Best Climbing Brushes of 2022

BEST FOR: SLOPERS, SLOPERS, SLOPERS

A bigger brother to the original version of this climbing brush, the So iLL Sloper Brush 2.0 is a larger design that is meant to work on, well, slopers. The slanted design of the handle allows for equal distribution amongst all the bristles to help prevent premature wear on the tip of the brush. 

The seafoam color of the brush will also make you stand out wherever you are and let everyone know what tool you come equipped with. And because So iLL cares about you, the backing is made with sandpaper so you can make sure that you are tending to the callouses that you have worked so hard to gain! It also will help remove any rough edges that are the enemy in bouldering, leading to the dreaded flappers.

BEST FOR: LARGE HOLDS

While Mammut does not mention exactly what the bristles on their boulder brush are made from, they do say “natural hair”, and this brush holds its own outside as well as inside.  Designed like a basic floor scrub brush, this brush will not hang on your chalk bag, but takes prize where width is key, such as on those slopers where cleaning a lot of surface area is required. This gives you extra time to work on your project rather than tediously scrubbing away with a smaller brush. 

And with a flat design, this brush fits easily in the palm of your hands, so you can really bear down on it when cleaning those holds. The brush, while it doesn’t come with any point to attach to your chalk bag, does have a tiny hole in the wood base where you can attach a small string to tether it to you.

BEST FOR: SIMPLICITY

Metolius makes another great climbing brush that is small enough to go with you anywhere. The boar’s hair bristles can withstand even the dirtiest holds you come across. And with the all natural bamboo handle, there are no harsh plastics in this design, so Mother Nature will thank you. The end of the bamboo handle has a small hole in it as well, where you can easily thread a string through, allowing you then to attach this brush to your harness or chalk bag. 

This brush is large enough that you can hold it easily, but small enough that you can take it with you anwyere. You may want to go ahead and buy a few of these to replace all those old toothbrushes you have, because at just around $5, why would you buy just one?

BEST FOR: DURABILITY

Metolius has taken a design that has served the military for years in aiding to clean the inside of rifles to bring you the more peaceful M-16 climbing brush. Made with super stiff nylon bristles, this brush performs as would be expected in the military and can get even the chalkiest holds clean for you to send your route. The bristles on the larger brush are contoured and shaped to curve around the holds you are trying to clean, to ensure maximum surface area is covered. And the smaller brush is also perfect for cleaning those hard to reach crevices as well as the hard to reach areas of your cams!

BEST FOR: SIMPLE AND AFFORDABLE

A simple design at a reasonable price point has made this little brush very popular among gym climbers. Small enough to fit on your chalk bag, this plastic handle brush can still bear the force of a good scrub on those messy holds. While made with a softer bristle than some other brushes, the boar’s hair bristles are still plenty durable enough and can even fit in all those nooks and crannies that have been chalked up by the countless numbers of climbers. 

The curved designed of the bristles also ensures that when this brush is used on larger holds, it contours to the features, maximizing contact and yielding the closest scrub possible. The plastic handle even has a curved design that can be advantageous on certain holds. While the plastic may not be as durable as wood handle brushes, at the price, you really cannot go wrong.

BEST FOR: SMALL CRIMPS

Similar to the Metolius M-16 model, the Liberty X-brush offers you two choices in one brush. The larger end can be advantageous on those bigger holds that have seen a lot of chalked up hand traffic, while the smaller end can be super useful on those already hard to grip smaller crimps. Weighing just 0.32 oz, having two brushes in one is no extra weight for you to carry this guy on your chalk bag. While a bit on the thin side, as long as you are not scrubbing too hard on any given hold, this brush will hold up to most climbs you come across. And at just under $3, you can easily afford to replace this brush if necessary.

BEST FOR: BUDGET CONSCIOUS CLIMBERS

What’s better than one brush? How about four? For the budget conscious person in you, Escape brings you a 4-pack of their boar’s hair climbing brush. The three smaller brushes probably aren’t going to be your go-to brushes, but they will help with the smaller crevices that need to be cleaned up. 

The larger brush is better suited for more of you needs, and will get those larger holds clean in half the time. The bent shape of the handle allows for an equal distribution of surface area on the bristles to prevent uneven wear, so this brush will last longer. A tiny hole in the end of the brush is also a nice feature that allows you to thread a string for attachment to things other than your chalk bag, so you can even carry this brush on your harness during other types of climbing.

BEST FOR: INDESTRUCTIBILITY 

All natural here with the Crush Brush Boar’s Hair climbing brush. The all natural boar’s hair bristles will not scratch the rock when using this brush outside, and with no nylon or plastic, there will be no plastic residue left behind. Since the Crush Brush is on the larger side of climbing brushes, it will cover a lot of surface area when cleaning. Designed with a glass reinforced polymer handle, you won’t have to worry about this bad boy breaking while scrubbing. And this brush is even good in the gym and cleaning out all the grime left behind from kids. While it may look like a toothbrush, it is so far from that. Get ready to Crush!

BEST FOR: SMALL CRACKS

If friction is what you are seeking, friction is what you will get when you use the Evolv bouldering brush. The all natural boar’s hair bristles are stiff enough to clean all the chalk away with no additional residues and the bamboo handle is a great use of materials and is certainly sturdy. Also, the hollow nature of bamboo makes this brush super light, making it no burden to attach to your chalk bag. While maybe not quite as durable as some brushes, the even and thick distribution of the bristles will help make this brush last longer through all the scrubs than just a plain old toothbrush. And the wider bristle base will also help cover more ground on those grimy holds.