Climbing Hand Balm Showdown: RIPT vs ClimbOn
ClimbOn has been a staple in climbing gyms for years. It's the bar of balm you've probably seen sitting on the front desk or floating around someone's chalk bag. RIPT Skin Systems is newer to the climbing scene but brings a fundamentally different approach to hand care.
If you're a climber dealing with flappers, split tips, or raw skin, here's how they compare.
What ClimbOn Does
ClimbOn is a healing balm — a single product in bar or cream form. You apply it to damaged skin after a climbing session. It moisturizes, soothes, and creates a light protective layer. The ingredients are natural (beeswax, essential oils, botanical extracts) and the product smells good.
ClimbOn is essentially a climbing-specific hand cream. It does one thing well: moisturize and soothe after climbing.
What RIPT Does
RIPT Skin Systems is a 3-phase hand care system:
- GRINDSTONE — Fine-grit pumice for callus management. Keeps calluses thin and smooth so they don't flap or split. Use 2–3x weekly on dry hands.
- QUICK FIX — Beeswax-based healing balm for flappers, split tips, raw skin, and cracks. Creates a protective seal and accelerates healing. Back climbing in 2–3 days instead of 5–7.
- DAILY DOSE — Daily conditioner with shea butter, coconut oil, and vitamin E. Builds pliable, resilient skin that handles friction without splitting.
Why This Matters for Climbers
Climbing skin problems fall into two categories:
- Acute damage — flappers, split tips, raw spots that end your session early
- Chronic issues — dry, cracked skin that splits on crimps; thick calluses that flap on slopers
ClimbOn addresses category 1 (partially — it moisturizes but doesn't seal wounds as aggressively as a beeswax barrier). It doesn't address category 2 at all.
RIPT addresses both. GRINDSTONE prevents the thick calluses that cause flappers. QUICK FIX heals acute damage fast. DAILY DOSE prevents the chronic dryness that leads to split tips.
Ingredients
Both brands are natural and chemical-free:
- ClimbOn: Beeswax, essential oils (lavender, eucalyptus), botanical extracts
- RIPT: Beeswax, coconut oil, shea butter, tea tree oil, lavender oil, vitamin E, natural pumice
Similar philosophy, different execution. RIPT's formulations are purpose-built for each phase of hand care rather than being a single all-purpose balm.
Price and Value
A ClimbOn bar runs $10–$15 for a single product that moisturizes.
The RIPT Hand Care Kit is $27 and includes three products covering prevention, healing, and maintenance. If you're buying ClimbOn plus a separate pumice stone plus a daily hand cream, you're spending more for a less integrated approach.
Who Should Choose What
Choose ClimbOn if:
- You just want a post-session moisturizer
- Your skin rarely splits or flaps
- You climb 2–3 times a week at moderate intensity
Choose RIPT if:
- You climb frequently (4+ sessions per week)
- You deal with recurring flappers or split tips
- You want to prevent skin issues, not just treat them
- You want a complete system — callus management, healing, and daily conditioning
- You project outdoors and need skin that recovers fast between sessions
The Bottom Line
ClimbOn is a solid hand balm. It's been around for years for a reason. But it's a single product that only addresses one part of the hand care equation.
RIPT Skin Systems gives climbers a complete protocol: manage callus thickness so you don't flap, heal damage fast when you do, and maintain skin daily so it handles the friction of hard climbing. That's the difference between a balm and a system.
Get the RIPT Hand Care Kit — everything you need for $27. 100% natural. Made in Canada.