Black Diamond GlideLite Splitboard Skins Review – Reliable and Effective

The Black Diamond GlideLite Splitboard Skins are a great and reliable skin made of mohair and nylon. I used them for the first half of the season and dig them! They were a little challenging for me (because it is me LOL) to figure out how to set up, but they have performed well for splitboard tours.

Black Diamond GlideLite Splitboard Skins

These Splitboard skins have a nice mix of mohair and nylon.  I find that mohair mixes perform very well for the kind of tours that I do.  Meaning, I prefer a lighter weight and more glide.  I am not much for high traction nylon skins.  If you are, then these may not be the right skins for you.  These did not give me any issues on the skin track though.

I used them October 2019 – March 2020 here in Colorado.  They were mounted on a Never Summer Atom 165 wide splitboard and left in my 4Runner when not in use.  I try to replicate real-life use when I do reviews and I anticipate that many of you would treat your skins similarly.  I also know that many of you will be more respectful of your gear and take then inside and give them a bubble bath and all the TLC they deserve 🙂

What have I noticed over the 5+ months of use?

They have performed as good as any skin I have tested.  The glue is sticky, but not so sticky that it leaves a residue on the board.  The skins dry as quickly as any other as well.  I had no problem with back to back laps.  The GlideLite splitboard skins packed up nicely in my backpack and did not cause me any issues with touring.

What can I say? They are really good skins that work well.  The traction was great for my style of touring.  I can not think of a time that they did not provide adequate traction on various kinds of snow.  The skins work, and they work very well.  They are reliable and I wold have no problem recommending them.


Black Diamond GlideLite Splitboard Mix STS Skins - Moosejaw

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GlideLite Splitboard Skins Set Up

I have tested at least 10 different splitboard skins over the last few years.  I do not claim to be an expert at cutting them though!  Truly, I suck at it.  And, I have plenty of opportunity for attaching tip or tail clips.  I even shot a video on how to do it for some Jones skins, but still, I have a lot to improve on.  So, take the next few sentences with all that in mind!

I was confused on how to set the skins up properly.  Again, that is on me.  I did get them set up after winging it late one night.  They have not fallen apart yet! The only other thing I can think of, that might be of concern to others, is the limited size range of the skins slips.  Meaning, there is not a lot of wiggle room for using these skins on various boards.

Now, this is probably not an issue for most split boarders.  So, again, take it with a grain of salt.  Whatever that means.  I am used to skins having a wider range of adjustability than these skins.  Again, this is probably not an issue for you or most other riders.  But, if you are looking for one set of skins to cover a quiver of different sized splitboards, this may not be perfect for you.

The good part of the clips is that they are very durable and reliable.  These are one of very few skins that I did not have to fiddle with to keep tight.  I literally never had to readjust for tension. Over 5 months.  That is very impressive!

Black Diamond GlideLite Splitboard Skins Review

These skins are great!  They do their job with no complaints.  They are dependable in all temperatures. The tip and tail clips never loosened or failed.  The grip and glide is as good if not better than any skin I have used so far.  They pack up well, dry fast and stick to the skis well, even on back to back tours.

If you are looking for dependable skins for one splitboard, these would treat you well.


GlideLite Splitboard Mix STS - Black Diamond Gear