Their Job Is To Release
A binding exists to hold a boot securely during skiing and to release it during a fall before the forces reach a level that breaks a leg.
That balance is why release values matter and why a binding set too high does not release when it should, and one set too low releases unexpectedly at speed.
Both failure modes cause injuries, which is why settings are calculated rather than guessed and why the calculation includes several variables.
DIN Settings Are Calculated Not Chosen
Release values are derived from weight, height, age, boot sole length and a skier type classification, using a standardised chart.
Skier type reflects how a person actually skis rather than how they would like to, and inflating it raises settings and reduces protection.
A technician performs this calculation and tests the release on a machine, which is a service most shops provide and which people skip at their own risk.
Age Changes The Calculation
Bone strength declines with age and the standard settings chart reduces release values for skiers over about fifty for exactly that reason.
Younger children also receive reduced values, since their bones and low body weight require a binding that releases far earlier.
Both adjustments are built into the chart and applied automatically by a technician, which is another argument for having settings set rather than copied.
Indemnification And Age Of Equipment
Manufacturers publish lists of bindings they will still support, and shops will not adjust bindings outside that list because they cannot verify safe function.
That means older second-hand bindings may be unusable in practice even when they appear to work, which limits how cheaply a setup can be assembled.
Checking the indemnified list before buying used skis with bindings mounted avoids discovering this at a workshop counter.
Brakes, Mounting And Boot Sole Length
Brake width must match the ski waist, and brakes that are too narrow do not fit while much too wide ones drag in turns.
Bindings are mounted to a specific boot sole length, and changing boots means the binding must be readjusted and retested.
Mounting position affects how a ski behaves and moving it is possible within limits, which is a conversation to have with a technician rather than a DIY adjustment.
Pre-releasing and failing to release are both worth reporting rather than adjusting away, since a binding that releases unexpectedly at speed has either a setting problem or a mechanical fault that a technician can diagnose. Raising the setting to stop pre-release without understanding why it happened removes the protection the binding exists to provide. That conversation is free at any decent shop and is worth having before the next day on snow.
Ski brakes should be checked for free movement at the start of a season, since a bent or seized brake fails to deploy when a ski releases and the ski then travels a long way.
The Verdict
The safety-critical component of a ski setup, where professional setting and current indemnification are not optional.
Settings guessed or inflated cause injuries, old bindings cannot be adjusted, and brakes must match ski width.
Have the settings calculated and tested. Guessing a DIN is how people break legs and blow out at speed.
At a glance
Pros
- Designed to release before a leg breaks
- Settings calculated from a standard chart
- Tested on a machine by a technician
- Adjustable for different boots within a range
Cons
- Settings guessed or inflated reduce protection
- Older bindings fall outside indemnification
- Brake width must match the ski
- Changing boots requires readjustment
Frequently asked questions
Can I set the DIN myself?
You should not. Values are calculated from weight, height, age, boot sole length and skier type, then tested on a machine. Set too high they do not release when they should; too low they release at speed. Both injure people.
Why will the shop not adjust my old bindings?
Manufacturers publish lists of bindings they still support, and shops will not work outside them because safe function cannot be verified. Check the indemnified list before buying used skis with bindings already mounted.
Does age affect the setting?
Yes. Bone strength declines, so the standard chart reduces release values for skiers over about fifty, and children receive substantially reduced values. Both are applied automatically by a technician using the chart.
Specifications
| Type | Alpine releasable ski bindings |
| Purpose | Release before injury forces are reached |
| Setting inputs | Weight, height, age, sole length, skier type |
| Never | Guess or inflate a setting |
| Age adjustment | Reduced values over about fifty |
| Children | Substantially reduced values |
| Indemnification | Shops refuse unlisted older bindings |
| Brakes | Matched to ski waist width |
The bottom line
The one component whose job is to let go. Have the settings calculated and machine-tested, always.
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