1 / 3Faction Agent 3 Touring Skis 26/27
Pre-order · Ships September 2026
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PTO Verdict
“Unusually calm for an all-carbon tourer — and it carries the weight that calm costs.”
Best for: Intermediate-to-expert backcountry and side-country skiers who want one touring ski that leans freeride — where a stable, confident descent in soft snow, chop and variable conditions matters more than pure uphill efficiency. The skier who earns their turns but still wants the ski to plow and stay planted on the way down.
Not for: Resort-only skiers who never earn their turns — a carbon tourer is not a lift-served all-mountain ski. Efficiency-first ski mountaineers chasing minimum weight for big vertical, who should go narrower (Agent 1) or to a race-weight tourer. Firm-snow-only carvers, who want a narrow ski on ice. Skiers who love a light, snappy feel and find damp skis dead. And beginners — the Agent line starts at intermediate.
At a Glance
Terrain
Ability Level
Pair It With
Compatible ski bindings.
Browse our recommended binding brands for this ski.
Description
The Faction Agent 3 is a 106mm unisex freetouring ski — the widest model in Faction's carbon Agent line, and the one built around the descent. Faction rates it Float 7/10, the most float in the range. It is the Agent to reach for when the run down counts for as much as the skin up.
The line splits by width and float. The Agent 1 is the narrow 86mm climber (Float 3/10); the Agent 2 is the 96mm all-rounder (Float 5/10); the Agent 3 is the 106mm freeride end. The right owner is an experienced tourer who values a steady, confident ride down — in variable snow, chop, spring corn and off small drops — over shaving weight on the way up.
It is a specialist, not an all-conditions one-ski answer. Lift-only skiers are better matched to a resort all-mountain ski. Tourers who count every gram on long ascents should size down to the Agent 1 or a dedicated lightweight setup, because within this range the 3 is the heavy one. Dedicated groomer carvers want something narrower underfoot, and since the Agent line begins at intermediate, this is not a first pair of skis. If you are unsure which width fits your touring, tell us where and how you ski and we will point you to the right Agent.
Construction is all carbon and no metal — a Karuba woodcore, a full carbon weave, a full-strength sidewall, and extra-wide XL 2.5mm edges. The Agent 3 is sold flat, without bindings. Bring your boots and we will spec the right touring setup, mount it, and sort matching skins.
Specs
Technical Specs
| Waist | 106 mm |
| Sidecut | 134 / 106 / 124 mm (tip / waist / tail, constant across all lengths) |
| Radius | 16 / 18 / 19 / 21 / 23 m (164 / 172 / 178 / 183 / 188) |
| Weight (per ski) | 1580 / 1680 / 1730 / 1750 / 1810 g per ski (164 / 172 / 178 / 183 / 188) |
| Core | Lightweight Karuba woodcore; Full Carbon Weave — 8-12 unidirectional carbon strips on either side of the wood core; no metal |
| Flex / Float / Style | 7 / 10 (Faction's own Flex scale) / Float 7/10 (Faction's own 0-10 scale) / 7 / 10 (Faction's own Style scale) |
| Lengths | 164 / 172 / 178 / 183 / 188 cm |
Details
- Type
- SKI
- Vendor
- Faction
- SKU
- FCSKW26-AG30-IB-164-1
Ice Blue / 164
Faction Agent 3
By PTO Team, Based on the manufacturer’s published specs and published third-party testing · Spec analysis and published third-party testing
The take
“Unusually calm for an all-carbon tourer — and it carries the weight that calm costs.”
The Agent 3 is the widest model Faction builds in the Agent line, and it is the exception to how most carbon skis behave. Carbon is how you build a ski light, but it usually comes with a nervous, chattery ride. The Agent 3 does not. It pairs a Karuba woodcore with a Full Carbon Weave — 8 to 12 unidirectional carbon strips a side — and rather than chasing the lowest possible weight, it runs a fuller layup and more mass. Independent reviews keep landing on the same word for the result: damp. It plows through chopped-up snow and holds a long turn on firm groomers rather than skittering, which is not how a wide carbon touring ski usually behaves.
That composure is the whole reason to buy it, and it is also the honest catch. The Agent 3 is the heaviest ski in the line and the least efficient on the way up. This is a ski for a skier who cares more about a stable, confident descent than about counting grams on a big-vertical day. In soft snow, chop, spring corn, trees and off the odd drop, that fuller layup and extra mass are part of the trade behind the planted feel. On a long dawn-patrol slog, you will feel the weight too.
At 106mm and Float 7/10, it has the most soft-snow float in the Agent range and skis a powder morning happily — but it is a wide touring ski, not a dedicated deep-powder board, and a purpose-built pow ski will float more. There is one more caveat worth naming: damp skis divide people. One independent buyer's guide notes that testers who love a light, snappy, energetic ski often find damp skis too planted. If that is your taste, this is not your ski.
Where it sits in the line is simple: Faction's Float rating rises with each width, so the Agent 1 (86mm) is the efficient climber, the Agent 2 (96mm) is the all-round middle, and the Agent 3 is the descent-first end. Against ultralight tourers like the Blizzard Zero G or G3 FINDr, the Agent 3 gives up uphill weight and gets back a more composed ride down. It has picked up editor's-pick and official-selection honors from independent ski media. Ability runs intermediate to expert.
Bindings we'd pair with it
Mount point: Directional; recommended mount set at fitting. Our pick: Chosen at fitting — a tech/pin or hybrid touring binding, never assumed by spec.
- Tech/pin touring bindingLightweight touring
Low weight and clean uphill travel for a dedicated earn-your-turns setup. We match a model to your boots and set it in the shop.
- Hybrid touring bindingTouring plus resort
A heavier hybrid option for mixed touring and lift-served use, selected to match your boots and how you ski.
The Agent 3 is a touring ski and ships flat. We do not set a DIN by spec — we fit and adjust the binding to your weight, ability and boots in the shop.
Common Questions
- What is the difference between the Faction Agent 1, 2 and 3?
- Same carbon-and-Karuba touring build in three widths, and Faction's Float rating climbs with width. The Agent 1 is 86mm (Float 3/10), the narrow, efficient climber for firm snow. The Agent 2 is 96mm (Float 5/10), the all-round middle. The Agent 3 is 106mm (Float 7/10), the widest and most descent-focused, best for soft snow and days when the down matters as much as the up.
- Is the Faction Agent 3 a powder ski?
- It is the most float in the Agent line (Float 7/10) and skis soft snow and a powder morning well, but it is a wide freetouring ski rather than a dedicated deep-powder board. If your priority is deep days, a purpose-built powder ski will float more.
- Does the Faction Agent 3 have metal in it?
- No. The Agent line is built without metal — a Karuba woodcore stiffened with a Full Carbon Weave. That is the opposite of Faction's Dancer line, which uses Titanal. The Agent 3 gets its stability from a fuller carbon layup and more mass, not from a metal sheet.
- What bindings does the Faction Agent 3 take, and how do I set it up?
- It ships flat. As a touring ski it takes a tech/pin binding for a light setup, or a hybrid touring binding if you also ride lifts — the right choice depends on your boot and how you tour. We fit, mount and set the binding in the shop and can match the correct Agent-series climbing skins to it.
- How should I size the Faction Agent 3?
- It comes in 164, 172, 178, 183 and 188cm. Sizing follows your height, weight, ability and how you tour rather than a single rule — a shorter length is lighter and quicker, a longer length is more stable and floats more. Tell us your details and we will recommend a length.
