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Gibbon Flowline Review

This simple to set up one inch line is great for your first foray into the art of longlining
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Gibbon Flowline Review
Credit: Gibbon
Price:  $115 List
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Manufacturer:   Gibbon
By Adam Paashaus & Leslie Yedor  ⋅  Sep 20, 2019
76
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#6 of 12
  • Ease of Set-Up - 20% 8.0
  • Versatility - 20% 8.0
  • Quality - 20% 8.0
  • Disassembly - 20% 7.0
  • Features - 20% 7.0

Our Verdict

The Gibbon Flowline set combines the traditional width of a 1-inch line with the modern convenience of a ratcheted anchoring system. Since their beginning more than a decade ago, Gibbon has been on a mission to make slacklining more accessible to the general public. Ratchet anchors eliminate the need for more complex knowledge of rigging pully systems. With this product, Gibbon has found a way to blend tradition with convenience and offer a 1-inch line accessible to the masses. The Flowline is perfect for someone looking to casually push themselves in the backyard or city park. This slackline provides a super easy and low commitment foray into the art of 1-inch longlining with its double-ended ratchet system and 82-foot long line. Our article on the best slacklines will show you how it fares versus competing products.
REASONS TO BUY
Easy to set-up
Challenging
Long
REASONS TO AVOID
Not great for beginners

Compare to Similar Products

 
gibbon flowline
This Product
Gibbon Flowline
Awards Top Pick Award
Best One Inch Ratchet Kit
Best Buy Award
Best Bang for the Buck
Best Buy Award
A Great Value for Beginners
  
Price Check Price at REI
Compare at 2 sellers
$87 List
$54.95 at Amazon
$80 List$43 List
$42.99 at Amazon
$55 List
Overall Score Sort Icon
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Bottom Line This one inch longline is quick to rig and great for beginning longlinersIf 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 fully featured kit has everything needed to assist the first time slackerThis is a basic, but a high quality kit that is great for a casual day out slacklining with friends, or learning on
Rating Categories Gibbon Flowline Zen Monkey Complete... Slackline Industrie... Zero Gravity Kit Flybold Slackline Kit
Ease of Set-Up (20%)
8.0
9.0
8.0
8.0
8.0
Versatility (20%)
8.0
7.0
8.0
6.0
6.0
Quality (20%)
8.0
8.0
8.0
7.0
8.0
Disassembly (20%)
7.0
7.0
7.0
7.0
6.0
Features (20%)
7.0
8.0
7.0
8.0
6.0
Specs Gibbon Flowline Zen Monkey Complete... Slackline Industrie... Zero Gravity Kit Flybold Slackline Kit
Width 1 in 2 in 2 in 2 in 2 in
Features Two ratchet anchors Overhead training line & ratchet, arm trainer, tree protectors w/ loops, cloth carry bag Tree pro, carry bag, ratchet cover Carry bag, ratchet w/ molded finger grip & smooth operation, tree protectors Tree pro, carrying bag
Time to Rig 5 minutes 5 minutes 5 minutes 5 minutes 5 minutes
Tightening System Ratchet Ratchet Ratchet Ratchet Ratchet
Anchor Length 8 feet 8 feet 8 feet 8 feet 8.33 feet

Our Analysis and Test Results

If you're looking to progress into 1-inch longlining, the Gibbon Flowline is a simple setup that's easy to rig on your own. If you want to push your slacklining abilities or are toying with the idea of progressing into highlining and aren't afraid of some basic rigging, a more traditional rig would be a better choice, but for casual backyard or park fun, this beginner style longline is easy to set up, and a blast to walk.

Performance Comparison


gibbon flowline - surfing the flowline was a blast thanks to the long, one-inch...
Surfing the Flowline Was a blast thanks to the long, one-inch, dynamic webbing.

Ease of Set-up


As far as one-inch long-lines go, this product is incredibly straightforward and quick to set-up. Eighty-two feet is a lot of webbing, and more traditional longlines require a ton of force to achieve the desired tension. We're talking pulley systems for mechanical advantage, or lots of strong-armed friends. But not for this line! With a standard ratchet attachment on each end of the line, you'll have it rigged at its full length in no-time.

gibbon flowline - no need for burly friends or a complicated rigging scheme to get...
No need for burly friends or a complicated rigging scheme to get this model tensioned.
Credit: Leslie Yedor

The two-sided webbing has one blue side and one yellow side, so that, when you pull it tight to tension, you can easily see if there are any twists in the line. The kit we tested also had two tree protection pads that were easy-to-use but could have used more length, which left often us borrowing pads from other kits. Gibbon does sell tree protection separately and we recommend adding a couple of them to the cart at checkout!

Ratchet Wobble
To reduce the amount of wobble in the slackline due to the heavy ratchets bouncing, try using larger trees, or wrap the ratchet around the anchor a couple of times. This positions the ratchets closer to the anchor, reducing the wobble created by them significantly. Keep in mind, by moving the ratchets closer to the trees will reduce the total walkable length.

Versatility


This product works great as intended, but while it's an efficient longlining set-up, the 1-inch webbing makes it more challenging for beginners to learn on. However, if this is the line you choose to learn on, the ratchets allow you to set it up as short as you want, and lengthen the line as you grow more comfortable. True tricksters may be able to slack on just about anything, but if you're interested in learning tricks or already have a love for flips, this isn't the best line for you.

Now, this isn't a great trick-line or a true long-line, but the 90+ feet of webbing really opens up your opportunities at the local park when trees or anchor selections are limited.

Quality


Both of the ratchets that come with this model are the standard design and include plastic buffers to neatly accommodate the narrow one-inch line width. The plastic line spacers are smooth and forgiving to protect the edge of the webbing from rubbing when tensioning and releasing the line. As with all of the ratchet based systems we tested, ratchet failure is exceedingly rare except in the case of user-error.

gibbon flowline - plastic buffers keep the one-inch webbing contained in the ratchet...
Plastic buffers keep the one-inch webbing contained in the ratchet drum.

The Flowline has a relatively thick webbing that is soft underfoot and enjoyable to walk on with bare feet or with shoes, but unfortunately, its loose weave is prone to fraying or picking, so use caution to keep the line running evenly in the ratchet drum when tensioning and releasing the line. The portion of the webbing that gets fed into the ratchet is the most susceptible to wear and tear and double ratchets mean both ends of this line are at risk, but as long as everything stays aligned when tensioning and disassembly, the wear to the material should be minimal.

Disassembly


The Flowline has the same disassembly process as any other ratchet based system even though there are two ratchets. After you “POP!” one side loose, of course, the other ratchet is no longer under tension and can be unlocked to fully disassemble. We did find this to have a fair amount of bite however, so watch your fingers and trust the process! Gibbon also sells a slow-release system that will prolong the life of the slackline by eliminating the abrasion from the “SNAP!” all-together.

Features


The model we tested came with tree protection, the slackline, and two ratchets. The tree padding was good, but we wish it were at least a foot longer to reach around more trees. Many kits we tested included a cheap storage bag, but no storage bag was included in this kit, though honestly, bags that come with these slacklines are usually of poor quality.

gibbon flowline - now the flowline comes with tree protection but we wished that it...
Now the Flowline comes with tree protection but we wished that it were longer.

Having a second ratchet allows you to tension the line fully since the one-inch webbing is more elastic and requires more tension than the more modern 2-inch slacklines. One ratchet doesn't quite have enough “throw”, so having two ratchets allows you twice the tensioning room.

gibbon flowline - this simple kit is great for the beginning longliner.
This simple kit is great for the beginning longliner.
Credit: Leslie Yedor

Value


While this line is one of the more expensive products we tested, it is still significantly less than a more traditional longline setup. The durability was good for the price, and for a simple ratchet based 1-inch long-line, there aren't that many options available. The simple fact that this line is so fun to walk, ups the value factor a fair amount. If you want to expand to walking seriously long or high-lines, then this may suffice for a minute, but you will outgrow this kit quickly. However, if you just want to experience the feel of a long line without the extra gear or commitment required with a traditional set-up, this line is an awesome option.

Conclusion


We had a great time testing this line and enjoyed the freedom that an easy to set-up longline offered. If you are looking to grow into walking longer lines without taking anything too seriously, this is a great line. If you know the limitations of the kit and are okay with them, this kit may just be what you need. Out of the top contenders, this was one of the most fun to walk and surf, yet it was also one of the easier long-lines to get set up. For some, this line doesn't check all the boxes, and that makes sense, but for many, this line will be a great option that will satisfy them for years!

gibbon flowline - being so easy to set up, the flowline is an ideal line for a quick...
Being so easy to set up, the Flowline is an ideal line for a quick after work flow sessions.

Adam Paashaus & Leslie Yedor