Swix HS5 180g Wax

Racers and skiers who live through cold midwinter mornings will get the most out of the Swix HS5 Turquoise Glide Wax 180g. It's the hardest wax in Swix's High Speed series, a fluoro-free cold-weather hot wax that holds up on fresh, transformed, and man-made snow. The payoff is a durable coat that keeps running fast when the snow turns dry.

Why we like it:

Cold waxes are notoriously stubborn to iron in, and HS5 is easier to apply than many of them without giving up glide.

Features and Functions:

Its -10°C to -18°C range and good dry-friction properties make HS5 the cold specialist of the HS family, and its hardness gives it real durability. Swix lists it for alpine skis, snowboards, and cross-country skis, and it works either as a race wax on its own or as a hard base layer under racing products. Iron it at 160°C, roughly 8 to 10 seconds per pass on an alpine or skating ski, let it cool about 10 minutes and reheat for extra durability, then scrape with a plexi scraper after about a minute. It's fluoro-free and 100% biodegradable.

Bottom Line:

This is the cold-day bar for a race program's wax box and the right pick for anyone tuning in a cold climate. It also makes a smart hard base layer under racing top coats.