Dynafit Speedskin Review
Compare prices at 2 resellers Pros: Light, well balanced performance, and an excellent tip attachment
Cons: Exclusive to Dynafit skis
Manufacturer: Dynafit
Our Verdict
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 This Product
Dynafit Speedskin | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  |  | |  | |
| Price | Check Price at Backcountry Compare at 2 sellers | Check Price at REI Compare at 3 sellers | $210 List | $209.00 at Amazon Compare at 2 sellers | $199.95 at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Pros | Light, well balanced performance, and an excellent tip attachment | Light, fast gliding, enough grip, optimized glue, universal tip and tail | Light, fast, compact | Light, fast gliding | Light and versatile |
| Cons | Exclusive to Dynafit skis | Mohair blend will wear out faster than all nylon, harder to find than other brands | Compromised grip, compromised durability | Durability concerns, limited grip | Floppy material rolls and peels, allowing some snow between ski and skin |
| Bottom Line | Limited to being compatible with Dynafit skis, these lightweight skins strike a great balance between glide and grip | The best climbing skins on the market, they strike all the right balances | Fast gliding skins for cold snow and accomplished skinners | On the balance sheet of climbing skins, they lean in the fast and light direction, with associated compromises in grip and durability | Universally compatible and high performing, these are some of the best skins on the market for whatever sticks you take into the backcountry |
| Rating Categories | Dynafit Speedskin | Pomoca Climb Pro S... | Pomoca Race Back Fix | Pomoca Climb Pro Mo... | Black Diamond Glide... |
| Glide (30%) | |||||
| Grip (15%) | |||||
| Glue Integrity (20%) | |||||
| Portability (20%) | |||||
| Icing Resistance (10%) | |||||
| Compatibility (5%) | |||||
| Specs | Dynafit Speedskin | Pomoca Climb Pro S... | Pomoca Race Back Fix | Pomoca Climb Pro Mo... | Black Diamond Glide... |
| Measured Weight | 1.21 lbs | 1.23 lbs | 1.09 lbs | 1 lb | 1.25 lbs |
| Material | Mohair and Nylon mix | 70% mohair and 30% nylon | 100% mohair | 100% Mohair | 65% Mohair, 35% Nylon |
| Weight Per Pair | 550g | 558g for Salomon MTN Explore 95 | 496g for Kastle TX 103 | 452g for Atomic Backland | 569g for Kastle TX98, 563g for Hannibal, 570g for Vta, 600g for Black Crows |
| Glue | Traditional | Traditional | Traditional | Traditional | Traditional |
| Tip Attachment | Proprietary rubber knob into ski notch | Rigid tip loop | Rigid tip loop | Rigid tip loop | Cable tip loop |
| Tail Attachment | Metal hook | Rubber strap and cam hook | Rubber strap and cam hook | Rubber strap and cam hook | Rubber strap and metal hook |
| Ski Compatibility | Compatible with Dynafit skis only | Universal | Universal | Universal | Universal |
| Precut Option? | Yes | Order for length and approximate width, cut to lateral shape | Order for length and approximate width, cut to lateral shape | Order for length and approximate width, cut to lateral shape | Order for approximate width, cut to length and lateral shape |
Our Analysis and Test Results
Dynafit Speedskins have a great tip and tail attachment, with solid fabric and glue. If you purchase Dynafit skis, we recommend you also choose the company's corresponding skins.
Performance Comparison
Glide
The Speedskins, as the name implies, are tuned for gliding. While they do not top the field, they glide better than about half the test roster. The nylon/mohair blend is Dynafit/Pomoca's attempt to balance glide with durability. Full mohair skins wear out much faster than blends but glide much better.
Grip
The Speedskins grip just fine. Certainly, something made of all nylon is going to grip better, but the Dynafits grip well enough for all backcountry and ski mountaineering use. More grip is a bit of a solution without a problem. Technique and track setting easily overcome any shortcomings in a skin's grip while optimizing biomechanics and perhaps lessening hazard exposure.
Glue Integrity
The glue alone on the Dynafit Speedskin is unremarkable. It peels from itself easily (an attribute to be appreciated, really) and disengages from the ski quite readily too. However, it is consistent and long-lasting in its stickiness, despite visual changes that suggest degradation over time. In terms of "stick-to-it-iveness", the Dynafit skins have more than just adequate glue going for them. The tip attachment is the best we've tried, and the skins are stiff enough to resist rolling and peeling while affixed. Overall, with the good-enough glue and better-than-average supporting features, the Dynafit Speedskins deliver a solid glue performance.
Icing/Glopping Resistance
In certain conditions, snow melts into the fabric of the skins. If that liquid water then comes into contact with fine-grained, colder snow, ice forms in the fabric, and conglomerates with even more snow. This "glopping" can accumulate many pounds of extra weight and eliminate any glide characteristics of the skins. All skins do this, but some are worse than others. We found the Speedskins to do better than many others in our test, up near the top in this category with the all nylon options and our top award winners. That being said, all skins ice up and need to be scraped and waxed periodically in certain conditions.
Packability and Weight
The Speedskins are tied with a bunch of hybrid nylon/mohair skins for packability. It seems that a percentage of mohair is directly proportional to packability; more mohair is more packable. Blended skins are generally all pretty similar in their weight and bulk. Full nylon skins are noticeably bulkier and heavier. Taking up even more space are the stiff plastic kinds. The slimmest skins we tested are full mohair in construction.
Compatibility
The Speedskins can only be used with Dynafit skis. Sure, one could make pretty dramatic modifications to other skis to install a notch in the tip, but this is unlikely and unnecessary. The Speedskin scores low but not the bottom of the range in this category because Dynafit offers several ski models with accompanying Speedskin options. Note that you can get the same major performance attributes, and perhaps the exact same fabric and glue, with the Editors' Choice Pomoca Climb Pro S Glide.
Value
The Speedskins are among the most expensive we tested and limited to just one brand of ski.
Conclusion
For Dynafit skis, we recommend matching skins. We do not always make this same recommendation. Overall, these would be an award contender if their performance were available in a universal format. Part of that performance, though, is the excellent tip and tail attachment that requires compatible notches in skis. Universal compatibility is inherently limited.
— Jediah Porter