The perfect binding? The Ski Trab Titan Vario Adjustable has everything you need and nothing you don’t. The patented Trab Titan toes are magnificent. The toe wings are affixed with bomber Titanium and operate independently of each other. This means that opening-force applied to one wing doesn’t also force open the other side. This improves retention when things get bumpy and you’re skiing unlocked. And ski unlocked you should, as the heel piece is the “release” version of Trab’s race heel. With a really cool internal design, the heel rotates elastically 21.5° to each side, with significant return-to-center force. Combined with the independent toe wings, pre-release is a thing of the past. On the flip side, the release works great too! Especially with this version, since Trab added a spring into the adjustment plate that sits underneath the heel. If your boot comes in contact with the housing, the heel-piece slides back so as not to jam up and prevent release. The ever-thoughtful Italians even added a custom shim under the toe piece so as to not affect your ramp angle. It’s not going out on a limb to call the Trab Vario Adjustable the safest binding in category; and it actually performs better than many above its weight. Catch the Titan fever and start using this binding, you won't go back.
- Three versions available with 8, 10, and 12 lateral and vertical release-springs.
- Toe wings operate independently which improves retention in rough conditions.
- 43° of lateral heel elasticity means you can ski unlocked with confidence.
- 30mm of adjustment for different sole lengths fits a large boot-quiver.
- Titanium toe spring is nearly impossible to break while being crazy light.
- Optional brakes have a unique design that doesn't interfere with the release.
- Spring in the adjustment plate lets the whole heel-piece slide back on impact.
- Independent toe-wings mean no dangerous snow-buildup under coiled springs.
- Flex 30 adjustment plate lets the ski flex naturally for perfect turns.
- Easy Lever 2.0 is super simple to lock and unlock, with or without a pole.
- Toe shim keeps you flat on the ski for maximum control and feel.
- Flat-on-ski mode works great with the recommended 5mm heel-gap.
- Included leash-attachment cables can be mounted under the toes.
- Crampon receptors accept the majority of Dynafit-style crampons.
- Race-style heel-flap is still the fastest way to transition.
- Wow, this list is long, Ski Trab thought of everything.
| Specifications | |
|
Weight |
234g |
| Weight (pair) | 468g |
|
Boot |
Tech |
|
Brakes |
Accessoryl 65, 78, 85, 94 |
|
BSL |
30mm |
|
Riser |
1 + flat |
|
Vertical |
8, 10, or 12 |
|
Lateral |
8, 10, or 12 |
|
Crampon |
Included Option |
| Specs Verified | Yes |
| Design | |
|
|
Titanium toe bar, Ergal aluminum frame, steel pins |
| Skimo Co Says | |
| Usage | Lightweight touring, training, racing |
| Notes | Flex plate has spring to allow heel to slide after contact |
| Bottom Line | All you need, nothing you don't |
| Compare to other Lean Bindings | |
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Questions & Reviews
12/24/2024
is it normal for the boots to be lifted this far from the skis? or did I do something wrong?
12/24/2024
Hi Max,
It's normal to have the sole of your boot floating above the ski! Tech bindings suspend the boot on the pins, and boot-to-ski contact will actually interfere with the release. Nothing appears to be off in your photo. Nice bindings, by the way!
It's normal to have the sole of your boot floating above the ski! Tech bindings suspend the boot on the pins, and boot-to-ski contact will actually interfere with the release. Nothing appears to be off in your photo. Nice bindings, by the way!
12/24/2024
thanks man..can i use these bindings and skis for regular skiing?
12/24/2024
Hi Max,
You can! Lightweight touring boots and bindings will not provide as damp or powerful of a connection to the ski as alpine bindings and they are not TUV-certified. They also may not be as durable for many thousands of feet of chairlift-assisted skiing in resort conditions. That said, many people can and do ski on tech bindings in the resort. You may need to add a leash in order to be in compliance with your resort's requirements for ski retention.
You can! Lightweight touring boots and bindings will not provide as damp or powerful of a connection to the ski as alpine bindings and they are not TUV-certified. They also may not be as durable for many thousands of feet of chairlift-assisted skiing in resort conditions. That said, many people can and do ski on tech bindings in the resort. You may need to add a leash in order to be in compliance with your resort's requirements for ski retention.
Answer this question:
12/19/2022
Are these sold out forever?
12/19/2022
Hi Ben, yes, sadly. Trab went all in on the Vario.2.
12/20/2022
Of course Trab went all in years ago, I was hoping your strategic reserve of the good stuff would last just a little longer...
12/20/2022
Hah, the reserve was renamed "personal stash" ;)
Answer this question:
4/10/2022
Are you likely to get any more R8 bindings in?
4/10/2022
Hi Chris, sadly no more are being made.
Answer this question:
9/27/2021
So are these bindings the Gara Titans on top of a Titan Flex 30 plate?
9/27/2021
Hi Zach, essentially yes. There is also a shim under the toe to reduce the change in ramp angle.
2/18/2022
jbo - I now feel betrayed by this answer. Please get Ski Trab to bring this binding back so that I can get an RV 8 Vario 1.
2/18/2022
Hi Zach, I've been trying! To clarify for others, this has the Vario 1 heel, not the straight race heel.
2/22/2022
JBO you really need to try harder. Zach and I nearly had our friendship destroyed over a pair of second hand Vario1 R8 recently. It doesn't have to be this way. Also bring back the race-style version so we don't have to waste time/money/resources on the overbuilt Flex 30 plate.
2/22/2022
Duly noted! Maybe you guys learned how to share?
2/22/2022
You know as well as anyone that futzing over T20 screws to remove/install heelpieces on ATK R01 plates is not something anyone should have to do on a regular basis. I may need to buy some more Kreuzspitze T20 bolts because the ones ATK includes with their plates are made of play-doh
3/1/2022
While we are on the trab topic, please note that some of us that don't ski 15cm undersized skis (anymore) want the simplicity of the trab toe and would even be happier with a oversized version of the toe and are fine with weight gain-because if 50-100g is why you think your friends are beating you then you need a wakeup call. Also, death to high heels, low ramp plz. Alpinist heels use 1 spring for gapless rather than 2, offer half the "rear travel (4mm compared to 8)," and offer half the adjustment (if you cared about skiing 15mm is great cause 30mm at opposite ends dramatically effects boot center and effectively creates either a noticably different feel at far ends of the spectrum). The Vario 2 heel could go on an alpinist weight loss program through the aforementioned feature trimming and offer 2 different stock shims under the toe for either neutral or moderate ramp. The people saying we don't need gapless-the Vario 1.0 is enough, would have been the the people 5 years ago saying that we don't need lateral elasticity-we can ski anything on a pure race binding. And they are correct. Most people can ski a pure race binding without any issue. Releasing from a 4.5 heel spring when hitting a rock isn't a lack of binding retention-it actually stops you from a core shot or blowing an edge, which is especially important when you are on weight weenie skis to prevent ski explosion.
3/1/2022
You call my skis 15cm undersized, I say your skis are 15cm oversized. This is skimo co not TGR take your short ski shaming elsewhere
3/1/2022
Also I'm not saying gapless is without merit. I'm just saying I don't think its worth the ~60g weight penalty over using the Vario.1 with a basic ATK RO1 style heel plate. I very much acknowledge the merit of the 30g heavier Vario.1 heel over the Gara Titan heel, and I would sacrifice more weight to have that lateral elasticity if I had to.
3/1/2022
I guarantee you the difference between first and second place at skimo worlds is not decided by 60 g :) I know many people believe the level of strava competition in the Wasatch is the same as it is as skimo world cup events, but it is not. Therefore, 60g shouldn't be a consideration for mortals not racing to pay their bills. 60g over many different items is important. On a single item it is not. Just remove the essential oil from your pack. It's not essential. 60g doesn't prevent you from doing anything.
3/2/2022
The level of discussion on this site is improving. Everybody is starting to get it. Now we need Science™ to correlate (not causate) "gram importance" to age. We are all correct at our point in the journey. My last breath will be taken while skiing unlocked in 100% carbon fiber boots with a bikini liner on detuned, torsionally stiff, buttery flexed, nose-length skinny skis mounted with 136g, flat-ramped, laterally-elastic, gapless bindings on the most delectable freshly groomed corn (for confused powder aficionados: this is the true pinnacle of ski conditions).
It has been foretold.
It has been foretold.
3/2/2022
That's a beautiful image. I'd buy a portrait of that.
Answer this question:
9/16/2021
What is the difference between this binding and the ski trab vario titan 2.0 besides the heel piece? Is the downhill performance comparable?
9/17/2021
Thanks for your question, Patrick. Besides for the heel piece, the two bindings are very similar. The Titan Vario Adjustable binding is mounted with a 4mm gap whereas the Titan Vario 2.0 is a "zero-gap" binding, which will lend itself to better skiability. For more information on the benefits of a zero gap binding, please refer to this article. Please let us know if you have any other questions!
Answer this question:
7/29/2021
I'm so excited about the toe piece here but not sure about the transition from flat to one riser when climbing. In the flat position is the heel piece turned to one side? Then to go to the single riser do you have to reach down with your hand? The terrain I walk on has a lot of ups and downs on the approach so it's important that the transition between flat and 1 up is easy. I was quite happy with my Dynafit FT12s
7/29/2021
Hey Scott, the Titan Vario will need to be rotated 90 degrees to go between the heel riser and flat mode. If it is important to move between using a riser and flat mode without rotating the heel every time we do have a couple great options for you. I would recommend looking at the Black Diamond Helio 200 binding or the Atomic Backland Pure binding which will allow you to move between using the risers and flat mode without rotating the heel every time.
Answer this question:
3/22/2021
Is it possible to get this version of the titan without the toe shim/adjustment plate? It seems like this heel piece is a better option for bigger skis ~100mm but it would be great to do away with the more complex length adjustment plate and the shimmed toe.
If it isnt possible to buy seperately, is it possible to remove the toe shim without needing extra parts to mount the toe without it?
Thanks!
If it isnt possible to buy seperately, is it possible to remove the toe shim without needing extra parts to mount the toe without it?
Thanks!
3/23/2021
Hi Gavin,
Unfortunately we do not have the Titan Vario without the plates. If you wanted to mount this sans plate and shim, you could do it but you will need the 2.0 Titan Easy Toe Lever kit (just for the striker plates) as well as shorter screws (flat toe and flat heel, specifically); all of which can be found here.
Unfortunately we do not have the Titan Vario without the plates. If you wanted to mount this sans plate and shim, you could do it but you will need the 2.0 Titan Easy Toe Lever kit (just for the striker plates) as well as shorter screws (flat toe and flat heel, specifically); all of which can be found here.
Answer this question:
3/3/2021
The pictures are inconsistent. The pictures with the entire binding show an adjustment plate with +/- 15mm adjustment, but the pictures of the adjustment plate itself show only +/- 12mm. Which is the case? Do all the different trab adjustment plates use the same hole pattern? Is the difference in adjustment range simply due to the fact that if you are making use of the spring loaded track, there needs to be more room for sliding, and thus less adjustment?
3/3/2021
Hi Kyle, sorry the design photos must be with the rental track. These ship with the +/- 12mm plates. It is the same hole pattern either way.
Answer this question:
These are very, VERY good bindings.
Backstory: Spent a good 30 mins with the owner about different bindings. And these were the ones we kept coming back to. By the end of the conversation Jason had me convinced.
First these are so light. I love that the default setting on the teeth is to stay in the boot. My favorite feature is that they don’t tend to ice up like some binding do.
The only down side I’ve seen on them is that the toe bail can time to time flip up. Just have to reach down and straighten it out.
One of two bindings I would recommend.
Backstory: Spent a good 30 mins with the owner about different bindings. And these were the ones we kept coming back to. By the end of the conversation Jason had me convinced.
First these are so light. I love that the default setting on the teeth is to stay in the boot. My favorite feature is that they don’t tend to ice up like some binding do.
The only down side I’ve seen on them is that the toe bail can time to time flip up. Just have to reach down and straighten it out.
One of two bindings I would recommend.
Comment on this review:
2/4/2021
Are the heel springs replaceable on these beauties?
2/4/2021
Hi Kam, yes they are, though they don't seem to wear out.
Answer this question:
I can't say enough how much I like this binding. I've had no pre-release issues and have had a couple instances where I'm sure one side was starting to go, but came back nicely. Super easy to use, and has been 100% reliable (have also had releases that were necessary fosho). I like that the heel piece has some give for elasticity and will be getting the Vario2 gapless on whatever ski comes next (currently on a pair of Movement AlpTracks 106). The only downside I could say is that it does take a hand/pole to step into (must push to open toe), vs just boot on others, which has potential to be an issue when standing on something dicey, though I haven't had any issues of my own as of yet. I much prefer this toe mechanism over the normal spring style of most tech toes.
Comment on this review:
12/22/2020
I bought these bindings and am looking to use the toes particularly on some Frankenbinding setups. It looks like there is no Quiver killer kit for these but I do have some spare M6 machine screws laying around at home. However, the heads of these screws are slightly too big to seat correctly. Any suggestions on where to get equivalent hardware?
12/23/2020
Hi Robert,
Do you have all the other components necessary to quiver killer your toes? We can potentially modify a set of screws for your application if you would like. For more details, reach out to us at help@skimo.co.
Do you have all the other components necessary to quiver killer your toes? We can potentially modify a set of screws for your application if you would like. For more details, reach out to us at help@skimo.co.
Answer this question:
These suckers are awesome! So awesome that my wife—who knew what she'd be missing—ordered a set the same week (day?) as I did. Mine are mounted to a pair of Dynastar Mythic 97 Pros (driven with Arc'teryx Procline Carbon boot). Hers are mounted to some Movement Alp Tracks LT 84s (driven with Scarpa F1s). After two lift-served days early this season (skiing everything from 8" (20cm) of powder to icy moguls) to test their limits, several days of our regular resort fitness laps, and one solid touring day, I'm ready to report back.
What we love: First, the weight and low profile are excellent, even with the plate. Second, the mechanical function is terrific. By that, I mean the tensioned toe spring means no toe pre-release potential like traditional tech bindings (because of snow or poor form). I skied Dynafits for about a decade, but I'm a total convert to the Ski Trabs (though I could see considering the newer Dynafit stuff for racing applications (if I actually raced)). Third, the bindings are super simple and predictable (easy, progressive spring tension and idiot-proof riser system shorten any learning curve.) Fourth, the connection to the skis felt great.
What we didn't love: Nothing, really. Just a couple things to be aware of... First, installing the leash loops should be a forethought when mounting. The metal leash loops aren't long enough to slip below, then over the toe spring (even with the lock tab pulled out). Screwdriver was necessary. Second, my wife found it easier to enter/exit her bindings with a more hands-on race technique (see youtube for skimo transition videos). We both managed to enter/exit with pole tips, as becomes habit with traditional style tech bindings, but these have a slightly different "feel" due to the spring tension that wants to push the ski forward and away from you (probably less of an issue if using brakes).
Bottom line: Absolutely pleased with this purchase (x2), based on recommendation from the Skimo Co. crew. We've pushed these hard and felt totally secure. Easy to see why so many guides and shop employees are using them.
Other thoughts: I haven't used them with the brakes, but plan to pick up a pair soon. I've heard good things from the shop.
What we love: First, the weight and low profile are excellent, even with the plate. Second, the mechanical function is terrific. By that, I mean the tensioned toe spring means no toe pre-release potential like traditional tech bindings (because of snow or poor form). I skied Dynafits for about a decade, but I'm a total convert to the Ski Trabs (though I could see considering the newer Dynafit stuff for racing applications (if I actually raced)). Third, the bindings are super simple and predictable (easy, progressive spring tension and idiot-proof riser system shorten any learning curve.) Fourth, the connection to the skis felt great.
What we didn't love: Nothing, really. Just a couple things to be aware of... First, installing the leash loops should be a forethought when mounting. The metal leash loops aren't long enough to slip below, then over the toe spring (even with the lock tab pulled out). Screwdriver was necessary. Second, my wife found it easier to enter/exit her bindings with a more hands-on race technique (see youtube for skimo transition videos). We both managed to enter/exit with pole tips, as becomes habit with traditional style tech bindings, but these have a slightly different "feel" due to the spring tension that wants to push the ski forward and away from you (probably less of an issue if using brakes).
Bottom line: Absolutely pleased with this purchase (x2), based on recommendation from the Skimo Co. crew. We've pushed these hard and felt totally secure. Easy to see why so many guides and shop employees are using them.
Other thoughts: I haven't used them with the brakes, but plan to pick up a pair soon. I've heard good things from the shop.
Comment on this review:
The toe piece design rocks. No more snow build up under the springs or crazy hard boot release by hand or boot sole surgery needed. I have these mounted on the Trab super maximo and go from the F1 to the Alien RS to drive them so the adjustable heel is perfect.
Comment on this review:
7/17/2019
Which heels springs to get? I read somewhere that these release more easily than the number suggests.
Plum Race bindings work well for me, and only release when they need to. I'm 85 kg, 183 cm. I ski steep icy stuff but carefully and slowly.
Plum Race bindings work well for me, and only release when they need to. I'm 85 kg, 183 cm. I ski steep icy stuff but carefully and slowly.
7/17/2019
Hey Ryan!
Yes, they do test out a little less then the stated value, so you should round up. You can calculate your release value here: Binding finder.
Yes, they do test out a little less then the stated value, so you should round up. You can calculate your release value here: Binding finder.
9/29/2019
Does this hole pattern jive with Dynafit Speedturn 2.0? Would love to take my Session X’s to a lighter level without drilling new holes.
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