For a climbing gym, the cost of a hold is never simply its purchase price. A hold that lasts is a hold with a lower annual cost. Behind every hold replacement, every new set of holds and every new gym opening lies an essential economic consideration: investing in products that can maintain their performance and quality over time.
But durability should never come at the expense of performance. A good climbing hold must provide precise grip, the right texture, shapes that inspire route setters, and consistent sensations for climbers. For both gyms and route setters, the challenge is therefore to find the right balance between performance, longevity and overall cost of use.
This is precisely the balance that led Volx Holds to develop Volxume. A technology designed to deliver high-performance holds and macros, built to withstand intensive use and provide a lifespan that truly justifies the investment.
Because beyond the price displayed in a catalogue, the real question is ultimately much simpler: how much will this hold actually cost a climbing gym over the years?
With Volxume, Volx Holds stands by a clear belief: the most valuable performance is the one that lasts.
A high-performance climbing hold should stay high-performance for years
In a climbing gym, holds are subjected to significant demands. They are climbed on, cleaned, removed, screwed back on and sometimes reinstalled several times. As routes and problems are regularly reset, they must continue to fulfil their purpose: allowing route setters to create engaging movements while providing climbers with a high-quality experience.
A hold’s performance is therefore not limited to how it looks or feels when it first comes out of the box. It is also measured by its ability to maintain its qualities over time.
A texture that changes too quickly, a grip that loses its precision or a hold that shows signs of wear prematurely can alter the way a boulder is climbed. For route setters, this can mean having to adapt or replace certain elements more frequently. For gym owners, it means additional costs.
That is why, at Volx Holds, we take a broader view of performance: a truly high-performance climbing hold is one that continues to perform after countless sessions and repeated route-setting cycles.
Volxume: innovation designed for longevity
It is this search for the right balance between performance and lifespan that lies at the heart of Volxume.
With this technology, Volx Holds aims to address a very real challenge for climbing gyms: how can they offer climbers high-performance holds while keeping the true cost of use under control?
Volxume is designed as a comprehensive solution. The technology is not simply intended to deliver a particular feel or appearance when the holds are first installed. Instead, it is part of a more sustainable approach, with the goal of providing products that can support climbing gyms over the long term.
For route setters, this means being able to rely on holds that remain relevant and effective through repeated route-setting cycles. For gym owners and operators, it means getting greater value from every hold they purchase.
Because when a climbing hold maintains its qualities for longer, every euro invested is spread across more route resets and more climbing sessions.
The true cost of a climbing hold is measured over time
Comparing two climbing holds based solely on their purchase price can be misleading.
Imagine two products: the first is cheaper to buy, but needs to be replaced more frequently. The second requires a slightly higher initial investment, but maintains its performance for much longer.
In the short term, the first option may seem more economical. Over the medium and long term, however, the situation can be very different.
For a climbing gym, the more meaningful indicator is therefore the annual cost per hold.
Several factors need to be considered:
- the purchase price;
- the hold’s lifespan;
- the number of route-setting cycles it can withstand;
- how frequently it needs to be replaced;
- the time required for removal and replacement;
- its ability to maintain its qualities and performance over time.
This approach means moving away from a simple purchase-price mindset and towards a more comprehensive view of the true cost of use.
And this is where durability becomes a genuine economic advantage. A hold that lasts longer can deliver greater value over its lifetime, helping climbing gyms make the most of every investment.
Replace less, invest better
A climbing hold that lasts longer is not only beneficial from an environmental perspective. It also helps climbing gyms manage their budgets more effectively.
Every replacement avoided represents potential savings. It also reduces the need for removal, cleaning, storage and reinstallation operations.
For a climbing gym that regularly resets its boulders and routes, these operations require both time and resources.
Durability should therefore be considered an integral part of the economic performance of a climbing hold collection.
Buying less often also means making every investment count.
This is the vision Volx Holds aims to promote with Volxume: a technology that is not simply designed to perform today, but to remain reliable and relevant over time.
A technology designed for the demands of climbing gyms
Route-setting teams need to be able to handle holds, move them around and reuse them in different settings. Gym owners, meanwhile, need equipment that can keep up with the pace of a busy climbing facility without requiring constant replacement.
Volxume is designed around this professional reality.
Route setters need holds and macros that are easy to handle, lightweight and highly resistant to breakage. For the vast majority of applications, polyurethane remains their preferred material.
At the same time, gyms need to keep their customers engaged and curious. They need products that are well-designed, varied, visually appealing and suitable for every level of climber. This is where the work of our shapers becomes crucial.
At Volx Holds, Stéphane Dugit and Arthur Ternant, both former members of the French national climbing team, bring our Volxume collections to life. With their experience as climbers and their passion for shaping, they design holds and macros with a wide range of grip types, from beginner and intermediate levels to the demands of experienced climbers.
So, what exactly is Volxume technology?
Volxume is built around collections shaped with performance in mind, combined with holds and macros featuring a positive-grain texture designed to make polyurethane as durable as possible.
The result is a range developed around a simple ambition: performance that lasts.
By Advweb on 14/08/2026 in Macros
