POMOCA Tour Pro Skins Review

POMOCA is the best. Don’t just take it from me, look at how many of the world’s best ski mountaineering athletes use their products during races and free time. POMOCA has been around since 1933 and rightly claims the title of “the world leading manufacturer of touring skins.” Even after 92 years, they’re still manufacturing their products in Switzerland. Just last year, in 2024, they moved their production within Switzerland to a new factory in Chavornay, capable of producing 500,000 pairs of skins a year.

POMOCA are Industry Leaders

Why do they make so many skins? It’s because POMOCA not only makes its own skins, it also makes skins for 11 of the top 23 ski brands in the world. If you like your skins from any of the following ski companies, you can thank the good folks at POMOCA: Blizzard, Black Crows, DPS, Dynafit, Elan, K2, Kästle, Movement, Rossignol, Voile, and ZAG.

I was fortunate to test the newest iteration of  the POMOCA Tour Pro Skins, previously the Pro S-Glide. As someone who has ridden chairlifts 3 times in the last 3 years, I live and die by good skins. Having a background in Nordic ski coaching is both a blessing and a curse. Due to ski flex physics, skins will never be as fast up hills as a Nordic ski with hard wax, but my oh my POMOCA skins come a lot closer than the other brands I’ve tried. I loved trying these new Tour Pro skins because they fixed my biggest frustration with the Pro S-Glide: the rattling loose-fitting tip clip. The new tip clip fits snugly and therefore doesn’t rattle.

Upgraded Metal Tail Clips

Another benefit of the new design is that the tail clip is now metal. While I only know of one friend who has broken a plastic POMOCA tail clip, I’m sure the number of my friends who can break a metal POMOCA tail clip will be zero. As a weight weenie, I do wonder whether the addition of weight to make the clip metal is worth it? Does it really matter if your ail clip breaks when the POMOCA glue is so good that the skin stays put without a tail clip attached? I’d love to hear from folks who broke the plastic tail clip. What was the situation?

If plastic tail clip breaking is more common than I’m aware and the metal tail clip is here to stay, then I must ask for a minor tweak. The protective rubberized coating designed to rest between the metal clip and the ski when the skin is attached needs to be tweaked. Either remove the coating entirely or smooth it out so that it doesn’t get caught on the edge of the ski when attaching it. This is nit-picky, but it’s the only thing keeping this skin from being 10/10 perfect.

Touring Performance

The glue felt like the same old never-fail yet not-too-sticky POMOCA glue that I’m so familiar with. Their exact recipe is a secret, but it’s super dependable. I’ve only had it fade on one pair of skins and it took around 100 days of uphilling before it faded. That’s years for some folks.

The skins themselves had great grip when I tried skinning up 34º slopes at the local ski hill after a massive powder day. They felt a bit less glide-y than normal during my first ever lap on them, but quickly eased into the gliding machines my previous pairs have been.

Skin Material

They’re a 65-35% mohair-nylon blend designed to be the best gliding skins on the mountain. The Safer Skin Light membrane keeps the skin 100% waterproof which is extra helpful during warm spring tours. For those who care about the environment, POMOCA was the first company to introduce PFC-free skins.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

1. Industry-Leading Performance and Quality: The text highlights POMOCA’s long history (since 1933) and position as “the world leading manufacturer of ski touring skins.” This is backed up by the fact that they manufacture skins for 11 out of the top 23 ski brands, indicating widespread trust in their products. Additionally, the reviewer notes that their new skins get them closest to Nordic ski speed on hills, which highlights a high performance capability. The reviewer was also very impressed by the fact that the glue didn’t fail and how it was “never-fail, yet not too sticky”.

2. Improved Tip and Tail Clips: The reviewer praises the new, snug-fitting tip clip that eliminates rattling, addressing a previous frustration with older models. The introduction of a metal tail clip, although with some reservations, is seen as a positive step towards increased durability.

Cons:

1. Potential for Tail Clip Attachment Issues: While the metal tail clip is intended to be more durable, the rubberized coating on the clip can catch on the ski edge during attachment, which is seen as an annoying point of frustration. The reviewer sees this as the only thing keeping the skin from being 10/10 perfect.

2. Initial Glide: The reviewer notes that the new skins initially feel “less glide-y than normal.” Though they “quickly eased into the gliding machines,” this initial adjustment period might be a minor inconvenience for users. The reviewer only noted this on the very first lap, however, which mitigates the severity of this con.

Overall Impression

Overall, I’m a huge fan of the POMOCA Tour Pro Skins ($239.95) for fast uphill travel, and I recommend them to everyone I meet.

Related Backcountry Skins We Have Tested on Snow

1. Big Sky Mountain Products Nylon Skins
2. Kohla Peak Mixmohair Skins
3. Black Diamond GlideLite Mix Skins