Welcome to the bouldering gear hub. I have dedicated countless hours to bring you the best possible guides for you to use. I pride myself on making the best recommendations, and each product I rate goes through a stringent testing process.
How I Test Bouldering Gear
Testing a product before I rate it the best is naturally a key component of making a ranking list. In order to bring you the best bouldering gear, I do a number of things.
1. Research Bouldering Gear and Products
This is the first step in any process and is essential to start the train rolling. Every year new products come on the market and it is up to me to find out what and when they will be released. I will then determine a category for me to start testing in. For example, I will group products together, such as shoes, chalk bags, etc.
2. Select Bouldering Products to Test
Next comes the fun part. I have to select climbing gear and bouldering products to test. By researching thoroughly I see which products are rated the best and then I get a handful of the top of the line gear. I then acquire the said products, normally with my own money – sometimes I borrow off friends, or search for people at the gym that have a product handy that I can borrow.
If I ever get given a product to test, I will make that clear at the top of the article. If this has not been mentioned then you can rest assured that I have taken the time to personally buy it, or one of my friends has the product.
3. Experiment With and Test the Gear
This is the part I like the best. I have a number of predicated experiments. Both at home and ‘in the field’. This allows me to get a comprehensive look at the piece of bouldering gear and as a result, I feel we can give a valued opinion on the product.
If I am doing a ‘best of article’ then I will compare them side by side. Initially simply by looking at them in my lab (the office, or home). Afterwards, I will take them to the gym, rock, outside – or wherever appropriate – and then give them a ‘real-life’ test run.
4. Gather Expert Opinion
This is another key component of my testing process. Of course, I think my opinions are the best and unbiased, but it is also wise to ask across the industry to see other people’s opinions and insights. This can either validate statements or cause me to give more detailed evidence for my findings.
5. Pick the Winners and Write the Review
This is what my readers want to know most. After the tests, I will create a specific bouldering gear review with the products listed – in order of how I felt they ranked.
This is an important stage for me as I need to communicate my findings effectively. This is integral for my readers to understand why I chose certain gear over others.
6. Start the Bouldering Gear Process Again
My goal is to grow TopBouldering, and I strive to provide you the newest and best bouldering gear reviews. That is why I am continually updating the reviews and creating new ones. I am here for you, and I want to provide the best service. Reviewing products is the main part of this website and it’s where most of my time is spent.
Conclusion
As you can see, my review process is a thorough and stringent one. I only want to list the products that will do you justice. I want to help the bouldering community not hinder them and that is why I go to such epic measures. Of course, some products won’t stand up to my tests and I will never list them in a positive way if they don’t.
Anyway, it’s time for you to check out some of my reviews, some of which you can find below!
- Best Bouldering Shoes
- Best Bouldering Trousers
- Best Bouldering Chalk Bags
- Best Crash Pads
- Best Bouldering Hand Cream
- Best Hangboards
- 8 Best Clif Bar Flavours
- Best Climbing Tape
- Best Climbing Chalk
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