The quickdraw is one of the most commonly used climbing tools, and it’s something that every climber owns. The idea is simple: two carabiners connected by a length of lightweight cord. But there are a lot of options out there, and it can be difficult to select the right one for your needs.
For this article, we researched the best quickdraws for climbing on all disciplines, from sport and gym climbing to outdoors. We considered not only the durability of the carabiners, but also the ease of clipping and unclipping, handling, and whether the length and weight were appropriate for the different disciplines.
Read on for our list of the best quickdraw climbing carabiners.
Our Editor’s Best Quickdraw Climbing Carabiners Reviews
- Utah based Black Diamond has been producing premium quality rock climbing equipment since 1957. All Black Diamond carabiners and quickdraws include a 2 Year Warranty.
- Italian Made Ultralight Carabiners
- Patented stainless-steel wire hood design doesn't snag, eases clipping and cleaning
- Top and bottom Oz carabiners
- Package set of six 12cm quickdraws
- Package quantity: 1
- Product Type: OUTDOOR RECREATION PRODUCT
- Country of Origin: United States
- Department Name: Unisex Adult
- EXTREMELY DURABLE: The wide contact surface of the carabiner limits rope drag and increases overall durability.
- AXESS SLING: Durable polyester construction and a STRING sling protector that stabilizes the carabiner orientation when clipping.
- KEYLOCK SYSTEM: Reduces snags while clipping and unclipping gear loops, bolt hangers, and climbing ropes.
- EXCELLENT HANDLING: Flat carabiner spine offers superb stability for easy clipping while lead climbing.
- SIX-PACK: This pack contains 6 DJINN quickdraws with 11cm AXESS slings and rubber STRING keepers.
- New HotForge on top and redesigned HotWire wiregate on the bottom
- Colored bottom HotWire carabiner for visual target while climbing
- Snag-free keylock top carabiner for easy bolt clipping
- Equipped with an 18 mm Polyester Dogbone with Straitjacket
- New HotForge on top and redesigned HotWire wiregate on the bottom
- Colored bottom HotWire carabiner for visual target while climbing
- Snag-free keylock top carabiner for easy bolt clipping
- Equipped with an 18 mm Polyester Dogbone with Straitjacket
- Includes: 6 quickdraw sets. One set contains two bent gate black carabiners connected to one 11 cm grey and orange sling.
- Feature: Each carabiner had a rated strength of 26 kN!
- Feature: Each carabiner features a bent gate which provides a strong and durable use while providing maximum clipping efficiency with bent gate design and key nose. The bent gate design allows for easy one hand use and clipping/unclipping action. The key nose design features a notchless design for added ease of use when clipping and unclipping due to the lack of snagging and catching.
- Feature: The grey and orange 11 cm sling is made from a heavy-duty nylon with a rated strength of 23 kN.
- Feature: This quickdraw is lightweight and perfect for most climbing applications! At just 6 ounces per set, this item gives you the best durability without the added bulkiness.
- EXTREMELY DURABLE: The wide contact surface of the carabiner limits rope drag and increases overall durability.
- AXESS SLING: Durable polyester construction and a STRING sling protector that stabilizes the carabiner orientation when clipping.
- KEYLOCK SYSTEM: Reduces snags while clipping and unclipping gear loops, bolt hangers, and climbing ropes.
- STRONG & LIGHT: H-shaped cross-section offers an optimized strength to weight ratio keeping the quickdraw lightweight and long-lasting.
- EXCELLENT HANDLING: Flat carabiner spine offers superb stability for easy clipping while lead climbing.
- EXTREMELY DURABLE: The wide contact surface of the carabiner limits rope drag and increases overall durability.
- AXESS SLING: Durable polyester construction and a STRING sling protector that stabilizes the carabiner orientation when clipping.
- KEYLOCK SYSTEM: Reduces snags while clipping and unclipping gear loops, bolt hangers, and climbing ropes.
- STRONG & LIGHT: H-shaped cross-section offers an optimized strength to weight ratio keeping the quickdraw lightweight and long-lasting.
- EXCELLENT HANDLING: Flat carabiner spine offers superb stability for easy clipping while lead climbing.
- New HotForge on top and redesigned HotWire wiregate on the bottom
- Colored bottom HotWire carabiner for visual target while climbing
- Snag-free keylock top carabiner for easy bolt clipping
- Equipped with an 18 mm Polyester Dogbone with Straitjacket
- Utah based Black Diamond has been producing premium quality outdoor equipment since 1957. All Black Diamond carabiners include a 2 Year Warranty.
- Square hinge end holds belay loop securely in place
- Slightly curved spine maximizes gate opening
- Keylock nose prevents snagging
- One-hand operable
Best Quickdraw Climbing Carabiners Buying Guide
Before choosing the best quickdraw you should consider following options:
1. Strength: The first thing to consider when picking a quickdraw is the strength rating. All quickdraws must meet CEN standards, which are the European standards for climbing hardware.
However, there are also ISO standards, which is an international standard. ISO standards are slightly stricter and may cost a little bit more.
CEN-compliant quickdraws are allowed to have a maximum breaking strength of 24kN. ISO-compliant draws can have a maximum breaking strength of 22kN.
It may not seem like a lot, but the difference between 22kN and 24kN is an extra 1kN of force that the carabiner can hold before it breaks.
The difference in price between CEN and ISO carabiners is usually minimal, so choosing an ISO draw is worth it.
2. Strength Difference: You might be thinking that a difference of 1kN doesn’t seem like much, so it doesn’t really matter.
However, that’s not the case. An extra 1kN is a lot, especially when you’re at the end of your rope, and the carabiner is holding all the weight.
That extra 1kN means you can hold an extra 22 pounds before the carabiner fails.
3. Gate Strength: One thing that you may not realize is that the gate, or the part of the carabiner that opens and closes, is just as important as the rope-bearing part.
The strength rating of the gate is just as important as the strength rating of the rope-bearing part, because the gate has to support the entire weight of your climber.
The difference in strength between a good-quality carabiner and a cheap one is minimal, so many people assume the difference isn’t important. However, the strength of the gate is just as important as the strength of the rope-bearing part.
You want to make sure the gate is extra durable, because it has to hold the entire weight of your climber. This means the carabiner should have a well-designed locking mechanism, which is more expensive.
4. Strength to Weight Ratio: A carabiner is a piece of climbing gear that you’re going to be carrying with you all day, so you want to make sure it’s light.
It’s important to make sure that any quickdraw you choose has a good strength-to-weight ratio.
This can be difficult to determine, but you can get a pretty good idea by looking at the carabiners themselves.
Carabiners with a large rope-bearing part tend to be heavier. If you can, look for a quickdraw that has a smaller rope-bearing part, since that part takes up more space.
5. Gate Position: You also want to make sure you’re getting a quickdraw with a gate that’s in the right position. It’s important to make sure the carabiner’s gate is in the right place when it’s attached to the rope.
The carabiner shouldn’t be upside down, or you risk having the gate strike the rock during a route.
This can cause the carabiner to get stuck and make it harder for you to get clipped in and safely climb down.
What else you should know about quickdraw climbing carabiners
1. What are quickdraw climbing carabiners?
Quickdraw climbing carabiners are designed to be used in quickdraw systems, where the carabiner is attached to one end of a sewn runner and the other end is clipped to an anchor point. The carabiner has a smooth, rounded nose that allows it to be easily clipped and unclipped, and a large gate opening that makes it easy to attach to a runner.
2. How are quickdraw climbing carabiners used?
Climbing carabiners are quickdraws that are used to attach the rope to the anchor.
3. What are the benefits of quickdraw climbing carabiners?
Some benefits of quickdraw climbing carabiners are that they are easy to use, lightweight, and durable. They can also be used with a variety of different types of climbing gear.
4. What are the features of quickdraw climbing carabiners?
Some features of quickdraw climbing carabiners are that they are designed for easy clipping and unclipping, they have a smooth, rounded shape to help prevent snagging, and they have a keylock nose to help prevent accidental unclipping.
5. How do quickdraw climbing carabiners work?
Quickdraw carabiners are two carabiners that are connected by a quickdraw. The quickdraw has a loop of webbing or cord that goes around the gate of one carabiner and then through the gate of the other carabiner. The webbing or cord is then sewn or tied so that the two carabiners are connected.
Conclusion
On the market, there are numerous best quickdraw climbing carabiners. Hopefully, the list of the top ten best quickdraw climbing carabiners will save you time researching and deciding on the best one for you.