Outdoor Gear Lab
The Petzl Sama is the highest rated harness in this review, leading us to award it our Top Overall Award. It is the most versatile climbing harness for rock climbing, and is being sold at a pretty reasonable price considering the performance. The new improvements will be appreciated by both longtime users and those climbers new to this harness, and we had a nearly impossible time finding anything that could be improved upon while testing it.go to full review
The Petzl Elia is a great choice for anyone looking for an ABS hardshell-style helmet that also has a lot of hair. In the future, we'd love to see the ponytail design option available on even lighter and more breathable EPS style models.go to full review
The Mammut Wall Rider is a lightweight, comfortable, well-ventilated helmet that should serve as a great alternative to the lightweight Petzl helmets for those who don't like the way they fit. Despite being made of EPP foam, it isn't the lightest choice, and for us, it doesn't fit quite as comfortably as some others, but we still feel it's a good lightweight option that isn't prohibitively expensive.go to full review
The Black Diamond Solution is the most comfortable and lightest harness that we tested for this review, and was also the highest overall scorer. As such, we feel like it is the absolute best choice for climbers who primarily sport or gym climb. We also liked that it comes at a relatively affordable price compared to most companies' "high end" versions, and thus wholeheartedly endorse it.go to full review
We've seen this shoe everywhere, on pros and dirtbags alike, and our testing reveals that they are immensely popular for good reasons. Their affordability is unmatched by other high-end climbing shoes, they climb all styles well, and they don't hurt our feet. We can't wait to bring them on winter sport climbing trips to Spain and then use them for spring time adventures on desert sandstone. These versatile shoes are an excellent addition to anyone's climbing shoe quiver.go to full review
The Acro helped our testers float up limestone sport climbs in Sinks Canyon, WY, edge on the granite patina of the City of Rocks in Idaho, and even send a few crack climbs in Yosemite Valley. We were psyched to find out that Butora is yet another company producing an excellent product to help us do what we love best.go to full review
The Petzl Sirocco is the lightest and most comfortable climbing helmet you can buy. These reasons alone make it worthy of our Editors' Choice award as the best overall, and it is also our top scorer. If you can afford the slightly elevated price tag, we don't think there is any reason to look further.go to full review
Petzl has been a step ahead of competitors in assisted braking belay devices since the first GriGri was released in 1991. With the GriGri+, they continue to deliver a belay device that is easy to use, functional, and safer than any other assisted braking belay device on the market. Between its anti-panic handle, two belay modes, and universally familiar design, the GriGri+ is an especially appealing option for those who are new to assisted braking belay devices or want to maximize safety..." go to full review
The Black Diamond FreeWire isn't much to look at at first glance, but we were quickly reminded not to judge a book by its cover. It performs well in most situations (the exception being super steep sport climbing), and if you're more interested in value than esthetics you'll want a set of these draws. If your entire draw rack is made up of scavenged leaver-biners, consider spending a few dollars for this good and durable product.go to full review
These shoes excel in the gym where comfort always wins over edging. They also do great outside, especially on sport climbs. I use mine on technical steep granite but find they are not as precise as a stiffer shoe like the Anasazi Velcro.go to full review