/M. It's my favorite binding for doing mostly park, but deciding to ride the entire mountain on occasion.....or just changing your mind that day (because there are assholes on the features) and just riding natural all day.


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## Judestudio (Apr 16, 2011)

phony_stark said:


> If you want a totally different binding that is flexier, lighter and more park oriented. go Flite. I have used flites for men, they're insanely light, great for progressing in the park and I had no problems with response from the baseplate. If you're a person who likes to get the majority of your heelside response from smashing into your highbacks though, you're going to have to use more foward lean than you're used to as the highback is soft.


Thanks for all the advices (keep them coming)!!

Phony Stark, how would you rate the comfort and adjustability for the Flites? I know the Burtons are renowned for adjustments, and Unions on the other hand are more on the simplified side?


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## Judestudio (Apr 16, 2011)

mixie said:


> I have the 2011 Lexa bindings. They're ok I would say they're mid range on flex. I personally am looking to replace my pair with somethign stifffer tho I do entirely different type of riding.
> 
> 
> I like to hit the blacks/and trees. Off trail if I can. I will hit the baby/medium park in the spring and such. So for me the only thing Ive wished for is that the high backs were stiffer. Lateral support? Not sure if that makes sense. Probably not Which might make them good for the type of riding you want to do. . But As far as how the straps and ratchets worked, that was all good but not great. I've got about 100 days on them and I could probably get another season or so out of them. I'm hoping to upgrade and put them on my beater board next season
> ...


Thanks Mixie! The 2012 Lexa seems to have a whole new world of new tech - Re:flex, Autocant etc, would you look at Burtons again?


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## phony_stark (Jul 2, 2011)

Judestudio said:


> Thanks for all the advices (keep them coming)!!
> 
> Phony Stark, how would you rate the comfort and adjustability for the Flites? I know the Burtons are renowned for adjustments, and Unions on the other hand are more on the simplified side?



Comfort? Burton Lexa, has the super strap, and it's more comfortable than Union's Flite strap, if you're talking about last year's strap or, to my knowledge, this year's which doesn't have Union's asym strap. Not to say Union's are uncomfortable, my DLX straps feel just fine for me. It's just that burton's strap will be more comfortable than what goes on the flite.

The adjustability of the flites isn't really any different from your trilogies. I like the fact I can adjust the heelcup to center my boot over the binding.

Burton on the other hand, is more adjustable and yeah I was stoked at the adjustablity of when I first got mine, but for me the stoke kind of wore off when I got on the mountain. While you can rotate the highbacks MUCH easier and micro adjust to the exact orientation of the binding to the board, I have found that it didn't make much of a difference. I was able to adjust the straps up and down and that was helpful as well, but not something I missed when I went back to my Unions.

The things that matter the most to me, centering my boot in the binding and adjusting forward lean quickly on the mountain, Union does better. 

Quick Summary if TLDNR
Burton's ankle strap is more comfortable and Burton is more adjustable overall.

Union's binding is more adjustable for things that actually matter to me on the mountain like centering your binding and adjusting your forward lean.


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## Judestudio (Apr 16, 2011)

*Burton Escapade*

To complicate things...there's a shop doing a big discount on some new 2012 Burton Escapade (more than 50% off) which makes it even cheaper than the '12 Lexa and Flite Lady!

Anyone got experience on the Escapade? I'm thinking I might put the Escapade onto the NS Lotus board and have the old Trilogies on the Signal Vita Rocker...will that work well for freestyle setup (or will the Trilogy be a bit stiff!)?

Cheers again people!


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## mixie (Mar 29, 2011)

Judestudio said:


> Thanks Mixie! The 2012 Lexa seems to have a whole new world of new tech - Re:flex, Autocant etc, would you look at Burtons again?



perhaps. It depends if they fit with my boots. The Lexas don't work so great with my new boots. 


don't think bindings are going to be in my budget as early as I had hoped so I haven't been shopping.


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## phony_stark (Jul 2, 2011)

Get the Escapades if they're cheaper, put them on your all mountain board and put the trilogies on your rocker.

/thread.


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## Nivek (Jan 24, 2008)

Judestudio said:


> Need a bit of advise here....
> 
> I currently ride the NS Lotus with Union Trilogy as my freeride setup. But I've recently added a Signal Vita Rocker to my fleet to make a start on freestyle and rather of having to move my Trilogy back and forth all the time, I thought I'd get a new set of bindings.
> 
> ...


If you put Unions on a board I may have personally finished you'll hurt my feelings. Burton > Union any day of the week. Burton's ratchets don't flop around after 5 days on the mountain, you can actually push into the side of their highbacks without them folding, their toe straps aren't garbage... Yeah.

Also that rocker will grip more than you think. The kinks we use for the Rockers are more aggressive than anything else on the market and they sort of act like extra contact pts. I spent a good chunk of days riding the mens rocker and it is a much more capable board than people give it credit for.


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## Nivek (Jan 24, 2008)

phony_stark said:


> Get the Escapades if they're cheaper, put them on your all mountain board and put the trilogies on your rocker.
> 
> /thread.


Not bad. Trilogies are meant as an all mountain binding for women, but being Union they'll actually be better on a park board since the highbacks aren't useful if you aren't pushing straight back into the center of 'em.

What's your other board?


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## phony_stark (Jul 2, 2011)

Nivek said:


> If you put Unions on a board I may have personally finished you'll hurt my feelings. Burton > Union any day of the week. Burton's ratchets don't flop around after 5 days on the mountain, you can actually push into the side of their highbacks without them folding, their toe straps aren't garbage... Yeah.
> 
> Also that rocker will grip more than you think. The kinks we use for the Rockers are more aggressive than anything else on the market and they sort of act like extra contact pts. I spent a good chunk of days riding the mens rocker and it is a much more capable board than people give it credit for.


This is the cool part of message boards. I have the exact opposite experience. I'm really sorry you had a bad experience with Union, dude. 

I've put 15 days on my DLXs and they work good as new, I've put 25 days on my forces before I sold them and aside from regular wear and tear they were fine. 28 days on my atlases and they're fantastic. They're the best binding I have tried so far.

2 days on my cartels and burton, awesomely and quickly, had to replace two buckles. No problems with my Vitas to report.

Your other two issues seem to be design issues. Union's highbacks are designed differently. On the appropriate binding, I get the response I need out of them just the same as B's bindings. I also prefer Union's cored out toestrap to burton's gettagrip. 

Again, sorry you, personally, had a bad experience.

Since this thread went to a different page you may have missed that she already has a pair of unions and a neversummer and is looking for something to put on her signal.

Rad bit about the contact points on the signal rocker, I've been thinking about getting one next year, since I'm from California and try to support anything that's based here. The fact that they're MADE here? Incredible.


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## Nivek (Jan 24, 2008)

I owned SL's. The highbacks were terribly unresponsive unless you pushed straight back into the middle of it. Any bit to the side and they'd fold. 

All three Unions I owned had flappy toe ratchets after 5ish days.

Its a fact that the Union toe strap does not work well on like 60% of the market. Burton works well on about 90%. You like it better, that's fine. Most wont.

Breaking Burton ratchets is uncommon. Sorry that happened to you.

My "bad experience" with Union spanned 3 seasons. And they were consistent problems. That's a design flaw issue not a personal experience issue.

Pick up a Rocker for sure, they are way more versatile than they get credit for. Other than jumps over maybe 35 feet, I could ride one in Socal everyday and be happy.

Saw the bit about her already having Unions, missed that she had an NS.


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## phony_stark (Jul 2, 2011)

Nivek said:


> I owned SL's. The highbacks were terribly unresponsive unless you pushed straight back into the middle of it. Any bit to the side and they'd fold.
> 
> All three Unions I owned had flappy toe ratchets after 5ish days.
> 
> ...



Fact: 37% of the stats you're kicking were about some rocks you were kicking on some bindings you owned 3 years ago.

I'll stop threadjacking though. 
Escapades on the NS Trilogies on the Rocker. BAM done.

Bottom line: B's R Gud - Unions R Gud.


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## Judestudio (Apr 16, 2011)

*Re:flex or no Re:flex*



phony_stark said:


> Get the Escapades if they're cheaper, put them on your all mountain board and put the trilogies on your rocker.
> 
> /thread.


Guys, here's another complication. When I go and look at the Escapades again, I realize they are actually the 2010-11 version which didn't come with the new Re:flex baseplate. They are still a good deal (less than half price retail), but for a similar price, I could also get the Lexa 2012 version which does have Re:flex.

Has anyone ridden and could tell me whether the Re:flex really makes a difference? And how big of a difference in terms of response is there between the Escapade and Lexa?

Thanks again!!


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## phony_stark (Jul 2, 2011)

Judestudio said:


> Guys, here's another complication. When I go and look at the Escapades again, I realize they are actually the 2010-11 version which didn't come with the new Re:flex baseplate. They are still a good deal (less than half price retail), but for a similar price, I could also get the Lexa 2012 version which does have Re:flex.
> 
> Has anyone ridden and could tell me whether the Re:flex really makes a difference? And how big of a difference in terms of response is there between the Escapade and Lexa?
> 
> Thanks again!!


Reflex is cool, but regular disc bindings are fine as well. I'm sure there's a difference, tech wise, but I don't think there's a huge difference, personally.

It says the escapade is a 7 (cartel-ish) and the lexa is a 6 (Malavita ish) so......probably not a HUGE difference in response, despite what they say. 

Personally, I like trying different tech, so I say go with the lexa. You get to try a bunch of new crap burton has had to offer, like re:flex, zero forward lean and canted footbeds.

But, if you wanna save money, or there's a color you like better...etc. You can't go wrong, with either choice, really.


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