Which Hold Type is Right for You?

There are currently four types of holds in the climbing industry. We make them all out of the same non-toxic polyurethane resin. The only difference is how they attach to your wall. Below are the types of holds with the pros and cons of each:

Bolt-On Climbing Holds

The Bolt-On holds attaches with a single 3/8-16 Allen Head Socket Cap Bolt. The Allen Head Bolt has been the industry standard for decades. The pro is that they can be easily moved around for route setting. The con is that they can spin, especially on outdoor walls where the temperature fluctuates more drastically.

Bolt-On Climbing Holds with a Spinner Screw

The addition of the spinner screw solves the spinning issue. Now the hold attaches with a 3/8-16 Allen Head Socket Cap Bolt plus a screw. The screw is usually a wood screw, a deck screw, or a concrete screw. Climbing gyms love them to keep their holds in the exact orientation they want them to be. These are ideal for outdoor walls and playgrounds because the holds stay put even with the expansion and contraction of the wall. The con is that you do have to install the screw and take out the screw with each adjustment. On that note, many think that they do not want screw holes all over the wall. Using screws on a wall is standard practice and should be embraced rather than avoided. 

Screw-On Climbing Holds

The Screw-On hold attaches with two to five screws per hold. The ropes course industry has migrated to these because no matter how thick the wall gets, a Screw-On hold can be installed onto any location where there is 3/4" of wood or thicker. 

The pro here is that the hardware compared to Bolt-On is less expensive and the hold will never spin. The con is that you have to remove up to 5 screws to move the grip. Screw-On holds are best suited for walls that will have the holds in more permanent locations. 

2-Bolt Climbing Holds

2-Bolt Playground climbing holds take playground walls to the next level. With two 3/-16 Allen Head Socket Cap Bolts holding them in place, they will never spin. The pro here is that you have a hold that will never spin or pull out. The con is that you are using double the amount of hardware when compared to a Bolt-On. Some sets have tooling (the space between the bolts) that is not the same as the other holds. This is why we designed the 10 Pack 2-Bolt. It has the exact same spacing and depth in relation to the bolts. It is the very best set in our 2-Bolt line.