What is in the box, and whether the iron is the real one

Ski waxing kits, compared

A waxing kit is the shortest route from a dry base to a serviced one, and it is bought for one reason: assembled separately, the same tools involve five decisions and five deliveries. The shelf does not sort itself by price the way you would expect. The cheapest kit here, 79.99 €, includes the iron; the second cheapest, a four-piece World Cup set at 88.90 €, does not, and supplies wax, scraper and brush for somebody who already has a heat source. So the first question is not what a kit costs but whether the iron is in the box and whether its thermostat is published — three of the seven print a range, 90–160 °C, 60–200 °C and one that runs from under 100 °C to 170 °C, and an iron without a stable temperature is the one component in a kit that can damage a ski. Then the wax, where the units stop agreeing: 70 g in the World Cup set, 100 g, 130 g, 240 g in two blocks — and one kit that advertises over a litre of it, a volume, for a solid sold by weight everywhere else on this shelf. Count the pieces honestly, because the number in the title counts a brake holder and a sheet of sandpaper the same as an iron: the fourteen-piece kit here counts an apron and a sheet of sandpaper among its fourteen, and another kit counts two brake retainers among its contents. Three kits add an edge tool with published angles, 86° to 90° depending on the kit, which makes them tuning kits rather than wax kits. And at the top, a 197.54 € kit whose whole description is that the iron is high quality, the material is a blend, the colour is black and the box is 31 cm long. We compare pieces, iron included, temperature control, wax type, wax quantity, tools supplied, edge angles and case.

Every accessory here, figure by figure

1. 

   SkinStar Skiwachs Set, 7 pieces

   The cheapest kit on this shelf, and one of six here that includes the iron.

   Pieces

   Seven: waxing iron, three brushes, scraper blade, wax remover, wax

   Iron included

   Included; a waxing iron rather than a household one, with a sole stated to be made for wax

   Temperature control

   Not published as a range; even heat transfer without overheating the base is stated

   Wax type

   Not published; the listing says only Wachs

   Wax quantity

   Not published

   Tools supplied

   Three brushes, a scraper blade and a wax remover

   Edge angle

   None; this is a waxing set, not a tuning set

   Case

   Not published

   Amazon reference

   B019F2TZYU (one reference across 5 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   4211058050770

   • The cheapest kit here at 79.99 € in Germany, and the iron is included
   • Three brushes and a scraper, so the scrape-then-brush sequence is complete out of the box
   • No temperature range for the iron, where three kits here publish one

   Best for: A first kit, for somebody who has never waxed a ski

   ≈ €80

   Check price on Amazon
2. 

   Holmenkol Worldcup Starter Set, 4 pieces

   The one kit here without an iron, and the only one whose waxes are named as separate temperature waxes.

   Pieces

   Four: Alpha Mix yellow 35 g, Beta Mix red 35 g, 3 mm plexiglass blade, nylon base brush

   Iron included

   Not included

   Temperature control

   Not applicable; no iron supplied

   Wax type

   Two hydrocarbon racing waxes — Alpha Mix yellow and Beta Mix red; stated for iron use

   Wax quantity

   35 g each, 70 g in total

   Tools supplied

   A 3 mm plexiglass blade and a nylon base structure brush

   Edge angle

   None

   Case

   Not published

   Amazon reference

   B00QKPIQ64 (one reference across 4 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   4052968058995

   • Two named waxes rather than one universal block — Alpha Mix yellow and Beta Mix red
   • A 3 mm plexiglass blade, thick enough to be stated as a thickness rather than as a scraper
   • No iron, on a shelf where the cheaper kit includes one

   Best for: Somebody who already owns a waxing iron and wants two race waxes with it

   ≈ €89

   Check price on Amazon
3. 

   Skifavs HX003

   A tuning kit sold as a wax kit, with fourteen itemised contents and the widest price spread here.

   Pieces

   Fourteen items listed: wax remover, polishing pad, bastard file, edge tuner, wire brush, wax, two P-Tex candles, iron, scraper, nylon brush, two brake retainers, bag

   Iron included

   Included; fully adjustable temperature dial, thick grooved base plate

   Temperature control

   A fully adjustable dial is stated; no range in degrees is published

   Wax type

   All-temperature, stated a proprietary universal wax

   Wax quantity

   130 g, stated good for over ten waxings

   Tools supplied

   Bastard file, wire brush, nylon brush, polishing pad, scraper, base cleaner, two P-Tex candles, two brake retainers

   Edge angle

   86°, 87°, 88° and 89° on the side; 0.5° to 1.0° on the base

   Case

   A carry bag comes with it

   Amazon reference

   B0BGPRMVHP (one reference across 6 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   0782453764011

   • Two brake retainers, which hold the brakes out of the way and which only one other kit here mentions
   • An edge tuner that covers both side and base, 86–89° and 0.5–1.0°
   • 255.97 € in France against 69.99 € in the United States — more than three and a half times

   Best for: A household tuning two or three boards and wanting the edge tools in the same box

   ≈ $70 / £70

   Check price on Amazon
4. 

   TOKO Skiwachs-Set, 5 pieces

   The most wax on this shelf, the only bands published in degrees, and a thermostatted iron named by model.

   Pieces

   Five: T8 iron, yellow 120 g wax, red 120 g wax, 3 mm plexi blade, BaseBrush synthetic

   Iron included

   Toko T8, built-in thermostat, extra-thick die-cast aluminium plate with a diamond structure

   Temperature control

   Stepless from 90 °C to 160 °C

   Wax type

   NF hot wax, hydrocarbon and stated ecological — yellow 0.00 to 6.00 °C, red 4.00 to 12.00 °C

   Wax quantity

   2 × 120 g, 240 g in total

   Tools supplied

   A 3 mm plexiglass blade and a BaseBrush synthetic brush for all preparation steps

   Edge angle

   None; a waxing set, with no edge tool

   Case

   Not published; stated suitable as a gift set

   Amazon reference

   B00RD0Y664 (one reference across 5 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   0737925198962

   • 240 g of wax, the largest published quantity on this shelf
   • The only kit that prints its wax temperature bands in degrees — 0 to 6 °C and 4 to 12 °C
   • Priced in Germany only, though listed in five stores

   Best for: Somebody who waxes alpine, nordic and a board and wants the wax to last

   ≈ €115

   Check price on Amazon
5. 

   XCMAN STK-3, 14 pieces

   The only kit here with three brushes in three different materials, and the flattest price across six stores.

   Pieces

   Fourteen, including iron, edge tool, wax, metal scraper, snowboard scraper, four P-Tex sticks, spatula, sandpaper, polishing pads, 200 mm file, apron, three brushes and a bag

   Iron included

   Included; 230 V, 1000 W, thick sole plate, curved edge to peel off melted wax

   Temperature control

   Adjustable from under 100 °C / 212 °F up to 170 °C / 338 °F

   Wax type

   Training wax for −5 °C to −15 °C — a cold-snow bar, not an all-temperature one

   Wax quantity

   100 g, stated good for about twelve waxings

   Tools supplied

   Nylon, horsehair and brass brushes, metal scraper, notched snowboard scraper, four P-Tex sticks, spatula, sandpaper, polishing pads, 200 mm metal file, apron

   Edge angle

   86°, 87°, 88° and 89°, described as 1 to 4 degrees, on the side edge

   Case

   A large tool bag with an internal strap for the iron, two open pockets, a zipped mesh pocket, an external quick-access pocket and two hook-and-loop carry straps

   Amazon reference

   B07S74JTJS (one reference across 6 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   0718979162284

   • Three brushes in three materials — nylon, horsehair and brass — which no other kit here supplies
   • The bag is specified in detail, down to the strap that holds the iron
   • A 100 g bar cut for −5 °C to −15 °C, not an all-temperature wax

   Best for: A family tuning several skis and boards through a season

   ≈ $84 / €118

   Check price on Amazon
6. 

   Winterial WIN-STK-PRO

   The only kit that publishes the size of its iron plate, and the only one that sells its wax by volume.

   Pieces

   Not given as a count; the contents are listed item by item

   Iron included

   Included; heating plate 15.9 cm × 8.9 cm

   Temperature control

   Adjustable from 60 °C to 200 °C

   Wax type

   All-temperature, stated to last the whole season

   Wax quantity

   Over 1 L — a volume, where every other kit here weighs its wax in grams

   Tools supplied

   Steel and plastic scrapers, four P-Tex sticks — two black, two white — a hardened file, a sanding pad and three brushes in horsehair, nylon and brass

   Edge angle

   87° to 90°, on a multi-angle sharpener

   Case

   A hard-wearing compact carry bag

   Amazon reference

   B0FJJJ97TB (one reference across 5 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   0850061957399

   • The only kit that publishes the dimensions of its heating plate, 15.9 × 8.9 cm
   • The widest published temperature range here, 60 °C to 200 °C
   • The wax is given as "over 1 L", a volume, where every other kit here weighs it in grams

   Best for: A home bench where the same kit has to cover waxing and edges

   ≈ €130

   Check price on Amazon
7. 

   DEMON UNITED DS7700.2

   The dearest kit here in Germany and the second cheapest of the three priced in the United States, with four bullets and no contents list.

   Pieces

   Not published

   Iron included

   Included; stated high quality and made for efficiency

   Temperature control

   Not published

   Wax type

   Not published; the title says the kit comes with wax

   Wax quantity

   Not published

   Tools supplied

   Not published

   Edge angle

   Not published

   Case

   Not published; the package measures 31 cm × 23.4 cm × 17.5 cm

   Amazon reference

   B00MAKO69O (one reference across 6 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   0812379685821

   • A published reference and EAN, which identify the exact kit
   • 79.16 € in the United States, against 197.54 € for the same reference in Germany
   • 197.54 € in Germany against 79.16 € in the United States — two and a half times, same reference

   Best for: A buyer replacing a Demon kit they already own

   ≈ $79

   Check price on Amazon