Stubai X-Dream, $165, 2 pounds 6 ounces
Summary: The X-Dream’s rigid frame rails are aluminum, which Stubai claims makes the X-Dream significantly lighter. The crampon is light, sure, but not the lightest we tested, and only a few ounces off from the middle of the pack — the unconventional design seems hardly worth the trouble or hype. We also found that the narrow rails made the crampon less stable when walking or standing, particularly on lumpy terrain. The fact that the frame is not anatomic only compounded the problem.
There are other niggling foibles: the ankle strap has an overly complex buckle that relies on at least two sets of moving parts. All these minor complaints are eclipsed, however, by the X-Dream’s utter lack of any kind of front point adjustment options, including a monopoint — a glaring omission, in terms of function, performance, and value.
Pros: Aluminum frame shaves weight.
Cons: Narrow rails (especially through the midfoot) affects stability for walking or standing. No front point adjustments possible. No monopoint option.
Overall grade: C+

Stubai/Advanced Base Camp: (888) 902-5462, www.advancedbasecamp.com

Test Results:

Black Diamond Bionic
Cassin C14
DMM Terminator
Grivel G14
Petzl Charlet M10
Simond Pitbull Speed RS
Stubai X-Dream
Trango Hyper Harpoon