Petzl Spirit

This has been the loveliest functioning carabiner on the market for over 10 years. The keylock system rocks...no snagging on anything. No other company that has a keylock carabiner does it better than the original Spirit. One drawback is their weight (hence the missing star above). They are heavy compared to many of the newer (especially wire gates) carabiners on the market, so if weight is a concern (for your alpine rack or a hard route that you are trying to free), I recommend some of the light wire gates (check out Trango's, DMM's or Mammuts). If you want the Cadillac of carabiners and don't mind a little extra weight along with your amazing handling, this is the one.

This carabiner sure has some spirit. There is a reason why all those hard sport climbs you see in the magazines are equipped with Petzl spirit quickdraws. These clean nose carabiners clip like a dream. They also have a huge rope bearing surface, so you don’t beat your rope up while working a route. My only beef with these is there are really only good as sport ‘biners, there are too many lightweight choices out there when it comes to a ‘biner to use on your rack.

I've been using these since the mid-1990's, and of course used many other carabiners, normally due to price. But, after lots of use, they really stand out as a well made and well designed carabiner. I'm glad to see so many other keylocks on the market, but this one always seems to work better - handles well, doesn't snag. Even better, the gate continues to work smoothly after serious abuse. No worrying about a gate that won't snap closed at a critical moment with this biner.

Try this...put out several similar biners (including the Spirit) in front of you. Now, pick each one up one at a time and just get the feel of it. If you're anything like me, the Petzl Spirit will just feel ultra-natural and comfortable. The grippy ridges where your forefinger opens the gate are super-smooth. The gate opens smoothly and evenly, and it's really light. If you want the Cadillac of biners without the weight, pick up a few of these.

I've used this biner for years and it's held up like a champion. After 5 years, it still works like it's supposed to and it clicks closed as strong as it did the first day I bought it. I think this is one of the best all around quickdraw biners out there. There are lighter options but if you're doing a short sport route and just need a reliable biner, take about a bakers dozen with ya.

The Petzl Spirit is, in my opinion, the slickest ‘biner out there. Keyless gate and very smooth clipping action make unclipping from your harness or gear as hassle-free as possible—no hang-ups! The anodized finish lets you easily distinguish your gear from your partner's gear, plus, the color pattern on the straight gate ‘biners is the opposite of the bent gate ‘biners, making it that much faster for you to decide which one to grab. A+ for Petzl.

i think the petzl sprint carabiner is, without a doubt, the best carabiner on the market.
they look like a quality piece of equipment, which allows me to climb above with confidence.
i like the gate action, not too tight and not too soft, just right.
i like the feel, really good balance.
i'm not as crazy about the price but, what the hell, climbing is my passion.
john

I love these for sport climbing. they are light and handle relly nice. For some reason they fit my hand well and are super smooth to opperate. the key lock feature is nice, it dosent snag on bolt hangers and clothing like the standard notched biners to. For a solid gate biner they are light in weight as well. I rack these on every route.

Of all the solid gate ‘biners that are the same price, these are quite possibly the most well-thought out. However, they are on the heavy side nowadays, with several full-size wiregate alternatives weighing a good thirty percent less. If you must have solid gates, go ahead, they're great in that respect, but there are many other wiregates that do the same thing for less weight.

The Petzl Spirit is one of my favorite biners, and the best non-wire gate biner I've used. It has really smooth action, and a keylock gate. The keylock gate is good for racking stoppers, since the wire won't caught on the gate when selecting a nut. The spirit is a mid-sized biner, with a good sized gate opening and is fairly light weight.