Dynafit Comfort Binding Improvements

I got an email asking why we’d not been touting the Dynafit Comfort binding improvements for this season. We indeed reported last winter on the improved front baseplate, but the report was buried in a blog post about Dynafit skis. Check it out here.

Funny how that happens. With daily blogging about backcountry skiing and an almost constant stream of gear arriving for evaluation, we get a bit complacent with gear improvements we should probably shout about. Any tweak that eliminates a durability problem is in that category — so if you use Dynafit ski crampons LOOK FOR THAT IMPROVED COMFORT PLATE this winter!

Dynafit is also selling a backcountry skiing binding called the “Vertical” that’s basically a Comfort toe unit with a heel unit that is mechanically the same as a Comfort, but has a stronger climbing post and a cubist aesthetic. (Old news, but worth repeating as well.) One model of the Vertical (FT) is sold with an integrated brake that’s not a sales option, and a plastic plate that connects toe and heel and is said to stiffen the ski in that area, thus reducing the chance of pre-release caused by ski flex. The latter is an interesting development, as common wisdom says it’s better for a ski binding to allow ski flex, rather than block it up. Truth be told, the Vertical plate is somewhat flexible, so it probably has little effect one way or the other — perhaps just enough to improve boot retention without much change in ski performance.

Other models of the vertical are the ST, sold with optional brake and without connector plate (color is all grey), and the Vertical Race Ti, which has a titanium toe unit as well as lower heel lift heights for racing.

Vertical FT with plastic connector plate. Vertical ST is same binding (different color) without plate. We’ll be doing a full test and review of the Vertical soon. It’s heavier than other Dynafit models — yet interesting.