Tyrolia Protector+ Attack 14 GW — Review

The Tyrolia Protector+ Attack 14 GW is Tyrolia's new-for-26/27 update to the Protector concept: the FHR (Full Heel Release) injury-protection mechanism in a redesigned 21 mm stack height, down from the original Protector's ~34 mm. It combines the standard Attack 14 GW toe and chassis with the Protector heel that rotates laterally during a fall to reduce ACL strain. Aimed at intermediate-to-advanced resort skiers who want injury-protection technology without the high-stack feel of the original Protector.

• Intermediate to advanced skiers in the 4-14 DIN range who want lateral-heel-release injury protection.
• All-mountain and freeride users on resort skis 85-115 mm waist.
• Skiers who tried the original Protector but disliked the tall stack feel.
• Not suited to touring; this is a fixed-heel alpine binding.

• Type: Alpine (GripWalk-compatible) with FHR safety heel.
• DIN 4-14: Same as the regular Attack 14, covering most adult skiers from confident intermediate through advanced/expert resort use.
• Elastic travel: Toe 5 mm Z / 30 mm X (Attack-chassis standard); heel 7 mm lateral elastic travel before the FHR rotational release engages. Vertical heel travel is not yet published for the Protector+ heel.
• Brake widths 95 / 110 mm: Narrower spread than the regular Attack 14 (no 85 mm or 130 mm at launch). Pick 95 mm for ski waists 85-105 mm, 110 mm for waists 105-115 mm.
• Weight: Not yet published by Tyrolia. The Protector+ Attack 14 GW is reported to be about 75 g lighter than the Protector+ Freeflex 14, but no per-binding gram figure has been released.
• Compatibility: ISO 5355 Alpine and ISO 23223 GripWalk. Standard auto-adjusting AFD.
• Materials: Metal AFD, metal heel track, FHR rotating heel mechanism, reinforced polymer.
• Stack height: 21 mm — down from ~34 mm on the original Protector, much closer to the regular Attack 14's 17 mm low-stack feel.

The Protector+ heel adds 7 mm of lateral elasticity before it rotates to release — a meaningful safety margin for off-axis falls and knee-twist scenarios. The 21 mm stack is lower than the original Protector, which should restore much of the direct snow feel that some skiers gave up to get the FHR safety benefit. Forward-pressure feel and retention on hard snow should match the regular Attack 14 closely. Step-in is reported to be easier than the original Protector thanks to a redesigned heel housing.

The Protector+ heel adds rotating components to the heel housing, which need to be kept clean and free of grit to release reliably. Otherwise the chassis shares the Attack 14's metal AFD and metal heel track durability. As a new product launch, long-term durability data is not yet available — early-season reports from retailers and shops will be the first signal.

Mounts as a standard flat alpine binding. The narrower brake range (95 / 110 only) means skiers with sub-95 mm waist skis will need to size up to 95 mm rather than fit the ski waist exactly — minor edge drag risk for sub-85 mm carving skis. Brake replacement kits may broaden the range during the season.

Compared to the regular Tyrolia Attack 14 it adds the FHR safety heel and 4 mm of stack (17 mm → 21 mm) at a price premium — pick the Protector+ if injury protection matters; pick the regular Attack 14 if pure performance and lowest stack are the priority. Against the Tyrolia Protector attack lyt 13, the Protector+ replaces the older 34 mm stack with the new 21 mm and gains one DIN step (13 → 14) — the Protector+ Attack 14 GW is the natural upgrade path. Cross-brand, the Look Pivot 14 is the established premium alpine binding with rotating-heel elasticity; the Pivot's safety profile is different (rotation absorbs more before release, no FHR-style lateral heel release) but it remains the freeride benchmark.

Q: How is the Protector+ different from the original Protector? A: Same FHR rotational heel release concept, but redesigned for 21 mm stack height (down from ~34 mm) and easier step-in. The safety mechanism is preserved; the geometry is closer to a regular alpine binding.

Q: Does the FHR heel reduce ACL injury risk? A: Tyrolia publishes that the FHR system reduces ACL strain by over 50% in standardized lab tests. Real-world injury reduction depends on fall geometry, snow conditions, and the standard release-value setting.

Q: Can I use it with GripWalk boots? A: Yes — the metal AFD auto-adjusts between ISO 5355 alpine and ISO 23223 GripWalk soles. No swap-out parts required.

Q: Why only 95 and 110 mm brakes? A: Tyrolia launched the Protector+ line in the most common brake widths first. Wider (130 mm) and narrower (85 mm) brake kits are expected to follow during the 26-27 season.

Q: When is verified per-binding weight expected? A: As of the 26-27 launch announcement Tyrolia has only stated relative weights (~75 g lighter than Protector+ Freeflex 14). Full retail-spec sheets typically appear closer to fall ship-date.