Giga Jul

In their experience the Giga Jul is more sensitive to rope diameter and carabiner choice, so pulling rope through can take more effort.

No longer carries an ATC and uses a Giga Jul plus GRIGRI; the Jul rappels nicer in manual mode, but checking its mode sliders in the dark is a faff.

Uses 8 mm half ropes with their Giga Jul with no issues.

Loves the Giga Jul: not the best at everything but does almost everything, from gym and sport to ice and alpine; always comes back to it after using most devices.

Finds the Giga Jul in autoblock poor for lead belaying, but awesome for rappelling, belaying from the top and tube-belaying a leader.

Uses the Giga Jul with a partner of different weight; it's fine, but guide mode is a pain to release for a mid-pitch lower.

Vouches for the Giga Jul as a great, very versatile device, while noting it's assisted rather than auto braking.

Absolutely adores their Giga Jul and carries it on every pitch; a little sticky paying out slack at first but you get used to it right away.

Uses the Giga Jul as their primary device but warns it doesn't lock up very hard with some rope and carabiner combinations, so not for inexperienced belayers.

Enjoys the Giga Jul for sport climbing but not for multipitch; a standard tube rappels smoother with less tangling.

Raps in assist mode on 8.5 mm dry ropes and doesn't find two-strand rappels jerky. On a single line it locks fine on an old 9.8 mm, okay on 8.5 mm with enough rope weight and not at all on 8.1 mm, so they test before relying on it.

“On my old fuzzy 9.8 mm it locks fine on a single line, locks okay on my 8.5 mm with enough rope weight, and absolutely does not lock on my 8.1 mm.”

Now belays with a Jul² for lead and a Giga Jul for top rope; has also led on the Giga Jul but thinks it may be one of the worst devices for that.

A guide-mode tube device is their preferred rig, and the Giga Jul covers assisted braking, guide mode and two-strand rappels in one; lowering from a top belay is harder than with a GRIGRI.

Always carries their own tube device and prefers the Giga Jul because one device covers assisted-braking lead belays, guide-mode belays from above and double-strand rappels; rigging a GRIGRI for single-strand rappels is a deal breaker for them.

“For me the Edelrid GigaJul is preferable because it does assisted breaking lead belay, guide mode top rope and double strand rappel all in one device.”