The 10 Best Climbing Quickdraws

A common sight at sport climbing crags, the Petzl Spirit Express (appx. $22) features a wide and tapered dogbone that’s easy to grab when you’re too fatigued to clip. The solid-gate carabiners have a smooth action and a keylock nose to eliminate snags.

The Black Diamond HotForge Hybrid (about $89) combines solid and wire gate carabiners, which provides the best of both worlds for clipping and cleaning. Its two-tone color schemes help you keep it properly oriented, and the hot pink option has lots of personality.

The basket of the Petzl Djinn Axess (about $84) has a wide surface area, which limits drag and increases the lifespan of your rope. Its carabiners are larger than those of most competitors, which makes life easier for climbers with big hands.

The Camp Orbit Wire Express (about $75) is a versatile entry-level option suitable for either trad or sport climbing. Its wire gates have a soft tension that makes them easy to clip, and its external rubber keeper ensures that it’s always positioned correctly.

From a renowned British manufacturer, the DMM Alpha Sport (around $26) is a premium model designed for difficult single-pitch projects. The lower gate is deeply curved to guide the rope into the basket, helping you make smooth and quick clips every time.

The innovative single-wire latching mechanism of the Petzl Ange Finesse (appx. $25) combines the reliability of a wire gate with a snag-free keylock nose. It’s available with two sizes of carabiner, allowing you to customize weight and handling to your preferences.

Unlike its all-aluminum competition, the Edelrid Bulletproof (appx. $29) adds a steel insert into the basket to prevent notches worn by the rope. Along with a thick polyamide dogbone, this provides a long lifespan even with frequent use.

The Mad Rock Concorde (appx. $63) is a simple model for climbers who don’t need bells and whistles. Its thin Dyneema dogbone keeps weight down and frees up space on your gear loops, though its short length can increase drag on wandering routes.

Designed for long trad and alpine routes, the Trango Phase Alpine (appx. $88) can extend up to 60 centimeters to minimize drag. With a looped Dyneema sling and lightweight wire gates, it can also be used to tie off trees or build anchors.

At less than two ounces each, the Black Diamond Miniwire (around $84) is one of the lightest options on the market. It’s more difficult to clip than full-sized models, but it’s a good choice for alpine missions where keeping weight low is crucial.