The 5 Best Snowshoes For Trails, Tested by Experts - Home Decker

Marcelle Huels
  Mar 28, 2023 7:54 AM

Don't let a little snow ruin your holiday spirit. During the winter, most wilderness areas are empty and covered with snow. This new activity area is accessible with little planning and high-quality snowshoes. If the second is what you're after, you've come to the correct spot. We surveyed our in-house experts to determine the optimal footwear for each environment. They also mentioned their top picks for rookies and kids, praising an excellent choice for runners. This kind of winter only occurs once every few years. Therefore, it's a good thing that snowshoes are included in this guidebook. Visit Home Decker to read more about the best snowshoes for trails.

Top Picks

1. Best Overall: MSR Lightning Ascent Backcountry & Mountaineering Snowshoes 

To begin with, the MSR Lightning Ascent has a solid metal structure surrounded by tiny teeth, making it one of the few snowshoes that excel in a wide variety of situations, from fresh powder to melting slush to fragile ice to steeps. A steel toe crampon bites into the snow and two traction bars under your foot keep the snowshoe stable as you weight your heel. Because of your vast grasp, you can stand firm even in the most dangerous circumstances.

2. Best For Hiking: MSR Evo Trail 22-Inch Hiking Snowshoes 

Are you just starting in the activity of winter walking? Put on your MSR Evo and go out for a stroll. These snowshoes are designed to float in a wide range of snow depths and temperatures (no heel lift means your calves will feel the strain on steep inclines). A bombproof plastic deck, though, doesn't need any special care. A worker saw the Evo surviving after it had been unintentionally driven over. The Evo can take some punishment, but we don't recommend it. Crampons made of steel and traction rails are unstoppable on rocky terrain, uneven footing, and sloppy packing.

3. Best Stability: Atlas Snowshoes Helium-Trail 23 Kit 

If you're looking to rack up some serious snowshoeing miles over wide valley floors, the Atlas Helium Trail is where you need to be. It floats better if it's 23 or 26 inches in length. Despite its size, the Helium Trail is ideal for long excursions because of its lightweight design and robust materials. Atlas lightens the snowshoe by routing out air vents and slats in the deck. It's perfect for long trips through flat and hilly terrain because of its vast size and low weight. Even with the heel lift, snowshoes of this size might be cumbersome to use, whether going uphill or downhill.

4. Best Lightweight: MSR Revo Explore All-Terrain Snowshoes 

Engineers, innovators, and a touch of anarchy in their thinking have always made up the core of MSR's personnel. Larry Penberthy started the company in 1969 as part of his crusade against the use of harmful equipment. We're still the same brave group of people, and we're still dedicated to developing cutting-edge tools. We believe that the globe's wild-eyed visionaries are responsible for the world's most significant discoveries and explorations, whether via the creation of groundbreaking new pieces of machinery or the introduction of radical new social norms.

5. Best For Backpacking: MSR Evo Trail Snowshoe Kit   

This MSR Evo Trail Snowshoe Kit has everything you need for winter hiking on snowy trails, including a pair of MSR Evo Trail Hiking Snowshoes, a set of DynaLock Trekking Poles, and a Carry Bag/Backpack with a Seat Cushion. The 22-inch snowshoes from MSR are their best-selling and longest-lasting product, and for a good reason: they include steel traction for grip, a solid injection-molded deck for buoyancy, and adjustable, glove-friendly bindings that make them ideal for snowy paths and undulating terrain.

Compare Products

TOP Choice
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  • HD Score

    HD Score is measured by a unique method. Our experts base on various aspects such as price, quality, popularity, customer reviews, and more to discover what is the best outdoor products for consumers. Factor's priority can be changed when evaluating different items. HD Score is not affected by any manufacturer or seller. Learn more

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    MSR
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2
  • HD Score

    HD Score is measured by a unique method. Our experts base on various aspects such as price, quality, popularity, customer reviews, and more to discover what is the best outdoor products for consumers. Factor's priority can be changed when evaluating different items. HD Score is not affected by any manufacturer or seller. Learn more

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  • Brand
    MSR
TOP Choice
3
  • HD Score

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  • Brand
    Atlas Snowshoes
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  • HD Score

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    MSR
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5
  • HD Score

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    MSR
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6
  • HD Score

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    10.0
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    MSR
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  • HD Score

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    10.0
  • Brand
    Atlas Snowshoes
8
  • HD Score

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    9.6
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    MSR
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  • HD Score

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    9.4
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    Tubbs
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  • HD Score

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    9.4
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    Tubbs
11
  • HD Score

    HD Score is measured by a unique method. Our experts base on various aspects such as price, quality, popularity, customer reviews, and more to discover what is the best outdoor products for consumers. Factor's priority can be changed when evaluating different items. HD Score is not affected by any manufacturer or seller. Learn more

    9.0
  • Brand
    Atlas Snowshoes
12
  • HD Score

    HD Score is measured by a unique method. Our experts base on various aspects such as price, quality, popularity, customer reviews, and more to discover what is the best outdoor products for consumers. Factor's priority can be changed when evaluating different items. HD Score is not affected by any manufacturer or seller. Learn more

    9.0
  • Brand
    Franklin Sports

Last update on 2023-03-28 / Affiliate links / Images, Product Titles, and Product Highlights from Amazon Product Advertising API

FAQs

1. What does MSR stand for in snowshoes?

You can't go wrong with a set from MSR's Ascent Series. Snowshoes from this series are designed with plastic mountaineering boots, but you may use them with whatever you choose.

 best snowshoes for trails

2. Can you tell me whether MSR is a U.S.-based firm?

Tents, stoves, water filters, and snowshoes are just some of the items that MSR, which stands for Mountain Safety Research, produces for outdoor enthusiasts.

Conclusion

It is best to use snowshoes in hilly or mountainous areas. Casual snowshoers don't need anything fancier than flat-terrain snowshoes (often less expensive). They generally forego grip and other comforts in exchange for better buoyancy.

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