As you can see from the video, the mug is really good quality; it’s fully ceramic with the handhold moulded directly into the design of the mug. At the very least it will get you used to the different ways in which you can approach and grip a hold and will probably result in some increased grip strength over time as well. It’s made in Stoke-on-Trent, which is about a three-hour drive from where we’re based in the South West of the UK.

We found some holds were impossible to file at all, while others shaped nicely with a little elbow grease.The varied shape of the hold also facilitates a variety of different grips—some being harder than others. If I’ve missed anything, feel free to reach out in the comments below and I’ll do my best to answer them.

So, for newbie climbers especially, I would say that using this mug is bound to have some benefits that will translate over to climbing. The good thing about the Pinch Hold is that there’s no adhesive and the handhold is part of the mug itself.Our method will provide you with a mug that’s heat resistant, dishwasher safe, and sure to make all your climber friends jealous. So, overall I really like the Pinch Hold mug and would definitely recommend it as a gift for both new and experienced rock climbers alike. Instead of having a handle like a traditional mug, it’s sculpted to look like a rockface and requires the drinker to pinch the hold, in a similar way to holding a rock handhold on a crag or indoor climbing wall. Though, it’s still fairly easy enough to hold the mug using a full five finger grip for left-handers. However, I definitely feel that my fingers have to work to hold it, especially when using a harder grip.