The Bent Metal Speed-In Pro opens its own upper strap as the highback drops and left Ryan zero heel slop, though its highback lever takes a firm thumb in thick gloves. It scores 86 out of 100 and ranks #3 in our best step-in & quick-entry snowboard bindings guide as our best step-in snowboard binding for freeride.
What is the best step-in snowboard binding for freeride?
The best step-in snowboard binding for freeride is the Bent Metal Speed-In Pro, whose aluminum heel cup and stiff 8 out of 10 highback gave Ryan instant heelside power with zero heel slop.
Bent Metal Speed-In Pro
- Weight: 1,090 g
- Heel stack: 19 mm
- Flat entry: 4.2 s
- Boots: Any standard boot
Bottom Line : A stiff rear-entry binding for hard riding on standard boots, with a strap that opens itself and a button to ease instep tension between laps. The highback lever is hard to open in cold gloves.
Pros
- Upper strap pulls open as the highback drops, leaving a clear boot throat
- A button eases instep tension while you wait at the T-bar
- Aluminum heel cup and stiff highback: zero heel slop
- Heel cup hardware and cable guides stayed rigid under heavy load
Cons
- Highback locking lever needs strong thumb pressure to open in cold gloves
- Entry is slower than the Supermatic pair: 4.2 seconds on the flat
On the Mountain
Entry took 4.2 seconds on the flat, 7.1 on a steep traverse and 9.8 in slush, the average of three timed entries each. As the highback drops, the upper strap pulls itself open and leaves an unobstructed boot throat, and a button lets you ease instep tension between laps while you wait in the T-bar line.
Locked in, the ankle strap and toe cap clamp the boot down tight. With the aluminum heel cup and the stiff 8 out of 10 highback, the support behind your calf, Ryan got instant heelside power and zero heel slop, and the hardware and cable guides stayed rigid under heavy test loads.
Ryan rode a size Large on a Lib Tech Terrain Wrecker 157 cm at 23 in, +18 degrees on the front foot and -12 on the back, on a 2x4 mount, with Shaun co-testing heelside carve bite. The Ride Fuse, Burton Ion and Vans Hi-Standard Pro all fit. The maker's Large covers US men's 10 to 12, and our 10 to 10.5 boots sit at the bottom of that range, so check the chart if you're between sizes.
Where It Asks Something of You
Thick gloves are the problem. The highback locking lever takes strong thumb pressure to pop open, and that was the one hardware complaint, so try it in the gloves you ride in before you commit.
Entry is a step behind the Supermatic pair, 1.1 seconds slower than the LT Supermatic on the flat and 2.6 slower in slush. At 1,090 g with a 19 mm heel stack it's also the fourth heaviest of the ten, and Weight and Bulk scored 7.5.
Spec Sheet vs Our Test
Rear entry with a reclining highback. It works, and the strap that opens itself is the best part, because there is no pedal to push. The maker also lists a stiff 8 out of 10 flex, and the lever is what you pay for the convenience.
Ultra-light aluminum chassis. The maker calls the chassis ultra-light and says it maximizes sensitivity. We weighed the whole binding, not the chassis, so the claim isn't contradicted, but don't buy this as a light binding. We didn't score sensitivity on its own.
Aluminum heel cup and solid highback. Locked-in control and fast energy transfer for aggressive terrain is the maker's line, and this is where the Speed-In Pro earns its score: instant heelside power, zero heel slop and rigid hardware under heavy load. For hard riding the claim holds.
Heel shock pads and EVA-wrapped chassis. The maker says they absorb impact and dampen vibration for smooth landings. We didn't test this: vibration and landings weren't scored for this binding, so we can neither confirm nor deny it.
Should You Buy the Bent Metal Speed-In Pro?
The Speed-In Pro is our freeride pick, a stiff, standard-boot binding with rear entry for riders who push hard. It sits in the upper-mid tier, which is fair money for an aluminum heel cup and an 8 out of 10 highback on ordinary boots.
The quickest entry is elsewhere, because the premium LT Supermatic is 1.1 seconds quicker on the flat and 125 g heavier, and thick-glove riders should try the lever first. The mid-price Flow Fuse Hybrid is the softer way to get rear entry on standard boots, and newer riders will find the Flow Fenix gentler.
Compare With
- Nidecker LT Supermatic: our best overall step-in snowboard binding.
- Bent Metal Lightning Supermatic: our best step-in snowboard binding for carving.
- Flow Fuse Hybrid: our best step-in snowboard binding for freestyle.
- K2 Cinch GT: our best step-in snowboard binding for heavy riders.
- Flow Fenix: our best step-in snowboard binding for beginners.
- Flow NX2: our best step-in snowboard binding for high-speed riding.
- Burton Step On Genesis Re:Flex: our best step-in snowboard binding for comfort.
- Burton Step On Re:Flex: our best lightweight step-in snowboard binding.
- System MTN Rear Entry: our best budget step-in snowboard binding.
See all ten, and how we tested them, in our best step-in & quick-entry snowboard bindings guide.
Ranked in our Best Step-In Snowboard Bindings guide. All our tested picks, guides and reviews are in our Best Snowboard Bindings hub.
Editor's Note, 11 November 2026: New review. In June and July 2026 Ryan and Shaun rode the Bent Metal Speed-In Pro on Horstman Glacier at Whistler Blackcomb, timed entry three times on the flat, on a steep traverse and in slush, weighed it, and scored it on entry, instep hold, boot compatibility, and weight and bulk.
Our Testers
This review was edited by Sean Williams and tested on Horstman Glacier at Whistler Blackcomb by Ryan Williams, Shaun Taylor and James Ward.
- Sean Williams, Editor-in-Chief. A former commercial outdoor copywriter and gear journalist who runs Top-Notch Outdoor as an independent publisher. He checks every tester's field notes against the maker's claims before a score goes live.
- Ryan Williams, Lead Tester. A heavy fleet equipment mechanic and commercial vehicle technician. At 6 ft 2 and 215 lb he is our heavy, high-impact user, and he works hardware hard to find weak welds, stripped adjusters and plastic that fatigues. Ryan led the testing of the Bent Metal Speed-In Pro.
- Shaun Taylor, Freeride Snowboard Tester. Raced banked slalom and halfpipe in the late 1980s and 1990s before turning to backcountry freeriding, and a finish carpenter by trade. Shaun co-tested the Bent Metal Speed-In Pro.
- James Ward, Alpine Ski & Fat Bike Tester. On skis since he was 3 and a former regional alpine racer, now a ski tuner and dryland fitness coach. He ran the stopwatch and the boot swaps for every binding in our step-in test. James ran the stopwatch for every binding in our step-in test.
