Tubbs Flex VRT Snowshoes

Lightweight snowshoes with easy fastening binding and great traction is what you get from a set of Tubbs Flex VRT Snowshoes. Verde PR asked me if I was interested in reviewing a pair of FLEX VRTs from Tubbs, and I took the opportunity. We’ve had the Flex Juniors for our youngest for a few years now and I wanted to try something lighter and more agile than my 36″ Tubbs Mountaineering Snowshoes. Let’s talk features and then go into what we thought about them.

Features

• Torsion Deck
• Dynamic Fit Bindings
• Boa Lacing
• Traction Rails
• Viper 2.0 Toe Crampons (Carbon Steel)
• Flex Tail
• Rotating Toe Cord – Rotation Limiter
• Heel Riser
• Weight: 4.5 lbs
• Length: 24″ or 28″
• Warranty: Manufacturer Limited Lifetime
• MSRP: $249.99

Testing

We took these out snowshoeing on packed ice as well as deep powder. We tested these in temperatures well below freezing.

What do we Think?

Where the Mountaineer Snowshoe is heavier, slower and suited for rugged untravelled wilderness, the Flex VRT are light and fast, excelling on trails where snow isn’t as deep. As such, we found the Flex to be more versatile, easier to use and better for recreational snowshoeing.

The Torsion Deck is build to allow the snowshoe to twist and contour to uneven terrain. We found this to work fantastically well on varied terrain with lots of undulation. The flex allowed the crampons and traction rails to get a better bite.

The Traction Rail concept is great. Not only is there a toe crampon under your foot, but along the length of the snowshoe itself there are zig-zagging rails that stop you from slipping when going up and down hills. It’s a great addition and gives you that much more security on sloped landscapes.

The Flex Tail is supposedly Biomechanically designed to decrease stress on your body by absorbing shock from heel strike. It’s one of those things that I’m sure you probably wouldn’t notice unless it wasn’t there. I’m sure it’s measureable on machines, and I’m glad it’s there, but it wasn’t something I could emphatically say, “hey that’s way better” about. That said, less stress on your body is a good thing, and I trust that there’s science behind it.

By far the coolest thing about these Snowshoes are the bindings. The Dynamic fit binding allows you to step in and spin the boa to tighten. As one solid unit it presses against the top of your foot giving a well distributed amount of pressure. Because the dynamic fit spreads the pressure out, they’re much more comfortable and secure. There’s no sore spots from pressure points. I wish these were on the Flex Juniors as I’m constantly having to adjust them until they’re “just right”.

 

 

The Boa is a great addition. They’re easy to tighten and loosen. Just pull out the boa knob and it releases the cable tension, allowing you to step with ease. It’s also great as I’m usually the last one into the snowshoes after helping all the kids out with there’s. I don’t have to run to catch up any more!

Like some of the other Tubbs models, these VRTs include the Heel Riser. The heel riser puts your foot in a comfortable position when ascending steep hills. Check out the Mountaineering review here for a demo of them.

The Rotating Toe Cord – Rotation Limiter sounds pretty technical doesn’t it? What it means is this: When you take a step, the front of the snowshoe lifts up, so you don’t catch the tip in the snow, but it stop before tipping too far. It causes the snow to slide off the back of the shoe, lightening the load, but prevents you from bumping your shins on the front of the snowshoe. Pretty cool, AND it works.

The design is slightly slimmer than the Mountaineering Snowshoes, meaning you sink a bit more into deep powder, so if you’re expecting to go venture into deep powder, go with the 28″ VRTs or the 36 Mountaineering snowshoes.

Conclusion

We were impressed with the Flex VRTs by Tubbs. The biggest points that impressed us were the Dynamic Fit Bindings with Boa lacing, the Traction rails and the flexing Torsion Deck. These are fantastic all-round snowshoes great for recreational snowshoeing. They’re incredibly comfortable, great for all terrain and are built to last. The $249 MSRP of $249 may put them out of your price grade if you’re going once or twice a year, but if you plan to hit the snow covered trails on a regular basis, you won’t be disappointed when you invest in a pair of these.

The only sad thing now is having to pack them up and send them off to the next reviewer!

Let us know about your experiences with Tubbs Snowshoes. Do you own a pair? Would you buy these? Leave your comments below.

 

 

Full disclosure: I was lent a pair of Flex VRTs to review by VerdePR. All opinions are my own and what I would recommend to family and friends.