Since its inception over 30 years ago, the Petzl GRIGRI has been the undisputed champ of assisted belay devices. I was an early convert and have used every other assisted braking device since. But, try as I might, I always reverted to the GRIGRI.
The GRIGRI has served me wonderfully over the last 3 decades, but it’s not without quirks. To use it correctly for lead belaying, a climber must adopt a strange and initially awkward method. The belayer must hold the brake strand of the rope while resting the device on the side of the index finger.
Meanwhile, the thumb prevents the cam from engaging when paying out slack for a clip. The brake hand is doing three things at once, and to me, the connection to the device always feels loose.
I admit that when testing other assisted belay devices, I’m so used to the GRIGRI method that the most significant hurdle was rewiring my brain not to do it. But I did give every other device an extended and fair shot. And, well, back to the GRIGRI I went until now.
For this first-look review, I tested the Edelrid Pinch during an Edelried function in Seattle and Squamish, British Columbia, Canada. I also used it locally for a few weeks in Austin alongside other assisted belay devices. All of this testing was done in gyms to take advantage of the more controlled and consistent environment since I was comparison testing.
In short: The Edelrid Pinch is my new go-to belay device. Every assisted belay device has compromises, but the Pinch has the correct alchemy of characteristics for me. Admittedly, it also handles most closely to a GRIGRI, and adopted familiarity is a big plus. The Edelrid Pinch also connects directly to the belay loop, delivering advantages that vaulted the device to the top of my list.
Edelrid Pinch Initial Inspection
The Edelrid Pinch is very much physically like a Petzl GRIGRI, but the body of the device is much shorter. The right side plate swings open, but a flat button unlocks the function. The rope snakes around an eccentric cam, just like a GRIGRI. And it has similar markings to indicate which side of the cam the climber and brake sides of the rope go. The cam is steel, while the plates are anodized aluminum.
A rigid plastic and metal handle on the left plate controls the rate of descent when lowering a climber. Like a GRIGRI+, it has an anti-panic function. If a belayer pulls the lever back too far, the device locks the rope to cease the descent.
If the panic stop engages, the belayer simply releases the handle to start the lowering process over. To override the panic stop, the belayer pulls the handle back further. Edelrid also includes a screw that will permanently disable the anti-panic function.
The similarities to a GRIGRI start to disseminate from there. The biggest divergence is although the side plates have a hole for a locking carabiner, the Edelrid Pinch can attach directly to the belay loop as long as it’s less than 3/4-inch wide.
There is a steel grooved fitting on the Pinch, where the brake side of the rope exits. This is designed to create friction to help while lowering on skinnier ropes. It also eliminates the black aluminum oxide that is left on ropes when they run through aluminum.
The similar look and feel of the Pinch compared to the GRIGRI was undeniable to me. Edelrid officials claimed it wasn’t a design goal. But I didn’t consider it a negative at all. Right from the beginning, I felt more at home with the Pinch than any other assisted device because of the familiarity.
Edelrid specifies ropes between 8.5mm and 10.5mm work with the Pinch, and it’s EN dual certified. The Edelrid Pinch weighs a verified 8.3 ounces. It measures 4 3/8″ x 2 3/4″ x 1 3/8″, and the MSRP is $120.
The Edelrid Pinch on Belay
The initial feeling of belaying both on lead and top-rope climbing with the Edelrid Pinch was similar to a GRIGRI, outside of a few advantageous differences.
Direct Connection to Belay Loop
I chose to directly attach the Pinch to my belay loop to eliminate “a link in the chain of death.” The philosophy I use for climbing is the fewer pieces in the lifeline, the less that can go wrong.
In this case, the elimination of the locking carabiner also meant that there was no potential for cross-loading a carabiner (the load rating is substantially reduced). Ditching the locking carabiner also produced several performance improvements.
The most noticeable was that the direct anchoring to the belay loop kept the Pinch in a more consistent position and orientation. It didn’t flop around, twist, get oriented sideways, or rise and fall with the rope nearly as much as devices using a belay carabiner. It was much more still, and that delivered a more secure feeling as a belayer.
I knew where the device was and trusted that it was oriented correctly. With other assisted belay devices, I formed the habit of lightly holding it between the sides of my hands. This assured me that it was oriented correctly, and I could manipulate it quickly since I could feel the location and orientation. These measures were unnecessary with the Pinch.
Another distinct advantage of directly connecting to the belay loop was the reduced amount of slack in the entire system. Edelrid claims the shortening of the “chain” between the harness and belay device results in about 8 to 12 more inches of rope paid out per arm movement. I agreed with this estimate.
Finally, the lower positioning of the directly connected Edelrid Pinch produced a much more comfortable experience. I didn’t have the tendency to shrug my shoulders to keep my hands in the correct position. Anything I needed to do with the Pinch felt more natural when it was directly above my belay loop instead of higher up.
What About That Button?
One concern that some of my climbing partners initially pointed out was the flat button might be too easy to press. The valid worry was this would lead to the Pinch opening accidentally while attached to the belay loop.
It’s not noticeable upon casual inspection, but the button is like a see-saw. It pivots in the middle, so it can only be actuated by deliberately pressing the top half. Ironically, the partners who expressed this concern had difficulty opening the Pinch for the first time. I had to show them that only one-half of the bottom unlocked the side plate.
My honest opinion is that I will never accidentally actuate this button. Not only does it require deliberate use, but the spring tension is significant, and it had to be pushed into a recession.
Feeding Slack
With the Edelrid Pinch, I could quickly and easily feed out slack to the leading climber. I could do the same with a GRIGRI, but the Pinch required less brake-hand trickery.
GRIGRI Brake Hand Shenanigans
To use a GRIGRI, as Petzl recommends, the belayer perches the left side plate ridge on the index finger while maintaining a grip on the brake side of the rope with the remaining three fingers. The thumb then presses down on the cam in the area between the strands of the rope to keep it from engaging as the non-brake hand pulls slack.
Although this became second nature over the decades, as a professional guide, I found it very difficult to teach to first-time users. And, honestly, I see improper use of the GRIGRI all the time. This shockingly includes dropping the brake strand to grab the device with the entire hand to manipulate the cam.
Also, my left-handed climbing friends all but refuse to lead belay with a GRIGRI, as the indicated finger lip is only on the right side plate. Petzl admits that its specified left-handed technique is “not as comfortable or fluid” as the right-handed.
Pinch Lead Belay Method
Although the Edelrid Pinch requires a technique that differs from unassisted belay devices, it was a tad simpler and more natural feeling than the Petzl GRIGRI method.
There was no need to perch the device on my index finger, and all four fingers were able to grasp the brake side of the rope. I noticed I didn’t need the positional cue or the stability of my index finger, as the device wasn’t flopping around nearly as much as a GRIGRI. I used the brake strand as the positional cue.
When I needed slack, the thumb of the brake hand pressed the cam behind the lead side of the rope. This is a much larger target area than on a GRIGRI and encompasses the lowering lever, too.
All this felt much more natural and required fewer shenanigans with the brake hand. It was a more “gross” movement and didn’t require the complexity or accuracy of the GRIGRI method. And my brake hand only did two things instead of three.
I think it’s notable that I reverted to the GRIGRI method at first. I perched my index finger on the side plate of the Pinch and used my thumb like I have for decades. And it worked fine. But once I got over my habitual use pattern, it was somewhat of a relief not to use my index finger at all.
The direct connect function of the Pinch aided in this. I didn’t feel the need to have a hand on the device unless I was feeding slack, since it was relatively stationary. Also, the Pinch method is identical for left-handers; no workarounds.
I can honestly say that I hardly ever botch a leader’s clip with a GRIGRI. But the correct technique for paying slack was much easier to learn on the Pinch than on any other assisted device, the GRIGRI included. This made it appealing for me to use with first-timers or anyone newer to lead belaying.
The same errors can be made with the Pinch as on the GRIGRI. For example, belayers could still grab the unit and hold the cam down with the entire brake hand, dropping the brake side of the rope. But, again, it was easier to teach new climbers on the Pinch, so hopefully, bad habits don’t get a start.
The Edlerid PInch still wasn’t as intuitive to use as a standard ATC-style tube device, but it was easier to use than any other assisted device that I’d tested to date. (I started testing the Petzl Neox last week, but after a few sessions, I still prefer the Pinch. Time will tell.)
Lowering the Climber
I had no issues lowering the climber with the Edelrid Pinch, nor did I have any issues with the anti-panic mode. But it’s worth noting that I also had no issues with the same mode on the Petzl GRIGRI+, unlike all my climbing partners. Not once did I feel the need to override this function during testing.
I found that the toothed steel plate added control to lowering the climber, regardless of rope diameter, but noticeably more so with smaller ropes. I also appreciated that the Pinch didn’t twist my ropes like looping the rope over the side plate on a GRIGRI can. And, over time, I’m sure I would also appreciate the pinch not depositing black aluminum oxide on my cords.
In the end, lowering with the Pinch was a non-issue, meaning I never noticed or had to deliberately think about anything else during the action of lowering. It felt smooth, easily controllable, and nothing out of the ordinary, even with smaller ropes.
Belaying and lowering a climber on a top rope was the same. No issues, no surprises.
Catching Falls With the Edelrid Pinch
I know I sound like a broken record, but arresting falls on the Pinch felt just like doing so on a GRIGRI. The device locked the rope quickly, and I unloaded my feet as usual to provide a soft catch. There were no surprises and nothing to report other than it worked as it should.
I tried a few rope diameters, and as expected, the smaller the cord, the softer the catch. I know some of this was due to the greater elongation of thinner ropes, but there could also have been more of a delay in the final arresting of the rope. This is similar to tube-style devices since the surface area for frictional forces is less with thinner cords.
What I Didn’t Test in the First Look Review
Since I only did comparative testing indoors, I didn’t test a few things with the Edelrid Pinch.
I didn’t test belaying a second up on a multipitch route. I have done so many times with a GRIGRI, and I suspect it would feel very similar.
I also didn’t test rappelling a single line. Again, I think it would feel very much like doing so with a GRIGRI. And possibly, I would want to use the included screw to disengage the panic stop feature if it was going to be a regular activity.
Also, I don’t have a bead on durability yet. But the Pinch is in my pack and will undoubtedly accompany me outdoors when our season picks up again in a few months. If I discover anything notable, I will update this review.
Conclusions on the Edelrid Pinch Assisted-Braking Belay Device
The Edelrid Pinch is the assisted belay device that now lives on my harness and in my pack. As I stated, I’ve tested every semi-automatic belay device since the original Petzl GRIGRI. After the testing period, I always put the GRIGRI back in my gear loop.
But not this time. The Edelrid Pinch has all the right attributes for me to dismount the champ of belay devices. Its operation and feel were reassuringly similar to those of the GRIGRI I’ve grown accustomed to over decades. The direct-connect ability and reduced brake hand shenanigans were huge improvements. Notably, the Edelrid Pinch won a 2024 ISPO award, at least partially for these reasons.
All the kudos to Petzl for its truly game-changing GRIGRI. It’s still such a great device. But the Edelrid Pinch won me over, and it was a gargantuan shift. I’m shelving 3 decades of GRIGRI use, trust, and familiarity.
There’s a new sheriff in town for me. You’ll be able to check it out yourself at the end of August.
