REASONS TO BUY
Good for everything
Lightweight
Strong
Works as a belay/rappel biner or as an anchor biner
REASONS TO AVOID
A bit big and heavy to add a lot to your rack but still small enough to be a good belay/rappel biner or anchor biner
Black Diamond Mini Pearabiner Review
Black Diamond Mini Pearabiner
Credit: BlackDiamondEquipment.com
Our Verdict
This compact locking carabiner from Black Diamond is light, versatile and affordable. It has a no-snag key-lock and screw-lock gate design and large rope-bearing surface for smooth belays and rappels. It is mid-size, which means you can handle it with gloves, but it is still light enough to add to your rack. Its main competition is the Metolius Element, which did not score as high but is $1 cheaper, and the Petzl Attache. The Attache is a little easier to belay a second with and a little smoother but also heavier and slightly more expensive. It comes down to how much you like the gate and safety feature on the Attache. Both are great biners. If you are looking for a lightweight carabiner that is cheaper but not necessarily as great for belaying, we would go with the Black Diamond Quicksilver Screwgate.
Our Analysis and Test Results
Likes
This is a good belay carabiner in a light and compact package. It scored high in most categories, which led it to be one of the top-scoring carabiners in the reviews. It is a handy mid-size that is easy to manipulate. While it is great on rappels and belaying, it also works well in an anchor because it holds multiple bites of climbing rope and slings. We like the no-snag key-lock design and it has a smooth rope pull that makes it great for top rope anchors or using in auto-block mode. The sleeve locks on the carabiner's gate (not nose) and won't freeze up when loaded.
Dislikes
There are no major dislikes. Its middle size makes it good for everything but only great as a belay carabiner on multi-pitch climbs. It is not compact or light enough to be considered a lightweight carabiner like the Wild Country Neon and not big enough to hold a lot of knots and be ideal as a master point. Also, the shape is not quite symmetrical like the Petzl Attache. This means the rope tends to go to one side and not rest perfectly in the middle. Not a big deal, but some people belaying off an anchor in auto-block mode may notice it.
Best application
A great workhorse type carabiner for everything a locker is needed. It excels at belaying and rappeling, especially for multi-pitch climbs, because it is light.
Value
This is a good value. It is the highest scoring biner of its size and functionality for the price.
—Chris McNamara and Chris Summit
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