FAQ

Start at 20mm. It covers strength, strength endurance and most training cycles. 16mm and 18mm demand more from the finger flexors and suit climbers building raw crimp strength. 22mm and 24mm are gentler on the tendons and better for warm-ups and recovery phases. 12mm is for advanced climbers chasing maximal recruitment. Most people buy 20mm first and add depths as the training calls for them.

The Dual Edge Block at 20mm. A plain fixed edge, the depth every hangboard standard is written against, and the entry point to the Dual Edge family. Once 20mm is dialled, add depths for variety: the No Hang edges come in Unlevel, 24mm, 22mm, 20mm, 18mm, 16mm and 12mm.

Dual Edge Block is the normal fixed edge and the starting point. Everything else in the family is that block with one property added.

28MAX is the same block at 28mm with beefed-up ergonomics, built for max-effort lifts at the top of the loading range. Most tools on the market stop at 20mm. Recruitment pulls is the protocol it exists for.

Rolling edges (22RXE, 28RXE) roll under your fingers, which forces clean form and isolates the FDP. The number is the roll diameter: 28 gives the fuller-pad grip, 22 the small-edge style, and running both is normal. They are niche. New to finger training, or coming back from an injury, start on the Dual Edge instead.

Test it. Do a one-arm max lift on the Dual Edge Block at 20mm and put the number into the finger strength calculator. It tells you which grade band that strength supports. Finger strength is a ceiling, not a guarantee: enough of it lets a grade happen, it does not make the grade happen.

The chart, the test and the protocols are free to read. No email wall.

You only know if you measured. Training strength, the signal is load: did you add 10lb this cycle? Training endurance, the signal is reps at a fixed load. Without a number you cannot tell the block from just climbing more. Pick one protocol (repeaters, max hangs, density hangs), fix the load or the reps, and retest every 4 weeks.

Measure from the tip of your index finger to the base of your wrist, in inches:

• Under 7in = Small
• 7 to 7.5in = Medium
• Over 7.5in = Large

No. Edges, blocks and wrist tools are 3D printed and start to soften around 145F. A parked car in summer goes well past that. A block that spent an afternoon on the back seat can come out warped, and you should not load your fingers on a warped tool.

If a tool lives in your gym bag, the bag comes inside with you.

The shapes come from what climbers train on, not what a factory guesses they want. Geometry repeats across a set, so the load on your fingers is the same every session. They are also comfortable, because a hold that hurts gets skipped.

Direct, at zodiac-holds.com, shipping to all 50 states. A few climbing gyms stock us too; the Retailers page has the current list. Direct is fastest and carries the full range.

Yes, by UPS. 5 to 7 business days, priced by province and weight at checkout. Duties and GST are collected from you at delivery, not by us.

You have 14 days from delivery to request a return. Items need to be unused, in original condition and packaging, with proof of purchase. Request first. We send a label and instructions, and a package mailed back without an authorization is refused.

Returns carry a 25% restocking fee and you pay the shipping. Ship within 5 days of the authorization; the refund reaches your payment method within 10 business days of us receiving it.

Defective, damaged or wrong item: contact us straight away with photos and we replace it at no cost.

Yes. Gyms, setting crews, teams and retailers buy at wholesale. Send the wholesale form with your gym or shop, your location, and the sort of order you have in mind. We reply with pricing.

Setting a new wall and stocking a shelf are different orders. Say which in the form and we will quote for it.

Find your wall angle. Every hold page has a chart by angle and difficulty. Our holds work on anything from 40 to 60 degrees, and filtering the product pages by your angle narrows it further.

Still unsure, send us the angle and a photo on Instagram and we will pick with you.

Smallest to largest: Borealis Kickboard, Tarf Chip, Acubens Block, Australis Ledge.

Tarf Chips are hard board-style feet. They demand accuracy at any angle. Acubens Blocks sit in the middle on depth, so more weight goes onto your feet: powerful moves on steep walls, easy feet on lower angles. Strong climbers at higher grades may find them big. Australis Ledges are the largest, spike-like and nearly a hand hold, made for steep walls and easier climbing. Too big for low-angle walls.

Alpha Librae foot volumes work with all of them. They lift a foot chip off the wall for a new dimension, and you unmount the volume to swap the chip.

The guide below walks through mounting foot holds on the Librae volumes and a few tricks for getting the most out of them.

T25 outdoor wood screws, #10. Deck screws from a lumber yard work. Each hold lists the length it needs, and we sell screws if you only need a couple.

Do not over-tighten.

Like a cross between old gym holds and hardwood holds. The texture is ready from the first session; there is no sanding, unlike a lot of new commercial holds. Made for homewalls and spraywalls.

Keep them inside. Foot holds and training tools are 3D printed and soften around 145F. Direct sun, or a garage or attic that gets hotter than that, and the hold stops performing as designed.

The climbing holds are polyurethane and take heat up to about 200F. If you set outside, use those.