A ski DIN setting comes from a chart, not a formula: pick a skier code from your weight and height, adjust it for skier type (I, II or III) and age, then read the number in your boot-sole-length column. A 5′9″, 160 lb, 35-year-old Type II skier with a 305 mm boot gets 6.5.
This calculator follows the 2022/23 Rossignol Group (LOOK) binding adjustment chart, which the manufacturer says complies with ISO 11088 and ASTM F939. Use it to understand and sanity-check the number a shop gives you. The result is the technician's starting value, which they then confirm with a release test on a calibrated device.
How to use this calculator
- Enter your weight and height in pounds and inches or kilograms and centimetres.
- Enter your age. Skiers 9 and under or 50 and over move one row up the chart.
- Pick your skier type: I if you want easier release, II if you are an average recreational skier, III if you ski fast and aggressively and accept the trade-off.
- Enter the boot sole length printed on the heel of your ski boot, in millimetres.
- Read the setting, the skier code and the reference torques, then take them to a certified technician.
The method, step by step
LOOK's 2022/23 technical manual gives five steps for its chart; the first four set the indicator value:
- Weight and height. Find the skier code for each. If they give two different codes, use the one nearer the top of the chart (for example H and I gives H).
- Release preference. The chart is for Type I. Type II moves down one row and Type III two rows, except that skiers under 48 lb move at most one row.
- Age. Skiers 50 and over, and 9 and under, move up one row.
- Boot sole length. Read across the final row to your sole-length column. If the box is blank, use the nearest box in the same row.
Two notes close the chart: skiers 29 lb and under get no further correction, and Type −I (below Type I) is inappropriate for skiers 38 lb and under. The fifth step gives technicians the reference torque for each code, which sets the inspection range for the release test.
Skier code from weight and height
| Code | Weight (lb) | Weight (kg, approx.) | Height |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 22–29 | 10–13 | — |
| B | 30–38 | 14–17 | — |
| C | 39–47 | 18–21 | — |
| D | 48–56 | 22–25 | — |
| E | 57–66 | 26–30 | — |
| F | 67–78 | 30–35 | — |
| G | 79–91 | 36–41 | — |
| H | 92–107 | 42–49 | ≤ 4′10″ |
| I | 108–125 | 49–57 | 4′11″–5′1″ |
| J | 126–147 | 57–67 | 5′2″–5′5″ |
| K | 148–174 | 67–79 | 5′6″–5′10″ |
| L | 175–209 | 79–95 | 5′11″–6′4″ |
| M | 210+ | 95+ | ≥ 6′5″ |
Heights only start at code H; a child's code always comes from weight. The kilogram column is converted from the chart's pound bands and rounded. Codes N, O and P have no weight or height band and are reached only through the type correction.
DIN chart: setting by skier code and boot sole length
| Code | ≤ 230 mm | 231–250 mm | 251–270 mm | 271–290 mm | 291–310 mm | 311–330 mm | 331–350 mm | ≥ 351 mm | Twist / lean (Nm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 0.75 | 0.75 | 0.75 | 8 / 29 | |||||
| B | 1 | 0.75 | 0.75 | 0.75 | 11 / 40 | ||||
| C | 1.5 | 1.25 | 1.25 | 1 | 14 / 52 | ||||
| D | 2 | 1.75 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.25 | 17 / 64 | |||
| E | 2.5 | 2.25 | 2 | 1.75 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 20 / 75 | ||
| F | 3 | 2.75 | 2.5 | 2.25 | 2 | 1.75 | 1.75 | 23 / 87 | |
| G | 3.5 | 3 | 2.75 | 2.5 | 2.25 | 2 | 27 / 102 | ||
| H | 3.5 | 3 | 3 | 2.75 | 2.5 | 31 / 120 | |||
| I | 4.5 | 4 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3 | 37 / 141 | |||
| J | 5.5 | 5 | 4.5 | 4 | 3.5 | 3 | 43 / 165 | ||
| K | 6.5 | 6 | 5.5 | 5 | 4.5 | 4 | 50 / 194 | ||
| L | 7.5 | 7 | 6.5 | 6 | 5.5 | 5 | 58 / 229 | ||
| M | 8.5 | 8 | 7 | 6.5 | 6 | 67 / 271 | |||
| N | 10 | 9.5 | 8.5 | 8 | 7.5 | 78 / 320 | |||
| O | 11.5 | 11 | 10 | 9.5 | 9 | 91 / 380 | |||
| P | 12 | 11 | 10.5 | 105 / 452 |
Transcribed from the Rossignol Group 2022/23 Binding Adjustment Chart (effective July 2022). The torque column is the reference torque a technician tests against, not a target. The manual stresses that these are bench values for dispatching equipment and are not suitable for judging a binding after an accident.
Worked examples
| Skier | Weight / height | Age | Type | BSL | Code | DIN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average adult, Type II | 160 lb / 5′9″ | 35 | II | 305 mm | L | 6.5 |
| Same skier at 55 | 160 lb / 5′9″ | 55 | II | 305 mm | K | 5.5 |
| Light beginner, Type I | 120 lb / 5′3″ | 28 | I | 275 mm | I | 4 |
| Heavy expert, Type III | 200 lb / 6′0″ | 30 | III | 320 mm | N | 8.5 |
| Child, age 8, Type I | 45 lb / 3′10″ | 8 | I | 230 mm | B | 1 |
| Teen, Type II | 100 lb / 5′0″ | 13 | II | 270 mm | I | 4.5 |
The first two rows are the same skier. At 35 the code is L and the setting 6.5; at 55 the age rule moves them up to K and 5.5. The heavy Type III skier starts at L from weight and height and moves two rows down to N. The 8-year-old's code comes from weight alone (C), then moves up a row for age.
Common mistakes
- Choosing Type III because you ski well. Type is a release preference. Higher settings cut pre-release but raise the chance the binding will not let go.
- Using shoe size instead of boot sole length. Read the millimetre figure on the boot heel; a wrong column can move the setting by a full point or more.
- Taking the heavier of the two codes. When weight and height disagree, the chart uses the code nearer the top, which is the lower setting.
- Forgetting the age correction. It applies from 50, not only to older seniors.
- Mixing charts. Each manufacturer tells shops to use its own current chart. Numbers from an old or different chart can be slightly off.
- Skipping the test. Springs wear and boots differ. Only a release test shows whether the binding lets go at the right torque.
Why technicians test, not just set
ISO 11088 covers the whole assembly, adjustment and inspection of an alpine ski-binding-boot system owned by the skier or rented for 15 days or more; short-term rentals fall under ISO 13993. In both, the number on the scale is only the first step. The technician checks the boot against the binding interfaces, sets forward pressure and toe height, then measures twist and forward-lean release and compares them with the inspection range around the reference torque. LOOK's manual also tells shops to service a binding every 30 days of skiing or once a year, whichever comes first.
Planning a trip? Convert your weight with the kg to lbs converter or the stone to pounds converter, and check your height in feet and inches with the inches to cm converter.
Safety notice. This page explains how binding charts work and gives an estimate only. It is not a substitute for a certified ski technician, who must mount, adjust and release-test your bindings with your boots. Even a correctly set binding cannot release in every fall or hold in every turn.
Frequently asked questions
What DIN setting should I use?
It depends on your weight, height, age, skier type and boot sole length. A 5′9″, 160 lb, 35-year-old Type II skier with a 305 mm boot gets code L and a setting of 6.5 on the 2022/23 LOOK chart. A shop technician should set and test the binding; the chart value is only where they start.
How is a ski DIN setting calculated?
Find the skier code (a letter) for your weight and your height, and keep the one nearer the top of the chart. Move down one row for Type II or two rows for Type III, and up one row if you are 50 or older or 9 or younger. Then read across that row to the column for your boot sole length.
What do skier types I, II and III mean?
They are a release preference, not a skill level. Type I gets lower settings (easier release in a fall) and suits skiers who are unsure; Type II gets average settings and suits most recreational skiers; Type III gets higher settings, which lowers the risk of an unwanted release but raises the risk of the binding not releasing. LOOK does not recommend Type III for skiers 47 lb (21 kg) and under.
Why does boot sole length change the DIN?
The binding releases at a torque, and a longer boot is a longer lever. The same twisting force at the boot toe produces more torque at the binding with a longer sole, so a lower number on the scale gives the same release torque. That is why each row of the chart steps down as the sole gets longer.
Why is the setting lower over age 50?
The chart moves skiers aged 50 and over, and children aged 9 and under, up one row, which lowers the setting. The manual gives the rule but not the reason; the usual explanation is lower bone strength at both ends of the age range.
Where do I find my boot sole length?
It is molded or printed on the side of the boot heel or shell, in millimetres, often next to the mondo size. It is not your foot length or shoe size, so read it off the boot itself.
Is DIN the same as ISO or Z value?
They are the same scale under different names. The number on the binding is an indicator setting that maps to a release torque; LOOK calls it the indicator value and says its chart complies with ISO 11088, ISO 8061 and ASTM F939. Other manufacturers' charts follow the same standards but may differ slightly, and each says to use its own current chart.
Can I set my own ski bindings?
You can turn the screws, but a correct setup also means checking forward pressure, toe height and the measured release with a calibrated testing device, which is what ISO 11088 and the manufacturer manuals require. LOOK says a binding should be serviced by an authorized technician every 30 days of skiing or once a year, whichever comes first.
What if my setting falls in a blank box?
Some combinations of code and sole length are blank in the chart. LOOK's instruction is to move across the same row to the nearest box that has a value, which is what this calculator does and tells you when it happens.
What is the highest DIN on the chart?
The 2022/23 LOOK chart tops out at 12 for code P with a 311–330 mm boot. Bindings themselves have their own maximum, so a skier whose setting is near the top of a binding's range may need a higher-range model.
Sources & method
- Rossignol Group (LOOK, Rossignol, Dynastar) — Technical Manual 2022/23, Alpine Bindings USA: Release Preference (p. 67) and 2022/23 Binding Adjustment Chart and steps (pp. 68–69)
- ISO 11088:2023 — Alpine ski/binding/boot (S-B-B) system: assembly, adjustment and inspection (scope)
- ISO 13993:2019 — Rental ski shop practice: sampling and inspection of alpine ski-binding-boot systems in rental applications
Results are estimates for general information. Found an error? It helps everyone — see our methodology.