The brand
Kilter Grips is a climbing hold company owned by Ian Powell and Jackie Hueftle. Ian is the art and design side, and Jackie is more marketing/management. Griffin Whiteside heads up accounting among other things. Kiel Mahar is our main guy in sales. There are some other helpful folks as well–read more about the team on the Setter Closet Team page.
Kilter is not a “normal” climbing grip company. Because this industry is so young there has never been a company started by people who have so much experience. We are a bit obsessed and have the years to prove it. We know climbing gyms, climbing grips, and what professional route setters demand.
Kilter’s first sets were released in 2013 and now the line is one of the largest in the industry. Kilter has won the Climbing Business Journal Grips List 6 times: we took first in the inaugural list in 2014, then won again in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020. In 2018, 2019 and 2020 we also won All Time Favorite Brand.
Starting in 2019 Kilter became a USA Climbing sponsor and an official IFSC Authorised Hold Brand, meaning Kilter Grips may be used in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
The holds
Kilter Grips started out as four main styles with unique characteristics that compliment each other aesthetically and practically, so you can set full routes with any Kilter style (or a mix of Kilter styles) and know that they’ll look good on the wall, feel good on the hands, and make your climbers and setters happy.
Haptic Grips are a sub-line of Kilter and include all Ian’s shapes that are not in the 4 main Kilter styles as well as shapes and new styles from key setters, shapers, and climbers who are working closely with Ian to develop their own lines of grips. Haptic shapers include Jimmy Webb, Jeremy Ho, Peter Juhl, Keith Dickey, William Watkins, Will Anglin, and Alex Puccio.
Union are a sub-line of Kilter. Union are a set or a few sets shaped by experienced setters including Aroldo Silva, Anders Rasker, Morgan Young, and Roy Quanstrom.
We recommend using our filters when looking for holds to more easily find the styles and hold types you are looking for.
The Kilter, Haptic, and Union lines will be constantly expanding, so check back often to see our newest shapes. Want a specific shape or expansion of a style? Ian can make pretty much anything out of foam, so shoot us an email and we’ll see what we can do for you.
Our holds are often larger for the size than people expect. If you have questions about the size of certain holds or would like recommendations, please ask.
