Jones Mercury FASE Bindings Review: Top Fast-Entry Snowboard System
▼ Summary
– The Jones Mercury FASE binding features an AutoBack highback that leans farther back and is engaged into an upright position by stepping on a lever inside it.
– It is a stiff, all-mountain binding designed for freeride and powder, with foam padding for vibration dampening and cushioning.
– The binding offers limited highback customizability, with only two forward lean settings and no rotational adjustment like some competitors.
– Unlike most Jones bindings, this model lacks the company’s SkateTech edge-control technology, which was a noted omission for the reviewer.
– The bindings were tested in diverse conditions, including deep powder and icy terrain, and performed well even during demanding backcountry cat-skiing and heli-skiing.
The Jones Mercury FASE bindings represent a significant evolution in fast-entry snowboard systems, offering a streamlined step-in experience without sacrificing the high-performance feel expected from a premium freeride binding. The core innovation lies in the redesigned highback, dubbed the AutoBack. This component can still fold forward for easy transport and navigating tight chairlifts, but when deployed, it rests at a notably more reclined angle than a traditional highback. The magic happens via a robust plastic lever positioned on the highback’s inner base.
Stepping into the binding is intuitive: your boot presses down on this lever, which automatically raises the highback to its full, upright position, snug against your calf. From there, you simply secure the ankle strap and you’re ready to ride. Exiting is just as effortless; releasing the ankle strap ratchet allows you to step directly out. The system eliminates fumbling, a major advantage when you’re eager to drop into a line or are dealing with challenging terrain.
Sharing much of its construction with the standard Mercury model, the FASE version is a stiff, responsive binding engineered for freeride and powder dominance, though it performs reliably across all-mountain conditions. The footbed features dual layers of foam padding, both above and below the baseplate, which effectively dampens vibrations and provides welcome cushioning on firm landings. Jones has maintained its minimalist approach to highback adjustability here, offering only two forward lean settings. While riders accustomed to the micro-adjustments of brands like Union might see this as a limitation, the highback’s shape proved exceptionally comfortable and secure for many, offering excellent power transmission without pressure points.
One notable omission from the standard Mercury is Jones’s proprietary SkateTech. This system, which uses a fulcrum in the binding’s sidewalls to enhance edge pressure and control, has become a favorite for many advanced riders. Its absence was initially disappointing, but the bindings remained impressively responsive and communicative on snow. The adjustment period was brief, and the performance did not feel fundamentally compromised.
In practical use across a variety of British Columbia conditions, from deep powder stashes to bulletproof icy runs, the FASE system consistently delivered. The bindings were also put to the test during extensive backcountry cat-skiing and heli-skiing sessions, environments where quick-entry bindings have historically struggled with reliability and feel. Paired with boards like the versatile Jones Hovercraft 2.0 and the aggressive, new Jones Flagship Pro designed for demanding and variable terrain, the Mercury FASE bindings provided a locked-in, powerful ride that inspired confidence whether making first tracks in powder or carving down a firm groomer.
(Source: Wired)
