Outdoor Gear Lab
For years the Petzl Reverso and Black Diamond ATC Guide have been two of the most popular belay devices among American multi-pitch climbers. It's easy to understand why: they're both affordable, smooth, and reliable. At first glance, our testers thought they would prefer the Reverso because it's lighter and the shiny anodized finish looks cooler. However, when we compared the two side-by-side with the same ropes in a controlled environment (especially in auto-block mode) the ATC Guide came..." go to full review
The performance difference between the ATC Guide and Petzl Reverso is closer than we could have imagined. Both devices are smooth and reliable when belaying a leader or rappelling. They're also reasonably priced and durable. The differences amounted ultimately to only weight and auto-block resistance. Although the Reverso is lighter, over the lifespan of either device, we believe the ATC Guide's lower auto-block friction will save most users some energy. For this reason, we've named the ATC..." go to full review
The Trango Vergo is a cool active assist braking device that uses a different method for paying out slack to a leading climber that doesn't involve having to manually block the cam, as the other devices in this review do. Because of this, we actually find it the most enjoyable device for belaying a leader. It has few downsides and is relatively easy to learn how to use, and think that those who are curious about active assisted devices but aren't sold on a GriGri should certainly check it..." go to full review
The Petzl GriGri is the best and most popular active assist braking device on the market today. If you are looking to add a little bit of security to your belaying beyond the simple tube, this is the device we would recommend before any other.go to full review
With its versatile feature set, the Aquila can be used for most styles of climbing, with trad being the one style that we would avoid due to not having enough usable racking space. It is probably most suited for alpine mixed climbing and mountaineering, provided your warm clothes don't force you to loosen the leg loops up too much. It also makes for a pretty nice sport climbing harness, and it would work well in the gym as well.go to full review
The Black Diamond Momentum is a minimally featured harness that is comfortable, has super adjustable leg loops, and is very light. It is also significantly less expensive than harnesses that perform roughly the same, inspiring us to award it our Best Bang for the Buck. It's an awesome choice for any entry-level climber or just someone who needs a comfortable new harness and doesn't want to break the bank.go to full review
The Arc'teryx FL-365 is designed to be "Fast and Light," with fixed elastic leg loops to cut down on weight and bulk. It is one of the most versatile harnesses you can buy, but comes at a pretty high price compared to the competition.go to full review
The Black Diamond Technician fills a hole in BD's harness lineup by catering to those who like to climb dry rock in the summer as well as frozen ice in the winter, without having to own multiple harnesses to do so. We are a bit disappointed that it isn't as comfortable as the Solution, one of the comfiest harnesses we have every used, but feel like its feature set and price do a good job setting up the all-arounder for success.go to full review
The Petzl Sitta is the most versatile harness that we have tested, in large part due to its extremely light weight and amazing packability. Not only do these qualities make it a great choice for alpine and mountaineering expeditions when all weight must be carried in, but they also add to its mobility. We found nothing about this harness that we didn't like, except its price tag, but sometimes you need to pay more to get the best.go to full review
The Petzl Adjama is our Top Pick for Trad Climbing and Multi-pitch adventures because it combines comfort and gear carrying capacity, the two most critical components of any long-route harness. It is easily one of the most comfortable you can buy, and comes at a relatively affordable price. We preferred to use it only for these styles due to its bulk and weight, and chose something lower profile when heading out sport climbing or for the alpine.go to full review