REASONS TO BUY
Fast glide
Reliable
Easy release glue
REASONS TO AVOID
Compromised traction
Glue requires regular maintenance
Contour Hybrid Mohair Review
All-around skins optimized for the dedicated user that prioritizes glide and has the bandwidth for periodic maintenance
Credit: Contour
Our Verdict
Contour's Hybrid Mohair skins bring the unique glue that we have tested for a long time to a full, easy-gliding mohair fabric side. The "glue" is contentious among testers, both within the GearLab team and all over the internet and skin tracks. It works great when clean. Normal use, though, contaminates it in such a way that it degrades more rapidly than others do. Others hold out longer, but require lengthy glue replacement. Contour's Hybrid glue degrades sooner but requires just a quick wiped cleaning to renew. Choose your path; regular, short maintenance with the Contour Hybrid skins or less frequent, more involved maintenance with others.
Editor's Note: We tested the Hybrid Mohair skins during the winter of '21-'22 and prepared the review for your viewing in the Autumn of 2022.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
Contour Hybrid Mohair | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  |  |  | ||
| Price | $230 List Check Price at REI | $157.46 at Backcountry Compare at 3 sellers | $199.95 at Evo Compare at 3 sellers | $172.46 at Backcountry Compare at 3 sellers | $164.96 at Backcountry |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | If you like your skins to glide well and can handle a few minutes, periodically, of maintenance, these are the skins for you | Climbing skins inherently strike compromises; winner of our top award, it balances competing demands better than any other | All skin performance is balanced; given our experience with skiing and with reviewing, we find this skin strikes an ideal balance of a variety of factors | For skilled skinners and efficiency hounds on cold snow there are no better skins available | Budget-oriented skiers that want something reliable and widely available will do well with this product |
| Rating Categories | Contour Hybrid Mohair | Pomoca Climb Pro S... | Contour Hybrid Mix | Pomoca Free Pro 2.0 | Black Diamond Glide... |
| Glide (30%) | |||||
| Portability (20%) | |||||
| Glue Integrity (20%) | |||||
| Grip (15%) | |||||
| Icing/Glopping Resistance (10%) | |||||
| Compatibility (5%) | |||||
| Specs | Contour Hybrid Mohair | Pomoca Climb Pro S... | Contour Hybrid Mix | Pomoca Free Pro 2.0 | Black Diamond Glide... |
| Measured Weight | 1.36 lbs | 1.23 lbs | 1.21 lbs | 1.09 lbs | 1.25 lbs |
| Material | 100% Mohair | 70% Mohair, 30% Nylon | 70% Mohair, 30% Synthetic | 100% Mohair | 65% Mohair, 35% Nylon |
| Weight per Pair (Based on Ski Tested) | 619 g for Elan Ripstick 106, 180 cm | 587 g for Black Crows Corvus Freebird, 183 cm | 551 g for Blizzard Zero G 105, 180 cm | 496 g for Kastle TX 103, 180 cm | 595 g for Black Crows Navis Freebird, 179 cm |
| Weight per Ski Width (grams/mm) | 5.8 | 5.9 | 5.3 | 4.8 | 5.8 |
| Glue | Hybrid glue technology | Traditional | Hybrid glue technology | Traditional | Traditional |
| Tip Attachment | Rigid tip loop | Rigid tip loop | Rigid tip loop | Rigid tip loop | Rigid tip loop |
| Tail Attachment | Vinyl strap and cam hook | Rubber strap and cam hook | Vinyl strap and cam hook | Rubber strap and cam hook | Rubber strap and metal hook |
| Ski Compatibility | Universal | Universal | Universal | Universal | Universal |
| Precut Option? | Order for length and approximate width, cut to lateral shape | Order for length and approximate width, cut to lateral shape | Order for length and approximate width, cut to lateral shape | Order for length and approximate width, cut to lateral shape | Order for approximate width, cut to length and lateral shape |
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Our Analysis and Test Results
The Contour Hybrid Mohair skins have full mohair plush and Contour's unique "hybrid" glue technology. This is a good combination for cold-climate skiers that are willing to do some skin maintenance in exchange for easy-peeling skin performance.
Performance Comparison
Pay attention to the surroundings, not to your skin performance. If you can execute some short, periodic maintenance, the Contour Hybrid Mohair is great.
Credit: Jediah Porter
Glide
Full mohair skins glide the best, all else equal. The orange nap of the Contour Hybrid Mohair is entirely made of goat fur and glides very well. We like easy gliding skins and you will too. Contour's all-around mohair skins aren't quite as slippy as skimo race formulations, but they are close enough. These won't hold you back, except where you want them to.
Portability
Maybe it is the "Hybrid" glue, but these don't feel as light and compact as we'd expect from full mohair skins. They are fairly pliable, but certainly not super thin. In terms of weight, they sit just on the heavy side of the average portion of the range.
They aren't the lightest skins available. These skins are cut for skis 105mm underfoot and 180cm long. Other skins in this size range can get as light as 550g.
Credit: Jediah Porter
Glue Integrity
The internet is full of conflicting reports on the integrity of Contour's Hybrid glue. We contributed to that mucky mess of information at one point. If you treat these skins like others (using them with little to no care for dozens of tours) the glue will degrade faster than others. If, though, you complete the recommended maintenance along the way, they will remain more functional for longer than other options.
Look at it a different way. You can usually use "normal" hot melt skin glue for a full season with no maintenance. At the end of that season, you will have to perform a 2-3 hour full glue replacement to return to near-new performance. With Contour's Hybrid glue, over that same full season rotation, you will perform 3-4 sessions of 8-10 minutes of maintenance, retaining near-new performance the entire time. Yes, Contour Hybrid skins lose their stick faster than others. But they regain it way faster.
The tip attachment is clean and simple. Trim your skins for an even tip taper for greatest glue security.
Credit: Jediah Porter
Grip
Our whole test team found the Contour Hybrid Mohair skins to have perfect grip. Enough for the steepest skin tracks, provided you execute with balance and confidence. Get sloppy, and something with greater grip might help. But those grippier skins will glide much more poorly.
Contour Hybrid Mohair. "Hybrid" refers to their nomenclature for the unique glue. "Mohair" refers to the fabric construction.
Credit: Jediah Porter
Icing/Glopping Resistance
It seems that skins, over recent years, have consolidated in terms of glopping resistance. We notice less and less distinction between them. All are pretty good until conditions and application gets especially sloppy. The Contour Hybrid Mohair is totally fine, as it pertains to glopping. Even in direct comparison with nylon/mohair blended skins (which convention suggests should be better), the Hybrid Mohair showed little to no difference.
Chasing down high Teton powder snow with the Contour Hybrid Mohair skins.
Credit: Jediah Porter
Compatibility
You buy the Contour Hybrid Mohair for length and approximate width and then trim for exact shape of your skis. The tip loop is rigid wire. These things combine to make a skin that is widely, if not universally, compatible. We can't think of a ski shape that wouldn't work for these.
Contour's tail kit includes a non stretchy strap and a secure clip. We like the clip, but would even more prefer a stretchy strap.
Credit: Jediah Porter
Should you buy the Contour Hybrid Mohair?
We recommend these skins. Nylon blended in with the mohair would make them more durable with compromised glide. For optimum glide, these are great. Before you buy, be sure that you are willing to sign up for the occasional, short maintenance (sometimes in the field) required of this glue format. Others will require less frequent (but more involved and not doable in the field) glue maintenance.
Contour Hybrid Mohair skins, trimmed and set up for deployment on a Teton powder day during early testing.
Credit: Jediah Porter
What Other Climbing Skins Should You Consider?
The Contour Hybrid Mohair is near the top of the heap. Its overall performance puts it in contention with the big dogs, nearly justifying one of our awards. Any alternatives are going to only improve your experience by very tiny amounts. If you like this sort of performance but don't want to execute the periodic maintenance, the Pomoca Free Pro 2.0 is great. If you seek greater plush durability with the same unique glue the Contour Hybrid Mix is the choice.
—
Jediah Porter
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