Current Hawx Ultra XTD 130 vs Lange XT3 Free

First of all, the only fair comparison here is Hawx Ultra XTD 130 BOA vs. XT3 Free 130 LV.

Hawx Ultra XTD has BOA whereas XT3 does not. Both boots are now pretty solidly in the 50/50 category whereas the older, non-BOA, Grilamid Hawx XTD felt more like an aggressive touring boot (the new Hawx Ultra XTD 130 BOA is PU shell and cuff, and the XT3 Free 130 LV is PP cuff, PU shell). Weight differences here are negligible.

Honestly, the most significant difference here is fit. The XT3 LV, while it has a stated last of 97 mm, feels more roomy than the Hawx Ultra with its stated last of 98 mm. If you've ever put your foot in the fixed-cuff Hawx Ultra or the Lange RX LV, the fits of these two 50/50 boots are extremely similar to their fixed-cuff counterparts. So, go to a good bootfitter and try on both if you haven't already.

The Gnar Bar takes all of the play out of the Hawx Ultra XTD's walk mechanism and is a super solid little accessory for dedicated inbounds/downhill days. The Hawx's walk mechanism is typically less finicky than the XT3's as well.

deelonmuskFirst of all, the only fair comparison here is Hawx Ultra XTD 130 BOA vs. XT3 Free 130 LV.

Hawx Ultra XTD has BOA whereas XT3 does not. Both boots are now pretty solidly in the 50/50 category whereas the older, non-BOA, Grilamid Hawx XTD felt more like an aggressive touring boot (the new Hawx Ultra XTD 130 BOA is PU shell and cuff, and the XT3 Free 130 LV is PP cuff, PU shell). Weight differences here are negligible.

Honestly, the most significant difference here is fit. The XT3 LV, while it has a stated last of 97 mm, feels more roomy than the Hawx Ultra with its stated last of 98 mm. If you've ever put your foot in the fixed-cuff Hawx Ultra or the Lange RX LV, the fits of these two 50/50 boots are extremely similar to their fixed-cuff counterparts. So, go to a good bootfitter and try on both if you haven't already.

The Gnar Bar takes all of the play out of the Hawx Ultra XTD's walk mechanism and is a super solid little accessory for dedicated inbounds/downhill days. The Hawx's walk mechanism is typically less finicky than the XT3's as well.

Thanks for the reply!

Yeah, already went to a bootfitter and the Hawx Ultra XTD BOA ended up fitting my foot quite a lot better, and was the boot the bootfitter recommended me. I had invisioned going for something like the Lange XT3 Free which is said to be a little beefier, for a little more aggresive skiing. Of course ended up listening to my feet and going with the Hawx as it fit so well, but was just afraid that it wasn't as bombproof as the XT3 Free.


Was looking into buying the gnar bar for them, considering that I will be using the boot mostly for inbounds skiing, and am afraid that I will blow the walk mechanism when hitting drops and booters. The thing is it can only be purchased through retailers here in norway, and the cheapest they've got is $130, which is completely crazy considering evo has them for $30. Would you still say that it's worth it? Or should i just opt for replacing the walk mechanism (which is cheaper) if I manage to break it?

Would the gnar bar also make them more "usable" for the ocasional park lap, or does it really matter that much? Do you think they'll wear out quickly? Trying to avoid having to buy one more pair of boots haha

**This post was edited on Dec 2nd 2024 at 3:59:07pm

Never heard of people having issues with the atomic tourmode latch. Should be pretty solid. If you are going to tour with the boot as well i would suggest keeping it.
funny enough, last time i was getting boots i looked at the atomic hawx ultra but ended up with the lange xt3 lv

tobezThanks for the reply!

Yeah, already went to a bootfitter and the Hawx Ultra XTD BOA ended up fitting my foot quite a lot better, and was the boot the bootfitter recommended me. I had invisioned going for something like the Lange XT3 Free which is said to be a little beefier, for a little more aggresive skiing. Of course ended up listening to my feet and going with the Hawx as it fit so well, but was just afraid that it wasn't as bombproof as the XT3 Free.


Was looking into buying the gnar bar for them, considering that I will be using the boot mostly for inbounds skiing, and am afraid that I will blow the walk mechanism when hitting drops and booters. The thing is it can only be purchased through retailers here in norway, and the cheapest they've got is $130, which is completely crazy considering evo has them for $30. Would you still say that it's worth it? Or should i just opt for replacing the walk mechanism (which is cheaper) if I manage to break it?

Would the gnar bar also make them more "usable" for the ocasional park lap, or does it really matter that much? Do you think they'll wear out quickly? Trying to avoid having to buy one more pair of boots haha

**This post was edited on Dec 2nd 2024 at 3:59:07pm

I wouldn't worry about that, the 22/23 winter introduction of the Hawx Ultra XTD 130 BOA positioned it solidly among the beefiest boots with a walk mode out there, like the XT3 and Cochise.

Hmm, that's tough. I would recommend the Gnar Bar for anyone who gets the Hawx XTD and will be skiing it inbounds a lot, but $130...sheesh. I wonder if there's a workaround here if you have a friend who can buy off Evo and ship to you. I like the preventative measure (Gnar Bar) here over the reactive one (replace walk mode if broken), but, FWIW, I've never broken an Atomic walk mode after many hard ski days in them.

Yeah, the Gnar Bar does add some durability in general, it's just a super robust piece that I can't really imagine breaking, with no play so no wearing down of parts. I probably wouldn't spend $130 for it, but if you can get that down to maybe $50-60, I'd do it.

tobezThanks for the reply!

Yeah, already went to a bootfitter and the Hawx Ultra XTD BOA ended up fitting my foot quite a lot better, and was the boot the bootfitter recommended me. I had invisioned going for something like the Lange XT3 Free which is said to be a little beefier, for a little more aggresive skiing. Of course ended up listening to my feet and going with the Hawx as it fit so well, but was just afraid that it wasn't as bombproof as the XT3 Free.


Was looking into buying the gnar bar for them, considering that I will be using the boot mostly for inbounds skiing, and am afraid that I will blow the walk mechanism when hitting drops and booters.

**This post was edited on Dec 2nd 2024 at 3:59:07pm

As mentioned above, the Hawx Ultra XTD is a full-PU boot: PU shell and PU cuff, which is the most durable combination of plastics you can make. Other plastics that can be used, like polypropylene or polyolefin, are used to save weight and costs but at the sacrifice of durability.

The Gnar Bar exists for one main purpose: to take the play out of the ski/walk mechanism. Every ski/walk mechanism has a slight amount of play at the main pivot (where the arm attaches to the base plate) and some of our athletes don't want to feel this. It basically turns a walk-mode boot into a fully fixed cuff boot, which is most noticeable while banging out resort laps. The ski/walk mechanism on the Hawx XTD family is insanely bomber, and you won't have any issues with it staying locked or intact - you'll break the boot far quicker than you'll break the mechanism. The only reason to switch to the Gnar Bar is to get rid of the small amount of play you might feel.

Are they expensive? Yes, but this is the reality of CNC'ing small batches in Italy. It's a premium, no-compromise part that we don't make a ton of, which is unfortunately reflected in the cost.

lil.BoyeNever heard of people having issues with the atomic tourmode latch. Should be pretty solid. If you are going to tour with the boot as well i would suggest keeping it.
funny enough, last time i was getting boots i looked at the atomic hawx ultra but ended up with the lange xt3 lv

Yeah gonna keep it if i get the gnar bar, would just be nice having the ability to change them for when I‘m skiing resort and when I‘m touring.

And nice! Seems like we had the same dilemma then haha. What made you go with the lange?

deelonmuskI wouldn't worry about that, the 22/23 winter introduction of the Hawx Ultra XTD 130 BOA positioned it solidly among the beefiest boots with a walk mode out there, like the XT3 and Cochise.

Hmm, that's tough. I would recommend the Gnar Bar for anyone who gets the Hawx XTD and will be skiing it inbounds a lot, but $130...sheesh. I wonder if there's a workaround here if you have a friend who can buy off Evo and ship to you. I like the preventative measure (Gnar Bar) here over the reactive one (replace walk mode if broken), but, FWIW, I've never broken an Atomic walk mode after many hard ski days in them.

Yeah, the Gnar Bar does add some durability in general, it's just a super robust piece that I can't really imagine breaking, with no play so no wearing down of parts. I probably wouldn't spend $130 for it, but if you can get that down to maybe $50-60, I'd do it.

Really feel like i chose the right boot then!

And yup, will be skiing mostly inbound, so would be super great to be able to swap the mechanism out for when I ski resort and when I tour. Tried ordering the Gnar Bar from evo, but couldn’t ship to norway. I think shipping will end up costing more than the product whether i order from evo or get someone to ship it, so only choice is getting it from the retailer.

Probably gonna be trying the boot out for a little bit before I decide whether or not to get the Gnar Bar. It does seem like a solid piece of equipment, and if I’m also gonna be skiing some park here and there, I would imagine the walk mode wearing out faster.

And thanks again for the detailed response, i appreciate it!

onenerdykidAs mentioned above, the Hawx Ultra XTD is a full-PU boot: PU shell and PU cuff, which is the most durable combination of plastics you can make. Other plastics that can be used, like polypropylene or polyolefin, are used to save weight and costs but at the sacrifice of durability.

The Gnar Bar exists for one main purpose: to take the play out of the ski/walk mechanism. Every ski/walk mechanism has a slight amount of play at the main pivot (where the arm attaches to the base plate) and some of our athletes don't want to feel this. It basically turns a walk-mode boot into a fully fixed cuff boot, which is most noticeable while banging out resort laps. The ski/walk mechanism on the Hawx XTD family is insanely bomber, and you won't have any issues with it staying locked or intact - you'll break the boot far quicker than you'll break the mechanism. The only reason to switch to the Gnar Bar is to get rid of the small amount of play you might feel.

Are they expensive? Yes, but this is the reality of CNC'ing small batches in Italy. It's a premium, no-compromise part that we don't make a ton of, which is unfortunately reflected in the cost.

Feel really confident with the choice of boot, especially with the PU shell and cuff - exactly what I’m looking for. Just wondering about the Gnar Bar as i couldn’t really find a lot of info/reviews on it. You pretty much answered my questions about it, but theres a few last things I still am wondering about

Do you think it’s an investement worth making? Whats your personal opinion?

And also, does the walk mechanism wear out faster hitting park laps (thinking about the landing after jumps), or do you think it’ll be fine? Is this where you would recommend investing in the Gnar Bar?

**This post was edited on Dec 3rd 2024 at 6:06:24am

tobezDo you think it’s an investement worth making? Whats your personal opinion?

And also, does the walk mechanism wear out faster hitting park laps (thinking about the landing after jumps), or do you think it’ll be fine? Is this where you would recommend investing in the Gnar Bar?

**This post was edited on Dec 3rd 2024 at 6:06:24am

I think if you are using the boot a lot/mostly in the resort, you should be using the Gnar Bar just for making the boot more solid. The ski/walk mechanism isn't going to wear out after hitting park laps, but it depends on what your usage split it. Only a few park runs won't do anything to it, but if you are in the park daily with a walk mode boot, I think it would be a good idea to swap over to the Gnar Bar.

**This post was edited on Dec 3rd 2024 at 6:25:27am

onenerdykidI think if you are using the boot a lot/mostly in the resort, you should be using the Gnar Bar just for making the boot more solid. The ski/walk mechanism isn't going to wear out after hitting park laps, but it depends on what your usage split it. Only a few park runs won't do anything to it, but if you are in the park daily with a walk mode boot, I think it would be a good idea to swap over to the Gnar Bar.

**This post was edited on Dec 3rd 2024 at 6:25:27am

Alright, thanks for making this clear! :)

tobezYeah gonna keep it if i get the gnar bar, would just be nice having the ability to change them for when I‘m skiing resort and when I‘m touring.

And nice! Seems like we had the same dilemma then haha. What made you go with the lange?

I went with the lange since they fit me a little better, and the bootfitter said they were better suited for my style of riding. He gave me a great deal on them for working at the resort. Shoutout Lillehammer sport!