The 11 Best Quickdraws for Climbing (2023 Buying Guide)

Published on: 03/03/2023

Quickdraws are arguably the most important piece of hardware in a sport climbers rack. On bolted routes, they provide all the protection from a fall. For trad, alpine, and ice climbers they serve to attach screws and nuts to your line, or to extend cam placements. One thing is for sure, not all quickdraws function equally. Some draws are best used on hard sport routes that you plan on projecting, others shine when you want to shave grams off your harness on long ascents.

While all climbing quickdraws adhere to UIAA standards, certain models perform better than others with things like bent gate carabiners and keylock noses. There are a variety of different models which combine variations of carabiners and slings (also called “dogbones”).

Whatever your needs are, there’s a quickdraw optimized for you. Many people keep a variety of draws on hand, that way they can choose the best quickdraws for their specific needs on a given day.

Our Method of Selection

We chose to divide our choices of the best climbing quickdraws based on probable niches people will need them for. Someone bringing a few draws along for alpine climbs will want a different design than a sport climber working out the moves on a hard overhang.

After narrowing down categories, we researched and tested to find the best quickdraw for every application. Metrics like overall weight, ease of clipping, gate opening, and sling width all came into consideration when choosing the best quickdraws for respective applications.

We further refined the categories of best sport and trad climbing quickdraws with subcategories, since there are many diverse needs within each of these large disciplines. Each selection performs well in it’s own particular way, there is no definitive “best quickdraw.”

Our Selection of the Best Quickdraws of 2023

Comparison Table

Quickdraw	Gate Style	Length(s)	Weight(s)	Best For	Best Offer
Petzl Spirit Express	Keylock	11, 17 cm 2.7, 4.3 in	93, 100 g 3.3, 3.5 oz	Overall Sport Draw	Check Prices
DMM Alpha Sport	Keylock	12, 18, 25 cm 3.1, 4.7, 9.8 in	112, 117, 122 g 3.9, 4.2, 4.3 oz	Hard Projecting	Check Prices
CAMP Orbit Wire Express KS	Non-keylock	11, 18 cm 4.3, 7.1 in	82, 86 g 2.9, 3 oz	Budget Sport Draw	Check Prices
DMM Chimera	Keylock	12, 18, 25 cm 3.1, 4.7, 9.8 in	112, 117, 122 g 3.9, 4.2, 4.3 oz	Overall Trad Draw	Check Prices
Wild Country Helium 3.0	Keylock	10, 15, 20 cm 4, 5.9, 7.8 in	83, 84.5 g, 86 g 2.9, 3, 3 oz	Ice and Alpine Climbing	Check Prices
Mad Rock Ultralight	Non-keylock	11 cm 4.3 in	72 g 2.5 oz	Budget Trad Draw	Check Prices
Edelrid Bulletproof	Keylock	12, 18 cm 4.7, 3.1 in	117, 123 g 4.1, 4.3 oz	All-Day Anchors and Overhung Cruxes	Check Prices
Black Diamond MiniWire	Non-keylock	12 cm 4.7 in	53 g 1.8 oz	Weight Saving	Check Prices
Petzl Ange Finesse	Keylock	10, 17 cm 3.9, 6.7 in	63 to 78 g 2.2 to 2.7 oz	Versatile Quickdraw	Check Prices
Petzl Djinn Axess	Keylock	12, 17 cm 4.7, 6.7 in	107, 113 g 3.7, 4 oz	Beginner Set	Check Prices
Trango Phase Alpine	non-Keylock	18 cm 7.1 in	80 g 2.8 oz	Readymade Alpine Draws	Check Prices

1. Petzl Spirit Express: Best Overall Sport Draw

For sport climbers who want a set of draws that will work well on virtually any route and will last a good long time, we love the Petzl Spirit Express draws. In many ways, the Petzl Spirits embody all the most essential design elements of a good sport draw. The bolt side carabiner has a straight gate that is very easy to grip, while the rope side carabiner features a bent gate design with a slight curve that makes the rope easier to clip under pressure.

Every element on the Spirit Express feels well made, the carabiners are both very solid and have keylock gates while the sling is beefy enough to grab onto without adding lots of extra weight. One especially nice feature is the STRING sling protector, which keeps the rope end carabiner in a very secure orientation, aiding in ease of clipping as well as protecting the sling from abrasion against the wall.

For people who want dedicated sport climbing draws, and who are more often looking to have fun and get on many climbs at the crag the Spirit Express is the best overall choice of draw. It’s a well performing and durable quickdraw that has won the hearts of many sport climbing enthusiasts the world over. There are other options that would be apt on especially hard climbs but the feature set and price point makes the Spirit Express an obvious winner.

2. DMM Alpha Sport: Best for Hard Projecting

On more difficult sport climbs, ergonomic features become increasingly helpful as you struggle to get the rope clipped while holding together intense stances. The DMM Alpha Sport draws were designed to give a worry free clipping experience so you can focus on not popping off the 5 millimeter micro crimp keeping you on the wall. These draws are constructed with keylock carabiners on both ends, so they won’t get snagged on your harness or the rope. They aren’t the lightest option, but they work well as sport climbing quickdraws because of their easy handling shape that naturally guides the rope through the gate.

DMM is well known for engineering gear that has premium performance. The solid gates of the Alpha Sport quickdraws have a smooth opening yet snap back into place super quickly. The slings on the Alpha Sport are easy to grab onto when you need to work your way back to the crux without spending all your energy. The gate opening on the Alpha Sport carabiners is nice and wide, another factor which just makes them easy to use without much thought, a key feature for when you’re climbing at your limit. Their bent gates are a joy to clip a rope through.

The Alpha Sport quickdraws are definitely on the more expensive side. They are ideal for sport climbers who are already experienced and want to push their limits on hard routes where clipping efficiently is necessary for success.

3. CAMP Orbit Wire Express KS: Best Budget Sport Draw

For those looking to buy a set of quickdraws for an affordable price, the CAMP Orbit Wire Express is a great choice which doesn’t sacrifice quality for affordability. The carabiners are both wiregates, and although they don’t have keylock noses they have wide gate clearance and handle well. Weight wise these are fairly light and won’t feel too heavy on your harness or in your pack. The quickdraw sling is a bit floppy compared to other sport draws, but nowhere near as pliable as other more trad-specific draws.

One of our favorite things about the Orbit Wire Express is the shape of the carabiners. The gate angle is nice and wide and makes the carabiner open nice and wide so that clipping big bolt hangers is easy. Even though it isn’t a keylock gate, the nose of the Orbit Wire is a bit recessed so it’s less likely to snag. We liked this quite a bit as other budget quickdraws tend to have sharper noses.

For someone who is just getting into sport climbing and wants to save money, a set of the Orbit Wire quickdraws is a great choice. They are our favorite quickdraws at this price point and outperformed some other quickdraws that cost more. They still have more of a sport climbing weight and design unlike some budget draws which use floppier slings. The snag free carabiner gate on the Orbit is beginner friendly and a great feature for a wiregate carabiner at this price.

4. DMM Chimera: Best Overall Trad Draw

When you move into the world of trad climbing where routes can sometimes lead through more varied terrain, the ideal profile of a quickdraw begins to look a bit different. Weight saving features become much more important while sport friendly features like wide dogbones become unnecessary. We love the DMM Chimera for a variety of uses while trad climbing, whether for extending cams or linking the rope up with nuts and hexes.

The Chimera is constructed with two wire gate carabiners, which helps keep them from getting too heavy. Add to that svelte dyneema slings and you have a remarkably lightweight quickdraw. However weight alone is not enough to make these the best overall trad climbing quickdraw. The carabiners also feature keylock noses which make unclipping weighted slings a breeze, and despite their skinny slings they hold the rope end carabiner in place quite securely.

Most trad climbers will want a mix of quickdraws, alpine draws, and a few shoulder slings. The Chimera quickdraws perform the best of any on the market in the aforementioned quiver slot. The fact that they have both wiregate and snag free noses makes them a clear winner here.

5. Wild Country Helium 3.0: Best for Ice and Alpine Climbing

Ice climbing gear needs to be both super light (given the extra weight of crampons, screws, and tools in your pack) and easy to use with gloves on. The Wild Country Helium 3.0 draws feature large carabiners while still pulling off a svelte overall weight, and they work beautifully on both waterfall ice and high mountain routes. The wiregate carabiners have recessed noses that alpine climbers will appreciate as they dont snag on slings or harness loops. Wiregate carabiners tend to work better that solid gate carabiners on icy terrain because they don’t freeze shut as easily.

The Helium 3.0 quickdraws are the highest performing and lightest draws that still have full sized carabiners on both ends. They work great for trad, ice and alpine climbing and handle well with big winter gloves. The Helium 3.0 are some of our favorite carabiners because of their versatility in this regard, as well as their low weight.

For those climbing on ice and in the alpine often, the Helium 3.0 quickdraws are the best choice. They are more expensive than many others, but the high performing wire gates with a keylock feature and large gate opening make these the best choice for frozen alpine routes and chandelier falls alike.

6. Mad Rock Ultralight: Best Budget Trad Draw

If you’re looking for a lightweight quickdraws for multi pitch routes, the Mad Rock Ultralights are a good option with large carabiners and low weight. Although they don’t perform as well as more expensive quickdraws with a similar design, these Mad Rock quickdraws are a great option for those looking for an affordable price and perform well compared to similarly priced competitors. They don’t have any of the fancier features that sport draws tend to have, both ends of the quickdraw have a straight gate carabiner and the nose tends to catch a bit more on gear.

Despite not being the greatest performers, the Mad Rock Ultralight is a good draw that will work well for any competent climber. They have a solid gate action that feels snappy and responsive enough, unlikely to experience gate flutter like some of the cheaper wiregates on the market.

If you’ve just poured all your money into a set of cams and don’t have the budget for more expensive gear, these are a perfect set of quickdraws to get you up on the wall and will definitely not leave you disappointed.

7. Edelrid Bulletproof: Best for All-Day Anchors and Overhung Cruxes

Oftentimes it makes sense to keep some routes equipped at the crag with a toprope, that way everyone can try them. Of course, the responsible thing to do is to set up an anchor at the top so that you don’t end up lowering everyone off the rings and putting wear on them. Regular aluminum carabiners work fine, but they will also wear relatively quickly. Enter the Edelrid Bulletproof quickdraw, a smart solution that puts your rope in contact with a steel basket that will last through many cycles of lowering.

The concept of the Bulletproof is simple, an aluminum carabiner which has a piece of molded steel nested in the basket where the rope runs through. It’s lighter than a full steel carabiner, but retains all of its durability with regards to rope wear. These are expensive quickdraws, but with just two of them you have a super durable lowering anchor that will outlast any aluminum draws.

Another good use for the Bulletproof quickdraw is at high cruxes on overhung routes, where it’s necessary to lower to the ground after every fall. These draws are definitely t to make up the bulk of a rack, but in any situation where you foresee lowering off a quickdraw multiple times they are great to have on hand.

8. Black Diamond MiniWire: Best for Weight Saving

For sheer weight savings, the Black Diamond Miniwire is a hard quickdraw to beat. Black Diamond kitted these draws out with smaller carabiners and a thin dyneema sling to shave off as many grams as possible while still keeping them full strength. The MiniWire wouldn’t make a good sport climbing draw due to the fact that it doesn’t clip to bolt hangers as easily as larger draws do, but works well in environments where you may need to extend a cam or clip some passive gear.

Black Diamond only offers their MiniWire quickdraws in a 12 centimeter length, however they sell other lengths of their 1omm dynex dogbones and individual MiniWire carabiners if you wanted to make a longer version yourself. These tiny carabiners work well as alpine quickdraws and on long trad routes where weight savings can make or break your climb.

There are other lightweight draws made using small carabiners, but these Black Diamond draws come in at such a nice price point and the Miniwire carabiners function so impressively that we feel they edge out the competition. If you find yourself going on long missions often, whether rock climbing on multi pitch sport routes or in remote alpine areas, it’s worth it to have a few of these lightweight draws in your rack.

9. Petzl Ange Finesse: Most Versatile Quickdraw

The Ange Finesse quickdraw from Petzl looks a bit different from other wiregate carabiners, in fact it’s a bit of a conundrum whether it should be called wiregare or not. The Ange carabiners have straight gates made of a thin piece of hot forged aluminum that sits in the nose in a keylock slot. They function like wiregates in that they are light and don’t freeze shut easily, with the added benefits of a true keylock carabiner.

These quickdraws are a bit of a jack of all trades, they have a sling that is wide enough to hang on while sport climbing yet thin enough that they don’t feel out of place on a trad rack. Petzl makes these draws in a variety of configurations with both small and large carabiners so you can choose between maximum weight savings and better handling. It’s also possible to purchase a version with a smaller upper carabiner and larger bottom carabiner for a mixture on performance and weight savings.

If you were to pick only one set of quickdraws to use for sport climbing, trad and alpine, then the Ange Finesse would be your best bet. The clean nosed design clips in blissfully to any bolt hanger, nut, ice screw, sling, or any other piece of protection you might be using. Alongside performing well, these quickdraws also just look super cool and have been engineered very well. The main drawback with these draws is the price, they are among the most expensive quickdraws you can find.

10. Petzl Djinn Axess: Best Beginner Set

The Djinn Axess quickdraws are our top pick for a beginner set of quickdraws for climbing. The Djinn carabiners are great for beginners. The upper biners are have a straight gate for clipping bolts while the rope end carabiners have a bent gate. Overall, they are very beefy and durable, which is great for less experienced climbers who tend to fumble with gear a bit more and put wear on it a bit more quickly.

As far as handling goes, these quickdraws rate alongside other choices that are far more expensive. They are easy to clip and unclip, have wide gate clearance and work well enough when you want to grab onto them. The Djinns are heavier than most carabiners, but for beginners this difference is small and won’t really matter quite as much.

If you’re building your first sport climbing rack, these are great quickdraws to begin with. Because they are so durable, they will last a long time and perform well over many years of use. Even if you decide to get another set of draws that are more specialized, these will remain great for doing laps on warmup climbs and easy crag days. They are also a good choice for guides who put a lot of mileage on their climbing gear fast and want something both durable and affordable.

11. Trango Phase Alpine: Best Readymade Alpine Draws

Alpine draws are essential for most longer routes in the mountains where you need to extend your placements further to avoid excessive rope drag. An alpine draw is constructed using a 60cm sling and two carabiners and can be quickly extended with only one hand by unclipping one or two strands of the sling. Most trad climbers carry at least three alpine draws on their rack.

While it’s possible to make your own alpine quickdraws by purchasing slings and carabiners separately, Trango makes a readymade version that works great and save the hassle of sourcing biners and slings. They use lightweight dyneema slings and full sized Phase carabiners that handle well with both gloves and bare hands.

A single set of these draws will compliment the rack of anyone who is climbing on wandering routes whether it be multi pitch climbing on bolts or big mountain missions. They are a very useful and versatile piece of climbing equipment.

How to Find the Perfect Quickdraws

What Are Quickdraws?

The general idea with all climbing protection is to connect the rope to a device that is securely attached to the rock, whether it be a bolt, nut, or cam. Early in the days of climbing it was not uncommon for people to use a single carabiner to attach a rope to a nut or other chock. However, adding an extra piece of flexible webbing into the system reduced the chances of the rope pulling nuts out of the wall as it drags along. When sport climbing became more popular it became necessary to use a device that was both fast to install and held the rope side carabiner firmly in place (due to the increased number of falls normally taken while sport climbing). This is how the quickdraw was born.

A quickdraw is essentially two carabiners joined by a short sling, either nylon or dyneema. Most Quickdraws also have a small piece of rubber or fabric that holds the rope end carabiner. Sport climbing specific draws often feature a thicker sling that’s easier to grab onto, while trad climbing weight draws feature thinner and lighter slings.

Using quickdraws is as simple as clipping them into protection on one end and your rope on the other. It’s important that you understand all the parts of a belay system to climb safely and efficiently. Read our article explaining how to use quickdraws while lead climbing for more in depth descriptions of use.

How to Pick the Right Draws

Choosing the right draws comes down to as much personal preference as anything else. Maybe you prefer to prioritize weight over durability, or perhaps you want to find something that is balanced enough to work well on many different types of routes. It’s probably a good idea to consider the type of climbing you want to practice most, and what features would be beneficial for that. In general, we like solid gate carabiners for bolt side and bent gate biners for the lower carabiner on sport climbing draws. Quickdraws for trad and ice climbing should have wiregate carabiners and lightweight slings. Make sure to get a few longer draws to help combat rope drag.

When buying draws, try to go for sets in order to save money. If you can get draws with carabiners that are a different color from the racking biners on your cams, it will be easier to tell the two apart when they are on your harness. If you don’t find exactly what you want, consider putting some draws together yourself. Sometimes the best quickdraws are the ones you piece together using your favorite carabiners and slings.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Many Quickdraws do I Need?

How many quickdraws you need will depend on what kind of rock climbing you’re doing. A standard sport climbing rack consists of 12 draws, usually 6 shorter draws and 6 longer ones. This will ensure that you have enough material to get up the majority of routes without any problems.

If you’re climbing trad, you won’t need as many quickdraws as a sport climber would. This is because many pieces of protection (mainly cams) already have carabiners that you can clip the rope to. When ice climbing, however, you will need as many quickdraws as you have ice screws. Plus any more for wired nuts and hexes you’re carrying. Remember the axiom “light is right” and try not to bring extra unnecessary draws while rock climbing in remote areas.

Some people like to build anchors on sport routes by using two opposite and opposed quickdraws, others like to use slings (double or triple length) and locking carabiners. If you plan on using quickdraws as your anchor, make sure you budget for that and climb with enough materials to build the anchor at the top of the climb.

How Long Do Quickdraws Last?

Like all climbing gear, quickdraws need to be inspected regularly and retired once they show excessive signs of wear. If carabiners get scraped against sharp rocks they can develop burrs that will damage ropes and slings. However, if they are treated well the carabiners on a quickdraw will last many years.

Slings are often the first part of a quickdraw to need replacement. Most manufacturers advise that slings, both nylon and dyneema, should be retired after 10 years. But this is just a guideline. For example, heavily used slings that have seen lots of moisture and/or sun may need to be retired earlier. Luckily, it’s easy to purchase dogbones on their own one your quickdraw slings need replacing, so you can still use your carabiners and save some money.

For folks who go rock climbing multiple times every week, expect your quickdraws to reach the end of their usable life within 5 years of purchase. If you only go climbing once a month, you may find that your draws last you up to a decade. They are pretty robust devices. Make sure you always store your gear in a cool dry place, this will help keep it in good condition year after year.

How to Clip Quickdraws?

When clipping quickdraws, make sure that the loose end connects to the bolt hanger or wire, and that the carabiner held in place with a retainer clips into the rope. the rope should run up and behind the quickdraw and then back to your harness where it’s tied in. Be careful not to back clip; otherwise you will find yourself in the awkward position of needing to unclip from above if you want to keep climbing. Another good practice is to keep the lower carabiner gates facing away from the direction in which you’re climbing, to decrease the risk of them coming unclipped during a fall.

Climbing is an inherently dangerous activity. There is no substitute for hands on experience and professional instruction. Many climbing gyms offer lead climbing courses that can help you safely get acquainted with the mechanics of clipping quickdraws on a sport route. Don’t attempt to teach yourself how to lead climb. Instead, seek out the guidance of more experienced climbers who can help guide you along in your journey of learning. The climbing community is generally a welcoming and kind place where newcomers are accepted.

Can I Use Sport Quickdraws for Trad?

Sport climbing quickdraws will work for trad and vice versa. They both provide the same basic level of security and are meant to protect you from falling while on lead. There are some drawbacks to using sport quickdraws on trad climbs, they tend to be bulkier and will take up more space on your harness. Sport climbing weight quickdraws are also heavier than trad draws. However, this isn’t such a big deal unless you’re trying something exceptionally difficult.

You will also find there are some disadvantages when using trad draws on sport routes. Since they tend to be floppier, the bottom carabiner will be harder to clip than a sport climbing quickdraw would be. Some draws bridge the gap and work ok for both sport and trad.

If you tend to climb sport more often, it’s a good idea to but sport specific draws for their benefits on bolted routes. Generally speaking, people learn how to sport climb before they move onto trad. You can always buy trad specific draws later, and unless you climb using lots of wired nuts and hexes you won’t need as many quickdraws for trad climbing as you do for sport.