Hey climbers, did you know there are assisted braking belay devices other than the Petzl Grigri? Did you know there are passive assisted braking devices where “passive” means “no moving parts”?
It occurred to me that many people might not be familiar with the other options. Weightmyrack.com has an extensive list. The Mammut Smart has been around for a while. I recently bought an Edelrid Mega Jul. I’ve only used it a few times but I’m fairly happy with it. The Black Diamond ATC Pilot is also interesting to me.
I don’t have enough experience with the various devices to recommend one over the other. If you’re thinking about buying a new belay device I encourage you to read a few reviews online, watch the manufacturer’s how-to video, and try to test out a friend’s device.
Lastly, I’d like to point out an important safety tip from an OutdoorGearLab review, “passive models do not generate the same braking force as active devices. … Contrary to what we’ve seen on the internet, the Smart and Mega Jul cannot be expected to catch even small falls without a brake hand on the rope. To say it another way, if your belayer gets knocked unconscious by rockfall, these passive assisted braking devices are unlikely to catch your fall.” And of course it’s wise to keep your brake hand on the rope for active braking devices, too.