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

EVVO Snowshoes Review

We had high hopes for this unique design, but it did not impress
EVVO Snowshoes
Photo: REI Co-op
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Price:  $185 List
Pros:  Comfortable, secure, storage bag included
Cons:  Poor flotation, heavy, poor traction
Manufacturer:   EVVO
By Ian McEleney ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  Dec 24, 2020
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34
OVERALL
SCORE

RANKED
#12 of 12
  • Flotation - 25% 1
  • Traction - 25% 2
  • Stride Ergonomics - 20% 5
  • Binding Comfort - 10% 6
  • Ease of Use - 10% 4
  • Binding Security - 10% 6

Our Verdict

The EVVO Snowshoes are from a new company that uses some interesting new designs. They are fairly intuitive to put on and don't move around once you're strapped in. However, while their small and flexible deck is nice on well-groomed trails, they have the least flotation in our review, and the rubber tire-like bottom provides little traction. Weight is not one of our main testing metrics, but we also couldn't help but notice how heavy these are, especially considering their small size. These snowshoes are best for hikers who plan to stay on groomed trails, aren't walking far, and aren't searching for the best value.

Compare to Similar Products

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EVVO Snowshoes
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EVVO Snowshoes
Awards  Editors' Choice Award   Best Buy Award 
Price $185 List$320 List$260 List$230 List$139.95 at REI
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Pros Comfortable, secure, storage bag includedRigid, precise, excellent binding security, traction, flotationFully featured for steep and technical useGood traction, and an easy-to-use, comfortable bindingInexpensive, simple, reliable
Cons Poor flotation, heavy, poor tractionNew binding trades ease-of-use for comfortLoud decking and bulky harnessMediocre flotation for the length, strapped deck/binding attachmentLoud decking on crusty snow
Bottom Line These snowshoes did not perform well in our test, despite some new design ideasOur overall champ combines simplicity and high-quality materials, features, and engineeringThis is a top-scoring model with excellent traction and comfortThis average performer will keep most winter hikers happyThis reliable and well-priced snowshoe is versatile and easy to use
Rating Categories EVVO Snowshoes MSR Lightning Ascent Tubbs Flex VRT Atlas Montane MSR Evo
Flotation (25%)
1
6
5
5
4
Traction (25%)
2
10
8
8
7
Stride Ergonomics (20%)
5
8
9
7
8
Binding Comfort (10%)
6
8
8
8
7
Ease Of Use (10%)
4
4
8
8
5
Binding Security (10%)
6
10
8
9
10
Specs EVVO Snowshoes MSR Lightning Ascent Tubbs Flex VRT Atlas Montane MSR Evo
Uses Groomed trails Spring snow and steep terrain Spring snow and steep terrain Spring snow and moderate terrain Spring snow and moderate terrain
Optimum weight load per tested size (per manufacturer) Not stated 120-220 lbs up to 190 lbs 25: 120-200 lbs, 30: 150-250 lbs, 35: 180-300+ lbs up to 180 lbs
Weight (per pair) 5 lbs 8 oz 4 lbs 0 oz 4 lbs 9 oz 4 lbs 7 oz 3 lbs 9 oz
Surface Area 127 in² 188 in² 179 in² 176 in² 173 in²
Dimensions 19 x 8" 25 x 8" 24 x 8" 25 x 8"
Crampon/Traction aids None Steel crampon augmented with rail and frame teeth Steel crampon augmented with traction rails Steel crampon augmented with traction rails Steel crampon augmented with traction rails
Frame material Foam/rubber composite Aluminum Steel traction rails Aluminum Steel traction rails
Deck material Foam/rubber composite Fabric Molded plastic Nytex fabric Molded plastic
Heel Lift No Yes Yes Yes Yes
Binding/Deck Connection Rigid, no hinge Hinged Hinged Strapped Hinged
Binding system Rubber straps with pin-in-hole Rubber Straps with pin-in-hole Boa Nylon straps with cam buckles, rubber strap with plastic buckle Rubber Straps with pin-in-hole
Flotation tails sold separately? No Yes No No Yes
Men's and Women's versions? Unisex Yes Yes Yes Unisex
Sizes Available S, M and L 22, 25, 30 24, 28 25, 30, 35 One Size
Tested Size L 25 24 25 One Size

Our Analysis and Test Results

The EVVO Snowshoe is relatively new to the market, and its design brings some new and interesting ideas. The bottom of the deck, the binding, and the way those two are attached are unique in our test. Read on to find out how these new designs performed in our real-world testing.

Performance Comparison


New, untracked snow is not an ideal environment for this model.
New, untracked snow is not an ideal environment for this model.
Photo: Ian McEleney

Flotation


Flotation is mostly a function of the surface area presented by the deck of a snowshoe. Even though we tested the largest model available, the EVVO has the lowest surface area numbers in our review, just 127 square inches. This means that it is noticeably weak in the flotation department.

Extreme flexibility makes for nicer walking on groomed surfaces, but...
Extreme flexibility makes for nicer walking on groomed surfaces, but compromises flotation.
Photo: Ian McEleney

In addition, the deck of this snowshoe is quite flexible. While this makes it more comfortable to walk in on hard snow or groomed trails, it concentrates your weight under the foot, and the flotation is less than with a similarly sized rigid deck.

This cutout in the tail does nothing for flotation, effectively...
This cutout in the tail does nothing for flotation, effectively reducing the surface area.
Photo: Ian McEleney

Traction


Traction is necessary for traveling across snowy landscapes. The EVVO approaches the traction problem differently from any other snowshoe we've seen. It eschews metal spikes, rails, or any sort of hard plastic fin. Instead, what's found on the bottom of the deck is rubber that looks like a car's tire. Our team was skeptical at first that this would work at all.

In the end, we discovered that skepticism to be well-founded. Though the difference varied in every type of snow (or snow and ice combination) we tested, the EVVO had less traction than any other snowshoe in our review.

The bottom of the EVVO deck.
The bottom of the EVVO deck.
Photo: Ian McEleney

Stride Ergonomics


The way the binding of a snowshoe attaches to the deck is generally the most important factor in this metric. Unlike every other product in this review, the binding of the EVVO is fixed directly to the deck. The deck does not rotate around a hiker's foot in any way. Instead, it is very flexible.

We found that this is one of the more pleasant snowshoes to walk in on very hard snow or groomed trails. This is due both to the flexible deck (especially the tail) and the generally smaller size. In deeper snow, it was as comfortable to walk in as any other model, though in these conditions we were more distracted by the lack of flotation.

Another factor that affects how it feels to walk around with something on your feet is how much it weighs. While no snowshoe is ultralight, the EVVO is among the heaviest products in our test, and this has a negative impact on its stride ergonomics.

Weighing the EVVO.
Weighing the EVVO.
Photo: Ian McEleney

Binding Comfort


The unique binding of the EVVO has a slipper-like front that your boot slides into. Two rubber straps — one over the instep and one behind the heel — secure your boot. We found that this setup distributed binding pressure fairly well.

The EVVO and their storage bag (included).
The EVVO and their storage bag (included).
Photo: Ian McEleney

Ease Of Use


Putting on these snowshoes is a pretty intuitive process. A small tab (that's hard to use with mittens) holds the slipper part open while you insert a foot. The rubber strap with a pin-in-hole design is similar to many other models. With the EVVO, however, we found those straps to be a bit on the short side and harder to hold on to than other models.

While fairly straightforward, the straps on the EVVO are a bit short...
While fairly straightforward, the straps on the EVVO are a bit short and the whole process is tricky with gloves or mittens.
Photo: Ian McEleney

Binding Security


The poor traction and flotation performance of the EVVO means we cannot recommend them for deep snow or steep, rough terrain, though the bindings are secure enough. These snowshoes seem to be sized by the user's foot size — as opposed to the user's weight, like most other models. We tested a size L. Despite a lack of adjustability on the "slipper" part of this binding, our smaller-footed testers did not experience noticeable slippage, despite the empty space.

This size 43 boot does not fill the "slipper" front of the binding.
This size 43 boot does not fill the "slipper" front of the binding.
Photo: Ian McEleney

Value


The EVVO is not a great value. Several other models in our test cost less (some significantly so) and yet perform much better. Snowshoes that are comparable or more expensive also perform better.

Conclusion


While the EVVO has some unique features and performance characteristics, we did not find these to be superior to standard snowshoe features and design. Even in its best metrics (Binding Comfort and Security), the EVVO is about average. Overall, it does not perform as well as other snowshoes.

This snowshoe is not much help in the deep stuff.
This snowshoe is not much help in the deep stuff.
Photo: Ian McEleney

— Ian McEleney