The world's most in-depth and scientific reviews of gear

Dynafit Speedskin Review

Limited to being compatible with Dynafit skis, these lightweight skins strike a great balance between glide and grip
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Price:  $190 List | $157.46 at Backcountry
Compare prices at 2 resellers
Pros:  Light, well balanced performance, and an excellent tip attachment
Cons:  Exclusive to Dynafit skis
Manufacturer:   Dynafit
By Jediah Porter ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  Feb 11, 2020
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58
OVERALL
SCORE

RANKED
#4 of 12
  • Glide - 30% 6
  • Grip - 15% 6
  • Glue Integrity - 20% 6
  • Portability - 20% 6
  • Icing Resistance - 10% 6
  • Compatibility - 5% 2

Our Verdict

Dynafit sells the Speedskins for use with their own skis. While it is conceivable that one could modify other brands of skis for use with Speedskins, we do not recommend that. The Speedskin is a moderately performing product in our test, with its greatest hang-up being compatibility. You can only use Speedskins with Dynafit skis. An important thing to know about the Speedskins is that, while they are branded as Dynafit, they are actually manufactured by Pomoca. Also in our test, the Editors' Choice winning Climb Pro S Glide is built by Pomoca. The two perform very similarly, except in tip and tail attachment. The Pomoca is universally compatible. It is hard to get a straight answer, but it sure seems that the Pro S Glide and the Dynafit Speedskin use the same fabric and glue formulation. We can recommend these skins for all-around backcountry touring and ski mountaineering with Dynafit brand skis. In many ways, the option to use these skins can be a selling point for some models of Dynafit ski.

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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


The Speedskins are the only product in our review that disengage first at the tip. Also in this photo: Dynafit TLT 6 boots Arc'teryx Macai jacket Smith Vantage ski helmet and Patagonia Powder Bowl pants.
The Speedskins are the only product in our review that disengage first at the tip. Also in this photo: Dynafit TLT 6 boots, Arc'teryx Macai jacket, Smith Vantage ski helmet, and Patagonia Powder Bowl pants.

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.

Close up view of the clean and efficient tip section of the Speedskins on compatible Dynafit Grand Teton skis.
Close up view of the clean and efficient tip section of the Speedskins on compatible Dynafit Grand Teton skis.

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.

Close up view of both fabric and glue side of the Speedskins. What looks like failing glue on the black portion is not at all. It is just a change in texture.
Close up view of both fabric and glue side of the Speedskins. What looks like failing glue on the black portion is not at all. It is just a change in texture.

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.

Close up view of the tail attachment of the Speedskins.
Close up view of the tail attachment of the Speedskins.

Value


The Speedskins are among the most expensive we tested and limited to just one brand of ski.

Dynafit Grand Teton skis Speedskins Black Diamond Ascension Nylon skins and G3 Alpinist skins lined up between sunny ski sessions in Silverton Colorado.
Dynafit Grand Teton skis, Speedskins, Black Diamond Ascension Nylon skins, and G3 Alpinist skins lined up between sunny ski sessions in Silverton, Colorado.

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