During the 2024 Olympic Games, even the musicians performing in the ceremonies had to face the challenge of playing under the rain. A perfect reminder that weather affects not only athletes but also instruments and bows.

Your bow is more sensitive to weather changes than you might think. Temperature, humidity, and even altitude can influence both the stick and the hair, affecting your playing experience. Let’s explore how—and what you can do about it.

1. Temperature changes

High temperatures can cause the wood of the bow to expand, possibly leading to warping or bending, or loosening of fittings. Meanwhile, cold weather can make the wood contract, increasing brittleness or making it difficult to tighten the bow properly.
✅ What to do: Store your bow in a stable environment. Avoid exposing it to direct sunlight, heaters, or extreme cold.

2. Humidity: the biggest factor

Humidity doesn’t just affect the wood; it has a huge impact on natural horsehair. In high humidity, horsehair absorbs moisture, stretches, and loses tension. You may notice the bow hair becoming slack even when fully tightened. In dry air, the opposite happens: horsehair contracts and can become overly tight or even brittle, increasing the risk of breakage.
✅ What to do: Use a humidity control system in your case and monitor seasonal changes closely. In dry seasons, consider loosening the bow more than usual when not playing.

3. Altitude and air pressure

Moving to higher altitudes or flying can subtly affect both the wood and the hair, altering tension.
✅ What to do: Always loosen the bow before traveling. Check and adjust the tension after arrival.

4. Rosin performance

Changes in weather also affect how your rosin grips the string. Warm weather softens rosin, making it stickier. Cold weather hardens it, sometimes leading to poor grip.
✅ What to do: Choose a rosin suited to the season and apply it gradually. After each application, test the bow before adding more.

One simple solution: upgrade to weather-resistant technology

Traditional horsehair and wooden bows will always be vulnerable to climate changes. However, Coruss bows, with their carbon fiber sticks and synthetic hair, offer a stable, reliable alternative: no stretching or contracting with humidity, consistent tension and performance across all weather conditions, and less maintenance with fewer surprises during seasonal changes.
👉 Discover the Coruss collection and play with confidence, whatever the weather.