The 10 Best Pivot Belay devices (2023 reviews)

We consider a pivot belay device to be a worthy investment in the long run. We are here to help you choose the right one for your needs from all the best available products in market today.

Our review process: Show/Hide

Our Top Picks:

Best overall: Buy: Black Diamond Pivot Belay Device READ REVIEW

Best For Mountaineering: Buy: Petzl Belay Device READ REVIEW

Best For catching lead: Buy: Edelrid abseil Device READ REVIEW

Best For lead: Buy: Edelrid Pivot Belay Device READ REVIEW

Best For rappelling: Buy: Triwonder Pivot Belay Device READ REVIEW

Best multi pitch Belay Device: Buy: DMM Pivot Belay Device READ REVIEW

Best For beginner: Buy: Trango Pivot Belay Device READ REVIEW

Best For lead Climbing: Buy: Wild country Pivot Belay Device READ REVIEW

Best assisted Belay Device: Buy: Climbing technology Pivot Belay Device READ REVIEW

Best versatility: Buy: Petzl Pivot Belay Device READ REVIEW

Best overall: Black Diamond Pivot Belay Device

Buy on Amazon

Here, we present device that manages to win our hearts. It's the black diamond pivot belay device and it's widely considered as one of all-around great device you can buy. You'll never encounter that indoors, but if you've any intention of moving outdoors, it's a feature worth having. It works with both the 11+mm gym ropes you are likely to encounter as well as 9mm lead climbing ropes. Unlike the minimalist ATC Sport, it has a second opening for rappelling. It offers 3 times greater hold and stopping power than regular friction mode.

The ATC Guide is even more versatile, but in ways not of consequence for most climbers. It will be great for rec climbing, but rappelling or rescue/recovery work with a thicker or static rope will be difficult. It works quite well, and has been great for learning how to lead climb.

• Performs its function well, no troubles yet
• Simple to use, light weight, and no parts to fail
• Works great with 9mm or 11mm rope

Best For Mountaineering: Petzl Belay Device

Buy on Amazon

If you want nothing but the best reliable device, then petzl belay device is the one you should definitely consider, as it manages to bring a lot to the table. The top rope belay mode makes taking in slack easier and long belay sessions more comfortable. It allows the user to choose between two belay modes. It can be used for both gym and crag climbing. Unless you get your hand movement down perfectly, the locking mechanism will engage when feeding out the rope rapidly.

The cam in the device automatically cinches down to arrest the rope. It helps you come to a stop after falling. It is easy to belay and switch between the systems without confusion. It allows you to install the rope correctly.

• Compatible with 8.5 to 11 mm dynamic single ropes
• Delivers what they promise

Best For catching lead: Edelrid abseil Device

Buy on Amazon

The edelrid abseil device should be able to handle its purpose and duties with ease. This is an AWESOME belay device. It works with one rope and it is heavy. It takes some practice to avoid a jerky experience and it's unavoidable on a twisted old rope in the gym. Rappelling in the auto-locking mode provides extra safety and lets you get away without an autoblock, but it's hard to do smoothly and the wire bends around a lot due to the force you're exerting.

The proper belay technique is slightly different from an ATC or other belay device and needs to be learned before use.

• Works just like an atc with a lot of added features
• Excellent for belaying lead climbers because feeding out line involves little resistance
• Simpler, lighter, and cheaper than a grigri

Best For lead: Edelrid Pivot Belay Device

Buy on Amazon

Best part: edelrid pivot belay device costs comparatively low and it is available to ship in 24 hours. It is used to lead belay with a megajul and carry a tube style device (atc with guide mode) to belay from the top and rappel. It provides solid assisted braking and feeds smoothly in manual mode. The bigger and straighter the carabiner, the easier it feeds rope. It’s also used for double rope rappels.

It's versatile, lightweight, has a lot of different functionalities, and works flawlessly the more you get used to it. It is particularly light and simultaneously robust and abrasion resistant. This is nice when your buddy is hangdogging all the way up a project. It’s harder to pull slack through than other tube style devices.

• Can be used in guide mode
• Paying out rope is so smooth and seamless especially in brake mode
• Easy to use in both modes
• Would love an extra millimeter of room where the rope slides are

Best For rappelling: Triwonder Pivot Belay Device

Buy on Amazon

The triwonder pivot belay device should be able to handle its purpose and duties with ease. The ATC belay descender is suitable for. Design with 0.4cm rubber wire rope, the guide belay device is easy to store and easy to operate. It can be easily used with ropes. It is ideal for outdoor, camping, hiking, setting hammock and tarps or other outdoor activities. The double-rope holes can be used with one rope or two rope, and the two ropes will not entangle each other when descending.

The guide belay device is easy to store and easy to operate. It is showing excessive wear plus it is easy to install anywhere on the rope. The rappel device is smooth and lightweight, useful for your outdoor sports but not increase any burden, portable enough to carry anywhere.

• Easy to install anywhere on the rope
• Very easy to use, hefty carabiner
• Delivers what they promise

Best multi pitch Belay Device: DMM Pivot Belay Device

Buy on Amazon

We know from years of feedback from readers, customers and amazon sellers, what most people want in a convenient and appropriate device. The dmm pivot belay device is exactly that - it's a simple device that hits all the right notes. This is the best of several devices when it comes to belaying two seconds simultaneously off an anchor. The ropes run upward a bit easier than any of the devices except the Kong GiGi, but it doesn't have the worry about the rope twisting around and releasing itself that requires a special effort when the GiGi is used with a single second. This is the whole point of the pivot feature and it works very well. It is easy to pivot to give out slacks.

This device's pivoting ring is very nice for belay from the top much easier. The pivot feature helps you belay from the top much easier. It's also another way to see the direction it should be in when you're rappelling. The pivot's shackle reduces the force needed to initiate lowering, increasing control of the speed at which you lower your second.

• Excellent, light-weight, guide mode functions well
• Works great for belaying from the top
• Makes for easy lowering of second if need be in guide mode

Best For beginner: Trango Pivot Belay Device

Buy on Amazon

We know from years of feedback from readers, customers and amazon sellers, what most people want in a convenient and appropriate device. The trango pivot belay device is exactly that - it's a simple device that hits all the right notes. It is the world’s most ergonomic belay device. It is designed to catch a climber. The Trango Vergo opens up to attach to a rope, so you dont have to run the rope through the device to engage it. It feeds flawlessly (when used properly of course) and has little to no ways of overriding the auto braking system. It is great for top rope.

The most comfortable way to use the vergo is also the safest way, so you’re never tempted to override the device, even when feeding slack. It's a bit snug with a 10.2mm rope but that's to be expected with a thicker rope. This device is extremely easy to use, even for beginners like myself.

• Easy feed for lead climbing and also great for top rope
• Good brand reputation

Best For lead Climbing: Wild country Pivot Belay Device

Buy on Amazon

If you are currently in the market looking for a popular device for your daily purpose, you cannot go wrong with the wild country pivot belay device. The beauty of the Revo is that it feeds rope better than anything else out there, bar none. It is best for lead climbing, but gives rope very easily. It's super smooth for both top rope or lead belaying. It is bi-directional, the locking function works regardless of the rope orientation.

The grigri might be funner to use, but with 20 percent real world situations where it does not self catch, the Revo would be a great backup. It is fantastic for lowering light people where you'd have to manually push rope thru an assisted belay device like a grigri. It's very simple to use like an ATC, but has that backup safety measure just in case. It has no need for a specific locking karabiner.

• You throw rope as fast as you need to with no resistance
• You can catch falls and lower using your normal good brake hand movements
• Takes a bit of practice to lower heavy people
• Incredibly smooth paying out slack for lead climbing

Best assisted Belay Device: Climbing technology Pivot Belay Device

Buy on Amazon

We would, of course, be remiss if we didn't mention climbing technology pivot belay device for daily usage. This device excels at pretty much everything you need for climbing with one or two ropes. It is big and clunky, and not really usable as an assisted braking rappel device. Rappelling in the assisted function is great and allows you to go hands free to deal with rope tangles or other issues.

It does have a non assisted braking mode (called dynamic mode) that makes rappelling on it easier. It works well with a specific carabiner shape. It is ideal for lead belaying but has many different uses.

• Feeding slack to the leader is very smooth
• You can belay and rappel in both manual and assisted braking modes
• New and hot release

Best versatility: Petzl Pivot Belay Device

Buy on Amazon

The petzl pivot belay device's high-end materials makes sure that it ages well with use. It is used mostly for climbing outdoors or for "bring your own belay device" gyms. It comes with grigri 2, the further you pull the brake handle towards you, the lesser is the rope friction becomes inside of the device. It has a special mode for comfortable top-rope belay and an anti-panic handle. It can be used on all single ropes (8.5 to 11 mm in diameter) and optimized for 8.9 to 10.5 mm diameters.

It comes with plus, as you move the lever towards you, the rope is initially released with less and less braking, but if you pull the handle all the way towards you, you hear sort of a click and the device will lock again. It is useful mostly for climbing outdoors or for "bring your own belay device" gyms. It is easy to use while climbing roofs.

• Fantastic belay device when weight is behind it
• Adjustable locking force, anti-panic release, steel edge for wear
• Easy to use and is very safe