Dynafit Announces Three New Touring Bindings For 2025

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A lot of things have changed in skiing over the last 40 years, but Dynafit is still making bindings. In 1984, Austrian tinkerer Fritz Barthel developed the original Low Tech touring binding, created expressly for the purpose of making ski touring easier. Now, four decades later, the basic working principle of these bindings hasn’t changed, but material, design and functionality updates have seen performance increase by leaps and bounds. Today, Dynafit’s experience shows with the release of the new full-featured high performance Ridge binding , minimalist Seven Summits binding , and the first tech binding designed for kids: the Youngstar .

Since Dynafit’s original patent on tech bindings expired in 2014, the market has seen a myriad of this type of lightweight, uphill-capable touring binding emerge from competitors like Salomon, ATK, Marker, and Plum. As a quick refresher, the difference between traditional alpine bindings and “tech” or “pin” bindings is how the boot attaches to the ski. In a traditional alpine binding, spring-loaded metal and plastic components are used to clamp the front and back boot to the ski. In a pin binding, a special boot is needed that features small metal inserts in the toe and heel that line up with pins on the binding. That way, the heel of the boot can be released from the binding, while the toe stays attached, and can pivot vertically around the toe pins to allow for efficient uphill travel. Both types of bindings will release the boot in a fall, and most pin bindings are now also DIN certified, the same way alpine bindings are.

Related: Best Backcountry Touring Skis of 2025

2025 Dynafit Ridge Binding

The all-new Ridge binding is a pretty strong departure from Dynafit’s minimalist offerings. Instead, it’s a freetouring focused binding that specifically sets out to address common pain points with pin bindings, like hard-to-turn heel pieces, difficulty stepping in, and ice buildup on wet days. The 410-gram binding offers a wide range of adjustable DIN settings from 4-12, various brake widths including 88, 98, 110, 120 mm, and a 25mm boot size adjustment range. As a free touring binding, it’s nice to see 7mm of forward pressure, automatic brakes, two heel riser options, and a novel ski crampon attachment system.

It’s definitely not the lightest, but many of these features seem like a big step in the right direction of making a more user-friendly binding, especially for skiers new to using this type of binding. The Ridge seems like a vastly improved version of the existing Radical binding, one of the best-selling ski touring bindings of all time. This would be a great option to pair with a set of bigger touring skis for skiers looking to ride hard in the backcountry.

2025 Dynafit Seven Summits Binding

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Dynafit introduces the new minimalist Seven Summits binding. It’s a mid-weight option that pares it back to the essentials: 320 grams, optional automatic brakes, adjustable 4-10 DIN, and a low-profile but burly construction. Beyond that, there isn’t much to say about the binding, and that’s kind of the point.

Designer Fritz Barthel considers this the modern evolution of his original Low-Tech design, combining intentional simplicity with just the right amount of functionality so you have everything you need for touring, and nothing more. It’s still too heavy to really be considered a ski mountaineering binding, but would be a great option for a reliable everyday option

2025 Dynafit Youngstar Binding

Dynafit introduces the first pin binding specifically for youth skiers with the Youngstar. With the global explosion in popularity of backcountry skiing during the COVID-19 pandemic, a whole new generation of skiers was introduced to ski touring, but the gear had yet to catch up. It’s cool to see Dynafit thinking very outside the box with this binding, which was designed with direct input from a team of young skimo athletes and ski tourers.

Functionally, the new Youngstar isn’t all that different from Dynafit’s other offerings, but a whole slew of small details were included that really set this apart as a safe and kid-friendly option. A special toe piece gives the Youngstar the lowest release values of 2-5 on the market. 50mm of boot size adjustment means that the binding can grow along with its owners for years without requiring a remount. An automatic brake and two oversized heel risers allow for easy operation by a ski pole.