9 Best Tree Climbing Spikes 2020 [Reviews & Guide]

People love to be in extreme activities- whether it’s a necessity or merely adrenaline rush. And climbing high trees is just one of them.

In a more practical sense, climbing a tree is more of a necessity for gardeners, hunters, and carpenters. And nonetheless, it’s a crazy risky thing to do, no matter how much of an expert you are.

To lower down the risk factors and make it more comfortable, we have climbings spikes on the rescue. They come with safety straps along with metal spikes that bite on the tree and let you climb with rather an ease.

But when it comes to picking up the best climbing spikes for you, it’s not a one-man job indeed.

To give you a hand in this regard, we’ve hand-picked the top-rated climbing spikes from the market. Also, we’ve broken down the features and benefits in ascending order.

Grab a mug of coffee, seatback tight, and keep reading till you find your next climbing harness within your budget.

Best Tree Climbing Spikes- Quick List

1. Klein Tools CN1907ARL Tree Climbers Set
2. Buckingham Steel Spur Kit with Big Buck Pads
3. Notch Gecko Steel Climbers w/Tree Gaffs
4. Evoke Gear Tree Climbing Spike
5. Gecko Tree Climbers
6. Pair of Sport Climbers
7. Biliten 2 Gears Tree Climbing Spikes
8. HUAWELL Tree Climber Set, Climbing Spikes
9. Entry-Level Spur Kit

Best Tree Climbing Spikes- Reviews

1.Klein Tools CN1907ARL Tree Climbers Set

Quick Features

• High-grade leather cushion.
• Neoprene nylon straps.
• Impressive foot support.

Product Overview

Hands down to the crown winner pick of the list- the infamous Klein Tools CN1907ARL. It comes to be not just as a tree-climbing spike but as a complete tree climber set. In this set, you will get to have pole climbers, climbing gaffs, leg irons, straps, climber pads, stirrups, and grass spikes.

If you have been familiar with tree climbing, you might already guess how satisfactory it can be to have all of those in one place.

However, there is more on the benefits and details on Klein Tools CN1907ARL-

The cushion comes as a size of 8 inches by 8 inches, backed up with highly comfortable leather. As a matter of fact, the leather cushion comes to be a great fit for all kinds of legs as well.

The climber’s trap is made of highly durable Neoprene nylon. The long-lasting lifespan of the strap will allow you to do tough use of it. Once you get to secure the leg iron and sleeve connection, it can be one hell of a climb.

Talking about secure fittings, there are a couple of slotted bolts along with lock washers. Altogether, they will make a tight joint between the leg iron and steel sleeve. Even if you are a bulky person in terms of body shape, such a joint will take care of your safety while you are climbing the tree wearing this spike.

One of the most important things to take care of is to keep your ankles on board. With the steel split ring that comes with it, it’s going to keep those straps right on their places. Ald that also allows you with quick replacements as well.

Compared to all those features, the price seems a pretty nice fit for us. Although it’s not a budget product, as per quality goes, it’s certainly a bang for the bucks.

Pros

• Comfortable leather made cushion.
• Long-lasting strap life.
• Secure and tight-fitting sleeve design.
• A solid joint between the sleeve and leg iron.
• Secure ankle strap.
• A quick replacement of the ankle strap is allowed.
• Great foot support with the right fit.

Cons

• It doesn’t come with an entire frame.

2.Buckingham Steel Spur Kit with Big Buck Pads

Quick Features

• Comfortable T-pads.
• High-strength steel made gaffs.
• Contoured shank.

Product Overview

Well, the name might lead you to some confusion, but it’s not something that the royal people at Buckingham Palace uses to climb trees. In fact, it’s a brand with 100+ years of experience in manufacturing gaffs and similar products.

Jokes apart, presenting our runners up of the list, the Buckingham Steel Spur Kit. For starters, It’s a great beginner’s spur climber set. And once we explain how comfortable and well-built it is, we’re sure that you’re going to keep it into your shortlist.

The pad that comes with a T-styling, is made of really high-quality leather to make sure it’s durable. To take care of the user’s comfort issues, they have felted in the wood pad as the cushion. And that is going to give you utter comfort while you are riding.

There are two sets of options available- one with the tree gaffs and another with the pole gaffs. The pole gaff set comes with a length of 2-¾ inches, and the other one comes with a spike length of 1-¾ inches.

As the name of the Buckingham Steel Spur Kit suggests, it’s not just one item that you are paying for. With the entire set, what you’d get is more than enough to make your tree climbing adventure comfortable and safe.

In this set, there is a pair of a standard length of spur sleeves, there is a couple of steel spurs, a set of barrel bolts, a pair of upper straps, a couple of lower straps, a couple of T-pads and a couple of gaff guards for safety.

If all of these perks don’t seem to cover things up for you, we are going to tell you that you have a second thought about it. It is really a great pick for beginning as a tree climber for your backyard.

Pros

• It comes with either tree gaffs or pole gaffs.
• The sleeves are extra long for safety.
• A complete set of climbing accessories.
• The stirrup fits nicely in the center of the foot.
• The sleeve comes with adjustable height.

Cons

• Some of the items that are in the set might not be necessary.

3.Notch Gecko Steel Climbers w/Tree Gaffs

Quick Features

• Washable EVA padding.
• 5” adjustable cuff length.
• 350 lbs of weight capacity.

Product Overview

If you’ve been fascinated about tree climbing, we’re sure you’ve desired to own a pair of high-tech, premium spurs. But as we all know, the price is skyrocketing of those spurs. But thankfully, Notch Gecko had brought many features of those high-end spurs into the Notch Gecko Steel Climbers.

And we’re going to explain how-

For starters, let’s go with the materialistic perks. The two primary materials you’d be able to notice in this climber is high-impact plastic molded cuff along with the EVA padding. If something is there is the sweet spot between comfort and durability, this is it!

No matter if it’s a rainy day, a dry day, or anything else, you can climb with the Notch Gecko Steel Climbers with ease. In fact, the brand had tested each of these climbers under different laboratory circumstances before releasing it. So, that’s a piece of mind for sure.

Now, it’s the centerpiece of the entire climber- the steel leg. Well, as you can see, it’s made of tough steel metal, which is 2.5” long. The height is, however, adjustable as it varies from person to person. On top of that, you can ensure optimal leg positioning with the integrated padding offset leg stirrup.

We know that there will be loads of muds and dirt after a day of tree climbing on these climbers. To ensure it remains as usable as new, the EVA padding has been made to be hand-washable.

Lastly, the 350 lbs of weight capacity are something that you can expect from any good climbers.

Pros

• Repeatedly usable with the washable EVA pads.
• The plastic molded cuff is pretty high-impact.
• The cuff comes with an integrated padding offset.
• 26 inches long lower strap.
• Meets ASTM standards in terms of weight capacity.
• Padding can be adjusted within 14-¾” to 21”.

Cons

• The price point is not within a medium budget.

4.Evoke Gear Tree Climbing Spike Set

Quick Features

• Usable for up to 30 tree climbing.
• Durable built quality.
• Budget-friendly.

Product Overview

The next product on the lot is called the Evoke Gear Tree Climbing Spike Set. From the image and name, you can already know that it’s a pole spike set. But when it comes to tree climbing, it’s a good fit as well.

For non-professional tree pruning and branch removals, you, as a user might not want to spend that much. For you and all other budget buyers out there, the Evoke Gear Tree Climbing Spike Set can be a great choice.

The built quality is not the best in the world, but not also something that you would turn from. The spur set is made of high quality and high strength metal. In fact, durability is one of the core USPs of this product.

We have seen users go up to 30+ trees to climb with these spikes. And most of those climbs took place for tree pruning or removal. So, we can definitely declare without a doubt that it’s a pretty durable spike for this price range.

The padding that you would get with the Evoke Gear Tree Climbing Spike Set is quite comfortable. In case you are worried about adjustability, then that will be taken well care of. The height of the spikes is adjustable within a decent range.

And finally, we get to bring on the price point once again. Because there are only a few spike sets in the market that you will find well under this point. So, if you are a budget buyer and looking for a spoke set for non-professional tree maintenance, this might be your go-to choice.

Pros

• Spur set is made of high-strength metal.
• The height is adjustable.
• Padding is made to be comfortable for tough use.
• The built quality is durable.
• A good spike for tree climbing within a low budget.

Cons

• Not for professional/regular tree climbers.

5.Gecko Tree Climbers

Quick Features

• Aluminum made frame.
• Fiberglass made shin cuffs.
• Lightweight and comfortable.

Product Overview

The market for climbing spikes might be overwhelmed with the ‘steel-made’ frames. But one thing that they don’t tell you is the weight steel-made frame brings on with itself.

However, Gecko had been smart enough as a brand to bring you a better alternative. It’s called the Gecko Tree Climbers and it’s made of aluminum instead of steel. We will look at the other features below-

As a matter of fact, aluminum made spikes are way lighter than steel-made ones. And the answer to the question of toughness is almost the same. But it’s not able to carry the heavy load of climbing works.

The shin cuffs are made of fiberglass, and that is one of the reasons why Gecko Tree Climbers lies within the premium(and expensive) zone of spikes. But that being said, having a fiberglass shin cuff has its advantages. On top of that, you’ll get integrated padding along with that.

To take care of your comfort as the user, there is integrated padding with the cuff, as we said. On top of that, there is an offset leg stirrup. The steel gaffs that are with the model, are replaceable in case.

Just like any other regular tree climbing spikes, the weight limit of this one is 350 lbs. And the weight includes you- the climber and all of your climbing gear.

As we said a while ago, the price point might be a chance of disappointment for some users. But as long as the aluminum construction and the fiberglass made shin cuff are concerned- it is meant to be such premium. And once you get it on your feet, it will tell itself why it’s worth the investment.

Pros

• The fiberglass cuff is adjustable in length.
• Meets ASTM safety and construction standards.
• Steel gaffs are replaceable.
• Pretty comfortable and lightweight.
• Easy to set up and remove.

Cons

• The weight limit of aluminum isn’t as much as steel.
• Pretty pricey compared to many other models on this list.

6.Sport Climbers Pair of Sport Climbers

Quick Features

• Patented Holwo V spike.
• Fast and easy to climb with.
• Maximum spiking area.

Product Overview

We are once again within the budget-friendly range of best climbing spikes as long as the next product of our collection is concerned. It’s called the Sport Climbers Pair of Sport Climbers and we are going to break its features and specs in detail.

First thing first, this pair of spikes makes it very easy to climb a tree if you’re not an expert in it. It terminates the essence of tree steps, and that makes it very difficult for others to make to your tree stand.

The whole V-shaped spike that you can see in the picture, is a patented design from Sport Climbers. And as they have implemented it in this model, it is definitely going to give you some leverages.

The Hollow V design takes place when it comes to maximizing the surface area that the spike takes a bite with on the tree. So, their chance of slipping or accidental falls is trimmed down to a minimum level.

Also, wearing these spikes, climbing on the tree becomes really fast and easy. With every beginner, this particular feature would come to be very handy.

We have enlightened on the budget once before, and here it goes again. It is a pretty good climbing spike within a short budget.

Pros

• A budget-friendly spike set for a beginner.
• It can be used for climbing any tree.
• Induces a secure bike with the Hollow spike.
• No need to use tree steps anymore.

Cons

• Not going to work best when it comes to thin trees.

7.Biliten 2 Gears Tree Climbing Spikes

Quick Features

• Five-prong claw design.
• Stainless steel claws.
• 100 kg of the weight limit.

Product Overview

It’s not all the time when you get to use climbing spikes just for pruning purposes. We mean, there are a number of other times when you need to safely and securely climb a tree. And when it comes to those multi-purpose climbing, we have got the right set of spikes here. It’s called the Biliten 2 Gears Tree Climbing Spikes and we are going to break down the specs for you.

The most standout feature of this spike is it’s extraordinary, five print designer. In this concept, there will be a sharp and hard claw made of stainless steel. It will be able to provide you a stronger, longer, and more durable support while you’re climbing trees.

On top of that, as it’s made of stainless steel, it’s going to be super durable whatsoever.

The bearing capacity of this spike is another of its selling points. Usually, we have seen more of the models to be as weight-bearing as 350 pounds only. But this time, the Biliten 2 Gears Tree Climbing Spikes can carry up to 400 pounds or 100 kg at best case. This is a piece of good news for users who are bulky in size. Not so many options are out there for them, we have to admit. Well done Biliten!

There are two models available, and both of them are quite good in terms of price-quality ratio.

Pros

• 100 kg of weight-bearing capacity.
• A right suit for bulky uses.
• It can be used multi-purpose in climbing trees.
• Safe and durable to use for the long term.
• Easy to carry and put on.

Cons

• The straps are not that much wide for optimal safety.

8.HUAWELL Tree Climber Set

Quick Features

• Extremely budget-friendly.
• Wide design.
• Suitable for all sorts of trees.

Product Overview

At this point of the review, we are going to present to you the most budget-friendly and the most simple-yet-durable climbing spike of the market. And it’s called the HUAWELL Tree Climber Set. Although the brand has a number of spikes in the basket, we have found this one as the right pick for our budget buyers.

The design of this spike had been made wide so that you can put that easily under the sole of your shoe. Also, when you will be using it for a long time, it will not be uncomfortable. This credit also goes to the long and wide design of the spike.

The overall weight of the pair is only 3.1 pounds. So, if you want to carry it along with you in camps or outdoor excursions, it will be very doable.

That was about the weight of the set itself. Let’s talk about the weight-bearing capacity of it. Theoretically, the brand claims that this spike can carry up to 120kg of weight. But for such a minimalistic model like HUAWELL Tree Climber Set, we would recommend not to use it if you are a bulky person.

Considering the price point, it’s a much-recommended one for beginner climbers from our end. 

Pros

• A perfect spike for beginner climbers.
• It can work on any kind of tree.
• It doesn’t feel pain even after long use.
• 120kg of weight limit claimed by the brand.

Cons

• Not the right suit for thick people.

 9.Buckingham Entry-Level Spur Kit

Quick Features

• A complete set for entry-level climbing.
• Steel-core frame.
• Climbers-friendly.

Product Overview

To end up the list, we’re welcoming the Buckingham brand one more time. This time, it’s not just a climbing spike, but it’s a complete set for climbing trees on the go. It’s called the  Buckingham Entry-Level Spur Kit and here go the details-

The Buckingham Entry-Level Spur Kit is an all-in-one set for climbing trees. This set is particularly addressed for use by entry-level users, as you can see in the name. And what you can see in the picture, contains all of the items you will get in the item.

There is an arborist saddle in the bag which is quite wide and comes with a significant suspension. Also, there are spur gaff guards, the upper universal strap, and of course, the shin cup spur pads.

Also, there is a standard flip time adjustment module and an auto-lock carabiner for you. And all of these come as a set, protected in a bag. So, it’s easy to carry as well.

Pros

• Comes as a 360-degree climbing solution.
• Easy to transport and put on.
• It comes with a large gear bag as well.

Cons

• The price might be a point of concern for budget buyers.

How to Choose the Best Tree Climbing Spikes -Buyer’s Guide

To buy top-notch safety equipment like the climbing spikes, you have to keep an eye on a long list of factors. And when you are doing it as a beginner, there is a smart chance that some of them can go wrong.

To give you a hand about making the purchase right, here goes our complete list of buying factors for the best climbing spikes in the right manner.

Here we go-

The Comfort

While you are going to ride a tree with climbing spikes on, it’s going to be your number one preference to make the climb comfortable. Therefore, brands these days come up with a fair share of attempts to make their spikes comfortable.

There is padding or cushioning done with every single good quality spike, and you need to watch out that factor as long as comfort issues come in.

The Fit or Adjustability

Not every spike is the right suit for everyone. But the good thing is, each of the good quality spikes comes up with a number of adjustability features. And it all starts from the comfort issues of your strap.

So, check out the lengths of adjustment range, and make sure that it fits your legs and toes right in.

The Durability Factor

You are going to take care of your pruning or climbing shoes with the spikes put on. But to make sure that you can keep doing it for at least several months, the durability comes in as an important factor.

The durability of a certain spike mostly depends on the material it’s made of usually, a metal frame is made for the structure, and leather is used for the straps and cuffs. In case you want to spend a few more bucks, there are fiberglass spikes available for purchase.

The Weight Capacity

Although many users don’t have to bother this factor is because they are not so bulky by body type. But for people who are bulky, they have to watch out for the maximum weight limit that a spoke can go with. Otherwise, it might lead to an accidental break in the middle of a climb on the tree.

Usually, most spikes come up with a weight-bearing capacity of 350 pounds. But aluminum made ones are quite less in this score. On the other hand, spikes that are made of tough quality steel, the weight limit can be left certain.

The Price-quality Ratio

No matter whatever product you are buying for you, price becomes a constant concern for it. And there is no exception with the spikes. There are models that come for an as low price as below $100. On the other hand, if you go for a complete set, the price can be a few hundred dollars as well.

While you’re a beginner and a non-regular climber, we would advise sticking to the budget products. If it’s otherwise, then spending money after a good quality set of spikes won’t be a bad investment at all. 

How to Use Tree Climbing Spikes?

At this point, we want to give our readers a heads up about how to use a tree-climbing spike when you have got one for the first time. Let’s go through the steps and actions in this regard-

Step 1: Adjust the straps

Before doing anything else, put your legs on the spikes and get to know the adjustment procedure of the set.

Once you are done, adjust the straps and cuffs with firm tightness. Don’t make it overly tight or loose. A middle-adjustment is always preferred.

Step 2: Adjust the toe position

The next thing is to adjust the position of the toe. As a matter of fact, it should be the place in the middle of your foot where the spike should take place. Aligning it directly to your ankle would give you an imbalanced ride on the tree.

Step 3: Select the right kind of tree to climb

Not all of the spikes are able to climb all types of trees. Some are dedicated to wide trees, some are for small and thin trees, and some are eventually perfect for all kinds of trees.

Once you figure out the right tree type to climb wearing the spikes, you can start riding the tree.

Step 4: Store it safely

Once the riding and climbing are done, it’s time to put the spark back safely. As a matter of fact, tree climbing spikes can be a source of danger if not stored properly. So, we advise you to get it stored in a bag where it will be safe from penetrating.

Bottom Line

Thanks for being till the very end of this guide on best climbing harness reviews. Pat your back, you’ve just completed finding your right pick for the right purpose. All you need to watch out for is the right fit/adjustability and the price point.

Happy climbing!