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Neox
Description
Belay device with cam-assisted blocking, optimized for lead climbing.
Take your belay game to the next level. NEOX is an assisted blocking belay device for the gym and the crag. Ideal for lead climbing, it has an integrated wheel that allows you to smoothly and quickly pay out slack to the climber. Its ergonomic handle provides comfortable descent control. It can be used with single ropes from 8.5 to 11 mm.
- Belay device with cam-assisted blocking, optimized for lead climbing:
- For belaying both lead and top rope climbers
- Optimized for lead climbing, it has an integrated wheel that allows you to smoothly and quickly pay out slack to the climber
- Cam-assisted blocking for a more comfortable belay: when the climber falls or weights the system, the rope tightens, the wheel stops spinning, and the cam pivots to pinch and block the rope - Easy to use:
- Easy to install the rope with diagram engraved on the belay device
- Feeding slack and catching falls are accomplished using techniques standard to all Petzl belay devices, always keeping a hand on the brake side of the rope
- Cam-assisted blocking offers leeway for the brake-side hand position, regardless of the angle between the climber side and brake side of the rope
- Compatible with 8.5 to 11 mm dynamic single ropes and optimized for those 8.9 to 10.5 mm - Descent control:
- Ergonomic handle allows you to easily unblock the rope and lower someone
- 3:1 mechanical advantage from the handle and camming mechanism helps reduce the amount of effort needed to smoothly control the rate of descent, regardless of rope diameter - Eco-design: all plastic components, including the handle, are made with recycled nylon
Belay device with cam-assisted blocking, optimized for lead climbing.
Take your belay game to the next level. NEOX is an assisted blocking belay device for the gym and the crag. Ideal for lead climbing, it has an integrated wheel that allows you to smoothly and quickly pay out slack to the climber. Its ergonomic handle provides comfortable descent control. It can be used with single ropes from 8.5 to 11 mm.
- Belay device with cam-assisted blocking, optimized for lead...
Retail price
US$ 149.95
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Device Type |
Brake Assist - Mechanical |
| Weight (g) |
235 g |
| Belay Brake Assist |
Yes |
| Rope Options | 1 rope only |
| Guide Mode |
1 follower only |
| Teeth |
No |
| Rope Range (mm) | 8.5 mm - 11.0 mm , optimized for 8.9 mm - 10.5 mm |
| Certification |
CE, EN, UIAA |
No reviews yet.
I think Petzl has designed a great product with the Neox. The hard part of reviewing it has been trying to figure out who it’s best suited for. I’ve heard some people claim the Neox is a device for only experienced climbers and belayers, which I find a bit puzzling. I think most belayers who’ve spent enough time using a GriGri and mastered the ‘thumb press’ technique are comfortable enough doing it quickly that they rarely short-rope their climber. Climbers who use skinny ropes (≤9.1mm) also won’t feel as much of a need for the Neox, since skinny ropes tend to run quite smoothly through a GriGri. I see the Neox being more appealing (and useful) for belayers who aren’t fluent with the GriGri ‘thumb press’ technique, but value its features as a cam-assisted device, or for those who use thicker ropes that tend to be a bit ‘sticky’ with a GriGri. Overall the Neox is a great device that does what it says on the packet. My only real complaints were the clacking noises it can make, and the fact that it’s more expensive than a GriGri but less versatile.
All assisted-braking devices (ABDs) must toe the line between providing a secure rope-pinching mechanism when the climber falls, and also allowing the belayer to feed out slack quickly when the lead climber is climbing quickly or clipping pieces of protection. The Petzl Neox finds the sweet spot on this spectrum, using a spinning wheel to reduce friction. This allows belayers to feed slack quickly and still provide a safe belay in the case of a leader fall. It is our preferred device for lead belaying.
The flip side to a faster-feeding device is that the Neox lets a little more rope through in a fall—not a huge amount, but usually about 6 to 12 inches. Friends and I noticed this right away with the prototypes, and I’ve confirmed this by using the Grigri and the Neox in the same day. The upside is that the Neox gives a softer catch, and, in a trad-climbing setting, will likely exert less force on your top piece, helping to avoid the dreaded gear-ripper; the downside is that, close to the ground, you’ll need to be more heads-up. And if weight in your pack is a concern, then perhaps those extra two ounces will matter, though I actually preferred the Neox’s extra heft and longer lowering handle.
So, I have now been using the PETZL NEOX for a couple of months and using it exclusively for all my indoor and outdoor lead belaying. I have been impressed at the handling capacity, it’s not going to work so well with your furry old, fat 10.5 climbing gym rope but for modern, thinner ropes it has been excellent. I use an 9.1mm rope for outdoor and a 10mm for indoors and they have both been fine (it is rated for rope diameters between 8.5 and 11mm). I feel that the NEOX may not a replacement for the GRIGRI and you should look to invest with the following in mind: if you climb long sports climbs of 30m+ and mostly lead climbs then the NEOX is perfect; if you do a lot of top roping, roped soloing and jugging/rigging style activities then the GRIGRI could be a better fit for you. For multi-pitch bolted routes and trad climbing then I’ll be sticking with my belay plate as I usually use double ropes on multi pitch because of the abbing. But… it would work perfectly fine for trad climbing with a single rope – which is the way many modern, hard trad routes are climbed.
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