Home-Wall Hold Kits

So Ill, $55, 38 holds
Overall grade: A-
Our first kit from the SoIll lads initially had us scratching our heads. Emphasizing funky geometric, dual-texture polyurethane shapes with weird, PVC hose-like protuberances jutting out here and there, they were easily the most esoteric holds any of us had ever seen. Once we got them on the wall, however, we were psyched on the creative routesetting and climbing they required. In the latter part of our test, SoIll sent us a their new re-tooled starter kit, which included 13 loopy, railing edges and 24 jibs. We liked these as well, as they provided a marked contrast to the previous blocky shapes. If you’re into SoIll, our suggestion would be to get their new starter kit and augment it with their geometric Laxative series. Also, SoIll hands down has the best jibs in the biz.
So Ill: (628) 867-3446, www.soillholds.com

Synrock, $149, 40 holds
Overall grade: B
Synrock uses a proprietary ceramic mix for its holds. Simply put, this is one of the most skin-friendly materials on the market. If you complain about the texture on these grips, go see your dermatologist, because you have a problem. Synrock puts its kit together from a collection of small jugs, bulbs, pinches, and rounded scoops. These were great for setting long, endurance-oriented problems, but not so hot for setting hand-position-dependent cruxes. Shapes mimicking different types of rock would also a welcome addition. Unique among the holds we tested, the Synrocks can be given a rougher surface using muriatic acid, if you so desire. T-nuts and bolts included.
Synrock: (814) 360-4130, www.synrockholds.com

Teknik, $140, 50 holds
Overall grade: A-
At first glance, Teknik’s resin holds seem overly simple. But while they may lag behind other manufacturers in simulating real rock surfaces, Teknik’s shapes are in fact subtly sophisticated, pushing you in both your route setting and your climbing. Testers loved these holds for setting “Ah, that looks simple ... Argh!” problems. The Teknik kit includes a wide variety, from pinches and slopers to pockets and edges. Even their jugs aren’t simple grab-and-go affairs. Latching one at the end of a long dyno can be a challenging, keep-your-wits-about-you task. A great addition to this kit would be dual textures, further enhancing the set’s thought-provoking nature. Bolts, T-nuts, and a wrench included.
Teknik: (888) 483-5645, www.teknikhandholds.com

VooDoo, $180, 44 holds
Overall grade: A-
There’s good voodoo and there’s bad voodoo. The polyurethane kit we received from this small Flagstaff, Arizona, company was abundant in good voodoo, with a wide variety of smooth, flowing shapes, emphasizing frustrating-yet-inspiring slopers and swooping edges. The holds are relatively simple shapes, which lend themselves to setting very precise moves, but more subtly featured holds would be a welcome addition. VooDoo pioneered the concept of dual-texture holds, and thankfully their kit includes some of these challenging crux-makers. The kit skews toward bolt-ons, but also includes some screw-on shapes. Bolts, t-nuts, screws, and two wrenches are included.
VooDoo: (800) 883-6433, www.voodooholds.com