The Top 3 Most Wanted and Owned Carabiners [2023]

Below we dive into why these are the most wanted and owned carabiners from WeighMyRack users.

Edelrid 19G – #1 Most Wanted

At 19 grams this is THE lightest carabiner made for climbing and has been since it came out in 2013. As this is the first carabiner you see when you go to the WeighMyRack carabiner page and it’s the lightest it is easily put on the wanted list. It’s also one of the more expensive wire gate carabiners, so it’s certainly on the wanted list more often than the owned list.

When we first picked up the 19G we thought WOAH, this is small. It definitely takes time to get used to the small size. One of Edelrid’s lead researcher and designers, Daniel Gabel, shared that the first time he showed this carabiner to his experienced climber friends they would say, “No way, it’s too small,” and they didn’t want to climb on it, at first. Even when Daniel talks about this carabiner, he stresses that it is not designed as an everyday, every person carabiner. It’s designed to be the lightest still usable size for when weight absolutely counts.

We made a video when the 19G was first released, with Daniel describing the nuances of this carabiner:

Grivel Plume NUT K3N – #3 Most Wanted

Weighing in at 37 grams this is THE lightest locking carabiner on the market so there is no doubt why it’s on the list. Grivel has a number of Plume options and they are a pleasant size for such a light design.

The Plume NUT K3N is a great lightweight option although it’s to be noted that only one rope strand really fits will in it, so it’s great for a personal anchor carabiner but it’s not as ideal for a shared anchor masterpoint or for multiple strands of ropes.

Since it is a compact carabiner, it is NOT an ideal belay carabiner (unless you’re pairing with a mechanical brake assist belay device like the Mad Rock Lifeguard) as it does not have a round radius on top for the rope to run smoothly over.

Petzl Attache – #1 Most Owned

The Petzl Attache is the #1 most owned currently available carabiner. The #1 most owned carabiner ever is the now retired Black Diamond Positron (screwgate).

Petzl (along with Black Diamond) is one of the most readily available carabiner brands. The Attache has been Petzl’s go-to belay locking carabiner for years. It is much loved and touted with a 5.8 stars on WeighMyRack (out of 6, with 6 being the most amazing piece of gear ever).

Most folks love the HMS shape as it is a great belay shape as well as a great anchor building carabiner. It easily fits 2 clove hitches, is fairly light weight, and features a red mark on the gate as a warning if it’s closed correctly.

CAMP Nano 22 – #2 Most Owned

The Nano 22 is the #2 most owned currently available. The #2 most owned carabiner ever is the now retired Black Diamond Rocklock (screwgate).

Not much more we can say that we didn’t say above in the #2 Most Wanted area. The Nano 22 is hands down one of the best racking carabiners in terms of functionality, price, and weight for a trad or alpine climber.

The only time the Nano 22 isn’t a great pick is if you’re looking for a beefy sport draw option or are looking for a locking carabiner. Or, if you would prefer a full-size carabiner vs a compact carabiner, then the Nano 22 is not ideal.

Black Diamond Gridlock Screwgate – #3 Most Owned (currently available)

The Black Diamond Gridlock is widely available at most gear shops and is by far the most owned carabiner with the belay keeper feature. This extra gate, or in the case of the Gridlock, an extension of the existing gate, prevents the carabiner from rotating and cross-loading. (Cross-loading: where the carabiner is weighted side to side instead of top to bottom, a significantly weaker orientation.) This feature is particularly helpful in a belay setting, where the rope can go from loaded to unloaded regularly and keeping the belay carabiner correctly oriented can be more of an issue.

The unique gate design of the Gridlock does take a bit of getting used to when you’re clipping it into your harness (or an anchor, etc): You have to remember to pass your belay loop through the belay gate area before you lock the carabiner. If you forget, you’ll have to unlock the carabiner, pass it through, and then re-lock the carabiner. Other designs have a belay gate that operates independently that can be more convenient, as you can pass your belay loop through the belay gate whether the main carabiner gate is locked or not.

The Gridlock is good for belaying with a Petzl GriGri or Mad Rock Lifeguard or other mechanical brake assist devices.

It is also a great belay carabiner for tube style belay devices and brake assisted tubes like the ATC Pilot or the Mammut Smart 2.0 since it has a round, smooth radius for the rope to move over.

Bottom Line

The most wanted carabiners tend to be light and/or expensive carabiners. The most owned carabiners tend to be carabiners that are easy to find at most climbing shops. Black Diamond would dominate the most owned list if they had not completely changed their carabiner lineup in 2020.

It’s very interesting (but not surprising) that the CAMP Nano 22 is seen in both the most owned and most wanted list as many WeighMyRack users are trad climbers.