Comparison Review 2019 Look Bindings

[Philpug]

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MODEL		STAND HEIGHT (mm)		SETTING RANGE		WEIGHT (g/pr)		STANDARD BRAKE SIZES (mm)		OPTIONAL BRAKE SIZES (mm)		SOLE COMPATIBILITY		COLORS
NX 10	18.5	3-10	1600	83, 93	73, 100	DIN	Black, Black/White
NX 11	18.5	3.5-11	1830	90, 100	80, 120	DIN	Black Sparkle, Black/White, Concrete/Yellow
NX 12 Dual	18.5	3.5-12	2030	90, 100, 120	80	DIN, WTR, GripWalk*	Black Sparkle, Black/White
SPX 10	18.5	3-10	2000	73, 100	90, 120	DIN	Black, Black Icon (Jr Race)
SPX 12 Dual	18.5	3.5-12	2230	90, 100, 120	80	DIN, WTR, GripWalk*	Black Sparkle, Black/White, Yellow/Black
Pivot 12 AW	18.5	4-12	2290	95, 115	75, 130	DIN, GripWalk	Black
Pivot 14 AW	18.5	5-14	2290	75, 95, 115, 130		DIN, GripWalk	Black, Forza
Pivot 18	18.5	8-18	2490	75, 95, 115, 130		DIN, WTR**	Forza
NX 12 Konect (demo)	33	3.5-12	2700	90, 100	80, 120	DIN, WTR, GripWalk*	Black/White
SPX 12 Konect (demo)	33	3.5-12	2900	90, 100, 120	80	DIN, WTR, GripWalk*	Black/White

[tr][td] [/td][td] [/td][td] [/td][td] [/td][td] [/td][td] [/td][td]*Compatible with GripWalk in alpine DIN mode only, not WTR.
**WTR requires different AFD[/td][td] [/td][/tr]

Note: All specs are based on information available at time of publishing and are subject to change.

Look NX 10 and NX 11

• Pluses: Lightweight, multidirectional toe release, easy step-in heel
• Minuses: Older design but still does the job
• Others to consider: Atomic/Salomon Z10, Z12, Warden 11; Fischer Attack2 11 AT; Marker Squire 11 ID; Tyrolia Attack2 11 GW

Look NX 12 Dual

• Pluses: Multidirectional toe release, simple WTR adjustment, accepts GripWalk
• Minuses: Lightweight heel
• Others to consider: Atomic/Salomon Z12, Warden MNC 11; Fischer Attack2 11 AT; Marker Squire 11 ID; Tyrolia Attack2 11 GW, Attack2 12 GW

Look SPX 10

• Pluses: Great "tweener" option, commonly used for junior race skis
• Minuses: Tough to find outside race shops, comes standard with narrow brake.
• Others to consider: Atomic/Salomon Z12, Warden 11; Marker Squire 11 ID; Tyrolia Attack2 11 GW, Attack2 12 GW

Look SPX 12 Dual

• Pluses: Multidirectional toe release, simple WTR adjustment, accepts GripWalk, responsive heel
• Minuses: Heavy, long mount distance
• Others to consider: Atomic/Salomon Warden MNC 13, STH2 WTR 13; Fischer Attack2 13 AT; Look Pivot 12 Dual, Pivot 14 Dual; Marker Griffon 13 ID; Tyrolia Attack2 13 GW

Look Pivot 12 AW

• Pluses: Multidirectional toe release, GripWalk, shortest mount distance, low rotation weight, most elasticity in heel
• Minuses: Very little range of adjustment, can be quirky to get into, low brakes can get caught landing switch, no more WTR
• Others to consider: Atomic/Salomon STH2 WTR 13, Warden MNC 13; Look Pivot 14 AW; Marker Griffon 13 ID; Tyrolia Attack2 13 GW

Look Pivot 14 AW

• Pluses: Responsive heel, 20 mm travel, shortest mount distance, lowest rotation weight, most elasticity in heel, Forza motif is back
• Minuses: Very little range of adjustment, can be quirky to get into, low brakes can get caught landing switch (same binding as 12, just a slightly stronger spring), no more WTR
• Others to consider: Atomic/Salomon STH2 WTR 16; Look Pivot 18; Marker Jester 16 ID, Jester 18 Pro; Tyrolia Attack2 13 GW, Attack2 16 GW, Attack2 18 X GW

Look Pivot 18

• Pluses: All metal, single-pivot toe, the Forza motif is back
• Minuses: WTR AFD optional, must be changed before toe piece is installed (AFD Part #FCEF002), not compatible with GripWalk
• Others to consider: Atomic/Salomon STH2 WTR 16; Look Pivot 14 Dual; Marker Jester 16 ID, Jester 18 Pro, Tyrolia Attack2 16 GW, Attack2 18 X GW

Demo Bindings

Look NX 12 Konect

• Adjustment range: 260-377mm
• Toolless length adjustment: Yes, w/manual AFD
• Sole compatibility: DIN, GripWalk, WTR
• Pluses: Easy step-in heel, easiest to adjust for DIN/WTR, accepts GripWalk
• Minuses: Tall stand height, heavy for entry-level demo
• Others to consider: Atomic/Salomon Warden 11 DT, Marker FDT TPX 12; Marker Squire 11 TCX D, Tyrolia Attack2 11 AT Demo

Look SPX 12 Konect

• Adjustment range: 260-377mm
• Toolless length adjustment: Yes, w/manual AFD
• Sole compatibility: DIN, GripWalk, WTR
• Pluses: Easiest to adjust for DIN/WTR, accepts GripWalk
• Minuses: Tall stand height, heaviest of all demos
• Others to consider: Atomic/Salomon Warden 13 DT; Marker Griffon 13 TCX D; Marker Griffon 13 D; Tyrolia Attack2 13 AT Demo

 

[BC.]

@Philpug....asking the same question that I asked on your Marker thread. Why does Look not make their Pivot 18 have GW? It would seem that the companies would want all their levels of bindings to all have the same compatibility? ....(It’s probably just my OCD acting up this am)

 

[Philpug]

I read the Marker post first and knew what hat would be before I even clicked on it. I think we will see a Gripealk base for the Pivot 18...and hopefully a 15 before the Marker one because it is a separate part and not integrated into the toe housing. There is already one for WTR but Look/Lange/Rossignol commited to Gripwalk pretty late in the game and it might take a season to get it to market. The good thing is, it should be backwards compatible.

 

[BC.]

I plan on mounting my new ON3P Wren 108's with the "white" Pivot 18. I will be mounting them "on the line". I am looking forward to skiing the Pivot.....being a Marker Jester guy for so long....hoping the Pivot is as good as advertised.

 

[Bill Talbot]

FORZA

 

[BC.]

I plan on mounting my new ON3P Wren 108's with the "white" Pivot 18. I will be mounting them "on the line". I am looking forward to skiing the Pivot.....being a Marker Jester guy for so long....hoping the Pivot is as good as advertised.

Here we go....mounted them up today at the shop with da Pivots......on da line...

 

[BaconTowel]

Phil, I'm pretty new to how Look bindings are built. Can you elaborate on the "quirky heel"? What advantage does that unique construction of the Look heel have over the traditional fixed heel?

EDIT: I may have answered some of my question by finding this video on YouTube. It really helped me visualize that pivoting heel piece. I could see how if the heel was filled with snow it might pivot enough to make it a PITA to click back in.

 

[Philpug]

Phil, I'm pretty new to how Look bindings are built. Can you elaborate on the "quirky heel"? What advantage does that unique construction of the Look heel have over the traditional fixed heel?

EDIT: I may have answered some of my question by finding this video on YouTube. It really helped me visualize that pivoting heel piece. I could see how if the heel was filled with snow it might pivot enough to make it a PITA to click back in.

The quirkinesses comes from getting in and out of the heel in mixed conditions. Nothing to do with compromising performance.

 

[Blacklab]

I read the Marker post first and knew what hat would be before I even clicked on it. I think we will see a Gripealk base for the Pivot 18...and hopefully a 15 before the Marker one because it is a separate part and not integrated into the toe housing. There is already one for WTR but Look/Lange/Rossignol commited to Gripwalk pretty late in the game and it might take a season to get it to market. The good thing is, it should be backwards compatible.

 

[Blacklab]

I think we will see a Gripealk base for the Pivot 18...and hopefully a 15 before the Marker one because it is a separate part and not integrated into the toe housing. There is already one for WTR but Look/Lange/Rossignol commited to Gripwalk pretty late in the game and it might take a season to get it to market. The good thing is, it should be backwards compatible.

Oops, sorry about that previous post. My Firefox doesn't like Pugski for some reason.

Is it just as simple as Look creating a new GripWalk AFD for the Pivot 18 (like they did for WTR)? Seems like it should be and should be pretty easy to design and produce. Has anyone heard any rumblings on this? If it is coming, is there a date we could expect to see this based on the normal product cycle. Would love getting some Lupo's in 18's with CAST.

 

[Philpug]

Oops, sorry about that previous post. My Firefox doesn't like Pugski for some reason.

Is it just as simple as Look creating a new GripWalk AFD for the Pivot 18 (like they did for WTR)? Seems like it should be and should be pretty easy to design and produce. Has anyone heard any rumblings on this? If it is coming, is there a date we could expect to see this based on the normal product cycle. Would love getting some Lupo's in 18's with CAST.

It is coming.

 

[James]

No Spx 15, 18? If that's what they're called. The Axial, Rockerflex, RockerRace. I don't know the difference.

 

[Philpug]

No Spx 15, 18? If that's what they're called. The Axial, Rockerflex, RockerRace. I don't know the difference.

Kinda like boots, with propriatary plates, you don't pick race bindings, the race binding pics you depending on discipline. Pretty much universal across brands.

 

[Wendy]

I saw these Forza’s on a pair of ON3P’s at the shop the other night....had just been mounted.

 

[Blacklab]

It is coming.

SIA?

 

[604Sean]

It would be really cool if Look would make the Pivot 12, 14 and 18 with a 105mm and 120mm brake width....

 

[604Sean]

Here we go....mounted them up today at the shop with da Pivots......on da line...

View attachment 58396

I have these same binding on my 108mm Factiion 3.0's......they're kick ass.

 

[CalG]

The LOOK heels require so much less effort to step into , that the "quirkiness " is long forgotten in difficult (soft snow) conditions.

I have both. Much prefer the LOOK/ ROSSI

Neither like snow impacted boot soles. ;-)

 

[Clemson]

I just bought some Nordica Navigator 85s, and LOOK SPX 12 where recommended to me, but after doing more research have been drawn to the Pivot 12. After a post on Reddit, asking about binding comparisons, I got a response from someone who has been working in a ski shop for 25 years who stated that, -
"Look has had the highest problem rate with the pivots. Everyone thinks pivots are the best, but they just don’t test great on a release machine and I know a few people that are amazing skiers and should have come out of them and didn’t and blew out there acl’s."
This concerned me because I would be setting the binding at 5(possibly a little more or less) due to a large boot size and the fact that I honestly do not know exactly where I fall in terms of skill level. I can ski BD, but only take them if I have to make a connection to mellower blue, or greens, where I feel 100% confident and push it, honing carving skis and searching out the terrain for a fast fun ride. When I say fast, not fast like the Uber-Skier who will just leave me standing still, but faster than most who are on the same trail.
I am looking for a binding that is well built, has performance advantages, but is suitable for someone who may set them as low as 4.5, and thinks safety first. After a long hiatus more skills are coming back with each season and I seem to be advancing rapidly, but at 50 I do not expect to ever see myself setting the binding past 6.5.
Is my attraction to the Pivot sound, or potentially dangerous? Other suggestions that fit the bill?

 

[Philpug]

I just bought some Nordica Navigator 85s, and LOOK SPX 12 where recommended to me, but after doing more research have been drawn to the Pivot 12. After a post on Reddit, asking about binding comparisons, I got a response from someone who has been working in a ski shop for 25 years who stated that, -
(1) "Look has had the highest problem rate with the pivots. Everyone thinks pivots are the best, (2) but they just don’t test great on a release machine and (3) I know a few people that are amazing skiers and should have come out of them and didn’t and blew out there acl’s."
This concerned me because I would be setting the binding at 5(possibly a little more or less) due to a large boot size and the fact that I honestly do not know exactly where I fall in terms of skill level. I can ski BD, but only take them if I have to make a connection to mellower blue, or greens, where I feel 100% confident and push it, honing carving skis and searching out the terrain for a fast fun ride. When I say fast, not fast like the Uber-Skier who will just leave me standing still, but faster than most who are on the same trail.
I am looking for a binding that is well built, has performance advantages, but is suitable for someone who may set them as low as 4.5, and thinks safety first. After a long hiatus more skills are coming back with each season and I seem to be advancing rapidly, but at 50 I do not expect to ever see myself setting the binding past 6.5.
Is my attraction to the Pivot sound, or potentially dangerous? Other suggestions that fit the bill?

(1) Hmmm..I would like to see the numbers that bck this statement up, please feel free to invite your Reddit poster here and we can discuss these findings.
(2) Most times Pivots are mounted incorrectly and not the the correct forward pressure.
(3) Many amazing skiers confuse ability with aggressiveness thus setting their binding higher than theu should be then while the binding will hold you in at Mach speeds it cannot discern the slow speed falls when the binding doesn't know the limited force the body needs for release. I could put 10 different bindings on a Huber or Montana binding tester and set them all identical, no one could tell me which binding was which. Redit might be fine for news feeds but if you are looking for ski gear information, you are going to get the fringe information (and someone who has a strong opinion based heresy and preference, not actual fact.

You bought Look SPX12's and they are a fine binding, a very good one at that. It will do exactly what you want it to do, hold you in when you want to be held in and release you when you wanted to be released. But, so would a Atomic/Salomon Warden 11, Tyrolia Attack 13, Marker Griffon 13, and the Look Pivot 12, all solid bindings setting ranges that would be recommended for an adult male over 50.