Our choice: the SNOOC, the best sled for adults.

In order to answer your most detailed questions, we will detail here all the advantages of the best adult sled in existence: the SNOOC

. And while we have made a comparison of the best 2022 adult sleds  on snow - including ski sleds, double sleds, inflatables and touring sleds, we wanted to go into more detail about why we chose this sled in the first place.

So, we will detail why this sled is extremely solid and why it is allowed in the ski resort. Not to mention all the other features and the enthusiastic testimonials of those who use it.

Finally, we will finish with the rental of the sled, where to find the SNOOC in the ski resort, are there SNOOC sledding courses.

If however, you want to know everything about the useful criteria to choose your adult sled, go to our sled buying guide.

A strong and sturdy sled,

Most of the models are approved for more than 90kg and some models for more than 150kg

The technical development of the SNOOC started in 2007, many tests in extreme situations have been performed.

The SNOOC is therefore usable in normal use for people up to 150kg at least.

Just remember that we did jumps with a 90kg person for the extreme situation tests. We couldn't find any 150kg person crazy enough to do the same tests! So please note that since we could not do the test ourselves, we do not recommend jumping.

The SNOOC has been designed to enjoy sliding, not to fly ;-)

Security

Sledding accidents are often caused by several factors. The first is the difficulty of stopping. Sleds are often designed for gentle or relatively short slopes. Thus, the brakes are not necessarily suitable for hard snow and steep slopes. It happens that the user collides with inert objects such as barriers or trees.

Like skiing or snowboarding, the SNOOC, brakes with the edge. This is an extremely effective way of braking since the user's entire weight is placed on a metal blade across the slope. Probably the best braking system available, even on very hard snow.

The second factor in accidents is lack of steering control.
Users do not choose their trajectories or have trajectories with very long turn radii. In this configuration, either the user cannot avoid the obstacle or he has not anticipated it sufficiently to avoid it. On the other hand, the SNOOC with a single ski of 135 cm long offers a steering capacity to change direction almost instantaneously, to turn on the spot at 180°. It also offers a very precise trajectory since the edge bites the snow and prevents any lateral drift by keeping the direction exactly in front of the ski. Here again, whatever the speed, the ski offers extreme precision.

On the other hand, the SNOOC with a single ski of 135 cm long offers a steering capacity, to change direction almost instantaneously, to turn on the spot at 180°. It also offers a very precise trajectory since the edge bites the snow and prevents any lateral drift by keeping the direction exactly in front of the ski. Here again, whatever the speed, the ski offers extreme precision.

Another element of accident not to be neglected is the reaction of the individual to the speed. Indeed, it happens that the user is overtaken by the acceleration of the sled and that, faced with this feeling of danger, he/she becomes tense and cuts off his/her ability to make a decision. If the user is stable on their skis or stuck inside their sled, only an external element will stop their acceleration.

On the contrary, the SNOOC offers excellent stability when the user is in control, but in the event of uncontrolled acceleration and before reaching too high a speed, the SNOOC will slip out from under the user's buttocks and they will find themselves braking with their buttocks in the snow. The SNOOC could be considered as having a speed regulator adapted to the user's level of practice..

Finally, the leash allows the user to keep the SNOOC in case of a fall so that he always has his descent equipment within reach and does not have to go back down on foot.

Excellent sliding sensations

The 135 cm and 100 mm ski has been designed to offer the best compromise between maneuverability, lift and sensation.

As for maneuverability, the shorter the ski, the easier it turns.

As the SNOOC activity is very fast to learn, even if a shorter ski makes it easier for you to turn on the first run, it will quickly limit your progress.

Indeed, after your first run and as soon as you get the hang of it, the SNOOC ski will offer you a greater margin of progression..

Thanks to its lift, it will allow you to evolve in soft or powdery snow in off-piste and in wet and soft snow on sunny days.

In short, it will offer you a wider playground and a wider range of sensations.

Moreover, you will notice that the SNOOC ski is parabolic with a radius of 18 m. This radius of curvature of the ski is fully utilized provided that the ski deforms evenly under pressure.

As in skiing, the difficulty of the design is to free up the work of the ski over its length. For that, we must limit the clamping (the rigidity of the ski) to the smallest possible length.

A very thorough work on the deformation of the ski in the effort and the overall geometry of the equipment has allowed to develop a solution that clamps the ski on only 8 cm !

This exceptional performance is only possible because the seat is not attached to the suspension. In comparison, other sit-skis have a fixed geometry, or even a rigid contact surface in direct contact with the ski, of more than 50cm on average.

The SNOOC is by far the equipment that offers the most freedom to its ski to obtain unique carving sensations.

Comfort

As with a bicycle or a car, comfort is linked to several factors.

The geometry of the machine, the shape of the seat, and of course...the suspension !

The geometry of the SNOOC

We chose to keep the pilot as close to the ground as possible for several reasons.

• keep the center of gravity as low as possible to provide excellent stability.
• This position also allows you to keep your hands in contact with the ground to improve your sense of space and therefore your balance (like a surfer who puts one hand in the water or in the snow).
• the height and inclination of the seat allow you to raise your feet with an acceptable effort to limit their friction on the snow. They also allow you to lift your feet a little higher when you are skiing in powder snow.
• The position of search of speed allowed by this geometry will be of a precious help to keep speed in the false flats in straight line.

The shape of the seat

The shape of the seat follows the shape of the body and distributes the pressure of the weight over a large surface. The complexity of the exercise is to adapt to totally different body sizes. The complexity of the exercise is to adapt to totally different sizes, both in height and in stature, and even to a different bone structure, particularly at the level of the Ischium. Those sharp bones in the buttocks are a real headache for ergonomists (just ask the bike saddle designers!). The ergonomics are so well worked out that it is not necessary to compensate potential imperfections with a soft layer of foam.

You may not know it but the SNOOC seat required two years of development and no less than a dozen prototypes of seats that were produced, improvement after improvement, test after test, with a validation on the field in real condition after each iteration.

The result is quite impressive, a comfortable seat without the need to add foam.

Although the seat is relatively wide and at the same time narrower than the majority of its users' posteriors. You should not feel any hard points on the sides of the seat.

The seat allows you to lean back during acceleration or powder runs without any discomfort to your back.

A very important point of ergonomics is the recovery of the efforts at the right place at the right time.

Special attention has been given to the comfort of your coccyx, this vestige of the tail of the mammals which contributes to carry the weight of the upper body. The indentation at the back of the seat limits the stresses on it.

The edges of your seat allow you to rest your legs without discomfort or protruding edges.

The Suspension

The suspension developed for the SNOOC, seems simple.

It is in fact a concentrate of advanced technology. Inspired by the prostheses that allow people with disabilities to increase their capacity to beat "valid" runners !

The suspension offers an incredible deflection ratio. It is capable of deforming by half its height and returning to its original position repeatedly, which is huge.

And last but not least, progressiveness.

With a standard spring, the compressive strength is linear. If you press twice as hard, the spring collapses twice as much.

On the SNOOC, a complex synergy between the seat and the suspension changes the contact point between the two. This displacement of the contact point makes the resistance progressively more important. The relationship is no longer linear but exponential.

It supports a pressure higher than 1000kg you are safe !

Some suspensions absorb the user's weight up to a maximum deformation and then the deformation stops. The remaining energy is then dissipated in the spine.

On a jump landing or in a compression, you will probably feel a small electric shock in your back that will probably cause you to slow down on the rest of your descent.

The SNOOC's suspension provides great progressiveness up to compressions of over 1000kg !

In the event that you exceed this level of effort, unlike a standard spring, the suspension will break, allowing the effort to dissipate without impacting your body.

Rest assured, this has never happened. And yet, God knows we have tried everything to find the limit !

Authorized in station

Since 2007, a long work of exchange and meeting allowed to make test the material to the directors and persons in charge of the ski runs of the resorts. Not to mention the Ministry of Transport, which validated the use of SNOOC on ski lifts.

Moreover, it is important to know that with a DIY sled you are solely responsible for any damage in case of breakage. With the SNOOC it is a manufacturer's warranty that applies and this is required by the authorities who manage the safety of the slopes. Of course, the SNOOC meets their safety standards.

In short, 15 years of meetings with mountain lovers and your safety who have tested, evaluated and validated the practice of SNOOC sit-skiing on the slopes of their resorts with skiers.

Thanks to these elements, and to the very low accident statistics, the resorts are progressively allowing SNOOC on their slopes with skiers to offer an activity to non-skiers during the day and after skiing.

Features that make the SNOOC an all-terrain sled

The SNOOC is particularly well suited to touring in its Touring version.

It can be used on a sledging run like in La Plagne as well as at 5642m on the summit of Elbruz.

This equipment concentrates a large number of features essential to the evolution in varied terrain.

Trajectory control

A 1.35m long ski offers great maneuverability with ultra-precise control of the trajectory with shorter turns than in skiing. This precision allows it to pass through the narrowest trails, the width of a snowshoe track and the most tortuous.

Slope management

This ski also allows him to tackle very steep slopes, even black runs. Its ability to turn short and the edge allow it to manage speed by linking turns and skids.

Glide

The SNOOC is equipped with a real ski, the sole of the skate offers the same quality of glide as the skis. Correctly maintained, it will allow you to pass the false flats that are sometimes found in the resort. It also allows you to descend mountain road type routes where the slope is not very pronounced.
For example, the Charmant Som toboggan run from the Porte Pass



or the road to the pass of The Izoard

Carrying capacity in deep snow

The lift is sufficient to tackle snow of 30cm depth. The deeper the snow, the steeper the slope.

It is also possible to ski in deeper snow provided that there are already tracks of skiers or snowboarders. The SNOOC ski leans on the existing tracks to increase its lift.

Know that with speed, it is possible to move in snow a little deeper.

Indeed, the seat itself comes to lean on the snow and adds lift but it remains for experienced people.

Finally, in hiking, with a little experience, it will be enough to make its trace of ascent with the good lines of curve to be able to benefit from it in the descent !

Moreover, in the ascent, the lift of the skis is much higher than that of the snowshoes and the movement consisting in making slide the foot towards the front without raising it is much less tiring.

Breaking News

Thanks to our ambassador Alexandre Pailhes, we are working on an adaptation that will double the lifton the way down. If you are used to working in very deep snow and are a handyman, contact us. We will be happy to discuss with you and to offer you this DIY solution for testing ;-)

Cornering grip on hard snow

Again, the grip is excellent, the limit is more in the confidence you have in your equipment than in the equipment itself.

The grip is so good, that it is possible to carve until you put your arm on the snow !

Beyond that, it's the seat that starts to carve! And as it doesn't have the same dimension line...there are chances that you will lose control ;-)

Braking power

The braking is excellent with all your weight on a 100cm long edge across the slope.
Unlike other hand-braked sleds, no physical effort is required to have powerful braking on the SNOOC.
It is sometimes even a little too strong if you are trying to stop short. We recommend that you go slowly.

Ease of use

If you take a course with a SNOOC instructor, the average time to learn and master SNOOC is one blue run. That's 20 to 30 minutes of descent.

If you start by yourself by watching SNOOC tutorials and following the instructions, your learning time will potentially take between 30 minutes and 1 hour. That's 2 blue runs.

What is sure is that by practicing on a small 20m run you will be able to steer your SNOOC and stop safely. And that in about ten minutes.

You just have to practice on the slope to perfect the curve.

On each page of our partner resorts you will find advice on the slopes that we recommend to start practicing.

If you take your SNOOC without any information... the learning time is random !

SNOOC footprint

The SNOOC is probably the most practical and compact sled.

Indeed, the seat and the suspension can be easily disassembled, which greatly reduces the overall dimensions.


Stored in the trunk,

the thin ski takes up very little space (1.35 m long) and the seat represents a volume of 30x30x10cm

in the backpack when climbing,

The seat fits the shape of the back to limit the size and keep the volume for the rest of the stuff. At two kilos, it weighs no more than a standard laptop.

In the bag at the descent,

the ultra flat and extra light (500g per pair) touring skins and bindings are easy to store and weigh about 1kg in the bag.

Additional equipment for SNOOC Touring

The big advantage is that there is no need for snowshoes. The skis are more efficient and provide a better lift. Without snowshoes, there is no risk that you will lose one on the way down because it is badly attached to the bag (a classic case of having to climb 200m because in the excitement you didn't realize it!)

The backpack is particularly useful when hiking. Either you have a bag adapted to the size of the folded seat and the seat will be able to go inside, or you already have a bag which is not adapted to the size of the seat. In this case, you will just have to attach your SNOOC to your bag with the leash. Don't worry, if it's not properly attached on the way up, you'll feel it before you've taken three steps !

Bag buying advice:
The volume is useful but not sufficient if you want to optimize the size of your bag for your outings. Make sure you bring your seat and test the bag with it. We have found bags of 17 liters where the saddle fit perfectly and bags of 35 liters where the saddle protruded !

Poles are essential to facilitate your ascent, improve your balance and your performance. They also allow you to work your upper body.

Pole buying advice
You can choose between telescopic poles and folding poles.

Folding poles are shorter in the bag and do not stick out. They are often more expensive. Since you don't need a lot of resistance when going downhill like in skiing. The Xneon camp poles (about 360g) are interesting with small washers that don't take up much space in the bag. Unfortunately, in powder snow, these washers are too small to provide sufficient support and help you efficiently.

Telescopic poles are easier to store but often longer, they stick out of the backpack.

As we prefer to keep the poles in the bag to avoid the risk of losing them during the descent with the shocks, make your choice according to the dimensions of your bag :-)

Transformable

There is little sliding equipment that can be transformed to go up and down.

Providing equipment for multiple uses is a real headache.

On the way up, you have the seat in the backpack and the skis on your feet. On the way down, the skis are superimposed to form a single ski on which you position your seat. The bindings and skins are then stored in the bag.

As it is a two-in-one, it fulfills the functions of a second piece of equipment in which you do not have to invest and which does not encumber you, neither in the ascent, nor in the descent.

It is also thanks to this transformation that the equipment can be so light in your bag since it is used for the ascent and descent !

Dispatchability

The development of the SNOOC took a long time. It was important for us to come up with a piece of equipment that will last a long time.

Beyond the solidity that we have already discussed, it was important to us to make a piece of equipment that can be repaired without tools and that each part is independent.

And it is a successful bet. Each part can be changed independently.

Security

As you can see above, the SNOOC has been tested under extreme conditions in very low temperatures.

Nevertheless, we did not want to sacrifice the safety of the user to the safety of the device.

The handle is a blunt appendage. Although it is designed to be harmless, we felt it was important that in the event of a violent fall, it would bend if it collided with the user.

We call it a fuse. But don't worry, for 12€TTC, you can change the handle to put a new one.

The Snooc is obviously equipped with a safety leash.

An investment

The SNOOC is an investment in the sense that it will serve you many times.

It will accompany you on the ski slopes to make hundreds of kilometers of descent.

But also in your hikes for full days of adventure in the mountains from which you will bring back memories of scenery, sharing and sensations in the descent.

Perhaps you will even make it available to your friends and family who will be able to experience these moments of pleasure and intense satisfaction.

Particularly robust and easily repairable, it will accompany you for many years. We regularly hear from our ambassadors about the first Snooc sold in 2015. They are regularly released each winter, to the great pleasure of their owners !

It is important to emphasize that the reason for being of SNOOC is to make skiing accessible to as many people as possible.

We have therefore chosen to offer a product that is financially accessible. It is the same price as a beginner ski equipment (skis, bindings, boots, poles) while offering a much faster progression curve.

Same for the SNOOC touring which aims to make everyone enjoy the beauty of natural areas. The SNOOC is positioned halfway between the price of a good pair of snowshoes and a first price ski touring equipment.

The satisfaction and the opinions of our customers are the best pledges of quality that we have.

Recycling

You want to change a part of your SNOOC, no worries.

We have done our utmost in the design to minimize the mixing of materials and thus facilitate the recycling of our parts.

Send us back your used parts: either we will give them a second life, or we will revalue them in a waste recycling circuit.

The seat is made of a very high quality plastic. The aluminium foot and the metal parts will be remelted. The ski will probably have a second life in decoration or furniture at our neighbor opposite : Skitech

Origin France mainly and Europe

First of all, you should know that it is a European manufacture. The most technical parts are designed and manufactured in France in our molds, by experts in their field. This represents more than 50% of the value of SNOOC.

Some parts are manufactured in neighboring countries in Europe. Among these, Switzerland, Germany but also Lithuania and Slovenia.

Finally, 2 parts are manufactured in China and represent 0.3% of the value of SNOOC touring and 0.6% of SNOOC Downhill. We produce 99,4% of your SNOOC in Europe !

Transparency is an important element to keep your trust. Producing 100% in Europe is a daily concern. We hope to be able to take up this challenge soon and also increase the part made in France. If you have any contacts...? we are interested ;-)

Itineraries

Where to go sledding ?

This is probably the first question that comes to mind after seeing the videos and the potential of SNOOC. Is there a route near you ?

In partnership with Outdooractive and our ambassadors we have developed tools to identify the best SNOOC Touring routes.

SNOOC ambassadors who are passionate about nature tours are constantly scouting for new routes. More than 200 itineraries are at your disposal.

To discover them, just subscribe to our newsletter. We will send you information about the places of practice and the map of the routes.

You should find the one that suits you.

And if you want to go on an adventure yourself and find new routes, you are welcome. Join our team of ambassadors.

In addition to other benefits, we will give you access to our database of itineraries to discover and tools to share your discoveries online with the community.

A community

SNOOC users are often passionate about the mountains and sharing.

Join them to share tips, itineraries and why not carpool on your next outing !

Take Action

You were bluffed by the quality of this equipment and you need a SNOOC for this winter here is the best way to equip yourself !

If you are still wondering if this is the right activity for you... take your personality test I am made for this ?! (confidential).

Finally, if you've just placed an order and can't wait to discover the route closest to you, sign up for our newsletter to get your complete guide to practice spaces.

The quality of your first experience is crucial and you absolutely want to succeed from the very first seconds... here is the list of Snooc trained schools that offer an accompanied discovery.