Best CHALK for Climbing & Bouldering | TEST 2023

We took a deep dive into the world of chalk – we tested and compared 10 different chalks. The 4 best chalks are going to be detailed here.

• Bonus: the best Chalk Ball and the best Liquid Chalk. 

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Best Chalk – Overview

• There’s no doubt that chalk increases grip – according to this study by up to 20 %.
• The chalk’s surface structure is what makes the difference.
• The right amount of chalk: As much as necessary – as little as possible.
• Too much chalk creates a smooth, slippery surface and is counterproductive.
• Chalk draws moisture – brushing off chalk residue from the rock will give you a better grip.
• Chalk can be bought in various textures: powder, chunks, blocks.
• People with sweaty hands usually benefit most from fine powder, while chunkier textures are better for dry hands.

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The 4 Best Chalks for Climbing

1. Best Value for Money:  Black Diamond – White Gold
2. Grip: Friction Labs – Gorilla Grip
3. SUPER Grip: Black Diamond – Black Gold
4. Best Chalk Box for Refilling: Petzl – Power Crunch Box

Bonus:

• Best Chalkball: Friction Labs – Chalk Ball
• Best Liquid-Chak: Petzl – Liquid Chalk

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Test Criteria

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Chalk coverage & performance
How well does the chalk attach to the skin?
How long does the chalk keep your skin dry?
How often do you have to reapply the chalk?

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Skin tolerance
What does your skin feel like after a bouldering or climbing session? Chalk dries out your skin – just like it’s supposed to. However, some magnesia mixes also include certain additives. Most chemical additives (drying agents) aren’t noticeable right away but can (in rare cases) lead to rashes and other ailments for people with sensitive skin.

The purer the chalk the better your skin will tolerate it. 

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Climbing – Chalk | Reviews

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Best Chalk – Value for Money

Compare Price
Amazon

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Best overall combo of price and performance – best chalk for every-day use.

Naturally, there are cheaper chalks available (e.g. Mantle); however, they scored a lot worse in our test. A couple of extra bucks are definitely worth it, especially if you’re past the beginner stage and are taking on more ambitious projects. 

Texture
This chalk primarily consists of fine powder mixed with small and medium-size chunks. The desired texture is subject to personal opinion, but we think this form is ideal. The chunks can easily be crumbled. 

The bigger the package, the more chunks you’ll find. Smaller packages (100g) are almost entirely made up of fine powder and include hardly any chunks.

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Excellent Grip + Skin Tolerance

Compare Price
Amazon

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Does what normal chalk does – just better. 

• It absorbs more moisture.
• It keeps your fingers even drier. 
• It keeps you dry for longer.
• It improves grip while keeping chalk usage low. 

Better than conventional chalk
Compared to regular chalk, it seems to be a lot purer and improves grip even in small quantities. 

Much better than cheap chalk
In a direct comparison with cheap chalk, it becomes apparent that there are huge differences – especially in warm conditions.

Gentler to the skin than other chalks
Compared to our grip winner (Black Gold), it doesn’t dry the skin quite as much – therefore, it is a lot more gentle to the skin.

Texture
It’s available in 3 different textures. 

• Fine – Unicorn Powder
• Chunky (Mix of powder and chunks) – Gorilla Grip
• Super chunky (bigger chunks) – Bam Bam

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BEST Grip

(Best chalk for sweaty hands)

Compare Price
Amazon

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Expensive but brilliant chalk with noticeable differences – unbeatable!

And to be honest, when I first touched this chalk I was absolutely amazed at how well it works. 

I will be keeping this chalk in my chalk bag whenever I start a long-term project from now on, even though it’s too expensive for daily use for me personally. On top of that, it dries out the skin a lot.

Texture
Just like White Gold it’s an ideal combination of powder and small chunks. 

Upsalite is also available in pure form (Pure Gold) and can be mixed in with any conventional chalk. 

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Best Chalk Box for Refilling

Compare Price
Amazon

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If you’re looking for high-grade chalk with a convenient box for refilling – ✅ Petzl Power Crunch Box.

The container for refilling is super handy and makes refilling a breeze. Just keep a box with you in your car or backpack.

Texture
This, too, has a good mix of fine powder and small to medium-size chunks. 

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Best Chalk Ball 

Compare Price
Amazon

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Chalk ball with a great price-performance ratio – overall a great buy.

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Best Liquid Chalk

Compare Price
Amazon

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Great for long lasting extra grip – professional climbers use liquid chalk frequently.

Further information about the effect of liquid chalk as well as the entire test can be found in our liquid chalk test. There’s one alternative that is gentler to the skin (no alcohol) as well as one with more alcohol (disinfectant).

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What Exactly is Chalk?

The white powder made for us climbers and boulderers is magnesium carbonate (MgCO3). Chalk, just like a lot of other magnesium compounds, is hygroscopic, which means that it attracts and binds moisture from its surroundings. In our case, that moisture is the sweat from our hands.

A big thank you to chalk – without you we would simply not be able to climb a lot of routes. 

Additionally, chalk is alkaline, so it neutralizes the acidic sweat of our hands, which slows down the corrosion and disintegration of limestone.

However, chalk adversely affects sandstone since it clogs the pores of the stone and reduces grip. This means that you should only use liquid chalk or alternatives free of chalk in certain regions (e.g. Fontainebleau).

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Different Textures 

Powder
A quick reach into the chalk bag is enough to cover the entire palm of your hand with chalk. I’m personally not a huge fan of the very fine mixes since they leave too much excess chalk on your hands. However, it’s likely the best solution for people that tend to have sweaty and moist hands. 

Refilling chalk balls works best with fine powder. 

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Chunks 
Reaching into the chalk bag leaves a lot less chalk (but usually still more than enough) on your palms. You can also crumble the chunks to achieve whatever fineness you like best. This is my favorite option and allows you to use the chalk a lot more sparingly than the fine powder.

Chunks are also offered in different textures and sizes, like small or larger, solid chunks.

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Blocks
Chalk can also be purchased in compressed blocks that avoid dust clouds almost entirely, particularly in bouldering gyms. Refilling chalk bags is also an easy and, more importantly, clean affair – just break off the desired amount and place it in the Chalkbag.

The disadvantage is that applying chalk takes longer when you’re using a block. Therefore, they are not a great option for climbers who want to reapply some chalk quickly right before a crux section. Of course, blocks can also be crumbled to achieve the desired texture. 

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Chalk – Alternatives and Variations

Chalk Balls

A small fabric pouch filled with chalk, which is available either as disposable or refillable chalk balls. I definitely recommend the refillable version since you can use them as often as you want.

Advantages: more efficient, fewer dust clouds when used correctly
Disadvantage: not ideal for people with sweaty hands.

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Liquid Chalk

A liquid mix of chalk and alcohol, sold as liquid chalk in either little bottles or tubes. 

Once the chalk has been applied, the alcohol starts to evaporate and leaves behind a thin and very dry layer of chalk on the skin. It’s particularly dry since the alcohol also dries out the skin.

Advantage: great grip, no dust (ideal for climbing gyms), dry hands for longer.
Disadvantage: expensive, can’t reapply chalk while climbing, dries out the hands a lot.

Application: Drop a small amount of the liquid onto your palms and rub your hands together, then wait for a few seconds for the alcohol to evaporate. That’s all there is to it!

Where to use it:

• Ideally in climbing and bouldering gyms to avoid dust clouds (at least in combination with regular chalk)
• Before starting your route

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DIY Liquid Chalk – Super Easy

Liquid chalk is not exactly cheap – but making it yourself is very easy and straightforward. All you need is:
1. Chalk (powder or finely ground)
2. Alcohol (e.g. 70% ethanol)
3. A tube to bottle it in:
Instructions: 
– Mix about 2 parts chalk with 1 part alcohol until you achieve the desired consistency.
– Fill it into the tube. 

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What is Pof = Sticky Tree Resin

This is a completely natural alternative to conventional chalk that is completely free of magnesium. The liquid solution is made of distilled tree resin (mostly from pines) and alcohol. Its application is similar to that of liquid chalk. It does not leave behind any chalk marks or create any dust clouds, so it’s most often used in areas where the use of chalk is not permitted.

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Note: The magnesia that gymnasts use is not suitable for climbing since it contains additives (talcum) that create a “gliding” effect on gym equipment. We climbers are definitely better off without it.

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Too Much Chalk?

If you make the (common) mistake of using too much chalk, the holds will be downright coated in chalk, which reduces grip and makes the holds slippery.

Chalk absorbs moisture from its environment, no matter whether that’s your palms or the surrounding air. 

In this case, less is definitely more. You can remove excess chalk by using a climbing brush. With the help of this fairly coarse brush, you can clean holds and get rid of the layer of chalk that has built upon them.

Part of a good climbing etiquette is occasionally brushing down holds – but we’ll get to that in a separate chapter down below.

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Too Little Chalk?

Not using chalk at all doesn’t work either. Chalk is definitely an aid that increases grip and makes a noticeable difference, especially at higher difficulty levels. 

Not using enough chalk leads to sweat getting on the hold and mixing with chalk residue from previous climbers, particularly on plastic holds in the gym. What you’re left with is clogged pores and a slippery layer of chalk on the hold. Since the holds need to stay dry, using no chalk at all is not recommended.

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Chalk Etiquette 

Dust clouds
Pay attention to how much unnecessary dust you cause and try to minimize it. 

The excess chalk should be shaken off inside the chalk bag rather than blown off of your hands (at least in the gym).

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Brushing down holds
A thin layer of residue chalk can coat holds, particularly on popular climbing routes, which will cause your grip to decrease noticeably. Brushing off holds every now and then will earn you some praise and appreciation. 

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Tick marks 
Tick marks are small lines of chalk that are drawn on the wall. They are helpful and aid you in locating the best holds. However, it’s good etiquette to only use as few marks as possible and to remove them once you’ve finished your project. 

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Chalk… and the French Blow (:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkrMyh1bq4U&feature=emb_title&ab_channel=mandgabrot