About this Review: This review is my honest opinion of the bindings, which I purchased with my own money in March of 2022.

My take

The Union Milan Bindings are a solid binding for a freestyle-oriented rider who wants to really feel their board underfoot. Any beginner, intermediate, or park rider would enjoy these bindings.

About the gear

• Model: 2022 Union Milan Bindings
• Size: Medium
• Burton channel compatible: Yes
• Mini disc: Yes

About me

• Height: 5’7”
• Weight: 130 lb
• Experience: 23+ years

Test conditions

• When I bought these: March 2022
• Days tested: 5
• Board: Weston Eclipse
• Boot: Ride Sage
• Where I’ve used it: Oregon
• Terrain: Groomers, Powder, Trees, Park, Off-piste soft spring snow

How they perform

What I was looking for

I was interested in getting a softer binding than I usually ride. I wanted something with a soft to medium flex that would offer a lot of board feel and would be good for riding the whole mountain with a freestyle flair.

Why I chose this gear

Everywhere I looked in the park someone had the Union Milans on their board. The ratings were pretty high and I already knew that I liked the Union Juliet bindings so I decided to try out the Milans.

I looked at the K2 Meridian bindings and also the Bent Metal Stylist bindings. I was able to try out a different pair of Bent Metal bindings on a demo day and they weren’t very comfortable, and the Milans were rated higher in comfort than the Meridians as well, so I chose Union.

What I love about it

• Binding adjustability in boots: I found that I could pretty easily adjust the binding for my boots. Union makes it easy to adjust the angle of the highbacks, and with two screws I can also move the highback forward and backward pretty easily. There are also screws on the inside so that I can rotate the highback to my preferred angle.
• Stance adjustability: These bindings use the mini disc and are compatible with any 2x4 board or the Burton Channel system. They don’t accommodate the 4x4 pattern. I found I could adjust my stance to however I wanted it. I generally like to ride at +15/-12 or so, with a 20-inch stance and I had no issues!
• Responsiveness: I found these bindings to be pretty responsive. They have a bit of a surfy feel to them, so they weren’t my favorite riding through tighter trees, but they are pretty responsive for riding through the park and cruising down groomers. They definitely work better with a freestyle or all-mountain freestyle board than a stiffer freeride board.
• Carving: These were easy to carve on groomers and had no issues. The softer flex actually allows me to get pretty low into my carves if I want to while still maintaining good support. Carving over uneven terrain I would personally prefer a little bit damper of a binding.
• Ease of turn initiation: I would say medium in this regard. They are surfy and I can make playful turns easily, but they wouldn’t be my first pick for riding in moguls or tight areas where I need to turn really fast.
• Buttering: These bindings do a great job of buttering. They have a pretty flexible highback, and the mini disc allows more movement and play on the board. I could butter for days with the Milans!
• Straps: The straps on the Milans are pretty solid. The ankle strap is a good width to provide support, and it is a nice mix of hard rubber for a responsive feel but some give to make it playful. The toe strap fits around my boots really well with the stretchy plastic used that is anti-slip, and I can easily adjust the angle of the toe strap without a tool. There is no micro-adjustability for the strap lengths, only set holes to use to make the straps longer or shorter.
• Buckles: The aluminum buckles are very easy to get on and off quickly and efficiently. The buckle climbs the ladder smoothly, and I’ve never had any issues with them coming undone.
• Durability: After a few days one of the ankle straps completely fell off, which was strange. Union is a great company though, and they provided a replacement very quickly. Other than that I have had no issues yet with durability and there are no obvious signs of wear and tear after a few months of riding.
• Weight: These are very lightweight. This is great for riding park, jumping, and just feeling light on my feet. A heavy rider could perhaps feel that they are too lightweight to absorb shock efficiently though.

Issues I’ve encountered

• Comfort: I found these bindings very average in terms of comfort. There were no hot spots from where the straps or ratchets were pushing uncomfortably on my foot, but I would not label them as overly comfortable bindings. They have some foam underfoot, but not as much as a lot of bindings I have used.
• Shock absorption: The Milans allow me to feel everything underfoot. They are a pretty lightweight binding, and I would not say they absorb a lot of shock. This provides a great board feel, but when going over chunder and bumps it is not overly comfortable and it is very chattery.

Favorite moment with this gear

My favorite day riding the Milans was at Mt. Bachelor outside of Bend, Or. It was a bluebird day, and there were about 3-4 inches of fresh snow on the ground. The snow felt like butter, and the morning provided countless runs of fresh tracks. These bindings shredded hard over the smooth snow and were really fun to hit side hits with that day too!

Value for the money vs. other options

I’d say these bindings are very similar in price point to other bindings of the same style and quality. They are within $10 of both other pairs of bindings I mentioned earlier, such as the K2 Meridian and Bent Metal Stylist bindings. I think the quality of Union bindings overall sets the bar pretty high, and their customer service is very good as well. They also warranty their baseplates and heelcups for life, and often run very good sales! All of this said I think these bindings are worth the money, and if snowboarders are patient enough to wait for a sale, then even better!

Final verdict

Overall these are a solid binding for any freestyle-loving female out there. They offer a nice medium flex and are great for butters and playful riding. Any beginner could even jump right into these bindings and not find them too stiff or unforgiving. I personally prefer a damper binding with more shock absorption and wouldn’t put them on a stiff board again, but the Milans definitely have their place in the freestyle world!