Nylon vs Mohair climbing skins
By Bo Hartley · Materials, Construction & Durability
Climbing-skin plush comes in three flavors — nylon, mohair, and a mohair-nylon blend — and the choice comes down to one tradeoff: grip versus glide. Nylon grips hardest and lasts longest but drags; mohair glides fastest and packs smallest but grips less and wears out sooner; a blend splits the difference. This guide compares all three on the specs that matter and tells you which plush fits your tour length (Blister Review, Backcountry).
The grip-vs-glide tradeoff
Every skin plush is a fiber you glue to the base of your ski, oriented so it lets the ski slide forward but grips when it tries to slide back. The fiber material sets where that skin sits on the grip-glide spectrum:
- Nylon is a synthetic fiber that tends to provide more grip than mohair. It is the heaviest and bulkiest plush, the most durable, and the worst-gliding of the three — one reviewer described a full-nylon skin as feeling “incredibly slow,” like “dragging a ski across sandpaper” (Blister Review, Wildsnow).
- Mohair is made from the hair of Angora goats and has naturally low friction, so it offers the best glide and the least grip. It is the lightest, most packable, and least durable plush — every ski-mountaineering race skin is 100% mohair because speed and efficiency matter more than grip in racing (Skiuphill, Off-Piste Magazine).
- Mohair-nylon blend balances the two — better glide than pure nylon, better grip than pure mohair — which is why it is the default for most recreational touring (Backcountry).
Despite the stereotypes, all three plushes can climb the steepest mountains — the question is how much energy you spend doing it (Wildsnow).
Material comparison chart
How 100% nylon, a 70/30 mohair-nylon blend, and 100% mohair compare across the specs that decide which skin to buy. Specs are drawn from climbing-skin buying guides and field comparisons.
| Spec | 100% Nylon | 70/30 Mohair-Nylon blend | 100% Mohair |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grip | Most grip; best on steep, firm, icy skin tracks | Good grip; few tourers complain | Least grip; can slip on steep, icy tracks |
| Glide | Least glide; feels “incredibly slow” | Much better glide than pure nylon | Best glide; lowest friction |
| Weight / packability | Heaviest and bulkiest; packs down poorly | Lighter and less bulky than pure nylon | Lightest and most packable |
| Durability | Most durable; stands up to abuse | More durable than pure mohair | Least durable; shorter lifespan |
| Water / snow behavior | Sheds water; glides better in wet snow | Sheds water better than pure mohair | Holds moisture; slows in warm, wet snow |
| Best for | Beginners, steep/icy tracks, splitboarders | Most recreational, all-around touring | Long tours, skimo racing, expert tourers |
| Typical use | Workhorse / backup skin | Daily driver | Race / fast-and-light |
Sources: Backcountry — All About Climbing Skins, Blister Review climbing-skin comparison, Off-Piste Magazine, Cripple Creek Backcountry, Skiuphill, Wildsnow.
Which plush for your tour length
Match the plush to how — and how long — you climb:
- Short, steep, or icy skin tracks; you’re learning to skin. Pick nylon or a nylon-heavy blend. The extra grip keeps you from slipping backward on firm tracks, and nylon is the most forgiving plush while you develop an efficient stride (Skiuphill, Backcountry).
- Long full-day tours (six to eight hours) and fitness touring. Pick mohair (or a mohair-heavy blend). Lower friction means less energy spent with every stride over a long day, which is why experienced ski tourers and randonee racers favor mohair — the glide savings compound hour after hour (Off-Piste Magazine, Skiuphill).
- All-around, variable-condition touring. Pick a 70/30 mohair-nylon blend. It gives up a little glide to mohair and a little grip to nylon but does neither badly — making it the most common choice for recreational touring across mixed snow and terrain (Cripple Creek Backcountry, r/Spliddit discussion).
The energy math is real: a pure-nylon skin expends enough extra energy per step that a skier on a mohair-mix skin can catch up and complete an extra lap — so on long days, nylon’s grip advantage is outweighed by its glide cost (Cripple Creek Backcountry).
Durability & water behavior
Durability is where the materials diverge most clearly in practice:
- Nylon is the most durable plush and stands up well to abuse — it is the workhorse choice for skiers who tour in all conditions, all season (Backcountry, Skiuphill).
- Mohair is the least durable and wears noticeably faster when used extensively on firm, dirty, or abrasive snow; dedicated all-season users will see a shorter lifespan than with synthetic plush (Off-Piste Magazine, Skiuphill).
- Thicker plush lasts longer than thinner plush, and fiber length is a main factor in the grip-glide balance — nylon fibers are often shorter, mohair fibers longer (Blister Review).
Water matters too. Mohair tends to hold more moisture than synthetic skins, which slows its glide in warm, wet snow; nylon sheds water better and keeps gliding when the snow turns slushy (Off-Piste Magazine, Wildsnow).
Blend ratios explained
Most recreational touring skins are a blend, and the typical mix is about 30–35% nylon with the remainder mohair — often described as a 70/30 mohair-nylon blend. That ratio is widely treated as the standard for balancing glide and durability: one community discussion calls 70/30 “THE standard for both glide and durability,” and most blend skins tested felt very similar to each other in both grip and glide (Skiuphill, r/Spliddit, Blister Review).
Shift the ratio toward more nylon and you get more grip and durability at the cost of glide; shift it toward more mohair and you get more glide and lighter weight at the cost of grip and lifespan. A 70/30 blend is the middle most tourers never need to leave (Cripple Creek Backcountry).
What to check before you buy
- Width matches your ski. Skin width should be close to (or slightly under) your ski’s waist width so the plush contacts the snow at the waist; many skins are trim-to-fit and come with a trimming tool (GearX, The High Route).
- Tip attachment fits your ski. Confirm the tip braid or clip fits your ski’s tip shape; tail clips should clear your tail without catching (Backcountry).
- Glue condition. New glue should be tacky and regrip after a fold; plan to re-glue or re-skin after a season or two of heavy use (Wildsnow).
- Plush for your day. Short/steep → nylon; long days → mohair; everything else → 70/30 blend. Many tourers keep a nylon skin as a backup for icy conditions and a blend as the daily driver (Cripple Creek Backcountry).
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