The GlideLite mix skins are 65/35 blend of mohair and nylon. They are lighter, faster, and more packable than the equivalent Ascension skins. The glue is BD Gold Label, a secret formula that arguably works too well. GlideLite skins are held to your skis with double wire-bracket tips and rugged elastic tail straps. At the end of the tail straps are replaceable metal cams that hang on the back of your skis. The Black Diamond mohair-mix is a reliable climbing skin that isn’t the slowest.
- Mix of mohair and nylon offers a delicate balance of grip, glide, and durability.
- Glue is Black Diamond’s finest and remains sticky till the bitter end.
- Universal tip loops fit neatly on just about any ski and are hard to break.
- Elastic tail straps have 10cm of adjustment range and are cut bikini-style to reduce drag.
- Custom kits with attached hardware span a wide range of ski lengths; just trim and go.
- Kits include a trimmer, carry-bag, and a cheat-sheet for storage.
Update 2020/21: The updated Glidelite skins have the same material and glue, but are now fixed at 133mm wide and sport new tip and tail attachments. Previously, BD used field-swappale adjustable cable tip loops and STS tail straps, which are still available here.
Questions & Reviews
On my second pair now. As others have said, extremely reliable, extraordinarily sticky. First pair is a bit gloppy now after 7 years, but sticks like heck anyway. Second pair is nearly impossible to rip off without removing skis, but oh so reliable. Happy to have them along for a day in the backcountry knowing I have the tools I need.
Comment on this review:
4/9/2023
Will the Black Diamond GlideLite Mix Skins in the 133mm x 169-180cm length fit my 172 cm Volkl Blaze 106 skis. Is the length right is my main concern? Thanks, NN
4/9/2023
Hi Nick, yes those will fit great, right in the adjustment range.
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Great skins that offer a nice balance of grip vs glide. I don’t have any issues with them on steep wasatch skin tracks (outside of a few terrible slick spring days).
Love supporting a Utah based company.
Stickiest glue in the industry (for better or worse). Never gloppy like G3’s.
Love supporting a Utah based company.
Stickiest glue in the industry (for better or worse). Never gloppy like G3’s.
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I'm on my fifth season with a pair of these skins. The glue is generally stronger than other brands, which is good on snowy storm days. I have had to reglue once because the glue can get messed up in the off season over time. One tail clip ripped off in the field but it was easy to replace with spare parts. The grip is starting to wane so they're not the best for steep skin tracks at this point. But overall, I've had good success with these. Nothing amazing, but reliable.
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4/21/2022
Thx JL for the reply.
Note that 88.5mm is ~barley/questionable enough purchase on tip of many of the wider boards (ex ref: Kastle TX103);
88.5 providing ~7mm holding clearance at vert center tip... This not enough to eliminate knock-offs when hit by other striding ski, etc... Maybe only a periodic nuisance flat touring, but Huge when skinning up more extreme terrain.
Thanks again for the info!
Note that 88.5mm is ~barley/questionable enough purchase on tip of many of the wider boards (ex ref: Kastle TX103);
88.5 providing ~7mm holding clearance at vert center tip... This not enough to eliminate knock-offs when hit by other striding ski, etc... Maybe only a periodic nuisance flat touring, but Huge when skinning up more extreme terrain.
Thanks again for the info!
4/21/2022
RJ, Here are some other tip widths
Pomoca 105mm
Kohla 110mm
Pomoca 105mm
Kohla 110mm
4/21/2022
Thank you JL, Great info!
I assume those Bail dimensions pertain only to Mfg's Widest skin offered by Skimo.
The Pomoca tail connector is in need of some help, imo; Great if Skimo offered a diy retro fit connector.
I'll take a look at your Kohla, thx.
I assume those Bail dimensions pertain only to Mfg's Widest skin offered by Skimo.
The Pomoca tail connector is in need of some help, imo; Great if Skimo offered a diy retro fit connector.
I'll take a look at your Kohla, thx.
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4/21/2022
Question from
RJ Farley 
What is the inside Width Dimension (L/R) of tip Bail on 2022 Black Diamond Glidelite Mix Climbing Skin 175-186L (133mm nominal width) ? The actual Bail measurement is desired for accurate pre-determination of acceptable fit.
4/21/2022
Hello RJ. The tip bail on that skin in those dimensions is 88.5mm. It seems to fit even the largest skis we have in stock here.
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2/10/2022
What size rivets are used to fasten the tail to skin?
Thanks
Thanks
2/11/2022
Thanks for the question, Michael. You can use most hammer rivets and we are pretty fond of the Ski Trab type found here.
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These skins have my favorite blend of grip and glide, and I've used Contour, Pomoca and Colltex. My next favorites are Contour Pure Mohair and Pomoca Climb Pro S-Glide. I would say these have more glide and slightly less grip than Contour Pure Mohair. The downfall for these is glue that is way too sticky at the beginning of a tour (hard to rip from skis), and the tips and tails will stop sticking after a few laps. Also the rubber strap that connects the skin to the tail clip can break after heavy use, and I haven't had that issue with other brands.
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These have been great--I wanted skins that had good glide and were lightweight, but without giving up TOO much grip or durability. These have hit the mark: compared to my friend's all-nylon skins, they glide better, are lighter, are barely less grippy, and I've dragged them over the same sticks and rocks with no significant damage. I think these would be a good match for a longer/wider ski setup.
Comment on this review:
These are really good skins. I have used the previous generation (with the adjustable tip loop) for 3 full seasons of touring. The 65/35 blend is light and packable but still provides great grip and durability. BD glue is also top notch, lasting 3 seasons despite being abused by dog hair and pine needles. I have just started to re-apply some gold label glue for their 4th season. The new non adjustable tip is a downside, no longer can you customize your tip fit like the previous model. The skins also get water logged pretty quick in spring conditions but I might just need to re treat the plush or something.
Bottom line: these skins have taken my uphill on something like 60+ tours and haven't quit.
Bottom line: these skins have taken my uphill on something like 60+ tours and haven't quit.
Comment on this review:
3/15/2021
Josh G
(used product a few times)
Bought these skins for a new powder touring setup. Coming from G3 nylon skins on all my previous skis and wanted to try Black Diamond skins and a mohair/nylon mix. Got five days of use before tearing the skin 1/2 inch within the tip connector plate when I accidentally kicked the top of the wire metal loop during a kick turn. Not very durable. I epoxied it back together under the plate. Otherwise, great glide and very packable.
4/8/2023
Same thing happened to me. Bought a replacement skin tip loop kit and repaired. Tore it once more. Then tore the same on the other skin. Skins are light and supple but easy to tear at the tip attachment plate.
Comment on this review:
Good skins but there are better options. These have been my main skin going on 4 years and probably 100+ days now with quite a bit of life left. No connectors have yet to break and I haven't needed to re-glue. I treat all my gear well (i.e. usually never have durability issues) and put them on skin savers during the week when not use but I'm not psychotic and bring the skin savers touring!
Pros: stick to the ski well (see cons), great grip on snow, good durability
Cons: stick to the ski TOO well (able to now rip off ski without taking it off but it takes a few pulls and took 2 years to get to that point), BD cutting tool is a PITA, a bit bulky compared to competitors
I have Pomoca skins for my other skis and will be replacing these with those when the time comes around.
Pros: stick to the ski well (see cons), great grip on snow, good durability
Cons: stick to the ski TOO well (able to now rip off ski without taking it off but it takes a few pulls and took 2 years to get to that point), BD cutting tool is a PITA, a bit bulky compared to competitors
I have Pomoca skins for my other skis and will be replacing these with those when the time comes around.
Comment on this review:
12/23/2020
Are these the right width for the BD Helio 115?
do you have a picture of new tip and tail attachments?
do you have a picture of new tip and tail attachments?
12/23/2020
Hey Len, thanks for reaching out! This width should be perfect, and the image above is showing the new tip and tail!
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11/25/2020
Are these heavier than a 100% mohair skin?
11/25/2020
Hey Jordan,
Great question! These will be heavier than a purely mohair skin. That's typically how it goes when comparing a nylon/mohair blend vs. a 100% mohair skin.
Great question! These will be heavier than a purely mohair skin. That's typically how it goes when comparing a nylon/mohair blend vs. a 100% mohair skin.
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4/30/2020
How long are the STS kits? I can't seem to find the length.
4/30/2020
Hey Blake, the skin material is 188cm long with an adjustment range of 9cm. There is 3cm of the tail before the first adjustment hole which makes the STS skin kit fit up to a 200cm ski.
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2/12/2020
Hi, will the 179-186 cm size fit on the 188cm salomon qst 106? I am not looking for maximum coverage, would be happy if the skin covered the ski up to +/-10cm from the tail. Taking into account your response to the previous question I am afraid that the longer (185-192cm) size could be too long and at best will leave me with +10cm plastic tail hanging off the skis.
2/12/2020
Hi Maciej, I tried fitting that size to a 188 and it is too short. I'd suggest getting the STS kit and cutting it to the exact length you desire!
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2/9/2019
What is the longest ski these will go on? I’m looking for a skin for my 204cm Faction Candide 3.0’s
2/11/2019
Hey Robert, from the last notch in the tail to the edge of the skin material is 198cm long, so there's a small chance it might be just barely long enough. It depends on how far down the tip loop will sit on the ski. If you wanted to be sure, you can buy wide skin material off the roll and build your own!
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