Wood Grips Deluxe II Training Board

A hangboard is a board mounted above a doorway or on a wall that climbers hang from by their fingertips to build the finger strength climbing requires. The Metolius Wood Grips Deluxe II hits the sweet spot between tiny portable boards and big competition setups, a full-featured wood board that's great for serious home training.

Being wood is part of the appeal: a warm, skin-friendly finish that's gentler on the fingertips than plastic over long sessions. It packs a generous mix of grips, from big easy holds (jugs) to edges, pockets, rounded slopers, and pinches, so a climber can train both finger strength and lock-off power, and keep growing into it. It comes with mounting hardware and a training guide to get started.

One honest heads-up for the gift-giver: hangboard training suits climbers with at least six months to a year of experience, since fingers and tendons need time to adapt. For a climber past that stage building out a home setup, the Wood Grips Deluxe II is a great-value, well-respected gift. Starts at $89.95.