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Balance Community Prim-40 Kit Review

This versatile and extremely high-quality slackline is great for beginners looking to learn or seasoned pros who want a bombproof and lightweight travel setup
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Balance Community Prim-40 Kit Review
Credit: Balance Community
Price:  $229 List
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Manufacturer:   Balance Community
By Buck Yedor ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  May 13, 2022
84
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#2 of 12
  • Ease of Set-Up - 20% 6.0
  • Versatility - 20% 9.0
  • Quality - 20% 10.0
  • Disassembly - 20% 8.0
  • Features - 20% 9.0

Our Verdict

The Balance Community Prim-40 is about as refined as a primitive slackline kit can be. This kit gives you the option to rig lines up to 115 foot, with the ability to adjust the tension to exactly your liking. The versatility of this line makes it perfect for beginners who want a line that will give them something to grow into and at the same time is a great option for experts who want a pared-down but high-performing set-up. Between the webbing with a sewn end loop and the lightweight metal componentry, this is a high-quality slackline. It comes with everything you need to start taking your first steps all the way to letting you dip your toes into the world of longlining.
REASONS TO BUY
Versatile
Lightweight
High quality components
REASONS TO AVOID
Complex set up
Expensive for a first slackline
No written instructions
Product Update — May 2022
Balance Community replaced the Prim-40 Kit with the new Prim-50 Kit. The components of the kit are exactly the same, but they feature an extra 10 feet of webbing.

Compare to Similar Products

 
Awards Top Pick Award
Best Primitive Kit
Editors' Choice Award
Best Overall Slackline
Best Buy Award
Best Bang for the Buck
Best Buy Award
A Great Value for Beginners
Top Pick Award
Best One Inch Ratchet Kit
Price $229 List$159 List$87 List
$54.95 at Amazon
$80 ListCheck Price at REI
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Bottom Line Highly adjustable and with the ability to be rigged up to 115 ft long, this kit is ideal for everyone from beginners to long time slackers who want a well made primitive setupIf you are looking for a line that is great for surfing and dynamic tricks, this line is one of the best availableIf you are a beginner looking to try slacklining, this kit has all the features to get you startedIf a long slackline is what you are after, but don't want to spend a fortune, this is what you are looking forThis one inch longline is quick to rig and great for beginning longliners
Rating Categories Balance Community P... Slackline Industrie... Zen Monkey Complete... Slackline Industrie... Gibbon Flowline
Ease of Set-Up (20%)
6.0
9.0
9.0
8.0
8.0
Versatility (20%)
9.0
9.0
7.0
8.0
8.0
Quality (20%)
10.0
9.0
8.0
8.0
8.0
Disassembly (20%)
8.0
8.0
7.0
7.0
7.0
Features (20%)
9.0
8.0
8.0
7.0
7.0
Specs Balance Community P... Slackline Industrie... Zen Monkey Complete... Slackline Industrie... Gibbon Flowline
Width 1 in 2 in 2 in 2 in 1 in
Features Tree pro w/ loops, independent anchor slings, BC shackle, webbing specific carabiners, multiplier kit, BC line locker Slackline, alpha ratchet, tree protection and safety backup line Overhead training line & ratchet, arm trainer, tree protectors w/ loops, cloth carry bag Tree pro, carry bag, ratchet cover Two ratchet anchors
Time to Rig 10 minutes 5-10 minutes 5 minutes 5 minutes 5 minutes
Tightening System Primitive Ratchet Ratchet Ratchet Ratchet
Anchor Length 6.6 feet 8 feet 8 feet 8 feet 8 feet

Our Analysis and Test Results

At its core, the Balance Community Prim-40 is a lightweight slackline kit that comes with a one-inch by 130 feet piece of webbing. This kit relies on a “primitive” tensioning system. Primitive systems use the slackline itself and a few carabiners as the tensioning device as compared to “complex” systems that use additional ropes, pulleys, or ratchets. Nowadays many people are introduced to slacklining through two-inch wide lines that are set up with a tensioning ratchet. While ratchet set-ups have their advantages, this set-up will still be beginner-friendly and give you the skills needed to transition to walking longer and variably tensioned lines.

One-Inch vs. Two-Inch Lines
Don't write this product off just because a one-inch line sounds intimidating. Slacklining, as a sport, originated with one-inch lines, as this was the type of webbing climbers had available to them. Nowadays, many slackliners use two-inch lines that are generally stiffer and a tad bit easier to walk on. But half the size doesn't mean it makes balancing twice as difficult. One-inch lines are still popular for practicing yoga poses, highlining, and longlining, and can be more versatile than their wider cousins.

Performance Comparison


balance community prim-40 kit - the prim 40 is a versatile and high-quality slackline.
The Prim 40 is a versatile and high-quality slackline.
Credit: Buck Yedor

Ease of Set-up


For someone completely new to slacklining, the set=up of this line might initially be intimidating. While the kit, unfortunately, doesn't come with printed instructions you can bring down to the park, Balance Community does have a very detailed and easy-to-follow instructional video on their website. With a little bit of practice, you should be able to get your line up and ready to go in under 10 min.


While setting up a shorter line is fairly simple, setting up 100 ft plus lines will require you to create some extra mechanical advantage to get the line tight enough to walk. The kit comes with the necessary equipment to do so, but the process does add to the learning curve of setting up this line.

balance community prim-40 kit - once set up, the prim-40 is easy to tension.
Once set up, the Prim-40 is easy to tension.
Credit: Buck Yedor

Versatility


This was the most versatile slackline we tested. With the ability to set it up as short as you want all the way up to 115 feet, you have a lot of options. It's also easy to rig this kit to various levels of tension. You can set it up as a loose “rodeo line”, a surf line, or even crank it tight enough to start learning tricks. It isn't the best line for dynamic tricks but is a good starting place and certainly good for static poses.


The included piece of webbing is “flat” vs “tubular”. Typically flat webbing has less stretch and is stronger than tubular webbing. The foot feel of flat webbing is stiffer and less playful but makes tensioning the line, especially by yourself much easier. With the included components you could tension any piece of one-inch webbing so if you want to try different webbing types, it's not a big deal to buy an additional piece of webbing and experiment. The included gear is also the foundation of more complicated and involved setups that you would use for longlining or highlining. Unlike ratchet systems, you can build upon this system to grow with your skills and needs.

balance community prim-40 kit - the prim 40's low stretch flat webbing has a comfortable underfoot...
The Prim 40's low stretch flat webbing has a comfortable underfoot feel.
Credit: Buck Yedor

Quality


Balance Community has been the go-to source for high-quality slackline-specific gear for over a decade. One of the first companies to offer slackline kits beyond ratchet tensioners, these guys know what they are doing. This primitive slackline kit is no exception. The webbing included in this package is some of the highest quality material you're going to find in an intro-level kit. The same can be said for the lightweight aluminum biners, steel shackle, line lockers, and tensioning ring.

balance community prim-40 kit - the prim 40 includes everything you need to rig for up to 115 feet.
The Prim 40 includes everything you need to rig for up to 115 feet.
Credit: Buck Yedor

While you might not initially think using high-quality gear is all that important for a simple slackline, even short lines can generate huge amounts of force. Over the years our testers have seen carabiners deform, webbing break, and tensioning rings fold in half. If taken care of, the high-quality gear used in this kit should last you for years.

Dissasembly


Disassembling ratchet tensioned lines can be downright startling and explosive. Releasing the tension from a primitive rig is much less involved.


You simply pull the webbing back and out from underneath the loop it is trapped under and the whole line will slowly detention. While primitive systems might be more involved in the setup, the ease of disassembly is a big plus. The carabiners and other components in this kit are smaller and easier to store than large bulky ratchets.

balance community prim-40 kit - detensioning primitive lines is less violent than releasing ratchet...
Detensioning primitive lines is less violent than releasing ratchet lines.
Credit: Buck Yedor

Features


This is the most feature-heavy kit we reviewed. While most intro-level kits come with one or two ratchets that function best at a tighter tension, this kit comes with the tools to rig a highly diverse configuration of lines. This kit also comes with the pieces needed to create more mechanical advantage which lets a single person tension lines over 100 feet long.

balance community prim-40 kit - the sewn loops in the webbing require tying no knots and make...
The sewn loops in the webbing require tying no knots and make rigging a flat line a simple process.
Credit: Buck Yedor

The included anchor webbing comes with sewn loops to attach the rigging equipment. This ensures users don't have to tie any knots and that the line will sit flat without any extra effort. The included tree protection is also some of the best we received. The thick foam has sewn in loops that trap the anchor webbing to ensure it doesn't slip off the tree pro.


Value


The quality and versatility of this kit come at a premium. It is possible to source or repurpose old climbing gear to create a similar primitive setup, but it is the small high-quality details that make this kit worth it. The included gear, especially the line lockers, tensioning ring, and shackle are high-quality components that you are unlikely to break. The webbing is also some of the best on the market and should last you a long long time. The nature of the primitive tensioning system is much easier on the webbing whereas long-term use of ratches will lead to significant wear on webbing. While this might not be the cheapest way to build a slackline kit, it's unlikely you will be able to put together a higher quality kit at a better price and for that reason we find this kit to be a worthy investment.

Conclusion


The Balance Community Prim-40 is a versatile and high-quality slackline kit. The setup has a steeper learning curve than ratchet tensioning systems but ultimately gives you more options for setting up different styles of slacklines. This kit is ideal for everyone from beginners to experienced slackliners. The high-quality componentry will last you for years to come and breaks down into a relatively small package making storage a nonissue. Offering an excellent value for what you're getting, our testers found this to be the best primitive slackline kit on the market.

balance community prim-40 kit - whether you're just learning to walk or you want a line to practice...
Whether you're just learning to walk or you want a line to practice tricks, the Prim 40 can serve you well.
Credit: Buck Yedor

Buck Yedor