Metolius Wood Grips Compact II Training Board - SS23 - One - Brown

Why it's worth it

A hangboard says you've been paying attention to their sport. This one is compact enough to fit above a doorway, and the wood surface is gentler on skin than plastic during high-volume training.

Buying a hangboard signals that you take their climbing seriously. It's not a decoration or a novelty — it's a training tool, and giving one says you've registered that they care about getting stronger. For a climber who's plateaued and knows finger strength is the bottleneck, that's a thoughtful gift.

The Adventure Junkies rates the Wood Grips Compact II as the best beginner hangboard, and the wood matters more than it sounds like it would. Polyurethane boards chew through skin fast. Wood lets someone train more often without shredding their fingertips, which is the actual limit on most home training.

From our review of 8 gifts for rock climbers

What we like

• +Buying a hangboard signals that you take their climbing seriously
• +The Adventure Junkies rates the Wood Grips Compact II as the best beginner hangboard, and the wood matters more than it sounds…
• +It's compact by design — about 24 by 6 inches — so it fits over a doorframe or in a garage without dominating the space
• +Just be sure they have somewhere to put it

What to know

• –It needs installation, which makes it a worse unwrapping experience than something ready to use
• –The wood has less texture than plastic, so a few owners find the friction low on the smallest edges