PETZL GRIGRI 2

Not to beat a dead horse (see Climbing 293), but damn, the Grigri 2 sure is nice. Everything is better than the original Grigri, which was good enough that it dominated the assisted-braking market for nearly two decades. The new Grigri is 25 percent lighter and smaller than the original, a boon for small-handed belayers especially. One tester claimed it “doesn’t get jerky like the original Grigri can.” The Grigri 2 also can handle a larger range of ropes, from 8.9mm to 11mm, which makes a big difference in an era of single lead ropes down to 8.9mm. (From our tests, the Grigri 2 handled ropes in the 9.4mm to 9.8mm range best.) Smaller, lighter, and easier to use—Version 2.0 is a great device for beginning sport climbers and seasoned pros alike. Be sure to watch the how-to-use-it video at Petzl’s website. Click here to see many more in-depth belay device reviews.