OutdoorGearLab

If you are on a tight budget or have limited mounting options, then the Metolius Prime Rib is your new jam. At only 4.2-inches tall, this model can squeeze above basement doorways or other places that most other training boards wouldn't even be a consideration. The ultra-smooth texture on this board is also among our review team's favorites and easily proved among the easiest on our skin even after extended sessions. It fits most budgets and spaces but also provides a great workout, albeit requiring some creativity by the climber.  
This model only has three edges, 15mm, 23mm, and 38mm, which basically equates to two training edges and one warm-up edge. You will have to get creative to keep your workouts interesting. After extensively using this board, our testers agreed that if we only had three edge depths to match the majority of climbers out there, these three would be it. While not the most inspiring model, the reasonably-priced Prime Rib is an unequivocally solid board that will work for a wide range of climbers who might have limited mounting options.
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Breaking away from what most fingerboards offer, the So iLL Iron Palm more than lives up to its name. Whereas most boards tend to focus exclusively on finger strength and crimpers, the Iron Palm instead offers additional slopers and pinches that are the best in the game. Its two huge balls at the top two corners are the first thing you'll notice on this model. These rounded features are flatter on top while gently becoming more sloping as they roll off to the sides. This allows you to easily adapt your workout to be more difficult as your grip strength improves. While we tend to think of fingerboard training taking place on flat-topped edges, our minds were opened by these softball-shaped holds. The Iron Palm also has the best pinches of any board we have ever seen. Its two sets of pinches can be used separately or mixed to create three different sizes to help you squeeze juice from the rock. This board's unique slopers and pinch grips are great for fine-tuning these specific skills, keeping workouts interesting, and building whole-hand strength. While the pinches and slopers help this model stand out, we liked its four distinct edges, too. 
The Iron Palm has no traditional pockets, but the benefit of its four long edges is that it can make 1, 2, or 3-finger groups feel more difficult since you can't "cheat" by using friction on the sides of a stand-alone pocket. The board also has a nice progression of edges, but we wish it had one slightly smaller edge to increase its difficulty. It also has limited mounting options due to its large size. However, if you have the space for it, the wider board encourages better form and is generally easier on your shoulders and elbows. Overall, this is a great choice for folks who are sick of the same old thing offered by most other hangboards. This is also a good specialty option for folks who find themselves bouldering on a lot of slopers &#40;such as Fontainebleau&#41; or whose projects might be on steep block sport climbs where the training on bad pinches in addition to crimps will produce tangible real-world gains. 
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The Metolius 3D Simulator is mega-popular, and with good reason. This model has been through several iterations and updates over the years, with each new version steadily improving on the last. The most recent Simulator makes enormous strides in overall ergonomics while offering a more well-thought-out progression of edges and grips. These are some of the reasons it remains a stand-out and versatile model, even with more and more competition coming onto the market every year. The 3D Simulator is easily the best hangboard for your money, although a better description might be an incredible board that happens to be exceptionally affordable. The Simulator offers a plethora of edges and pockets that provide one of the better progressions of grips from a difficulty perspective of any of the models we tested. It also offers one of the most ergonomic designs that encourages good form while reducing stress in your elbows and shoulders. 
Though it may not be the best choice for top-end climbers, it's ideal for folks whose projects are in the 5.11-5.12+ range and below, which is most of the climbing community. It also isn't the most compact model but still offers an impressive amount of edges and pockets while striking a nice balance of being small enough to fit above most doorways with average height ceilings &#40;8ft&#41;. Don't let its lower price tag fool you; this board has what most climbers need to make progress and push to the next climbing grade. 
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The Metolius Wood Grips Deluxe II is our favorite all-around wooden model and is a fantastic addition to almost any climber's home training plan. It has jugs to warm up on, a few slopers, and an excellent progression of edges, which our testers loved. The edges decrease in well-thought-out increments from 31mm to 25mm to 19mm in the 4-finger, 3-finger, and 2-finger depths. The wider dimensions of this board make it more elbow and shoulder-friendly. Its smooth finish and slightly rounded-off edges are easier on your skin than any polyester board we tested. The texture struck an excellent balance between being smooth without feeling slick and offered the conscious overall favorite texture among any board we tested &#40;along with the other wooden boards from Metolius we trained on&#41;. 
We think the Wood Grips Deluxe is perfect for folks who might redpoint from the mid 5.11 to the harder 5.12 range and will even still work for 5.13a. If you are consistently sending harder, we'd likely recommend a more challenging board. This model's smallest edge is 19mm, which is pretty small. Still, we wish it were narrower &#40;closer to 13-15mm&#41; so it worked for a broader range of users. Its 8.5-inch height means it should fit above doorways in most standard-height ceilings &#40;7.5-8ft&#41; but might not work in tighter spaces or cramped basements. Despite these minor drawbacks, the Metolius Wood Grips Deluxe II is a top-tier option with the review's best texture and an excellent progression of holds to help motivate toward and achieve climbing goals.
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