If you love to ski or snowboard, you want to have your own equipment. Having access to a personal set of skis or snowboards will allow you to go out more often and give you better performance on the slopes. Not only that, but you can ensure your gear stays in tip-top shape by tuning it yourself.
If you’re someone who wants to tune or upkeep your own skis or boards, you need a good vise. There are many on the market, but only a few effectively tune skis or snowboards.
Here, we’ll look at some of the best models for that purpose and explain why they’re so useful. Each one will keep your gear in perfect shape.
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Who Should Get This
Ski tuning vises are great for any skier or snowboarder who plans on skiing more than a handful of times during the season. The more you ski or snowboard, the more your gear takes a beating and wears out the wax that allows them to function properly at a high level.
You can always pay to have your gear tuned, but investing a little money to get some basic tools, such as a vice, is going to save you cash in the long run.
If you’re an avid snow chaser and have a bit of a DIY attitude, learning how to tune your gear can be a fun and rewarding experience. Plus, you’ll always have skis/snowboards that are in perfect condition so you can have as much fun as possible.
A tuning vise will allow you to get a perfect edge tune, which then provides better control and performance on the mountain. If you want to pay to have your skis/snowboards tuned, you don’t need to buy a tuning vise.
Best Ski/Snowboard Tuning Vises: Top Picks
Here is a list of my top recommendations along with a quick review of each tuning vise. The goal is to help you get to know the pros and cons of each product so you can make a more informed purchase decision.
1. Best Overall: Swix World Cup Ski Vise
An excellent top option for a ski tuning vise is the Swix World Cup. This option is built to the standards of professional ski techs who tune up the equipment of some of the best skiers in the world.
That means you get quality, strength, and performance, all from a brand that’s well known for making some of the best ski equipment and accessories in the industry.
The World Cup Ski Vise utilizes a 3-piece design to keep your skis stable and secure on a bench while you tune. The components of the vise are made of a strong metal, plastic, and rubber parts to give them increased performance and precise tuning capabilities.
The wide jaws can accommodate a range of skis from 40mm to 100mm and the fully adjustable clamps will fit on nearly any workbench.
Pros:
- Strong, durable design
- Trusted brand
- 3-piece design provides added stability
- Wide jaws fit skis form 40-100mm
- Clamps will fit most workbenches
Cons:
- Expensive
- Not designed for snowboards
2. Best Budget: XCMAN Ski and Snowboard Vise for Tuning
The XCMAN Ski and Snowboard Vise is another recommended option that will give you everything you need to properly tune up your skis.
This option features a 2-piece design that’s built out of strong plastic to give you stability and a reliable working platform. It’s also meant for both skis and snowboards, which makes it a versatile choice. That functionality is further enhanced by non-slip rubber grips, brake retainers, a wide clamp, and a bottle opener.
Pros:
- Affordable
- Durable plastic design
- Non-slip rubber grips
- Wide clamps
- Multifunctional
Cons:
- 2-piece design not quite as stable as 3-piece
- Plastic construction
3. Also Great: Winterial Ski and Snowboard Vise
Another vise worth trying out is the one from Winterial Ski and Snowboard. This option is made of strong plastic and metal elements that give it lasting durability and effective performance. That quality allows you to tune both skis and snowboards with ease.
It also has multiple work positions that give you flexibility with your tuning style and can help you make repairs in addition to professional-level tunes.
Pros:
- Strong construction
- Multifunctional
- Multiple work positions
- Non-slip rubber grips
- Universal size compatibility
Cons:
- 2-piece design not quite as stable as 3-piece
How to Choose Ski/Snowboard Tuning Vises
Not sure how to narrow down the choices from the crowd? Take the factors below into account during your ski tuning vise research journey.
Construction
An initial consideration when choosing a tuning vise is its construction. Not all options are created equally. Look for vises made out of heavy-duty materials like metal or strong plastic to ensure that they will be able to keep your skis/snowboards securely in place.
This construction is also important because a poor design will struggle to stay stable and secure on a workbench, affecting your ability to tune.
2-piece or 3-piece
Ski tuning vises typically come in 2- or 3-piece styles. Both can effectively allow you to tune your skis, but you might find that you have a preference for one style over another.
If your workspace is limited or you don’t want to leave a vise up permanently, a 2-piece style is recommended. If you want to have the most secure way to tune your skis or boards and a permanent work station, then a 3-piece vise is your best choice.
Multifunctional Use
If you want a vise with multiple functions, meaning it can tune both skis and snowboards, you want to make sure it’s versatile.
If you only ski, then a vise that is specific to skiing will work. However, if you want multifunctional use, then getting a vise that can tune both skis and snowboards is nice.
That enables you to tune up your own skis and snowboards or help a friend or family member out when they’re in need.
Useful Tips & Resources
If you haven’t tuned your own skis before, it’s not all that difficult. However, you will need the proper equipment to get the job done.
A vise is essential for putting a good edge on your skis or making repairs, but you’ll also need to know how to wax and scrape them. As for repairs, you’ll need P-TEX. Check out this video to learn everything about how to properly tune your skis.
Final Words
A tuning vise is vital if you want to be able to effectively tune your own skis or snowboards. If you’re an avid skier or borader, I would highly recommend that you learn how to make that happen. That will save you money, but also allow you to keep your equipment in the best possible shape so you can take advantage of every day you have on the snow.
Do you know how to tune your own skis or snowboards? Do you have any tips to share with anyone who does not? Let us know in the comments below!
Lucky
Can I use the same vise to wax my alpine skis and my nordic skis?
Christine
Hi Lucky,
You should be able to use the same vice for alpine and nordic waxing in most cases. Nordic skis are typically thicker than alpine, so as long as you have a vice that is capable of becoming wide enough to stabilize them, it should work for Nordic too. You also don’t always need a vice to wax Nordic skis since much of that wax is rub on rather than iron on. Hope that helps!