Expert Review: Look Pivot 14 GW Ski Bindings · 2023
Hiking with the Look Pivots at Big Sky, MT. All photos courtesy of Joshua Brower
About this Review: This review is my honest opinion of the bindings, which I purchased with my own money in January of 2021.
My take
In my opinion, the Look Pivot 14 Gw Ski Bindings are hands down, one of the best alpine bindings on the market. They are geared towards intermediate to expert skiers looking for high performance, safety, and durability.
Toe Piece
About the bindings I own
- Model: 2019 and 2021 Look Pivot 14 Binding
About me
- Height: 6’3”
- Weight: 200lbs
- Preferred DIN range: 8–11
- Experience: 10 years of skiing
Test conditions
- When I bought these: January 2021
- Days tested: 60
- Boots: K2 Mindbender 130
- Boot Size: 27.5
- Skis: Black Crow Corvus and Rossignol Holyshred
- Where I’ve used it: Big Sky, MT; Alta, Snowbird, UT; Jackson Hole, WY
- Terrain: Powder, trees, chutes, cliffs, moguls, groomers
How they perform
What I was looking for
I was looking for a high-performing, safe, and reliable binding that I could use for several seasons in all conditions.
Skiing on the Pivot 14's
Why I chose this gear
I chose the Pivot Model specifically due to the fact that every professional athlete/mountain professional I have talked to said that the Pivot was the best binding on the market. Other bindings that I considered included the Salomon STH 16 and Marker Griffon 13, but I ultimately chose the Pivot for the added safety the heel piece feature provides.
Heel Piece
What I love about them
- Release Reliability: After riding this binding for years, it seems to always release when I take a really big fall, but still stay on even if I land hard coming off of a jump or cliff.
- Downhill Performance: The high downhill performance of this binding is due to how responsive it is. While in the bindings, my boots feel very secure.
- Uphill Performance: This binding is not compatible with touring, but the 15 and 18 models are compatible with the Cast System, which has an interchangeable toe-tech piece.
- Weight: The Pivot 14s come in at a competitive weight of 2,200/2,300 grams per pair, which is standard for a high-performing alpine binding. This helps keep my setup's overall weight down, allowing me to ski longer and harder.
- Power Transfer: The minimal footprint taken up by the Look Pivot binding allows the ski to flex more naturally, coming in and out of turns. This gives the skier a truer feeling of how the ski is intended to perform.
Issues I’ve encountered
- Durability: The binding has remained 100% functional but has seen a lot of cosmetic wear and tear. It’s mostly seen in the heel piece, where a majority of the color has worn completely off, resulting in a bland-colored heel piece.
- Other: I have a pair of K2 Mindbender boots, and I cannot engage ski mode on my boots while in the bindings because the latch hits the heel piece of the binding. This isn't a big deal, but results in me stepping out of the ski and then back in. Though this may only be a problem with specific boot types.
- Price: I believe the Pivot bindings are worth their high price tag, but compared to similar bindings, they are significantly higher priced.
- Break Size: The Pivot’s only come in 95mm and 115mm brake sizes, so for those who have a 98mm underfoot ski, that leaves a shop needing to bend the smaller size or having a break that is too large. I believe Look needs to begin making a 105mm brake size option.
Wear and tear on the toe
Favorite moment with this gear
I have so many great moments in the Look Pivot Bindings, from skiing steep lines to dropping off cliffs. Honestly, my favorite thing about these bindings is my overall confidence while skiing on them. When I am skiing other bindings, I always ask myself if I will be unnecessarily thrown out of them.
Value for the money vs. other options
While the Look Pivot is one of the more expensive options on the market. But factoring in its performance and safety features, I think they are worth every penny. Similar DIN bindings include the Tyrolia Attack 14, Armada Warden 13, or Marker Griffon 13. However, the Pivot offers the maximum amount of elastic travel in its heel piece, resulting in the best and most consistently performing binding among its peers. Lastly, in terms of the differences between the models I use (2019/2021) and the current version, only the color options have changed.
Final verdict
The Look Pivot 14 is one of the most reliable, robust, and well-performing ski bindings on the market. If one is looking for a strong binding to jump cliffs, ski steeps, or hit big airs in the park, the Look Pivot 14 is it for seasons to come.
