Review: Salomon Strive 14 GW Ski Bindings · 2023
By Curated Experts
Leo Cocchiara and Tommy Perry
Salomon Strive 14 GW Ski Bindings · 2023
$149.97
$249.95
40% off
7 photos
The Curated Take
4.8/5
The Salomon Strive 14 GW Ski Bindings, geared towards aggressive skiers, offer exceptional performance across any resort-accessible terrain. They feature a low-profile design, ensuring seamless power transfer and responsiveness. With reliable release mechanics, a sturdy yet lightweight construction, and a DIN range between 5 and 14, they provide secure and versatile functionality. Skiers will appreciate the Strive's improvement over its predecessors, offering a significant weight reduction without sacrificing the power transfer Salomon is known for.
Ideal for
- Efficient power transfer
- Lots of adjustability
- Effortless release when required
- Lightest weight binding in its class at 1,960g per pair
- Really low profile and sits low to the ski for a better feel and feedback
- Versatile for all-mountain skiing in any terrain or conditions
Not ideal for
- Not a fully metal design
- No touring capability
- Not rated MNC and is only for Alpine and GripWalk boot soles
- 5-14 DIN range isn't appropriate for lighter-weight or beginner skiers
Power Transfer
Ski binding companies are racing to the bottom, in the sense that they're trying to put as little between one's boots and the skis as possible so that the power...Read more
The Salomon Strive 14 GW Ski Bindings have best-in-class power transfer. When clipped into these bindings, my ability to quickly throw around my weight is maxed out. The Strive 14s...Read more
Release Reliability
I'm a skier who will look for the most exciting terrain on the mountain and point right towards it. If my skis fall off when I don't want them to,...Read more
The Salomon Strive 14 GW Ski Bindings have a reliable release point. Providing skiers set the DIN to the appropriate level for them, the Strive 14s will rarely, if ever,...Read more
Durability
There's always a give and take for keeping a binding light while still keeping it sturdy and durable for aggressive use. Salomon succeeded in creating a great balance of those...Read more
The Salomon Strive 14 GW Ski Bindings are quite durable. They stand up to the text of time and terrain. My Strive 14s have been taken through minimally covered tree...Read more
Versatility
The Strives don't care where skiers take them. If skiers can access it via chairlift, it will deliver exactly what they want, need, and expect from an Alpine binding geared...Read more
The Salomon Strive 14 GW Ski Bindings are made for lift-access resort terrain only. They have no touring capability, so they are restricted to the resort. Furthermore, the GW version...Read more
Curated Experts are not sponsored by brands. Their reviews are based on their honest experiences testing products.
Tommy Perry
About the bindings
- Model: Salomon Strive 14 GW Ski Bindings · 2023
Test conditions
- When I bought these: 2023
- Where I’ve used them: Purgatory, Wolf Creek
- How many times I've used it: 20
Expert Reviews of the Salomon Strive 14 GW Ski Bindings
Leo Cocchiara The Salomon Strive is taking over as the gold standard model for resort skiing in the Salomon binding lineup. (Fun fact: George Salomon created the first releasable ski binding.) This replaces the Salomon Warden's nearly 10-year run, which was introduced in 2014. The Strive completely changes the toe piece of the Warden to a more classic triangle design with cues coming from the super successful Salomon Shift hybrid touring binding. I was skeptical at first, with Warden 11 and 13 being my personal favorite bindings, and I wanted to feel 100% sure that the Strive would do justice to their legacy. Any qualms I had fell by the wayside as I put the bindings through the paces in some of the most demanding situations. Top speed on icy hardpack, carved-out moguls, deep powder, tight trees—they handled it all at peak performance, and the reduced weight gave me even more power and control to really drive my skis.
Tommy Perry The Strive 14 is a great binding for aggressive, lightweight skiers or heavier beginners. It does an excellent job locking my boot in place. When my skis pop off while using these bindings, I don't question why. They offer excellent power transmission, allowing me to harness full control of my skis/boots. I highly recommend this binding for any resort skier.
Product Specs
| Gender | Unisex |
| Model year | 2023 |
| Ski binding type | Alpine |
| Skill level | Advanced, Expert |
| Din release - low value | 5 |
| Din release - high value | 14 |
Review Ratings
Averaged between reviewers, view below how all experts voted.
Power Transfer
5/5
Leo Cocchiara gave 5 of 5 stars. Ski binding companies are racing to the bottom, in the sense that they're trying to put as little between one's boots and the skis as possible so that the power transfer and feedback are as responsive and seamless as possible. The Strive delivers all skiers could really ask for when it comes to taking their input and translating it directly to the ski so that they have total control.
Tommy Perry gave 5 of 5 stars. The Salomon Strive 14 GW Ski Bindings have best-in-class power transfer. When clipped into these bindings, my ability to quickly throw around my weight is maxed out. The Strive 14s have a bit higher platform than some other bindings on the market, which only adds to their power transfer capabilities.
Release Reliability
5/5
Leo Cocchiara gave 5 of 5 stars. I'm a skier who will look for the most exciting terrain on the mountain and point right towards it. If my skis fall off when I don't want them to, I won't have a good time. The Strive has a crisp step-in that really lets me know I'm secure before I take off at top speed. They keep me in when I want them to, and they feel just as reliable when I need to pop out.
Tommy Perry gave 5 of 5 stars. The Salomon Strive 14 GW Ski Bindings have a reliable release point. Providing skiers set the DIN to the appropriate level for them, the Strive 14s will rarely, if ever, pre-release or fail to release. If skiers have the DIN maxed out, the Strives will stomp the biggest features without fear of releasing, but they will also release easily for beginners if skiers have the DIN set low to prevent injury.
Durability
5/5
Leo Cocchiara gave 5 of 5 stars. There's always a give and take for keeping a binding light while still keeping it sturdy and durable for aggressive use. Salomon succeeded in creating a great balance of those proprieties in the Strive. I've been able to put them through the same paces as my older Salomon Wardens, and the new design fixes a previous durability flaw that the Wardens have. Altogether, I think Salomon took a good step forward with these.
Tommy Perry gave 5 of 5 stars. The Salomon Strive 14 GW Ski Bindings are quite durable. They stand up to the text of time and terrain. My Strive 14s have been taken through minimally covered tree sections at speed, grabbed by branches and stumps, and left those sections unscathed. They are very well built and perform like fresh out-of-the-box bindings for seasons.
Versatility
4/5
Leo Cocchiara gave 5 of 5 stars. The Strives don't care where skiers take them. If skiers can access it via chairlift, it will deliver exactly what they want, need, and expect from an Alpine binding geared towards the more aggressive skier. Whether skiers looking to mob through the moguls, ski the trees, rip groomers, stomp park, or surf powder, as long as their DIN is between 5 and 14, they're in good shape.
Tommy Perry gave 3 of 5 stars. The Salomon Strive 14 GW Ski Bindings are made for lift-access resort terrain only. They have no touring capability, so they are restricted to the resort. Furthermore, the GW version of these bindings is incompatible with boots with touring soles. These are excellent for resort-only skiers.
FAQs
What was your favorite moment with this gear?
Leo Cocchiara I was lucky to ski on Faction skis this year, and they mount with the Strive. They shined on all the skis across the line up to and including my favorites, the Mana series.
Tommy Perry My favorite moment on the Salomon Strive 14 GW Ski Bindings was dropping Alberta Peak at Wolf Creek. The top of the peak is pretty wind-swept, but the bottom has plenty of powder spots. Transitioning from variable snow near the peak to pillows at the bottom was seamless on the Strive 14s and allowed me to ski with confidence.
Why did you choose this product?
Leo Cocchiara I've always really liked how Salomon heel pieces feel when I step in. They give a loud "clack" to let me know I'm locked in there, and they transfer power really well for driving the ski.
Tommy Perry I chose to mount the Salomon Strive 14 GW Ski Bindings on all of my skis because they match my skill level and size and have proven to be a reliable binding for any terrain.
What do you love about this product?
Leo Cocchiara The Salomon Strive is the next generation of great bindings from Salomon. It takes design cues from some of their best models: the Wardens, the STH2, and the Shift. The Strive is almost half the weight of its predecessors and doesn't lose any of the power transfer Salomon is known for.
Tommy Perry The Salomon Strive 14 GW Ski Binding is the ideal binding for all-mountain resort skiing. It covers a wide range of skill levels and sizes and works with all boots except touring soles.
Leo Cocchiara
Ski ExpertTommy Perry
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