Curated Snowboarding Experts Mike Leighton and Will Cabral got their hands on the 2024 Arbor Cypress Bindings this spring. Check out how it performed in the carving, freestyle, and freeride categories, but consider the fact that each and every rider is different; if you have any questions about the Cypress Bindings or need recommendations on which board would be best for you, reach out to a Snowboarding Expert here on Curated.

Before we get started, it's worth noting that Curated Experts are not sponsored by any brands. All of these reviews are completely unbiased.

Brand Claims

What does Arbor claim about this board? [Mike] Arbor claims these bindings are a perfect combination of performance and sustainability for riders looking to get performance in bigger, rowdier terrain.

[Will] Arbor claims that Cypress is a binding that is the convergence of performance and sustainability that aligns with the Arbor brand. It’s a binding that focuses on stability on rowdier, steeper lines.

Overall Impressions

What is your overall impression of this board? [Mike] It’s a step up in their binding performance. It has 30% fiberglass in the high back, so it will be a bit stiffer. In terms of performance, these bindings are in the medium range. They’re not going to make you hate your calves and your feet by the end of the day, but at the same time, there’s still going to be enough performance in there that you can progress your riding.

[Will] It’s not going to piss you off for being too stiff, and it’s not going to piss you off for being too soft. For me, it was more of a mid-stiff binding. It definitely felt good in the lateral direction. It didn’t have too much torsional flex in the high back itself. This is for somebody looking to get something above an entry price point but wants something solid and going to last.

Carving

How are they for board feel? [Will] It has a mini disk for this year, so it takes up less area underneath your foot. You have less plastic underneath a fully EVA foam footbed. The mini disk is meant to have a less plastic surface area, which would help to have the board flex a little bit more naturally and not be hung up by having a large disk underneath your foot where you’re applying most of the pressure to the power.

How are they for responsiveness when charging? [Will] It’s undoubtedly responsive when you’re leaning into it on your heel-side edge.

Construction

How are the bindings in terms of comfort and foot hold? [Mike] It has an EVA footbed. I won’t say it’s the dampest of footbeds, but it does provide a lot of comfort and cushioning.

How are the straps? [Mike] It has their all-new BioStraps. It actually features an awesome post drop that I really like. I like a minimal toe strap that cradles over the top of the toe of your boots. It helps you pull back into the heel cut. The straps are pretty minimal. They’re really lightweight. They are secure.

[Will] It’s got a minimalistic design where you have two straps that are going to cradle the toe — the pointy edge of your boot — to hold it in and force it into the back of the high back and reduce any of the spacing that you might have from not having a good fit in there. The straps are pretty comfortable. It’s plastic, so this is not necessarily something that has a cushion, but it does distribute pretty well across your boot and feels really secure.

How are the buckles? [Mike] In terms of their buckles and ratchets and ladders, you get that confidence-inspiring click, which is always nice to hear. You can crank these down.

How are the highbacks? [Mike] With the bit of fiberglass in there, you’ll notice, with that torsional stiffness, that there is a little bit more security there. In terms of the forward back, it will be there for you. There’s not a ton of flex there. You can also adjust the forward lean if you are a rider who prefers to have that. It also comes with a five-degree pre-lateral rotation to match the edge a little bit more. If you need to do any more, you can just use a screwdriver.

How are the base plates/heel cup? [Mike] The heel cup is aluminum, which is nice in terms of overall durability. It will be stiffer, less flex, and less things to break.

How is the weight of the bindings and how does their weight impact your experience? [Mike] These bindings are lightweight, so you're not going to really notice it on your feet. It's not going to be a distraction.

How adjustable are the bindings? What components have toolless adjustment? Do the heelcups adjust? [Mike] They’re adjustable. They feature Arbor’s toolless adjustability, so no more fiddling with the screwdriver when your hands are freezing cold. And for 2023-2024, it features the mini disk that is going to provide you with a lot of adjustability and a lot of options to change your stance.

[Will] It has toolless and heel cup adjustability to get the fit down for your specific boot. It’s certainly compatible with all the boots that are made for strap bindings. It also has a forward-lean adjustment if that’s your jam. Sometimes, with the forward lean, you get a little bit more angle, which forces you to be more knee-bent, and you’re reducing straight leg bounce in and force going straight to your knees.

Recommendations

Who would you recommend this board to? [Mike] I recommend this to an intermediate-and-up rider who’s looking for something that’s medium flexing, wants a little bit of adjustability, really wants a toe cap, and is also looking to step up the performance of their snowboarding.

[Will] I would recommend the Arbor Cypress to a rider who is just looking for something that is in the middle of the road that’s going to work. This is typically what I look for in a binding: something that will have quality and be there for you.

Who should avoid this board, there are other better options out there for them? [Mike] I wouldn’t recommend these bindings to a true beginner who might want something a little bit softer or someone who is looking for something stiff. This is not going to be super stiff. So if you’re looking for something that is hard charging and performance oriented, you might want to look at something that has more carbon in it or stiffer fiberglass.

Snowboards work differently for different types of riders. If you want help finding the right board for you, reach out to Mike, Will, or any other Snowboarding Expert here on Curated for free, personalized recommendations on the best board for you.