Review: Salomon Warden MNC 11 Ski Bindings · 2023
By Ski Expert
Leo Cocchiara
Salomon Warden MNC 11 Ski Bindings · 2023
from:$119.97
$199.95
40% off
7 photos
The Curated Take
4.8/5
The Salomon Warden 11 MNC bindings cater to powerful skiers who need immediate and precise power transfer, reliable retention, and seamless release. Their 3-11 DIN range suits beginners and expert skiers alike. The bindings' Multi-Norm Certified feature can accommodate various boot types, adding value over competitors. However, the plastic around the DIN window at the toe piece may crack, posing a slight design flaw. These bindings' versatility makes them suitable for all in-resort disciplines, making them a robust and reliable choice for skiers tackling demanding terrains.
Ideal for
- Stays locked in for aggressive skiing and has a reliable smooth release when needed
- MNC binding can take any boot on the market
- Excellent power transfer for everything on the mountain
Not ideal for
- The plastic of the DIN window on the toe piece may crack with aggressive use
- 11 DIN might not be enough for some heavy and aggressive skiers
- One of the heavier 11 DIN bindings
Power Transfer
I am a powerful skier that takes on demanding terrain, which means I need a binding that instantly translates the input from boots down to my skis to give me...Read more
Release Reliability
I'm 200lbs of pure power when I ski. My style is akin to that of a Linebacker being shot out of cannon. As such, I've been known to eject out...Read more
Durability
I've had so much experience with this binding, beyond my personal pair, since many of the rental fleets I've managed over the years use the warden as their fleet binding---a...Read more
Versatility
The Salomon Warden 11 MNC is versatile to any discipline of skiing in bounds at the resort: park, trees, high speed carving, moguls, powder, you name it! The one thing...Read more
Expert Reviews of the Salomon Warden MNC 11 Ski Bindings
Leo Cocchiara The Salomon Warden is a work horse of a binding that will hold in an aggressive skier taking on everything the resort has to offer. At the same time, it's perfectly suited for the beginner skier taking it slow and captiously. The 3-11 DIN range has plenty to offer at both ends of the spectrum, with a smooth and reliable release when needed. I myself am an expert level skier, with a propensity to explode out of bindings at my top power, even when they're cranked up to their maxes. However, I never have that issue with the Salomon Wardens even in the 11 DIN. I always stay solidly connected to the ski.
Salomon bindings are known for a loud satisfying click when you step into the binding, letting the skier know they are secure to the ski. The heel pieces are durable and robust, offering durability that Salomon's old Z10 and Z12 series did not. The forward pressure is easy to see and set with ample travel to adjust to a wider range of boot sole lengths than most bindings in its class.
The toe pieces of the bindings offer excellent contact with the boot and have more elastic travel than most, giving the skier a lot of wiggle room to stay in the binding when picking up the pace in the moguls and terrain park. However, after a lot of use and abuse, the plastic housing of the DIN window has a tendency to crack around the toe.
Product Specs
| Gender | Unisex |
| Model year | 2023 |
| Ski binding type | Alpine |
| Skill level | Intermediate, Advanced |
| Din release - low value | 3.5 |
| Din release - high value | 11 |
Review Ratings
Power Transfer
5/5
Leo Cocchiara gave 5 of 5 stars. I am a powerful skier that takes on demanding terrain, which means I need a binding that instantly translates the input from boots down to my skis to give me total control. The warden always delivers with an immediate reaction to acceleration, precision steering, and responsive feedback from the snow under my feet. It allows me to attack any feature on the mountain with confidence.
Release Reliability
5/5
Leo Cocchiara gave 5 of 5 stars. I'm 200lbs of pure power when I ski. My style is akin to that of a Linebacker being shot out of cannon. As such, I've been known to eject out of bindings cranked up to max even when skiing at a more moderate rate, but I never have that issue with the Salomon Warden MNC 11. The retention holds me in better than any other 11 DIN I've tried and when I do get too wild and a release is warranted- it's smooth, reliable, and worry free.
Durability
4/5
Leo Cocchiara gave 4 of 5 stars. I've had so much experience with this binding, beyond my personal pair, since many of the rental fleets I've managed over the years use the warden as their fleet binding---a testament to how they can stand up to abuse. But there is one design flaw that keeps this binding from being perfect. If you zoom in on a front view of the toe piece of this binding, you'll see the plastic of the DIN window wraps around the front and, while it's not a piece that's particularly vulnerable to impacts, I've seen that plastic right there at the toe piece crack on more than one pair. It doesn't compromise the performance of the binding overall, but that flaw is far from ideal.
Versatility
5/5
Leo Cocchiara gave 5 of 5 stars. The Salomon Warden 11 MNC is versatile to any discipline of skiing in bounds at the resort: park, trees, high speed carving, moguls, powder, you name it! The one thing it can't do is tour uphill, though the MNC advantage to take a touring boot is an excellent benefit if you prefer to stick with your touring boots for all disciplines. This also gives you the benefit of a manually adjustable toe height and quite a bit of travel in the heel piece so if you do want to use multiple pairs of boots in these, the adjustments are easy to make.
FAQs
What was your favorite moment with this gear?
Leo Cocchiara This binding is currently mounted to my Armada ARV 96s which are my daily driver all mountain twin tips for moguls, trees, and park, so every time I click into these bindings, I get stoked. One of the most stratifying features about these bindings is Salomon's patented loud CLACK when your boot clicks into the heel, letting you know you're locked and loaded.
Why did you choose this product?
Leo Cocchiara The Salomon Warden 11 MNC has been my top pick for an 11 DIN binding for years now because power transfer feels phenomenal, and I find it to offers the most reliable retention for my aggressive style of skiing. That being said though, these are appropriate for all skill levels including beginners. Also, it has the benefit of doubling the warranty on any Salomon, Atomic, or Armada ski.
What is the value for the money versus other options?
Leo Cocchiara The MNC in the title stands for Multi-Norm Certified, meaning it can take standard alpine boots (ISO 5355), GripWalk boots (ISO 23223), Touring boots (ISO 9523), and WTR boots, though Walk to Ride boots we phased out in 2019 as GripWalk became mainstream.
This offers huge value over the competition Tyrolia, Marker, and Look. In the advent of Marker dropping SOLE ID from the Squire bindings, the Warden is the only 11 DIN alpine left that offers full MNC. I had a customer this year who needed this specific binding for exactly that reason.
What do you love about this product?
Leo Cocchiara I love the Salomon Warden 11 MNC because it gives me complete confidence that I am going to stay in the binding when I want to and will release smoothly and reliably when I need. Out of all the bindings on the market, the Warden never pre-releases on me, and I attribute that to the excellent boot binding connection in the toe piece.
