r/skiing • u/Affectionate-Lion582 • 1d ago
Buy skis with bindings or separate?
I’ll be looking for all-mountain skis in a few months. Not sure if it’s better to get skis that already come with bindings mounted, or buy skis alone and pair them with bindings (like Marker). I have Salomon S/Pro 120 boots. What’s the smarter move?
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u/notacanuckskibum 18h ago
If you are lucky enough to know what skis and bindings you want, then you have to pay the price. Personally I always buy the end of season sales, often ex-demo skis, which come with the bindings they come with.
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u/DeputySean Tahoe 1d ago
Doesn't matter much. Skinnier skis are more likely to have system bindings, while fatter skis tend to be sold flat, but there are definitely exceptions to that. Figure out which ski or right for you first, then figure out the bindings right after that.
Avoid Marker.
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u/Affectionate-Lion582 1d ago
Thank you!
What’s up with Marker? Is it bad?
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u/ktbroderick 23h ago
Marker has a history of bindings that were very sensitive to forward pressure adjustment being perfect, or they'd tend to pre release. Some of them also seem to be capable of adjusting on their own, so they need to be checked frequently. I'm not sure if the post you were replying to was referring to that or another issue.
I don't think it's actually an endemic issue across all Marker bindings, and IMO any alpine binding you buy today is likely to be fine for most use, assuming it's an appropriate model (and the binding included with system skis would be fine for the ski used as designed).
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u/TJBurkeSalad Aspen 18h ago
Marker bindings are just fine for 99% of the world. DeputySean just broke too many pairs sending huge to not be a bit salty.
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u/bobber66 Crystal Mountain 23h ago
Make sure that bindings already mounted on any skis will fit your boots. Otherwise they will have to be removed and remounted. The boot sole length BSL is a # in millimeters somewhere near the bottom edge on every boot. For instance mine is 325, I’m a mens 10 1/2. If buying online make sure they are already setup really close to your number. If buying locally then make sure to take your boots with you. Buying demo skis can be a plus because the bindings slide on a track to accept just about any adult boot.
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u/Affectionate-Lion582 22h ago
Thank you!
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u/dsw-001 18h ago
If you travel a lot on plane with the skis, demo bindings are really nice because you can remove the bindings if you have to make more room in your ski bag and put them back on when you get to your destination. The downsides is that they are heavier and you are higher on the skis (which can be good or bad) depending on what you want to do.
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u/whiskeyjamboree 11h ago
I think the move is to buy old stock skis now for bottom dollar and get attack 14's from amazon.
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u/Nervous-Rush-4465 1d ago
If the ski you happen to like comes with a binding, then there’s your answer. You will have infinitely more ski choices if you are looking at “flat” skis. I’ve owned 8 sets of skis in the last 20 years and only 2 had system bindings. My latest set has a World Cup damping plate that required a proprietary Marker binding. The other 6 I’ve used Salomon or Look. I prefer bindings in the 12/13 din range.