Review: Mountain Flow Eco-Wax Infrared Ski Waxer

Using the Mountain Flow IR Waxer

Setting up the Mountain Flow IR Waxer is as simple as plugging it in. The unit is about the size of a toaster, with a large handle on top, and heavy-duty infrared bulbs inside that are protected by a metal grate. It looks pretty similar to a commercial-grade infrared paint dryer. There’s a simple on-off switch on one side and a long power cord that plugs into a standard wall outlet. The newly updated 2024 version features better bulbs and improved ergonomics, and comes with a nifty foam carrying and storage case.

Using the unit for the first time, I followed some instructions I got from Mountain Flow Eco-Wax founder Peter Arlein. The procedure is quite a bit simpler than the normal way of melting wax, letting it cool, scraping it, and then brushing. Instead, once I clamped my skis to my waxing bench, and cleaned the bases with some base cleaning solution, I simply rubbed a small amount of wax onto the bases. I took a bar of Mountain Flow’s Eco-Wax (any wax will work) and simply rubbed it on from tip to tail, the same way I would apply springtime rub-on wax.

Once the machine heated up, I held it about an inch above the bases, and made some slow passes from tip and tail. I quickly saw the wax I had rubbed on melt and absorb into the ski bases. After covering the ski’s whole length with the IR machine, I let the bases cool for about five minutes before brushing them the same way I would after a iron hot wax.

I learned the hard way that the unit gets quite hot, so it’s important to be careful about not touching it while it’s on and not placing it near things that you don’t want to melt.

What’s better about the Mountain Flow IR Waxer?

Waxing skis using a hot iron and scraper isn’t all that hard, it’s just really messy and you end up wasting a lot of wax that ends up on the ground. It’s also pretty easy to accidentally overheat your bases and end up permanently damaging your skis. To me, the main selling point and advantage is that Mountain Flow’s IR Waxer uses significantly less wax and creates zero mess–no more wax scrapings and dust you have to clean up afterwards. 

While I mostly tested the unit in my garage, I wouldn’t hesitate to use it in a kitchen, on the tailgate of a truck, or even in a hotel room on a ski trip. All you need is a flat surface to lay your skis on–you don’t even need clamps or vises to secure your skis since there’s no scraping involved.

I’m no World Cup ski racer, and I did not do any extensive back-to-back testing, but on snow, I was unable to tell the difference between bases waxed using this tool versus a traditional hot wax. Sure, if you're looking for the highest-performance tune, or need base and edge work done, take your skis to your local shop and they will take care of you. 

It’s important to always use the correct temperature wax for the conditions you’ll be skiing in, and the IR Waxer actually makes quickly re-waxing your skis much less of a hassle than a hot wax and scrape. See a sudden temperature drop in the forecast with 12 inches of cold smoke inbound? Rub on some cold-temp wax, run the machine over your bases and be prepped for the snowpocalypse in minutes.