ATC-Pilot

Switched to a BD Pilot as a small belayer of bigger climbers: much cheaper than a GriGri, with a clear way to control rope speed.

Really likes the ATC Pilot, though its locking depends on the rope, carabiner and climber's weight.

The ATC Pilot feeds super smoothly and lowers easily, but they felt slight slippage with a 9.5 rope and their thumb nearly slipping off the hook.

After a decade on an ATC, got the ATC-Pilot three months ago; super easy to use, lead belays fine, and they've belayed people 60 lb heavier with no issues.

After using an ATC forever, finds the ATC-Pilot the first assisted braking device that's a genuine upgrade: smoother belays and less getting pulled off their feet when lowering a heavier partner.

Very happy with their ATC-Pilot: many lead falls taken and caught with it without any issues, with assisted braking for unexpected falls.

Likes the ATC-Pilot more than the Mammut Smart, which felt clunkier.

Hates belaying with a GriGri and only lead belays with their Pilot, which they find a million times easier.

Tried the BD Pilot: very intuitive, but with a fair degree of slippage even on their 10 mm rope.

The Pilot is their gym lead belay device: lighter, more intuitive and smoother than a GriGri, no moving parts, and cheaper.

Teaches a lead course with the ATC-Pilot and prefers it to the Mammut Smart: the lowering function has a much larger sweet spot and works by rotating the device rather than levering a thumb catch.

As a light belayer, loved their ATC-Pilot until belaying really heavy partners, who would slowly slide down while hanging; switched to a GRIGRI.

Has used the ATC-Pilot a bit and prefers it to the Mammut Smart: lighter, handles the rope better, and taking in rope is easier since the assisted brake adds the only friction; a 10.1 mm rope felt like the upper limit for convenient use.

Was not a fan of the ATC-Pilot because the body is mostly plastic and makes a hollow sound in use, feeling cheap and flimsy.

Finds the ATC-Pilot great at lowering and prefers it to their Mega Jul and GRIGRI so far.

Used a friend's ATC-Pilot for four days at Red Rocks: past the plastic build and clunky design it handles the rope really well, making feeding and lowering easy, and showed barely any wear; great for single-pitch cragging.

Uses an ATC-Pilot for gym top-roping; likes the added security over a plain ATC, and gets the same results as with a GRIGRI belaying a husband twice their weight.

Chose the ATC-Pilot for gym use because it requires the least contact with sliding rope and gives a slightly more controllable lower than similar devices, which matters with their sensory issues.

Switched from an ATC to the ATC-Pilot and loved how similar it feels to an ATC; doesn't see themselves using anything else now.

After years on an ATC, switched to the ATC-Pilot for gym and sport and really likes it; the muscle memory is the same so no relearning like a GRIGRI.

Bought an ATC-Pilot at a gym requiring assisted braking devices; the learning curve from an ATC was minimal, they got used to it in one session and now use it exclusively.

Finds the ATC-Pilot really intuitive and prefers it just slightly to the Giga Jul for gym use because lowering feels smoother and more dialed.

Apart from the GRIGRI, prefers the ATC-Pilot for single-pitch and gym climbing because it's so easy to use.

Learned on an ATC and now uses the ATC-Pilot almost all the time; it works like a tube device so there's little learning curve, and it's much easier to feed rope for lead than a GRIGRI.

Has the BD Pilot and much prefers it for sport belaying, though it's only good for single pitch (no rappel, top belay or double rope).

Used the BD Pilot before switching to an Edelrid Pinch and really likes it; found it easier to feed slack on lead than the Pinch.