Chalk It Up: The Best Liquid Chalks In 2022

Friction Labs Secret Stuff Hygienic Liquid Chalk is a fast-drying and effective liquid chalk for rock climbing. The 80% alcohol content allows this chalk to dry quickly and also act as a hand sanitizer making it a versatile product. The alcohol content greatly helps dry out the hands, which is a must for climbers. However, if you have dry skin in the first place, or have cuts and lacerations on your hands, you may want to look at their alcohol-free liquid chalk because alcohol can sting as well as dry out the skin. The Friction Labs Alcohol-Free Chalk Gel is equally popular among climbers and weightlifters.

Our tester has used this magnesium carbonate chalk for years for both sport climbing and bouldering. She uses it mostly as a base layer and then tops it off with traditional climbing chalk as needed. The tube travels well and has yet to cause any problems in luggage or a gym bag. It provides exceptional grip and it’s hygienic, too, what’s not to love?

The Warm Body Cold Mind liquid chalk is a versatile liquid chalk option for a variety of sports including pole dancing, weight lifting, rock climbing, and more. Our tester prefers powder chalk options for rock climbing, so she used this product for weight lifting and pole dancing. While it is more obvious than other pole-specific liquid chalks, this product provides more coverage and seems to last longer. There was minimal residue left on the pole to clean when dancing. Our tester had a similar experience with weightlifting, with minimal bar residue and solid coverage with almost no need to reapply.

Overall, we love this product because of its mess-free application, quick drying time, and ease of use. You can also still use your phone while using this product with no worries about the lack of conductivity.

Dry Hands Liquid Chalk is marketed as the “ultimate gripping solution” and we couldn’t agree more with this description. Before we jump into the features and benefits of this product, it’s worth mentioning that it has over 1,000 reviews on Amazon and has a 4.6-star rating overall – basically, it’s one of the best products on the market. It’s also one of the only liquid chalk products that aren’t geared directly towards rock climbers and weight lifters. It’s supposed to be suitable for all sports, but it seems to be particularly popular with pole dancers and gymnasts.

You get a 1-ounce bottle, which should last you a long time because you don’t need much for it to be effective. Like most liquid chalk products, you squeeze a bit on your hand, rub it in, and wave them around until it dries. It’s simple to apply and longer-lasting than a lot of its competitors. It’s designed to be used in hot and humid conditions because it repels rain and perspiration. You could use it for rock climbing, but we’d recommend choosing one of the specifically designed for climbers products on this list. If you’re looking for a solution for pole dancing, yoga, or any other sport where you need extra grip, this is perfect.

The Fire Team Fit Grip Liquid Chalk is designed specifically for use in the gym. They do mention on the bottle that it’s suitable for rock climbing, but you can tell from their advertising that it’s mainly a gym product. Its main ingredient is magnesium carbonate (85%) but it does contain a small amount of alcohol (8.5%), helping improve your grip-ability for pull-ups, deadlifts and kettlebells.

One of the main reasons we chose this product for this list is that it’s one of the fastest drying liquid chalks. After you’ve rubbed it into your hands, it only takes around 10 seconds to fully dry, so there’s no waiting around before your next set. It’s probably the best liquid chalk for weightlifting because it’s designed with the sport in mind. It also has some mild antibacterial properties to keep your hands clean when you’re in the gym. Plus, it comes with a handy carabiner so you can attach it to your gym bag or workout clothes.

If you’re not 100% sold on the idea of liquid chalk, you should give Liquid Grip a try. It’s essentially the same as the other products on this list, except it’s cheaper. At just less than $10, this is one of the cheapest liquid chalk products available. It is designed for any sport that requires added grip, so it’s great for weightlifting, rock climbing, pole dancing, and more. Instead of coming in a bottle, it comes in a little tube with a carabiner, which is even more convenient. You’ll barely notice it swinging around if you attach it to your shorts or weightlifting belt.

The formula is far from extraordinary, which is totally fine as it contains the standard, effective ingredients: alcohol and magnesium carbonate (plus thickener and fragrance). As its first ingredient is alcohol, Liquid Grip is pretty drying so we can’t recommend it if you have very dry and sensitive skin. If your skin is normal and all you need is easy-to-apply, quick-drying liquid chalk that improves grip, this is a fantastic option.

Spider Chalk is one of the best-loved chalk products in the weightlifting industry. They make everything from chalk balls to blocks to liquid chalk and more. The basis of all of their products is magnesium carbonate, which is the purest and longest-lasting chalk you can get your hands on. But Black Widow also contains a proprietary blend of rosins and 2 bonding agents, which helps the chalk stick to your hands, no matter how sweaty you get. This product is ideal for intense, sweaty workouts as well as fitness trainers. It should last 30 minutes at the minimum before you need to reapply but most folks report it lasts about 45 minutes. And, because this company takes grip seriously, they tested the chalk with professional athletes to make sure it was up to scratch.

It might be one of the most expensive products on this list, but you get a large 120ml bottle, so you get your money’s worth. If you can afford it, this is the best liquid chalk for lifting, push-ups, pull-ups and other functional fitness activities. Our only small complaint is they haven’t thought about gym use when designing the bottle – it is on the bulky side.

For more useful products for weightlifters, check out our guide to the best weightlifting gloves.

Pro Grade Liquid Chalk from SPORTMEDIQ is a great value option for most sportspeople. It quickly turns from a translucent liquid into a dry chalk product without any dust or mess. It’s not the fastest drying formula out there, but your hands should be ready to grip in about 20 – 25 seconds after application. Best of all, it provides excellent grip and there is practically zero residue.

This formula is pretty similar to Liquid Grip so it can be hard to choose between the two. They both have a carabiner attached but this one has more liquid in the bottle, so you should get more use out of it. However, it’s also more expensive. One benefit of this product is that it has a light fragrance that many users find pleasant, plus it does provide a slightly better grip, making it excellent for rock climbing, weightlifting, gymnastics, and more. There’s also a great value 250 ml bottle available.

If you are looking for some essential climbing gear, check out our guide to the top-quality climbing ropes.

Whether you’re a weightlifter or a rock-climber, Novu Liquid Chalk is the perfect product to improve your grip. The fast-drying formula turns from a liquid to fine dust in seconds, allowing you to focus on the task at hand. Unlike cheaper liquid chalk products, this one doesn’t create any powder or dust, so it doesn’t create a huge mess everywhere you go. It also rubs off easily, which means you can share equipment without any worries.

The first ingredient is alcohol (which is why it’s so fast-drying) and the second, of course, is magnesium carbonate. Not ideal for very dry, sensitive skin, but great otherwise. It’s available in three different sizes (50ml, 100ml, & 250ml) and is suitable for all types of activities including gymnastics, weightlifting, climbing and more.

If you’re looking for the best lifting chalk in liquid form, we recommend the Beasty Chalk Black Gorilla. Specifically formulated for weightlifting movements with a barbell, kettlebell and dumbbell, this liquid chalk has a smooth, thick consistency. If your gym is a no-powdered-chalk-allowed type of gym, this is a great alternative.

The Beasty Chalk contains 70% of isopropyl alcohol, so it dries quickly as it evaporates plus it has some mild antibacterial properties. While some weightlifters prefer a grittier texture, the smooth formula does provide great grip and feels comfortable on the hands. Weirdly, despite the high alcohol content, it doesn’t seem to dry out the skin. Overall, this chalk dries quickly, provides solid grip, washes off easily, and is convenient to carry. It does have a rather strong scent which is there to mask the alcohol smell.

Featuring upsalite, which is a new form of magnesium carbonate with a more porous and pitted structure, the Black Diamond Liquid Black Gold Chalk has twice the absorbency of other liquid chalks. It’s extremely grippy and pulls any moisture, making it ideal for rock climbing, but other sports, too.

By combining their classic White Gold (magnesium carbonate), with 10% Pure Gold (upsalite), Black Diamond has created the ultimate liquid climbing chalk. If you struggle with sweaty hands and often feel like you need extra friction to climb a route, this is the ideal liquid chalk for you. Unlike many other liquid chalk brands, the Black Diamond formula lasts an extremely long time, especially if you supplement it with regular pure magnesium carbonate powdered chalk. And unlike traditional chalk, it produces no dust and is super easy to apply. It is, without a doubt, one of the best liquid climbing chalks on the market at the moment.