The edge is the failure point
Put a pair of skis together and the two steel edges meet at one line. Whatever you wrap around that line takes the point load. A plain webbing band digs in, the hook tape loses contact where the bundle is not round, and by February the strap is loose on a pair it held in December.
So the spec question is not “how strong is the webbing”. It is “what sits between the webbing and the edge”.
25 mm or 30 mm
A narrower band concentrates the same tension on a smaller strip of edge. That is fine on a light pair and hard on a wide all-mountain ski. A wider band spreads the load, but it needs more length to wrap a fat bundle twice.
| Spec | 25 mm | 30 mm |
|---|---|---|
| Load on the edge | Higher per mm of contact | Spread over more surface |
| Length needed on wide skis | Longer, to complete the wrap | Shorter wrap does the job |
| Typical order | Kids, narrow carving skis, retail twin packs | Adult all-mountain, rental fleets, two-pair bundles |
EVA foam or neoprene
EVA foam is the usual choice under webbing. It is closed cell, does not absorb water, and holds its shape against an edge for a long time. Two to three millimetres is enough to stop metal-to-webbing contact.
Neoprene is softer and more forgiving on painted topsheets, but it compresses over a season and takes longer to dry. It suits protectors and covers more than it suits a load-bearing strap.
Closure: hook and loop or cam buckle
Hook and loop is fast and adjustable, and it is the right answer for a strap that goes on and off twenty times a day. Its weakness is ice: a wet hook tape that freezes loses grab. A cam buckle holds tension when iced but takes longer to fit and can mark a topsheet if the buckle sits against it.
What to put in the tech pack
Five lines are enough to quote a strap properly: width, overall length, backing and thickness, closure type, and print or label. Add the packing if the strap is sold at retail, because a hangtag changes the carton count.
Send those five lines with a photo of the pair it has to hold, and the sample comes back matching the job rather than the catalogue.