Pinch

Uses their Edelrid Pinch for lead belaying with no real preference versus their ATC indoors.

Has used the Pinch extensively for months and considers it the best assisted braking device on the market, beating every GRIGRI version; would buy another in a heartbeat.

Also has a Pinch and really liked it the couple of times they used it.

Used the Pinch last spring and wasn't enthralled: cool innovation but not terribly practical in real life.

Agrees the Pinch is great, but it doesn't feed smoother than a GRIGRI on ropes above 9.5 mm because of the narrower rope channel.

Likes the Pinch attached directly to the belay loop so it doesn't flop about, and has been recommending it widely; a short partner found the handle jabbed her when lowering.

What they like most about the Pinch is the belay-loop attachment keeping it close at the hips with no extra biner distance.

At 5'1" loves their Edelrid Pinch: similar to a GRIGRI but attaches directly to the harness; grabbier on fatter ropes, best under 10 mm.

Much prefers belaying a second from above off their Pinch clipped direct to the anchor, which makes lowering a follower or rigging a haul safer and more efficient.

Owns a Pinch, used mostly for top rope since moving. Likes it but finds lowering quite sensitive, with a narrow angle for brisk lowering, and on lead found it harder to feed slack than the BD Pilot they used before.

“When lowering I notice that it can be quite sensitive, the angle where you can lower someone briskly without them accelerating too much is quite narrow, though also the gym I got to has some awful ropes around”

Replaced an old GRIGRI 2 with the Pinch last year. Likes it without finding it special: handles about like a modern GRIGRI, maybe a little easier to fine-tune lowering speed.

“I replaced my old grigri 2 with it last year. It's nothing special. I like it. Probably equivalent in handling to a modern grigri. Maybe a little easier to finely control lowering speed.”

Likes the Pinch: it feeds noticeably more easily than a GRIGRI and its straight rope path should kink ropes less. Thinks clipping it without a carabiner is a bit of a gimmick, though always uses it that way.

Finds the Pinch smooth to feed on a 9.5 mm rope but draggy for top-rope belaying on stiff 10.2 mm gym ropes, and with the anti-panic on it is hard to lower light climbers. The direct connection is very stable on the belay loop, enough to belay left-handed, but it is awkward to rack.

“Prefers a slightly skinnier rope than a grigri, has a slightly stiffer spring pretension so requires ever so slightly more brake strand pressure. Used with a 9.5mm its very easy to waterfall the rope through”

Likes the Pinch's handling, which feels less hefty than other cam devices, with smoothness somewhere between a GRIGRI and a NEOX.

Lead-belayed with a Pinch a few times in the gym and found it smooth, but the connection mechanism felt a little freaky; already owns several GRIGRIs and saw nothing to gain by buying one.

Has belayed with a friend's Pinch: it lowers smoothly and the anti-panic only kicked in when they forced it. Rates it about equal to a GRIGRI and would pick the Pinch if given the choice.

“I don’t really think the grigri (3) is better than the pinch or vice versa. It does lower smooth and the anti panic didn’t come in action until I forced it to see what happens.”