Twice the safety

This belay biner earned unanimous praise from our test team. With Edelrid’s unique slide-gate locking mechanism, the biner automatically locks itself when closed, and you can unlock it with a simple flick of your thumb—no twisting, screwing, or secret-switch locating. That leaves your other fingers to lift the inner anti-cross-loading gate that runs across the bottom. Not only does this inside bar keep the belay biner from cross-loading (a dangerous situation where the biner is sideways—hence, less safe—on the belay loop), but it also provides a second locking mechanism for the carabiner by propping the gate closed. “This anti-cross-loading double locker is as safe as it gets,” one tester said. One gripe is that it took a few times to get used to having to lift the inner gate just to open the biner, but it quickly became second nature. And, as Edelrid describes it, the opening procedure is “deliberately complex,” so it won’t accidentally open in any situation.