Climbing chalk has been an important part of a climber’s kit for years. It provides extra grip on your hands, to stop you slipping on a rock or boulder. And, you need somewhere to keep it when you’re mid-climb. Any climber will know that you want easy access to all your equipment, to avoid distraction from the task in hand. That’s where the chalk bag comes in. It’s a humble but essential piece of kit that every climber, beginner right through to expert, needs in their arsenal. For this buying guide, we’ve been searching for the best chalk bag, and we’ve narrowed it down to our top four.
The Best Chalk Bag
1Sukoa Chalk Bag
The Sukoa Chalk Bag is definitely one of our favorite products on this list. It’s actually the cheapest as well, but not by much at all. The reason we’ve chosen it as our Best Value product is that it’s one of the most practical multi-purpose climbing bags out there. On the product description, Sukoa makes it pretty clear that you can use this bag for all sorts of things, not just climbing. It’s also suitable for weightlifting, bouldering, gymnastics, and CrossFit. And they’re just the sports that might require you to chalk up your hands. It can be separately used as a tactical ammo pouch for hunters, a DIY pouch for your nuts and bolts, or a little bag for taking out on bike rides. So, it’s a pretty versatile little bag.
The reason it’s useful in so many different situations is that it has two large zippered pockets. There’s a full-length pocket that can accommodate a large smartphone (like the iPhone 7 or Galaxy S8) and a smaller pocket of your keys and cards. On top of that, the main compartment, which is designed to hold your chalk, can also be used as a storage pouch. It’s not as big as the compartment on the DMM chalk bag, but there’s still enough space, even for people with shovel hands. Plus, it has an adjustable drawcord closure, which pulls tight enough to stop any chalk from spilling from the bag.
Drawcord closure
Two loops
Quick-clip belt
Water-resistant material
Two zippered pockets
- BrandSukoa Sports
- Weight2.4 ounces
2GGBuy Drawstring Highend Rock Climbing Chalk Bag
Our third product in this list is the GGBuy Chalk Bag. It’s another budget option and was a strong contender to be our Best Value product. It’s less than a dollar more expensive than the Sukoa Chalk Bag, but other than that it’s pretty hard to decide between the two. The company that makes this bag is pretty much unknown. They don’t seem to have a website and just make cheap sportswear products for Amazon. However, in spite of that, the quality of this bag is really impressive.
It’s made from 600D Oxford polyester, which is one of the most commonly used materials for making camping equipment, backpacks, and other hardwearing items. The reason it’s so popular is that it’s cheap and tough. This makes this bouldering chalk bag really durable, as well as pretty much waterproof. The company claims that it’s tested rigorously to ensure that it will last for years, but they don’t offer any proof of this testing, so it’s hard to back up.
Drawcord closure
One loop
Waterproof
600D Oxford polyester
Four unzippered pockets
- BrandGGBuy
- Weight3.2 ounces
3Black Diamond Mojo Zip Chalk Bag
The last chalk bucket for climbing on our list is the Black Diamond Mojo Zip Chalk Bag. We’ve selected it to be our Premium Product on this list for two main reasons. Firstly, the quality of the bag is amazing. The materials used are extremely durable and waterproof, to keep your chalk perfectly dry. You can often tell the quality of a product like this by looking at the stitching around the bag – every stitch is perfectly symmetrical and there are no loose ends. This gives us faith that this could be your chalk bag for years to come. Inside the bag, it has a fleece-lined interior, which provides the perfect base for the chalk to sit on. Plus, the bottom of the chalk bucket is made from TPU abrasion-resistant materials. That gives the whole a product a really solid, bottom heavy feel.
The second reason we like it so much is the way it looks. Out of all the chalk bags on this list, this is the best looking. With the Black Diamond logo, two-tone color scheme, and choice of four different colors, it will really stand out when you’re climbing or weightlifting.
Cord lock closure
One brush loop
Webbing belt with quick-release buckle
Waterproof
One zippered pocket
Four color options
- BrandBlack Diamond
- Weight3.2 ounces
4321 STRONG Refillable Chalk Ball
Next up, we’ve got something slightly different for you. The 321 Strong Refillable Chalk Ball is basically a cotton sock filled with chalk. It might not look quite as professional as the other chalk bags on this list but it serves the same purpose. There are a couple of reasons we think this is one of the best chalk bags on the market, especially for beginners. First, it’s competitively priced and comes filled with chalk. That means, for less than $10, you can be prepared for your next climb. If you’re new to climbing, this is a much more cost-effective solution than buying a premium chalk bag.
Secondly, it’s much less messy than it looks. Because the cotton sock is white, it looks like it’s covered in chalk but we’ve actually found this to be one of the cleanest solutions. To access the chalk, you loosen the drawstring and dip your fingers in. Sure, a small amount of chalk might fall out but certainly no more than with a standard chalk bag. Like we said, it comes filled with non-toxic, pigment-free, fine-powdered white gym chalk and it’s easy to refill when it’s empty.
2.3-ounce capacity
Premium-grade cotton sock
Filled with non-toxic, pigment-free, fine-powdered gym chalk
Comes in a reclosable ziplock bag
- Brand321 STRONG
- Weight2.5 ounces
Chalk Bag Buying Guide & FAQ
How We Chose Our Selection Of The Best Chalk Buckets
Brand – There are a lot of well-respected brands that make climbing equipment. We considered all of them when we were searching for the best climbing chalk bag. However, we looked past the brand and made sure that each product met our high standards.
Reviews – Whenever we write a product buying guide like this one, we check out hundreds of customer reviews. We believe that this is one of the best ways to find an honest opinion about a product. You can read the product description and check out the images, but customers are the people who are living with the product every day. We also read other expert chalk bag reviews to see if we can find any opinions that differ to our own.
Price – Everyone has a different budget. For some people, climbing is the sole reason they get up in the morning, and therefore they want the best climbing chalk bucket money can buy. For others, it’s just a hobby and they need something affordable to do the job. For the cheapest product on our list, check out the Best Value. And, for the most expensive, check out the Premium Product.
Features To Look For In Chalk Bags
Stiffened rim - This feature’s essential because it makes it easy to dip your hand in and grab some chalk. You don’t want to be fiddling around when you’re halfway up a rockface.
Fleece lining – This keeps the chalk in the bag and makes it easy to spread it evenly over your hands. Without a fleece lining, the chalk would sprinkle out of the bag every time you opened it.
Cord and toggle closure – The cord and toggle closure are important because they stop the chalk from spilling around when you chuck it in your bag.
Bag belt – This feature is handy because it lets you slide the bag from front to back, to keep it out of the way when you’re climbing.
Zippered pocket - If you don’t have any pockets in your climbing attire this feature will be very useful. You can store your keys, phone, or other valuables inside.
Brush loop - This is designed to hold a brush for when you need to clean old chalk off your hands. Some bags will have multiple brush loops to hold various different tools.
Chalk Bag FAQ
Q: What is a chalk bag?
A: A chalk bag is a simple and essential piece of climbing equipment. It’s basically a small bag or bucket to hold your climbing chalk. It can either be attached to a belt or your harness and has a hardened rim to make it easy to access when you’re climbing.
