The Metolius Wood Grips II Compact Hangboard is the best-priced wooden hangboard on the market and a strong choice for beginner to advanced climbers wanting to get more out of their fingers. The Metolius Wood Grips II Compact Hangboard features a variety of holds placed in a symmetrical design and includes two warm up jugs plus a variety of pockets and slopers for training. We would highly recommend this board to anyone who wants the benefits of training finger strength on a wooden hangboard and for anyone who has a space restriction in their training area.
We had a chance to review the board over a three week period and here is what we thought.
Metolius Wood Grips II Compact Training Board
Design
Sticking to a similar design as its original hangboard, the Metolius Wood Grips II Compact Training Board features two jugs at the top of its board followed by two types of slopers. The second and third rows feature an assortment of two to four finger pockets with a single four finger pocket in the middle of the board. As each row progresses, the depth of the holds decrease to increase difficulty and provide the user with a smaller progression of holds. Depths for the middle row is 1.0 inches and the bottom row is 0.75 inches. For those who have more space to work with, the board also comes with a third row of pockets in the Deluxe model.
For almost every climber, from beginner to elite, this design will bring you from your very first hangboard session all the way to weighted one-arm hangs. It’s simple design allows for all climbers to progress smoothly through a session from warm up to digging deep. We loved the four finger pocket in the centre of the board as it allowed us to train one-arm hangs and place a single pully below the board for training purposes. We also noticed that having a hold in middle of the board reduced interference with the outer door jam when training.
Although the Metolius Wood Grips II Compact Training Board’s smallest rung is considered 0.75 inches in depth, we found it considerably harder to hold than other 0.5 inch holds that are featured on other boards on the market. Rather than having a square edge at the back of hold, the pockets of the Metolius Wood Grips II Compact Training Board are rounded out in the back, making the holds a little more consistent on the fingers. We also found that rounded back edge allowed for easier training of open-hand and full-crimp grips.
Texture
The texture of the Metolius Wood Grips II Compact Training Board felt smooth and was easier on the skin than its polyester resin counterpart. The board did not require a lot of chalk when using and stayed consistent throughout our training sessions.
Overall
Overall, The Metolius Wood Grips II Training Board is a great board for anyone who needs a well-rounded hang board to take them from warm-up to advanced training. Hands down, this is the best priced wooden hangboard on the market and will meet most climbers needs. The board itself is compact enough to fit almost anywhere in the house and we found it fit well above doorframes with lower ceilings. We would highly recommend this product as a great training tool to take you climbing to the next level.
Pros
-Simple, symmetrical design
-Best priced board on the market
-Compact design that works well in low ceiling environment
-Four finger pocket placed in middle of hold
Purchase
The Metolius Wood Grips II Compact Training Board can be purchased at MEC (MSRP: $104.95). It is also available in the Deluxe model for those with more space to work with (MSRP: $131.95)
