OBERSON BUYING GUIDE
How to Choose Climbing Skins
Here’s how to choose climbing skins so you can earn your turns: the material, pre-cut versus trim-to-fit, width, and length.
AT A GLANCE
To choose the right climbing skins, start with the skins made for your specific gear: skis or splitboard. Then select your material—mohair, synthetic, or hybrid—based on your preferences and typical terrain. This determines grip-to-glide performance, weight, packability, and durability. From there, buy pre-cut skins if available in your preferred material or if not, trim-to-fit skins sized to your specific width and length.
Do you have alpine touring skis or a splitboard?
Climbing skins are sold separately for AT skis and splitboards. Their attachments are made specifically for one or the other, so shop the category that matches your equipment.
Material (mohair, synthetic, or hybrid) works the same way for both, so that decision comes next regardless of your gear.
What material should you choose for climbing skins?
Climbing skin material comes down to trade-offs between glide, grip, durability, and price—most skiers land on a hybrid blend, but the table and breakdown below cover when mohair or synthetic makes more sense.
| Material | Key Features | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Mohair | Lightweight, outstanding glide, compact, priciest | Dry, cold snow; long tours and races |
| Synthetic (nylon) | Abrasion-resistant, durable, excellent grip, moisture-resistant, most affordable | Wet or variable snow; frequent use, steep climbing |
| Hybrid (mohair + nylon) | Balanced grip-to-glide ratio, moderate weight, and price | All-around touring |
Mohair
Choose mohair if you’re a racer, often tackle long approaches, or simply prioritize glide and weight over durability. The natural fibre, made from Angora goat hair, glides better across flats and traverses, packs up smaller, and is the material of choice for racing, where optimal glide and weight are critical. It performs best on dry, cold snow. It’s also the most expensive of the three.
Synthetic (Nylon)
Synthetic can be a good choice if you ski wet or variable conditions, often tackle long, steep climbs, or want the most affordable, most durable option. Nylon’s stronger grip forgives imperfect technique, which also makes it a practical choice for beginners. The downside is that it will be heavier and bulkier in your pack and doesn’t glide as well as the other options, which can slow you down on flat terrain.
Hybrid (Mohair and Nylon)
Hybrid skins are the best choice for many backcountry skiers due to their all-around capability. They’re a blend of the two materials (usually somewhere around 65% mohair and 35% nylon). For most skiers, they strike the right balance between grip and glide.
Should you buy pre-cut or trim-to-fit skins?
Pre-cut
Choose pre-cut skins if available for your specific ski or splitboard in the material you want. They’ll save you time and effort and fit perfectly with no risk of a cutting mistake.
Trim-to-Fit
Go with trim-to-fit if no pre-cut option exists for your model or in your preferred material. You’ll need to buy skins that are the right width and length (as covered in the next two steps) before cutting them to fit.
How wide should your climbing skins be?
Alpine Touring Skis
If you’re sizing trim-to-fit skins, choose skins that are about 5 to 6 millimetres narrower than the widest part of your ski, which is generally toward the tip. Check the ski’s sidecut (tip-waist-tail) and use the largest number. You can find it on the ski or the brand’s website. For example, for a ski with a 125-millimetre tip, go with 120-millimetre skins. This will give you good grip without covering the edges, which can be needed when traversing steep terrain.
Splitboards
Most splitboard skins come in one standard width, about 140 millimetres.
How long should your climbing skins be?
When sizing trim-to-fit skins, choose a size whose labelled range matches your equipment’s length. For example, for a 168-centimetre ski, buy a medium length skin that covers skis from 165 centimetres to 180 centimetres. Most skins use a tail attachment that lets you fine-tune within that range for a perfect fit. Skins with a fixed clip need to be trimmed to length before the tail hardware is installed.
FAQ — How to Choose Climbing Skins
Do you need climbing skins for every ski in your quiver?
Generally, yes. Most quivers have real width differences between pairs, and skins need to match each ski’s specific width within a few millimetres for optimal grip and proper edge clearance.
How long do climbing skins last?
Climbing skins generally last between 100,000 and 150,000 vertical metres with proper care and maintenance. Durability also varies by material: synthetic holds up longest, mohair wears fastest, and hybrid falls in between.
How do you know when you need to replace climbing skins?
Grip and glide are the real test. If performance noticeably declines and doesn’t recover after a cleaning or waxing, the plush itself has worn out. Glue and tip/tail hardware can be replaced, so a worn plush is usually the reason to buy a new pair rather than repair your current one.
Does Oberson offer a climbing skin cutting service?
Yes, bring trim-to-fit skins to our ski repair shop, and Oberson’s in-store experts will cut them to match your skis or splitboard. This service saves you time and eliminates the risk of making a mistake.
Can you reuse your old climbing skins if you buy new skis?
Yes, if your new skis are the same size as your old ones or are narrower with a length within the adjustability of the tail clip. In that case, just trim the skins as needed for edge clearance. If your new skis are wider or longer than what your skins were cut for, you’ll need a new pair for optimal grip.
Do you need ski crampons if you have climbing skins?
Not necessarily, since skins will get you to the top in most conditions. You need crampons, which are a hinged plate that you attach to your bindings, when the snow is too icy, hard, or wet and slippery for skins alone. This usually happens above the treeline in the spring.
Climbing Skins at Oberson
Oberson carries a full selection of pre-cut or trim-to-fit climbing skins for touring skis and splitboards. Our experts can help you choose the right size and material. Our ski repair shop can also save you time by trimming them in-store. Shop online or visit our stores in Laval or Brossard to browse our selection.
