Screw on holds verses bolt on holds

So you have a spare bit of wall and are wondering what fixings to use and what holds to put up!

There are two types of holds available on the market today being screw on and bold on holds. Both have advantages and disadvantages depending on cost, variation of holds available, what you are fixing the holds to and the type of routes you want to set!

One of the first considerations when building your wall is what materials are available and what budget you have to build it. If you want to use bolt on holds there are design factors you need to bear in mind which include providing enough space behind your fixing boards to allow the bolts to be fully tightened without damaging the board or compromising the structural strength of your fixings as well as the materials and thickness of the board you are looking to use.

Generally for fixing either bolt on or screw on holds you will be looking to use a variation of wooden boarding of at least 12mm and preferably 18mm if you can afford it!

Screw on holds:

Screw on holds are a great choice if you are looking for a simple and quick solution to creating a cost affective climbing wall and have the advantage of being able to be fixed anywhere on your wall. Generally most screw on holds available on market are smaller than the bolt on alternatives and are popular as foot holds and smaller pinch hand holds.

How ever there are still some suppliers which have created ranges which include larger more positive holds including climbholdfast.


The only real disadvantage of screw on holds is the variety of holds available compared to bolt on holds and the time it takes to fix and move the holds. (Tip: When fixing screw on holds make sure you finish tightening the screws by hand. This saves damaging the holds).

Bolt on holds:

If your looking to create a climbing wall with a real variation of climbing routes and features then bolt on holds really come into their own. There is much more preparation required in construction compared to screw on holds as the board needs to be drilled and t-nuts fixed to the back of each hole to screw in the bolts, but once the boards are finished and fixed, adding holds is quick and easy to change. (Tip: after drilling the holes and fixing the t-nuts, use a countersunk bolt to tighten the nuts in-place which aligns the bolt and nut for easy hold fixing).

Due to the fact all indoor climbing walls use bolt on holds the variety available and manufactures producing them out weighs screw on holds by far.


So if bolt on holds becomes your choice of hold then some of the best and imaginative suppliers I've found include soillholds, holdz, nicros and extreme-dream to list a few..

Both types of holds can really compliment your wall and the best option is to use both varieties if you can, but which ever you decide enjoy your wall and keep on building..