The Best Climbing Skins of 2025 for Backcountry Skiing
We have shuffled and ascended on the best skins from Pomoca, contour, Montana, Dynafit, Black Diamond and more to offer you tailored advice to match your needs and budget.
Our team of backcountry ski guides has continually tested the best climbing skins over the past decade. This review draws on their cumulative wisdom earned through skinning millions of vertical feet to directly compare 17 of the best skins side-by-side.
We want you to understand up front that every single attribute of a climbing skin is balanced by a competing attribute. Optimization, at any price, is essentially impossible. However, certain models do stand out for their well-balanced, proven designs. The contour hybrid MIX offers an excellent balance of glide and grip, with an easily cleanable adhesive that requires less maintenance over time.
"These walk a tightrope, yielding a product that is fully balanced right at the performance point that our experience suggests is ideal."