Comparing Belay Devices
Showing 17 products | Change
Awards | |||||
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Price | $104.95 at Amazon Compare at 3 sellers | Check Price at Backcountry Compare at 3 sellers | Check Price at Backcountry Compare at 2 sellers | $33.88 at Amazon Compare at 3 sellers | $50 List Check Price at Backcountry |
Overall Score | |||||
Star Rating | |||||
Pros | Easy catch and hold, feeds slack smoothly, smooth lowering, handles ropes down to 8.5mm | Anti-panic handle, top rope and lead modes feed smoothly, wide range of rope diameters (8.5 - 11mm) | Compact, ergonomically pays out slack while lead belaying, easy to use | Great for belaying seconds on multi-pitch climbs, durable, good value | Lightweight, small, great value, strong braking assistance |
Cons | A bit clunky, can only use one rope, takes time to master techniques | Expensive, switching modes can be annoying, panic handle locks up easily | Too much friction pulling slack while top-rope belaying, hard to find the lowering sweet spot | Heavier than the Reverso | Rappelling and lowering autoblock is hard on the shoulders, brake assist friction depends on carabiner used |
Bottom Line | The gold standard remains the best and most popular belay device available today | Excellent assisted braking belay device for both beginners and experienced users | An exceptional device for giving lead belays on the market, but it comes up short for other uses | An excellent value for multi pitch climbing, rappels, and double rope ascents | A great belay device for light-and-fast climbers and alpinists on hard multi pitch routes |
Rating Categories | Petzl GriGri | Petzl GriGri+ | Trango Vergo | Black Diamond ATC G... | Edelrid Mega Jul |
Catch and Bite (30%) | |||||
Lowering and Rappelling (30%) | |||||
Feeding Slack (20%) | |||||
Weight and Bulk (10%) | |||||
Auto Block (10%) | |||||
Specs | Petzl GriGri | Petzl GriGri+ | Trango Vergo | Black Diamond ATC G... | Edelrid Mega Jul |
Style | Active assisted braking | Active assisted braking | Passive assisted braking | Auto-block tube | Passive assisted braking |
Recommended Rope Diameter (Single) | 8.5 mm - 11 mm (optimized for 8.9 mm - 10.5 mm) | 8.5 mm - 11 mm (optimized for 8.9 mm - 10.5 mm) | 8.9 mm - 10.7 mm | 8.9 mm - 11 mm | 8.9 mm - 10.5 mm |
Recommended Rope Diameter (Half) | N/A | N/A | N/A | 8.1 mm - 11 mm | Larger than 8.5 mm |
Recommended Rope Diameter (Twin) | N/A | N/A | N/A | 8.1 mm - 11 mm | Larger than 7.9 mm |
Weight (oz) | 6.3 oz | 7.1 oz | 7.1 oz | 2.8 oz | 2.5 oz |
Double Rope Rappel? | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
Belay Off Anchor? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Assisted Braking? | Yes, active | Yes, active | Yes, passive | No | Yes, passive |
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