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NOW Drive 2022-2023 Snowboard Bindings Review

Tested and selected for our top 100 snowboard products of the year: the NOW Drive

  • Price: £366 / €400 / $400
  • Sizes: M, L
  • Flex: 7-8/10
  • Entry System: Classic

Why We Chose The NOW Drive: The spiritual home of NOW’s signature tech, and one of the best freeride-focused bindings around.

Speak to a NOW convert (and they are legion) and they’ll tell you that the classic baseplate should have gone the way of the dodo by now – the future, they’ll insist, is ‘Skate-Tech’. Now entering its second decade, JF Pelchat’s signature system has the firmest of footholds in the market, winning over grizzled pow-hounds and upstart park rats alike.

“Speak to a NOW convert (and they are legion) and they’ll tell you that the classic baseplate should have gone the way of the dodo by now”

It may not have killed off its rivals yet, but it’s certainly not going anywhere. Nor are the NOW Drive bindings, arguably the jewel in the brand’s crown.

Who Is The NOW Drive For?

These are definitely for keen freeriders, albeit those that stop short of requiring the carbon-fetishist’s dream that is the NOW O-Drive. One clue to this is the bushings (those swappable pads at the corners of the baseplate) that come with it – there’s no soft option, just medium and hard.

MORE INFO:
NOWBINDINGS.COM

 

Baseplate

Skate-Tech has been around for a while now, so there’s a good chance you know the score. However, for the uninitiated it’s a unique system that allows the baseplate to pivot through a central kingpin. When you put weight on either the toes or the heels, the plate rocks in that direction, sending the energy straight to the edge.

Changing the bushings fine-tunes the ride, but in any case you’re likely to experience better response and less foot pain. It works well in powder, but to quote JF: “the harder and shittier the snow, that’s where they really shine!”

A lifetime warranty will put your mind at ease as you test the limits of the NOW Drive – which is just as well, as it’s a binder that has the potential to unleash the freeride demon inside.

“While Skate-Tech remains NOW’s unique selling point, every other aspect of binding design has been shown just as much care and attention”

Straps and Highbacks

While Skate-Tech remains NOW’s unique selling point, every other aspect of binding design has been shown just as much care and attention, with plenty of innovation on offer too. Take the Hybrid Flipit ankle straps, for example. With a quick swap, you can change the area of your boot that gets the most support. Hug it high for charging, or send it to the lower section to give you more freedom and flex. The absence of any visible joins or seams also means they’ll last for yonks.

The Calfback highback, unique to the Drive, is quite obviously built to charge. It’s fairly rigid, and shaped to match the contours of your lower leg (hence the asymmetrical design). A couple of cutaways on either side of the forward lean adjustor reduce the weight a little, but it’s still a solid foundation upon which to crank those heel-edge turns.

“A lifetime warranty will put your mind at ease as you test the limits of the NOW Drive”

Roundup

Back when he was on NOW’s books, the Drive was Jeremy Jones’ binder of choice. Such is his admiration for the Skate-Tech system that he eventually licensed it for his own range. While you don’t have to be quite as adventurous on a snowboard as he is, that will at least give you some idea of what the NOW Drive is capable of. If you’re ready to level up, strap yourself into a pair of these and get ready to tilt yourself into a new era of freeriding.

Pros:

  • The latest Skate-Tech hanger sits even closer to the edges than ever, delivering more response
  • A bit of experimenting with the bushings and straps will make these just right for your style

Cons:

  • It’s freeride or bust with these; all-rounders should look towards the NOW Select Pro [LINK] instead
SHOP ALL SNOWBOARD BINDINGS ON

 

Tester’s Verdict 2022/23

Coming soon…

Trade Secrets

JF Pelchat – Founder, NOW Bindings

“Our top tier freeride bindings are equipped with our new and redesigned Hanger 3, this hanger is more aired out and has the bushings set 3mm closer to the boards edges for faster energy transfer, it is also fitted with our carbon/nylon Post for rigidity and lightness. The Drive has a flex rating of 7 out of 10 and comes with two different sets of bushings so you can fine tune your ride. Drive is offered in medium and large sizes and has a lifetime warranty. If you’re a serious rider looking for a serious piece of equipment then this is the one for you.”

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