How To Guides How To Choose A Belay Device

double rope belay

Belay devices today come in a wide variety and specialisations that make it essential to pick the right device for the job.

While it’s not uncommon to own multiple devices, choosing the right belay device is a matter of finding what’s the most practical for what you’re climbing, your budget, and where you intend to use it (i.e. what your local gym may allow).

Let’s explore the pros and cons of each type of belay device.

What is a belay device?

A belay device is used to control a rope when belaying or abseiling, allowing the user to manage friction with their hands. It can be used in two ways:

Belaying: the device enables the belayer to handle the rope effectively and catch a climber’s fall. While, some belay devices can also be used for top-belaying a follower, pinching down on the rope to capture their progress.
Rappelling / Abseiling: the device acts as a brake, slowing down the descent to keep it within the user’s control.

Are belay devices safe?

A belay device is essential for climbing safely, but it’s not entirely fool-proof. Complacency and improper use can result in accidents. To use a belay device safely, we recommend to follow these rules:

Always keep a hand on the brake strand of the rope
Use the correct device for the diameter of rope
Load the rope correctly into the device (i.e. climber and brake side)
Use the recommended belay technique for the device
Read the user manual & use within the manufacturers specified purposes only

Gym Climbing Restrictions

In Australia, some climbing gyms have a list of belay devices they allow to use in the gym. If you plan to use your belay device at your local gym, please double check that the belay device you want to use is allowed. Read more.

What is “allowed” isn’t based on a device’s safety compared to another. Limiting the wide range of belay device choices helps ensure that gym staff can easily check and teach safe and proper use in the gym environment.

C.A.M.P. Piu 2.0 Belay device

What are the different types of belay devices?

Belay devices fall into one of two categories: Non assisted braking and Assisted braking belay devices.

Non Assisted Braking

Non-assisted braking belay devices are among the oldest and most effective tools used in climbing. They rely entirely on the belayer to stop the rope passing through the device. We’ll only explore tubular belay devices in this section, but sticht plates, figure eights, and guide plates are also considered non-assisted braking belay devices.

Tubular Belay Devices

Tubular belay devices are non-assisted braking tools suitable for any kind of climbing. They’re still a popular option today because they’re budget-friendly and adaptable to different situations across climbing.

How They Work:

To use a tubular belay device, the rope is folded and inserted into the device, then clipped to the belayer’s harness with a locking carabiner through the loop created when folded. The friction created by the bending of the rope within the device helps to slow down the rope and aid in braking. Pulling down on the brake hand increases the friction, enabling a belayer to lock down and stop the rope.

Advantages:

Compact, lightweight and easy to carry
Simple to learn and easy to use
Works with a wide range of rope diameters
Accommodates single and double ropes
No moving parts that might break, freeze or require maintenance
Versatile to use in different belay scenarios encountered in trad, alpine and multi-pitch
Rope-friendly because it doesn’t kink or twist the rope
Can be used by both right-handed and left-handed climbers

Disadvantages:

The belayer must always maintain an active grip on the brake stand.
- In situations where a belayer might be forced to take their hands off the brake strand, for example if they fall unconscious, the device would not be able to catch the climber.
Lighter individuals might find rappelling slower with these devices.

Additional Features:

Teeth: Smooth ridges like teeth to add friction when holding down the brake strand. This offers greater braking power than a regular tubular shape.
Guide: A loop on the back that enables the device to be set up in “guide mode” for top-belaying a follower when multi-pitch, trad or alpine climbing.
Auto-block release: A small loop used to help release the rope under load when top-belaying, and in hauling or rescue scenarios.

Common Misconceptions

1. Referring to a tubular belay device as "ATC" or "Reverso". Read more.

Tubular belay devices are often mistakenly called “Reverso” or “ATC”, which are specific models by Petzl and Black Diamond. However, many brands offer similar devices under different names, such as Wild Country Pro Guide Lite or C.A.M.P. Piu 2. If you are told to get an “ATC”, just remember you are not limited to the one option.

2. You must learn how to belay with a Tubular Belay Devices first. Read more.

It is not necessary to start learning to belay with a tubular belay device as a “right of passage”, but the reason behind this suggestion is to build good habits with rope management and brake hand discipline early on. When using an assisted braking belay device, the user places greater trust on the device to lock, which leads to complacent belaying and possibly accidents if the device fails to lock. If you choose assisted braking devices as your first device, just remember to practice good belaying habits, good rope management and always keep your brake hand on the rope!

Mammut Smart 2.0 Belay Device

Assisted Braking

Assisted braking belay devices have safety mechanisms built in place that help a belayer catch a climber’s fall. These devices have significant safety advantages for belaying, particularly in sport climbing, gym climbing or trad cragging where falling, hangdogging and long belay sessions are commonplace.

Assisted Braking belay devices are divided into two types based on the mechanical properties: geometrically assisted / non mechanical vs. cam assisted / mechanical. Let’s take a look.

Geometrically Assisted Braking Device

Geometrically assisted braking devices have no spring loaded or moving parts and often resemble tubular devices. Also known as “Non Mechanical” or “Passive Assisted”, their design allows them to passively lock up when loaded making them suitable for climbers of all levels from beginners to advanced.