Outdoor Gear Lab

The Black Diamond Positron has been around for a long time now — our lead tester first purchased a set around 15 years ago — and up until this year, they've largely been unchanged. We appreciate the small updates that BD recently made to this draw, making them even more user-friendly. If you're starting out in the sport, these are an excellent choice, particularly if you see yourself mostly sport climbing.go to full review

There's a lot to like about the CAMP USA Orbit Wire Express KS: it's lightweight, affordable, and a good all-around draw for those who like to do a little bit of everything. While not a standout for us in any one application, this would be a good choice for a climbing generalist, and notable for its exceptional value.go to full review

The Petzl Ange Finesse are the most versatile quickdraw in our review, earning them our Top Pick for best Quiver of One. Check them out if you like sport climbing and multi-pitch or alpine climbing, and don't want to spend the money on multiple racks of draws. They are also the easiest wiregate carabiners to unclip from a bolt due to their unique gate and nose design.go to full review

Unlike Black Diamond, which seems to have a different draw for every day of the week, Petzl only had two options for many years: the Spirit Express and the lightweight Ange Finesse. Their decision to make another sport-specific draw might end up challenging the popularity of its ubiquitous Spirit Express. The Djinn Axess is a great, though heavy, sport climbing draw that should stand up to the wear and tear that bolts and repeated top-roping will dish out to your gear.go to full review

We really like the DMM Alpha Sport and can't say enough good things about this quickdraw. They clip and unclip exceptionally well, and are an excellent option for harder sport climbs. Now if only they didn't cost so much…go to full review

The Black Diamond LiveWire Quickdraw is an excellent choice for sport climbing. We like clipping it much more than the standard wiregate carabiner on the Black Diamond FreeWire. Some people even preferred it over the Petzl Spirit, particularly if they used the thumb-clipping technique. While the Spirit ultimately won our Editors' Choice award (and are also a little less expensive), this is still a great draw and it could be the perfect one for you.go to full review

No one quickdraw can have every feature or be best at everything, but when it comes to sport climbing, our Editors' Choice winning Petzl Spirit Express is our hands-down favorite. It clips and unclips better than most other draws that we tested, and the ease of grabbing can't be beat. They are not the lightest, but they'll shave some ounces off your harness compared to other sport draws, and won't weigh you down as much when you go for that hard on-sight attempt.go to full review

The Organic Simple is our favorite mid-sized crash pad among the test bunch. The quality of the foam allowed us to keep our head clear and focus on climbing instead of thinking about falling. Boulderers are known for beating up crash pads, and the Simple is ready to take the abuse. If you are in the market for a mid-sized crash pad, you can't go wrong with the Simple.go to full review

If you're headed into the alpine where you'll be doing some easy free climbing where you only need a little protection, a set of Master Cams will do the trick without weighing you down. Most cam companies are adopting a size range similar to Black Diamond, but Metolius is holding fast to their original designs, and their sizes can be bomber when the BDs are too over-cammed. For certain cracks in Indian Creek like the Optimator or Powerline, a handful of red Metolius can inspire way more..." go to full review

The Butora Brava is worthy of a close look. This kids shoe has some great things going for it. Sure, it may not be the highest performer, but it makes up for it with its incredible value and having a few great features like the adjustable heel strap, the EVA heel wedge, and the wide hook and loop opening. A soft, almost sock-like, microfiber upper and a flat neutral last also make this shoe super comfortable. If top performance is a priority, we recommend looking toward the La Sportiva..." go to full review