Everyone loves quickdraws. It is a kind of security gear that will transform your doubts and confusion into certainty and satisfaction very quickly. Although using quickdraws is easy, finding the right ones can be a tad bit challenging, just like shopping for any other climbing gear. With this article, you will be able to look for various options of the best quickdraws and choose your ideal one.
Here is the list of the best quickdraws Reviewed
Petzl Spirit Express
Petzl’s product making the top of the list is not a surprise at all. Spirit is definitely one of the best out there. After all, some climbers call it the Cadillac quickdraw.
Spirit has extremely smooth carabiners, the dogbones are very stable and they can be clipped very easily and it’s honestly fun to clip it. The materials used for the construction of this quickdraw are highly durable and strong. It also comes with a grommet made from rubber that protects the carabiner near the rope from flipping.
The newest version of Petzel has a dark grey dogbone but Spirit Express has the same design as before which is loved by a ton of climbers. This quickdraw is best suited for sport climbing. It can be a little pricey but the quickdraw is completely worth every penny you spend.
Pros
- It is best suited for sport climbing
- It is made from strong and durable materials
- The handling for the quickdraw is great
- The clipping is very comfortable
Cons
- It is a little expensive
- The quickdraw is not very versatile
Black Diamond HotWire
If you have $14 in your pocket and you go to buy something, you can get a lot of things like a filling lunch, a t-shirt, maybe even a cocktail but getting a nice quickdraw in this price range isn’t always a possibility. But Black Diamond has made it possible by bringing HotWire into the market.
It is sold on Amazon at the price of mere $14 and if you buy the quickdraws in bulk, then the price will go even more down. Black Diamond replaced the FreeWire quickdraw with this one. The hot new HotWire comes with a newly designed shape of carabiner that is gentle on your rope and wears is comparatively lesser.
This quickdraw is best suited for sport and trad climbing. We are not saying that this quickdraw is the absolute best you can get. But it certainly is the cheapest. So, if you’re just starting out, then this quickdraw will seal the deal. HotWire is versatile as well as it can be used for sport climbing as well as trad climbing.
Pros
- It is very cheap
- It is made of good quality
- It is a versatile quickdraw
Cons
- It is heavy
- It comes without key locking carabiners
Petzl Ange Finesse
This model of Petzl is considered to be the most advanced technology in carabiners. It has a keylocking gate that has a single bar and is one of the lightest models out there. The design is also very nice as the clipping is very smooth on both the sides of bolt and rope.
It will be very difficult to find such a lightweight and smooth quickdraw that is used for sport climbing. This is probably our favourite model as it can be used for both long routes as well as single pitch climbing. It has a small nose and thus fits great to traditional bolts or pins that can be found near a lot of multi-pitch routes.
The gate of Ange Finesse has a little different gate which some climbers don’t like to use as it can be a little tricky to get the hang of it first. But with enough practice, it gets easier. You can get a very high-quality feel at the same time being light in weight. This is a very rare balance. The latest update made to Ange Finesse has made the quickdraw very user-friendly without compromising on the weight and design.
Pros
- It is best suited for sports, alpine and trad climbing
- It is very versatile
- It is extremely light in weight
- The gate design is unique
Cons
- It may take some time to get used to the gate
Edelrid Nineteen G quickdraw
Edelrid constructed the Nineteen G with one mission in mind- making it lightweight. And let me tell you, their mission was successful. It weighs a shocking 46 grams. It is lighter than most, if not all quickdraws in the market. If you are looking for the fastest and the lightest quickdraw, then your search stops right here.
Although the quickdraw is light in weight but it comprises a lot of other things. It has a gate opening of just 17 mm whereas Petzl Ange Finesse has a 26 mm gate. The carabiners are also small and can be difficult to use. The strength of this quickdraw is also low. So if you want to use a quickdraw on a daily basis then this probably not the right choice for you.
Pros
- It is very light in weight
- It is quick
Cons
- It can be difficult to use
- It isn’t versatile
DMM Alpha VW Sport
DMM Alpha VW can be called the exact opposite of HotWire. It is definitely not cheap, the Alpha VW sport is considered to be a luxury quickdraw which has clippings that can be tied easily, keylock carabiners and dogbone similar to Petzel’s Spirit. Being a luxury quickdraw it is made with extremely high-quality materials and will last for a really long time.
But there is one catch. It weighs about 100 grams and puts itself on the heavier side of the spectrum. Although Petzl’s spirit can be considered as the topmost favoured quickdraw, Alpha’s carabiners are designed in a unique shape that has three different kinds of length whereas most of the models offer only two.
Pros
- It is made using top quality materials
- It is highly durable
- The clippings are very smooth
- Unique design of carabiners
Cons
- It is expensive
Black Diamond HotForge
Black Diamond has always made its mark high on the list when it comes to climbing equipment and their HotForge is no different. It maintains a classic balance between price and the performance it offers. Both the sides of the dogbone have keylock carabiners which makes it easy to clip and unclip.
Pros
- It is affordable and not that expensive
- Both the sides of dogbone has keylock carabiners
- It is a stylish looking design
Cons
- It doesn’t last that long
Black Diamond LiteWire
When it comes to the value for money, Hotforge is a great choice. But LiteWire is a premium model. Similar to Spirit, Black Diamond’s LiteWire is built for hardcore sport climbing and has a dogbone of 12 cm. There is a key locking carabiner as well for you to clip easily.
There is a very strong wiregate carabiner at the end of the rope too. While a lot of premium quickdraws have two keylock carabiners, this unique quickdraw is made by substituting one of the keylock carabiners with a wiregate to add more strength.
Although it’s a great model, the Litewire is not the lightest quickdraw out there. A quickdraw needs a carabiner on the rope side with a bent gate in order to make the clipping easier. But Litewire has a straight gate which makes things a little difficult. The shape of LiteWire is unique and it is really fun to clip it. This is the perfect choice for climbers who leave their draws on the wall as their climb may be project oriented.
Pros
- There is a wiregate carabiner which improves the strength.
- The shape of the carabiner is unique
- It is made with high-quality materials
Cons
- It is heavy and bulky
- It is expensive
Petzl Djinn Axess
We can’t stop ourselves from picking Petzl’s products because they are that good! This company completely rules the quickdraw market and rightly so. It is made from high quality materials and it comes with bolt clipping machines.
This is an affordable quickdraw that can be on par with Spirit as well as Ange and give them a close competition. If you don’t want to spend a lot of money and still not compromise on quality, then Djinn Axess is a great choice. Djinn also offers funky colours like blue and purple whereas other quickdraws come in basic options.
Considering the features, the carabiners of Djinn are bigger than that of other models. This can be controversial as some climbers like it while some don’t. It is really based on your perspective. The bent gate placed on the rope side is a little delicate which might make it a little difficult to clip. Petzl’s Djinn is a great choice and is a value for money product.
Pros
- It is not expensive
- Is made from quality materials
- You get the trust of Petzl at a lower rate
- Comes in funky colours like blue and purple
Cons
- It can be harder to clip
- It is heavy in weight
Conclusion
Buying quickdraws has always been challenging. But we hope with this guide you know which one to pick. These are all great options that offer a lot of unique traits. Our best pick would be Petzl’s Spirit but it can be a little expensive. So a great alternative would be Petzl Djinn. If you are looking for beginner equipment then Black Diamond’s HotWire is a great option.