These Are The Best Avalanche Beacons of 2025

Here’s how we tested beacons:

This year, we tested all our beacons identically, first in a standard range check, then in a search strip width (receiving range) test, and then in a controlled setup mirroring the PRO 1 Multiple Burial Rescue Exam (a standard test that all backcountry professionals are tested to). As a baseline for the multiple-burial test, we buried two identical Mammut Barryvox S beacons in a large flat area, under 50cm of snow. This was done in a flat field about a quarter mile from a backcountry trailhead to eliminate any potential electromagnetic interference from vehicles, buildings, or chairlifts.

We tested the receiving range of all beacons to see how close the rescuer would need to get before the searching beacon picked up a buried signal. We put a single Barryvox S at the far end of the field, and then walked towards it from 100 meters away using each test beacon, marking the spot where it picked up a signal, and measuring that distance. This was repeated multiple times per searching beacon with the transmitting beacon in multiple places (to account for some variation caused by the environment), and the distances were averaged.

After checking ranges, we performed the PRO 1 multiple burial test (minus the shoveling) to learn more about the efficacy of each test beacon when searching. This was performed multiple times per beacon, with various testers including myself, two AMGA ski guides, and several testers with varying levels of recreational experience. We timed each test and took notes on the specific performance of each beacon.

Best Overall + Best For Professionals: Mammut Barryvox S2

Mammut has updated their award-winning and athlete-trusted Barryvox S beacon to the new Barryvox S2. The new beacon looks and operates largely the same as the older one, but there’s faster processing speed, bluetooth app connectivity, a larger and easier-to-read screen, and the whole unit is both slimmer and lighter. Mammut also built in voice guidance, but due a lawsuit brought by competitor Ortovox, that feature is unavailable in most countries–it can be activated via the Mammut Bluetooth app if you are physically located outside of the US, Germany, Switzerland and Austria.

Thankfully, there’s still all of our favorite functions like a customizable Pro Mode, analog tone search, signal scrolling, and software that supports alternative search methods. Overall, this is a beacon that’s especially appropriate for professional use, but would make an excellent option for recreational users looking for a more powerful beacon for companion rescue. There’s also an updated Barryvox 2, a great recreational level option that features simpler software and no pro mode at a lower price.

Head here for the full review of the Mammut Barryvox S2.

Most Innovative: Pieps IPS Pro

Since 1968, Pieps has stood on the forefront of innovation in the avalanche beacon market, but after a bit of a recent kerfuffle involving a recall and some product issues, the brand undoubtedly lost quite a bit of trust in the backcountry skiing world. Well, they are back in a big way, with the brand-new Pieps Pro IPS beacon. A big departure from what most of us might be familiar with when it comes to beacons, the new Pieps Pro IPS brings a whole suite of innovative features to the table.

There’s massive range, a unique scan mode and a built-in digital inclinometer, and a foldout antenna that makes it virtually impossible to accidentally switch modes or turn off the beacon. There’s even a pro mode that offers many of the same professional-level features that the Barryvox S2 claims.

Head here for the full review of the Pieps Pro IPS.

Best For Novice Users: Ortovox Diract Voice

Ortovox’s Diract Voice is the first avalanche beacon with voice guidance, uniquely streamlining the avalanche rescue process, particularly for novice backcountry users. First brought to market in 2023, the beacon remains largely unchanged for 24/25, save for a software update that improves its processing speed and performance. The idea behind the voice guidance is not just a marketing ploy. Simply put, it allows a rescuer to focus on the snow surface when searching, not the numbers on their beacon, saving precious time during a real rescue.

The ease of use and clever voice guidance mode make this one of the most effective beacons for skiers new to the backcountry. In our tests, it didn’t necessarily perform any faster in the hands of experienced rescuers, and it lacks some higher-end functionality (and range), but for novice backcountry skiers, the Diract Voice is by far the most intuitive beacon to use–it quite literally screams directions at you while performing a beacon search.

Head here for the full review of the Ortovox Diract Voice.

Best Value: Arva EVO BT

There’s no reason to skimp out on lifesaving equipment, but Arva’s new EVO BT makes a complete argument for saving some cash without giving up on reliability or safety. At $389, it's the most affordable beacon today with advanced features. Arva has been a relatively quiet player in the North American avalanche safety game for the last few years, developing mountain safety equipment like beacons, airbag packs, shovels and probes that focused on rugged durability, simplicity, and ease of use. Given the intended use of this gear, that’s a good thing. In fact, Arva is one of, if not the only beacon manufacturer that hasn’t issued a recall on their gear in recent years. That doesn't mean that there is no innovation in Arva’s products–the new EVO BT beacon is a testament to their commitment to marrying top-end features with ease of use at a great price.

The bluetooth-enabled beacon is designed to offer a super-simple interface, but packs in all the features we’ve come to expect from a modern transceiver. That includes a 60m range, signal suppression (also called flagging or marking), a group check mode upon startup, an audible electromagnetic interference warning, bluetooth connectivity, auto-revert mode, and automatic gain control to lead you to the strongest (closest) signal first in a multiple burial scenario.

Head here for the full review of the Arva EVO BT.