It wasn't long before manufacturers started building paragliders that were more performant and demanding to fly than others but still fit in the same class. For many years, 'low' and 'high' B were established concepts. A low-B is good for training and recreational flying. A high-B is for progression into XC.

But now, most brands have more than two gliders in the B-class. This raises the question of what all those gliders are that are neither low- nor high-B's? Is there such a thing as a mid-B and if so, what is it?

Defining mid-B
Describing the mid-B class is easy enough: positioned between an entry-level B and the fairly well-defined class of high-B's or B+-gliders. Actually defining a mid-B proved to be a bigger challenge.
Our first try was aspect ratio. A mid-B could have an AR of 5.4 plus or minus 0.1. But this didn't work unambiguously: some gliders that most would place in the high-B class such as the Nova Mentor 7 have an aspect ratio of 5.5. On the other hand, The UP Kibo X sits below the Summit X (a high-B) but has an AR of 5.6.
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This feature was published in Cross Country magazine 266, July 2026.