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G3 Splitboard+ Glide Review

Great skins for proficient skinners who know they want an efficient skin for big days.
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Price:  $200 List | $198.95 at Backcountry
Compare prices at 3 resellers
Pros:  Secure and easy attachment system, efficient skinning, compact storage
Cons:  Adequate grip, awkward folds
Manufacturer:   G3
By Isaac Laredo & David Reichel  ⋅  Nov 26, 2019
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77
OVERALL
SCORE

RANKED
#2 of 6
  • Glide - 25% 9
  • Grip - 25% 6
  • Ease of Use - 15% 8
  • Attachment System - 15% 9
  • Glue Icing Glop - 20% 7

Our Verdict

The G3 Splitboard+ Glide skins provide the user-friendly features of the Splitboard+ Series in an advanced package. These skins have excellent glide, are relatively lightweight, and provide good value. The camming tail clip is a stand out feature so you can glide on the approach with peace of mind. However, the larger plastic tip clip makes for a slightly bulky fold/ roll, but we were fine with this trade-off. The Glide is an excellent choice for splitboarders confident in their technique and looking to get after it.


Compare to Similar Products

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This Product
G3 Splitboard+ Glide
Awards  Editors' Choice Award Best Buy Award   
Price $198.95 at Backcountry
Compare at 3 sellers		$189.00 at REI
Compare at 2 sellers		$178.95 at Amazon$198.95 at Amazon
Compare at 2 sellers		$249.95 at REI
Compare at 3 sellers
Overall Score Sort Icon
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Star Rating
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Pros Secure and easy attachment system, efficient skinning, compact storageAll-purpose, good ratio of grip to glide, camming tail clip, easy to align tip clipGood glide, rolls and folds small, robust adhesiveBeefy skins with great grip, durable, excellent attachment system,Lightweight, efficient, packable, good climbing ability
Cons Adequate grip, awkward foldsAwkward foldingHave to install tip clip, have to trim tip for added glide, small range of size adjustmentsBulky, slow, inefficient, tough to packExpensive, difficult tale installation, no rip strip
Bottom Line Great skins for proficient skinners who know they want an efficient skin for big days.Great grip to glide ratio in a user-friendly package.Straightforward and streamlined performance.Great skins for beginner splitboarders who want all the help they can get ascending.A efficient skin that should appeal to Jones users.
Rating Categories G3 Splitboard+ Glide G3 Splitboard+ Universal GlideLite Splitboard Mix STS G3 Splitboard+ Grip Jones Nomad PRO
Glide (25%)
10
0
9
10
0
8
10
0
8
10
0
6
10
0
7
Grip (25%)
10
0
6
10
0
8
10
0
7
10
0
8
10
0
7
Ease Of Use (15%)
10
0
8
10
0
8
10
0
6
10
0
7
10
0
6
Attachment System (15%)
10
0
9
10
0
9
10
0
7
10
0
8
10
0
7
Glue Icing Glop (20%)
10
0
7
10
0
7
10
0
7
10
0
6
10
0
6
Specs G3 Splitboard+ Glide G3 Splitboard+... GlideLite... G3 Splitboard+ Grip Jones Nomad PRO
Measured Weight Per Pair 1.23 lbs 1.23 lbs 1.43 lbs 1.28 lbs 1.10 lbs
Tip Attachment Asymmetrical steel hands Asymmetrical steel nads Coated Cable Asymmetrical steel hands Universal metal tip clip
Tail Attachment Camming Tail Clip Camming Tail Clip STS Camming Tail Clip Universal tail clip or board-specific quick tension tail clip
Manufacturer G3 G3 Black Diamond G3 Jones
Weight Per Pair 560 g 560 g 650 g 580 g 500 g
Weight Per Skin 280 g 280 g 325 g 290 g 250 g
Material Nylon plush Nylon plush 65% mohair and 35% nylon Nylon plush 70% Mohair, 30% Nylon
Glue Non-toxic adhesive Non-toxic adhesive BD Gold Label Non-toxic adhesive Traditional
Precut Option? No No No No Yes
Bag Included? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Cheat Sheets Included? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Our Analysis and Test Results

The G3 Splitboard+ Glide is a well thought out skin that helps create an enjoyable skinning experience.

Performance Comparison


Skins can bring you to awesome places.
Skins can bring you to awesome places.

Grip


The Glide skins are made up of 70% mohair, which helps glide and 30% nylon to aid in durability and grip. That being said, don't expect to be looking at your friends behind you while motoring straight up; it's just not what they were designed to do, nor is it the most efficient way to skin. With good technique, these skins provide plenty of grip, especially when touring on the ideal skin track angle of 15-20 degrees. In a variety of conditions, the skins provided enough grip to make it to where we wanted to go, with a bit of added focus.

Glide


Glide is a critical metric that intermediate to advanced splitboarders appreciate for bigger days, and is where this skin shines. Have you ever switched from a town bike with mountain bike tires to a bike with slick road tires? Riding to the bar or work instantly feels faster and easier. That is what using the Glide skins feel like after being on an all-nylon skin. The glide quality of these skins is excellent, and the energy efficiency gains associated with this are significant.

Ease of Use


The Glide is equipped with the same user-friendly features as the Splitboard+ series. It comes with a precut edge for the straight edge of your splitboard. G3 also provides our favorite trimming tool that is easy to hold and brace against the board when cutting. The goal here is to get you on the skin track faster with perfect cuts.

The folded Splitboard+ Glide.
The folded Splitboard+ Glide.

As with most skins that have complex attachment systems, rolling or folding can be a challenge and result in a bulkier or awkward package. Since the Glide utilizes mohair and a consistently shorter hair length, the skin has a lighter weight and small packed size. Having more space in your pack, less weight on your back while riding, and less weight on your feet while skinning is a major addition by subtraction.


These features are discussed in greater detail in the review of our Editors' Choice G3 Splitboard + Universal.

Attachment System


G3 has blessed the splitboard community by providing a camming tail clip with a versatile tip clip. The clips are user friendly and secure. The metal tip clips hold the skin to the board with ease and are relatively easy to attach.


The tail clip requires a specific sequence of steps to adjust the length, which we would recommend doing at home. Once we sized them appropriately, we never lost a tail clip, even on swallowtails or unique shapes. The Splitboard+ Series uses the same attachment system across the line.


Glue and Glop


when selecting the glue and waterproofing of the Splitboard+ Series, G3 prioritized environmentally friendly compounds without sacrificing performance. The Glide utilizes a PFOA free waterproofing that prevents or minimize glopping, even when our partners were lifting glopped snow bricks with every stride.

G3 utilizes a non-toxic glue that stuck as good on the first day as it does today. Our experience with the adhesive and glop performance matched the results of the Universal skins, and we discuss that in greater detail in the Universal review.

Snow between the base and Splitboard+ Glide/
Snow between the base and Splitboard+ Glide/

Value


This skin isn't the cheapest, nor is it the most expensive mohair mix option on the market. It differentiates itself with its camming tail clip and overall ease of use. In the mohair category, the Glide provides a good value.


Conclusion


The G3 Splitboard+ Glide skins are excellent choices for experienced splitboarders who get after it. The glide is not the best skin for beginners, but for those who have figured out the Jedi skinning skills necessary to push it farther into the backcountry, the Glide skins may be the best choice.


— Isaac Laredo & David Reichel