DIN skier code reference: the number to take to a shop
Your skier code is read from weight and from height, and the lower of the two wins. Type I skiing moves it one code down and Type III one code up, and being 9 or under or 50 or over moves it one down again. A technician then reads a release value off your binding's own certified chart at that code and your boot sole length, and verifies it on a calibrated jig. No website should print the release value itself.
This page gives you a skier code, which is the letter your shop's binding chart is indexed by, and it stops there. It does not print a release value, because that number comes off a chart specific to your binding model and is then verified on a calibrated release jig. That is not caution for its own sake: the number in a binding's indicator window and the torque it actually releases at drift apart as it ages, and the jig is the only thing that knows by how much.
Skier code reference
Follows the ISO 11088 procedure. Produces a code, never a setting.
In ski clothing. The strongest single input.
9 and under, or 50 and over, moves the code down one.
Take this code to a shop. It is not a setting. The release value is read off your binding's own certified chart using this code and your boot sole length, and is then verified on a calibrated release jig by a technician who signs for it.
The two lookup tables
Read a code from each and take the lower one. That is the whole first step, and the fact that the lower wins is the conservatism built into the standard: where height and weight disagree, the system chooses the setting that releases sooner.
Code by weight
| Weight | Code |
|---|---|
| 22 to 29 lb | B |
| 30 to 38 lb | C |
| 39 to 47 lb | D |
| 48 to 56 lb | E |
| 57 to 66 lb | F |
| 67 to 78 lb | G |
| 79 to 91 lb | H |
| 92 to 107 lb | I |
| 108 to 125 lb | J |
| 126 to 147 lb | K |
| 148 to 174 lb | L |
| 175 to 209 lb | M |
| 210 lb and up | N |
Code by height
| Height | Code |
|---|---|
| up to 148 cm | I |
| up to 157 cm | J |
| up to 166 cm | K |
| up to 178 cm | L |
| up to 194 cm | M |
| over 194 cm | N |
Skier type, and why it is a declaration rather than a preference
Type I: Cautious skiing code down one
Prefers slower speeds, moderate to gentle terrain, and light to moderate skiing. Also the correct selection for any skier who has not declared a type, because it releases earlier, which trades some risk of coming out of the ski for less risk of a retained leg in a twisting fall.
Type II: Moderate skiing no adjustment
Skis a variety of speeds and prefers varied terrain, including most groomed runs. This is the setting the chart is built around and covers the majority of recreational skiers.
Type III: Aggressive skiing code up one
Prefers fast skiing on steep and challenging terrain, and accepts a higher release setting, which means a higher risk of injury in a fall in exchange for less risk of releasing when you did not want to.
You sign for this at the shop, and the reason is that it changes the setting in a direction with consequences in both cases. Declaring Type III because it sounds better is the common error: it raises the release value, which means less risk of coming out of the ski unexpectedly and more risk of a leg that stays attached to a ski that is going somewhere your knee cannot follow.
Type I is the correct default for anyone who is unsure, and it is the correct answer for a new skier. It trades some chance of a pre-release for less chance of a retained leg in a twisting fall, which is the trade you want while you are still generating falls.
What the shop does next, and why the jig exists
With your code and your boot sole length in millimetres, the technician reads a release value from the certified chart for your exact binding model. Then they put the ski in a release jig, apply torque in twist and in forward lean, and measure the actual release. The chart number and the measured number are compared, and the binding is adjusted until the measured release is within tolerance.
That last step is the whole reason this cannot be a home job. Springs relax, mechanisms collect grit, plastic housings creep, and boot soles wear, all of which move the real release torque away from the indicator reading over time. The jig measures reality. The window on the binding is a label.
Have it done at the start of every season and after any change of boot. It typically costs less than a lift ticket, which makes it the cheapest safety purchase in skiing, and unlike most safety purchases it is not a purchase at all: it is maintenance on something you already own. Back the setting off to its lowest position for summer storage so the springs are not held compressed for months, and have it set again in the autumn.
Touring bindings are a different question
The numbers printed on the heel of a pin binding are not directly equivalent to an alpine DIN. Many tech bindings are certified to ISO 13992, which is a touring standard, and some are not certified at all. Elastic travel is far smaller, which changes the release behaviour in ways the alpine system does not describe. Have a shop configure it for your specific boot, and read alpine against tech bindings for what actually differs, and the best touring bindings comparison for each model's published weight and release range.
Related
The skier code chart is the printable version of the tables above. Binding mounting and DIN explained covers what happens on the bench, including why mounting is not a home job either. And the alpine binding roundup covers release range, brake width and sole compatibility, which are the three things to check before you buy.
Frequently asked questions
What DIN setting should I use?
This page will not tell you, and no website should. A release value is determined under ISO 11088 from height, weight, age, boot sole length, skier type and your specific binding model together, and it is then verified on a calibrated release jig that measures the torque your binding actually releases at rather than the number in its indicator window. What this page gives you is the skier code, which is the row of the shop chart you sit on, so you walk in prepared.
How is the skier code determined?
Read a code from your weight, read a code from your height, and take the lower of the two. Then apply the adjustments: skier Type I moves one code down, Type III moves one code up, and being 9 or under or 50 or over also moves one code down. The technician then reads a release value off the chart for your specific binding model at that code and your boot sole length, and verifies it on a jig.
Why does age lower the setting?
Because bone strength differs. The release value system exists to protect the tibia in a twisting fall, and the tolerance of that bone is lower in young children and declines again in older adults. The ISO procedure handles this with a single code step in both directions rather than a continuous curve, which is deliberate: the whole system is built around conservative, repeatable steps.
What skier type should I declare?
Honestly rather than aspirationally. Type I is cautious skiing at moderate speed on gentle to moderate terrain, and it is also the correct default for anyone who has not declared a type, because it releases earlier. Type II is varied speeds and varied terrain, covering most recreational skiers. Type III is fast skiing on steep terrain and accepts a higher setting, which means less risk of releasing when you did not want to and more risk of injury in a fall.
Why does boot sole length matter?
Because it changes the leverage between your leg and the binding. A longer boot applies more torque to the binding for the same twisting force at your knee, so the release value has to be adjusted to compensate. It is printed in millimetres on the heel of every alpine boot, and a shop needs it, which is why changing boots means having the bindings re-set and re-tested.
Can I adjust my own bindings if I know the number?
No, and this is the one genuinely dangerous thing on this site. The number in the indicator window and the torque the binding actually releases at drift apart as the binding ages, and only a calibrated jig can tell you by how much. A setting too high does not release in a twisting fall, which is how knees are destroyed. A setting too low releases at speed when you did not ask it to. A release test typically costs less than a lift ticket.
How we choose: we compare published manufacturer specifications, published certification standards and verified owner reviews across retailers. We do not test equipment in person, and every figure quoted here is the manufacturer's published number unless we say otherwise. This is researched buying guidance and not professional instruction: binding release values are set by a certified technician on a calibrated jig, and avalanche terrain requires formal training and a current regional forecast that no article can replace.
