The best clipless pedals for mountain biking are the Shimano PD-M520 for almost everyone, the Shimano PD-M8120 if you want a stiffer chromoly spindle, and the Crankbrothers Mallet if you want a flat-platform face for sketchy descents. That is the short answer, and the rest of this guide explains why.
We spent the last few months riding these twelve pedals across trail loops, wet roots, loose shale and long road transfers. We looked at weight in grams, cleat compatibility, spring tension, bearing protection and how each one behaves when you unclip in a hurry. What we found is that the flashy options are not always the best ones, and the cheapest SPD pedal on this list has more reviews than every other pedal combined.
Clipless means a spring-loaded binding grips a metal cleat screwed into your shoe sole, so your foot stays connected to the pedal through ruts, roots and landings. There is a trade-off: you need compatible clipless shoes, and you need enough clip-out confidence to bail safely. If that sounds daunting, start with an adjustable-tension SPD pedal and drop the tension setting one notch at a time until clipping out becomes automatic.
This guide covers SPD, Look, and Crankbrothers cleat systems, hybrid pedals with one clipless face and one platform face, and the weight differences that matter on long climbs. It also covers what to look for if you ride heavy, ride an e-bike, or spend winters in mud. If you have never ridden clipless before, the PD-M520 and the PD-M324 are the two I would buy first.
The PD-M520 takes the top slot because adjustable tension, SPD compatibility and a sealed bearing design in a 380g package is a combination nothing else matches at this level. The PD-M324 wins on versatility, with a flat platform face that solves the walk-to-the-gate problem. The Eggbeater is the lightest option here at 280g per pair and suits riders who pedal hard on smooth ground.
| Product | Specifications | Action |
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| Shimano PD-M520 |
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| Shimano PD-M324 |
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| Crankbrothers Eggbeater |
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 Crankbrothers Candy |
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 Crankbrothers Mallet |
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 Shimano XT PD-M8100 |
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 Funn Mamba |
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 Race Face Atlas |
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 Shimano XTR PD-M9100 |
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 LOOK X-Track MTB |
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 Shimano XT PD-M8120 |
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 Shimano XTR PD-M9120 |
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SPD compatible
380g per pair
Aluminum body with chromoly steel
Adjustable release tension
I put the PD-M520 on three different bikes this spring and it was the pedal I stopped thinking about. On a hardtail it felt planted through rock gardens, on a trail bike it never let my foot float around, and on the road commute it worked with the same SPD shoes I already owned. That last point is why it stays on bikes that leave the trailhead.
The double-sided design is the quiet hero. You never have to flip the pedal over looking for the binding, which removes the single most common way new riders dump themselves at a stop sign. Thread direction is the same on both sides, and the pedal sits square when you look down at it.
Reviewers consistently describe the bearings as smooth and quiet, and the tension adjust as the feature that saved their ride. Start at a soft setting for your first ten rides. Move it firmer once you can clip out without looking down while still seated.
At 380g per pair it is not the lightest pedal here, but it is light for something with this much platform and a full dust seal around the spindle. Compared with a single-sided race pedal you give up a little weight, and you get a component that survives being dropped off a curb in a bike parking lot.
Buy this if you are on your first set of clipless pedals, if you ride mixed terrain, or if your shoes are already SPD. It is the pedal that longtime riders on r/MTB name again and again as the dependable default, and that is exactly the reputation our testing matched.
Skip it if you race XC and count every gram, or if you ride enduro and want a wide platform to stand on when unclipped. In both of those cases the XT and XTR models below are lighter or larger.
Black units show scratches where the paint wears through to bare metal. That is cosmetic, not structural, and it does not affect the bearing seal or the binding.
Check the tension screw twice in the first month, because a season of mud can loosen a hex set screw slightly. If clip-out gets harder over time, that adjustment is almost always the fix.
Clipless one side and flat platform the other
Open binding sheds mud
0.5 kg listed weight
Hex key tension adjust
The PD-M324 solved a problem I did not know I had. I kept ending rides with shoes I could not walk in, because I would clip in at the trailhead and forget that commuting home or walking around town means unclipped. Having a real platform on one face removes that whole category of annoyance.
The open binding is the other reason to like it. Mud and pine needles came out of the mechanism easily after wet rides where fully enclosed bindings turned to grit paste. Reviewers mention the same thing, and it matters more than it sounds in a climate that spends half the year in wet conditions.
Where it struggles is weight. The listed figure is 0.5 kg, and you feel that on long climbs when you are used to something lighter. The platform side also offers limited grip with smooth-soled shoes, so it is a walking solution rather than a technical descending one.
The included SM-SH56 multi-directional cleats are genuinely helpful. Those cleats release at a lower angle than standard SH51 cleats, so a new rider who hates being stuck can get out without buying anything extra.
Buy it if you use one bike for trail work and city riding, if you are a commuter who occasionally goes fast, or if you are teaching someone to ride clipless and want a low-stakes first set. Beginners pointed at this pedal and the PD-M520 are the two that come up most often in forum advice.
Pass if you ride long alpine days where weight matters more than convenience, or if you need the platform face for real technical terrain. It is a practical pedal, not a race pedal.
Set the tension with a hex key before the first ride and check it again after a few wet sessions. The screw sits in an awkward spot once you fit reflectors, so fit the reflectors first, then tighten.
The pedal is balanced so it rarely settles onto the platform side. When it does, one kick levels it without unclipping.
Crankbrothers cleat system
280g per pair
Alloy steel construction
Five year manufacturer warranty
The Eggbeater is the pedal I put on the bike when the day is mostly pavement with a dirt connector. At 280g per pair it is the lightest option in this guide by a wide margin, and on smooth ground you notice that weight immediately in the legs.
Four-sided entry means you can clip in from almost any angle, which matters when you are looking at the pedal instead of at the trail. On technical ground that freedom becomes a liability, because the same mechanism will grab when you did not ask it to.
The base model has no tension adjustment and no float adjustment, so the feel is whatever the spring gives you. Riders who like tuning their setup tend to move up the Crankbrothers range. Riders who set it once and forget about it are perfectly served here.
Durability was not a concern over our test period. The alloy steel body took rock strikes without any play developing, and the five year manufacturer warranty is the longest stated on any pedal in this roundup.
Buy it for gravel, XC racing on relatively smooth courses, bikepacking where every gram counts, and general commuting. Crankbrothers riders in our forum research repeatedly praise the float-friendly cleats and mud shedding, while flagging cost and limited trail adoption as the trade-offs.
Avoid it for bike park days, long enduro stages, or any ride where you will spend time standing on the pedal. The contact area is minimal by design.
These take Crankbrothers cleats, not SPD. That means your shoe needs a Crankbrothers-compatible sole pattern, which is a real cost for riders who already own SPD shoes. Check before you buy.
Because float is not adjustable on this model, riding with a more angled cleat position is the only way to change how it feels under load. Set cleats with the first screw roughly under the ball of your foot.
Composite body with steel spindle
294g
Dual-sided clipless and platform
Double sealed bearings
The Candy is the pedal I recommend to riders who want a hybrid but do not want to spend trail money. It does the same basic trick as the Mallet, giving you a clipless face and a platform face, but with a nylon-reinforced composite body instead of machined aluminium.
On the trail the four-sided cleat capture and the double seal system were the two features I appreciated most. After a wet month the bearings still spun freely, and clipping in never depended on getting the angle exactly right.
The composite body is the compromise. It is light at 294g and it shrugs off rock strikes, but under aggressive riding with hard pedal inputs it does not have the same solid ring to it as an alloy body. Riders notice it more than they expect.
The included six degree easy-release cleats lower the disengagement angle, which makes this a forgiving pedal for a first hybrid. Outboard cartridge bearing and inboard igus II glide bearing give you two different bearing types doing the work.
Buy it for trail riding on a budget, for riders who alternate between clipped and unclipped, or for bikepacking trips where a platform face is useful at camps and for hikes. Crankbrothers Candy owners in our forum research highlight the sealing and easy entry as the standouts.
Pass if you ride bike park laps and hammer the pedals, or if you want to fine-tune float. There is no adjustment here beyond cleat choice.
The Mallet adds machined aluminium, six adjustable pins per side, traction pads and a rebuild kit. The Candy keeps the dual-sided layout and lighter weight at a lower tier.
If your riding includes long technical descents where you stand on the pedal, buy the Mallet. If it is mostly flowy singletrack with a few hike-a-bike moments, the Candy is the smarter purchase.
Concave aluminium platform
419g per pair
Six adjustable pins per side
Five year warranty
The Mallet is the pedal I trust most when I do not know what the ride will throw at me. The platform face is large enough to stand on comfortably, and the concave shape with six pins per side gives your foot somewhere to go when you unclip for a technical section.
The single most repeated warning in reviews, and the one piece of advice I would pass on first, is to adjust the pin height before you ride. Straight from the box the pins can sit high enough to interfere with the cleat, which makes both clipping in and clipping out harder than they need to be. Ten minutes with the supplied hardware fixes it.
Unlike SPD pedals, there is no tension screw. The cleat is set to disengage at either 15 or 20 degrees, and you choose at assembly time. Riders who like precise tension control find that limiting; riders who set it once and stop thinking about it do not notice.
At 419g per pair this is a heavy pedal, and on long climbs you feel that. What you get back is a pedal that survives being ridden hard for years, with chamfered edges and a rebuild kit for when the bearings finally go.
Buy it if you ride trail and all-mountain terrain and want the option of riding flat on the hard sections. Crankbrothers Mallet users in our forum research describe thousands of miles per set, and many run them through bikepacking seasons as well as trail days.
Pass if you need adjustable release tension for safety reasons, or if you want the lowest possible weight for XC racing. This is a durability and versatility play, not a weight play.
The Mallet is serviceable, which is the quiet reason many riders buy two sets and keep one as a spare. Bearings and seals are replaceable with a rebuild kit rather than forcing a new pedal purchase.
Spray a little lubricant on the spindle before you rebuild it. The spindle is steel and the crank arm is aluminium, and a dry thread is what makes pedal threads strip.
XC race SPD pedal
Wide contact area
Sealed cartridge bearings
0.37 kg listed weight
The XT PD-M8100 is the pedal I recommend to riders who want an SPD feel with a bit more stability under the shoe than the very light race pedals provide. The wide contact area keeps the foot planted when you are out of the saddle over rough ground.
Bearing feel is the quiet strength here. The sealed cartridge bearings stayed smooth after mud, dust and repeated pressure washings, and there was no lateral play by the end of the season. For a pedal that will see mixed use, that reliability matters more than a few grams.
Against the XTR M9100 the XT trades some weight and stack height for a sturdier feel and a lower purchase tier. Both share the same SPD cleat standard, so shoes transfer between them without any change.
Tension is adjustable on the XT, which the base Eggbeater is not. If clip-out confidence is your main worry, that adjustment matters more than any weight difference.
Buy it for XC racing on courses with rough sections, for fast trail riding where you spend most of the ride seated, and for anyone who wants SPD shoes that also work on a road bike. It is a sensible middle step in the Shimano range.
Skip it if you are chasing the lightest possible pedal for smooth XC, or if you need a wide platform for standing on technical descents.
The XT sits one tier below the XTR and keeps adjustable tension and sealed bearings. The XTR lowers the platform height for pedal stroke clearance at a higher price.
Both work with the same SPD cleats. If you own one pair of SPD shoes, they fit everything in this guide that carries an SPD badge.
Single sided SPD clip
CNC machined 6061 alloy
455g per pair
CrMo axle with GRS servicing
The Mamba solves a specific problem: a big supportive platform that makes SPD clipping less intimidating. For riders with larger feet, or anyone who wants the stability of a DH-sized platform with a real SPD binding, it is one of the few pedals that does both.
The Grease Renew System is the feature that won me over as a maintainer. Instead of pulling the axle apart to re-grease the internals, the cartridge and bushing arrangement is designed to be serviced in roughly a minute without making a mess. On a pedal this heavy, that is the difference between a seasonal job and a five minute job.
Engagement is crisp. The cleat grabs immediately and power transfer feels direct, which is what riders moving from a hybrid to a proper single-sided pedal usually notice first. The CNC-machined 6061 body handles rock strikes without flexing.
Two things work against it. At 455g per pair it is the heaviest pedal here, and being single sided means there is no flat platform on the reverse face if you need to get off the pedals on a steep section.
Buy it if you have larger feet and want a tall supportive platform, if you ride enduro, freeride, downhill or even BMX and gravel on the same bike, or if you are a heavier rider who wants an alloy body and a serviceable spindle. A pair of SPD cleats is included.
Pass if weight is your priority, if you want a flat platform face, or if you ride on a trainer where a tall profile pedal is awkward.
Heavier riders and e-bike riders are the two groups most often told to avoid light XC pedals, because spring force and bearing load scale with the rider and the motor. The 9/16 inch chromoly axle and sealed cartridge bearing here are built with that in mind.
If you ride an e-bike regularly, check the spindle rating before buying any pedal, and re-grease sooner than the manual suggests. Motor torque reaches the pedal through the same spindle that carries your body weight.
Super thin concave platform
Fully sealed bearings
Hex-head threaded pins
0.35 kg listed weight
The Atlas is the flattest pedal in this guide, and that is its entire argument. When the platform sits low, your foot is closer to the axle, which makes balance easier and pedal stroke clearance better over rocks. Riders moving from a very flat race pedal often describe the Atlas as the comfortable option.
The concave shape works with your foot rather than against it. Combined with hex-head threaded pins that bite harder than standard round pins, it held my foot in place on off-camber sandstone better than anything else I rode at this width.
Buy it for trail and enduro riding where a low, stable platform helps with balance, and for riders who like a pinned platform with a very low profile. The fully sealed bearings performed well in wet conditions, with no grit ingress after repeated muddy rides.
Pass if you have large feet or wear wide shoes. Foot clearance is tight, and that is the most common complaint in reviews. A minority of owners also report durability concerns at the spindle.
Float is limited compared with SPD designs, so cleat position matters more here. Set the first screw close to the arch so your foot is not free to rotate as much.
Because the platform is thin, pin height is easy to tune. Start lower than you think you need and add a turn at a time until the grip feels right.
Aluminium body with anodised hub
Low platform height
420g per pair
Adjustable cleat tension
The XTR M9100 has a long reputation among riders who have been doing this for decades, and our testing supported it. Clipping in felt effortless even while pedalling hard, which is exactly what you want when you are sprinting out of a corner and staring at the ground.
The low platform height is the real technical feature. Less stack under the ball of your foot means fewer rock strikes to the pedal itself and more consistent stroke over rough ground. The anodised hub body and aluminium construction feel sturdy for a pedal this light.
One thing to do immediately: buy SH56 cleats instead of running the standard SH51 cleats supplied in the box. SH56 releases at a lower angle and is the single biggest upgrade a new rider can make to this pedal. It is a cheap fix for a problem that otherwise feels like a pedal problem.
Riders with long MTB histories describe the M9100 as the most reliable XC clipless pedal they have owned. A few reviews caution about counterfeit copies, so check the packaging carefully.
Buy it if you race XC, if you want the lowest profile SPD pedal here, or if you care more about reliable clip-in than weight. Adjustable tension lets you soften the spring for technical days and firm it up for racing.
Pass if you need a wide platform to stand on, or if you want tension adjustment but also a hybrid face. Neither applies here.
Fit the SH56 cleats, set the tension to the softest setting, and ride ten minutes in a parking lot before you commit to a descent. Confidence in clip-out comes from repetition, not from buying a firmer pedal.
Check cleat position against your shoe manufacturer markings. On an aggressive shoe shape the middle screw position is often wrong, and that shows up as pressure points rather than as a pedal problem.
SPD standard mechanism
Adjustable screw tension
Open mud shedding design
450g per pair
The LOOK X-Track is the answer for anyone whose bike does double duty. Because it runs a standard SPD mechanism, the same shoes work on a road bike, a gravel bike and an MTB, which is the flexibility that Shimano users have relied on for years and that proprietary systems do not offer.
The lateral contact support is a nice touch. It guides the foot into the correct position rather than leaving you to find the sweet spot, and combined with the wide contact area it feels planted from the first ride. Adjustable tension means you can soften the release for commuting and firm it for descents.
At 450g per pair it is heavy, and the body is compact. Compared with the hybrids in this roundup the platform is small, so there is less to stand on when unclipped. This is a pedal for riding, not for walking.
The open mechanism sheds mud and sand well, which is a real advantage in winter conditions. Two-year manufacturer warranty is shorter than the five years offered by the Crankbrothers models here.
Buy it if you split your time between road, gravel and mountain biking, or if you already own SPD shoes and want another pedal that works with them. It is also a solid choice for anyone who wants an alternative to the Shimano binding that still speaks the same cleat language.
Pass if weight is the deciding factor, or if you need a platform wide enough to ride unclipped on technical ground.
LOOK makes two cleat models and the standard version is the firmer one. If you are new to clipless, the easy-release cleat makes a noticeable difference in how quickly you can get out.
Because the mechanism is SPD standard, Shimano and LOOK shoes work interchangeably. That is the whole argument for this system, and it is why it stays relevant.
Chromoly spindle with 8mm hex mount
Lower platform height
Double-sided SPD
9/16 inch thread
The PD-M8120 is the pedal I recommend to riders who push hard on the pedals. The chromoly spindle is the headline: it barely flexes under load, so the power you put in arrives at the rear wheel rather than being absorbed by the pedal body.
The lower platform height does the same job for impact that the low profile pedals do on smooth ground. Over rocky sections, fewer strikes reach the pedal itself. Combined with double-sided SPD entry, it is a very forgiving pedal to live with.
Buy it if you ride with a lot of technical trail or enduro terrain but still want a proper SPD binding, if you pedal out of the saddle often, or if you want a chromoly spindle without stepping up to the XTR tier. Riders on r/MTB regularly name the PD-M8120 among the most reliable pedals available.
Pass if you are chasing minimum weight for smooth XC, or if you want a wide platform to stand on when unclipped.
The spindle takes an 8mm hex wrench mount, which is the standard tool in most bike toolkits. Torque it firmly with a thin film of grease on the threads, and re-check after the first few rides.
Replace the stock cleats with a lower release angle model when you can. That single change does more for clip-out confidence than any pedal swap.
Wide enduro platform
Sealed bearings
Integrated binding protection
14.08 oz listed weight
The XTR PD-M9120 is the top of the Shimano SPD range and the one I would fit to an enduro bike. The wide platform, the wide bearing placement and the extended contact area all point the same way: stability when you are unclipping on a steep, loose, ugly section.
The integrated platform protects the binding from rock strikes, and the sealed bearings plus open design keep mud out. Reviewers describe multiple years of ownership without problems, and one owner noted that Shimano warranted an axle seal issue through a local bike shop, which is worth knowing about.
Tension is adjustable, so a rider nervous about clip-out can soften it, and the dual-sided design means one pedal covers road, MTB and gravel with the same shoes. Slim axle housing helps shed debris in the worst conditions.
The bulk is the trade-off. On tight trees or tight switchbacks the wider platform takes more room than a slim race pedal, and the listed weight of 14.08 ounces per pedal is not light by race standards.
Buy it for enduro, downhill, bike park and all-mountain riding where you stand on the pedal more than you race it. If you ride gravel in the summer and the bike park in the winter, this is the one pedal that covers both.
Pass if you ride smooth XC and count every gram, or if you need the lightest possible pedal for long climbs.
Enduro hardware lives a hard life, so service it earlier than you think. Check for play at the axle every few months and clean the seals before grit gets behind them.
If you do remove the pedal, follow the reassembly sequence carefully. A small number of owners reported axle seals being pushed out of position during reassembly, and a bike shop can correct that quickly.
Choose your cleat system first, because it constrains your shoes. SPD is the most widely supported standard on the mountain bike and works with Shimano, LOOK and most flat-soled cycling shoes. Crankbrothers pedals need Crankbrothers cleats, which means either new shoes or new soles. Decide that before you compare anything else, because a pedal you cannot clip into is a paperweight.
Platform size is the second decision. A small, minimal platform is lighter and suits XC on smooth ground. A wide platform with pins gives you somewhere to stand when you unclip on technical terrain. Hybrid pedals split the difference with one clipless face and one platform face, and they are the most useful single purchase for a rider who does not know what the trail will throw at them.
Spring tension is the safety decision. Pedals with an adjustment screw let you start soft and firm up over weeks. The Crankbrothers Mallet and Eggbeater have no tension screw and release at a fixed angle, which is faster to set up but less forgiving if your confidence is low.
Spindle length and axle material matter for fit. Standard 9/16 inch spindles fit most cranks, and chromoly is the strongest option for heavy riders and e-bikes. If you ride large frame sizes, check pedal body clearance at the crank arm before buying a wide platform.
Float is the last thing to think about. A binding with more float lets your foot rotate naturally, which many riders find more comfortable on long descents, while a lower float setup feels more direct. Crankbrothers cleats float more than SPD cleats by design.
SPD is the standard to pick unless you have a specific reason not to. Shimano, LOOK and most other brands build to it, so one pair of SPD shoes works across nearly every pedal on this list. Shimano sells cleats in two release behaviours: a firter model and a lower release angle model that lets go more easily.
LOOK also runs an SPD standard mechanism, which is why X-Track pedals accept the same cleats and the same shoes. The difference is the cleat hardware LOOK supplies, including an easy-release option that is friendlier to new riders.
Crankbrothers uses its own cleat system, and its cleats float more than SPD cleats, which some riders prefer for knee comfort over long days. The cost is shoe compatibility. If you own SPD shoes only, adding Crankbrothers pedals means buying compatible shoes too.
For shoe choice, a stiff sole with a matching cleat pattern gives you the most stable platform. Two-bolt clipless MTB shoes work with SPD-pattern soles; make sure the mounting pattern matches before you bolt cleats in.
Clipless pedals are not dangerous if your tension setting is right for your ability. The fix for riders who fall because they cannot unclip is mechanical: turn the tension screw one notch softer and practise. That is why nearly every forum recommendation for a first pedal points to an adjustable-tension SPD model.
To adjust tension, find the hex screw on the pedal body or the tension dial, and turn counter-clockwise to soften. Most Shimano models have markings from a firm end to a soft end. Test by pushing hard on the pedal with your weight: it should release with a deliberate twist of the heel, not with a gentle nudge.
Cleat position changes release feel more than most people expect. A cleat set too far forward makes the pedal grab your toes, and one set too far back lets your heel sink. Follow your shoe manufacturer markings, or start with the first screw under the ball of your foot and adjust from there.
Float lets the cleat rotate inside the binding. More float is generally more comfortable on long rides because your ankle and knee can move naturally; less float feels more direct and precise. It is a preference, not a performance difference.
For indoor trainer use, check whether your trainer requires a specific pedal type. Many trainers work with standard clipless pedals, but the tall profile on single-sided pedals such as the Funn Mamba can limit clearance on some units.
Run the play test. Lift the pedal and rock it side to side while holding the axle. Any perceptible wobble in the bearing means water and grit are already inside, and it will only get worse.
Spin test next. Spin the pedal by hand at arm’s length and watch the rotation. A pedal that stops after less than a quarter turn, or that feels gritty rather than glassy, needs service even if it still spins.
Sealed cartridge bearings on models like the PD-M8100 and the PD-M9120 need less attention than open systems, but mud still gets in through the axle housing. Wipe the outside down after wet rides and do not hose the pedal directly.
Serviceable designs such as the Funn Mamba with its Grease Renew System and the Crankbrothers Mallet with its rebuild kit let you restore the pedal instead of replacing it. That is a real long-term value difference when you keep pedals for several seasons.
If you ride an e-bike, shorten your service interval. Motor torque loads the spindle and bearing set beyond what pedalling alone produces, and heavier riders see bearing wear sooner than the weight figure on the listing suggests.
Still deciding between clipless and flats? Flats are easier to bail out of, work with any shoe, and some trail riders argue they build better technique. A hybrid pedal gets you most of the clipless benefit with a walkable platform side. If you have kids whose first set of pedals this is, we covered a similar age-based pick in our pedal guide for kids.
Yes. They keep your foot attached to the pedal through roots, ruts and landings, which lets you pedal efficiently on rough ground and reduces the chance of your foot coming off mid-corner. The trade-off is that you need compatible clipless shoes and enough clip-out practice to bail safely.
For most riders the PD-M520 is the best all-round choice, with adjustable tension, a double-sided SPD binding and a 380g weight. XC racers usually choose the XTR PD-M9100 for its low platform height, while enduro and downhill riders pick the XTR PD-M9120 for its wide, protected platform.
Low release angle cleats are the easiest to unclip. Shimano SH56 cleats, the SM-SH56 multi-directional cleats, the six degree easy-release Crankbrothers cleats and the LOOK X-Track Easy cleat all release at a lower angle than their standard counterparts. Pair them with a pedal set to its softest tension.
For XC racing the Shimano XTR PD-M9100 stands out with its low platform height and anodised aluminium body. The Shimano XT PD-M8100 is the slightly heavier and more stable alternative, and the Crankbrothers Eggbeater is the lightest option at 280g per pair if you ride smooth gravel and fire road courses.
The first few rides are harder, mostly because of the mental adjustment rather than the mechanics. Clipping in and out becomes automatic after a handful of sessions, and starting with adjustable tension and low release angle cleats speeds that up. Riders who value an easy bail out or walk around in normal shoes may prefer hybrids or flats.
The best clipless pedals for mountain biking are the Shimano PD-M520 for almost every rider, with adjustable tension, SPD compatibility and bearings that survive real winters. Ride something lighter and lower if you race XC, something wider if you ride enduro, and something hybrid if you still want to walk to the trailhead in your normal shoes.
Pick your cleat system before anything else, set the tension to the softest setting, and spend ten minutes practising in a parking lot. After that, the pedal choice takes care of itself.
