REASONS TO BUY
Very light
Low bulk
Easy to manipulate
Very small bar tack
REASONS TO AVOID
High price
Harder than some to untie knots
Petzl Pur'Anneau Sling Review
A top-notch sling at a top-shelf price
Credit: Petzl
RELATED: Best Climbing Slings and Runners
Our Verdict
The Petzl Pur'Anneau Sling is a very light, supple, and high performing sling made out of “high-modulus polyethylene” (basically the same as Dyneema). While it isn't quite as thin as our Editors' Choice award winning Mammut Contact Sling, we think it compares very favorably in almost every way, including weight, measuring a mere 19g. In fact, we love pretty much everything about this sling except for the price — it unfortunately costs roughly $5 more than its competition if paying retail — making it somewhat of a tough sell. If you are in the market for the most supple and high performing sling you can find, then you are in the right place, but be warned that similar high quality can be found for less money.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
Petzl Pur'Anneau Sling | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  Best Overall Climbing Sling |  Best for Building Anchors | Best for Using as Pro |  Best Bang for the Buck | |
| Price | $15.95 at Backcountry Compare at 2 sellers | $8.95 at Backcountry Compare at 2 sellers | $13.00 List $10.95 at Amazon | $17.00 List $16.95 at Backcountry | $5.19 at REI Compare at 3 sellers |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | A sling that outperforms the competition, but also costs a lot more… | Our Editors’ Choice winner because it is lighter and more compact than any other without compromising performance | A good sling that excels when it comes to equalizing multiple pieces of protection | A top pick because its stiffness and durability make it ideal for use as protection | A small trade-off in performance for a relatively large savings in cost when considering buying a whole rack |
| Rating Categories | Petzl Pur'Anneau Sling | Mammut Contact Dyneema | Metolius Open Loop... | Edelrid Aramid Cord... | Black Diamond Nylon... |
| Handle (25%) | |||||
| Knot Test (25%) | |||||
| Alpine Quickdraw Test (20%) | |||||
| Weight (15%) | |||||
| Bulk (15%) | |||||
| Specs | Petzl Pur'Anneau Sling | Mammut Contact Dyneema | Metolius Open Loop... | Edelrid Aramid Cord... | Black Diamond Nylon... |
| Type of Fiber | High-Modulus Polyethalene | Dyneema | Dyneema/Nylon weave | Aramid cord | Nylon |
| Measured weight | 19g | 19g | 47g (22g for 60cm) | 43g | 37g |
| Width Tested | 10mm | 8mm | 11mm | 6mm | 18mm |
| Length Tested | 60cm | 60cm | 120cm | 60cm | 60cm |
| Strength | 22Kn | 22Kn | 22Kn | 22kN | 22Kn |
| Widths Available | 10mm | 8mm | 11mm; 13mm; 18mm | 6mm | 18mm |
| Lengths Available | 60cm; 120cm; 180cm | 60cm; 120cm | 25cm; 60cm; 120cm; 240cm; 480cm | 30cm; 40cm; 60cm; 90cm; 120cm | 30cm; 60cm; 120cm; 240cm |
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Our Analysis and Test Results
The Petzl Pur'Anneau Sling compares very favorably to our Editors' Choice award winning Mammut Contact Sling, weighing in at the exact same 19g, the lightest in the review, despite the fact that it is 2mm thicker. The sling is made of a flat piece of webbing instead of tubular like the Contact Sling, and is very soft and supple in the hands and easy to manipulate. We also love how small the bar tack is compared to the rest of the slings we tested, certainly begging the question, “why can't they all be this small?” The one area where this sling performs a bit lower than others is in our knot test: we find that the soft, flat webbing does a better job cinching down tight into a figure-eight knot than some of the thicker and stiffer slings, such as the Camp USA 11mm Express Dyneema Runner, which unfortunately means that knots are harder to untie after being weighted. Our largest (and only) complaint about this sling is the price, as it is the most costly sling in this review.
Performance Comparison
Leading the first finger crack pitch of the Naked Edge in Eldorado Canyon. In order to climb faster (and with a lot of insider knowledge), we combined the five pitch route into two long pitches with a bit of simul-climbing. A large selection of slings was key to make this work.
Handle
This sling is made out of what Petzl calls “high-modulus polyethylene,” which is essentially the same compound as Dyneema, but without a stated brand name. It is extremely smooth and supple to the touch, without any hint of stiffness. Like all Dyneema slings, it has a small amount of Nylon fibers on the edges, although as far as we can tell nowhere near the same amount as the Metolius Open Loop Sling, which is also stiffer. We love how the bar tack on this sling is significantly smaller than on all the other slings, and because it has to be rated to the same 22kN strength rating, it makes us wonder why all of the slings can't be sewn with a small bar tack. Despite that, it still has tabs on either end that can hang up on biners occasionally.
This sling is 10mm wide and made entirely of an unbranded Dyneema-like fiber, and is super soft and supple. It is easily one of the friendliest slings against the skin, and also has one of the smallest bar tacks.
Knot Test
Our results in the knot test are pretty much the only knock, with the exception of price, that we have against this sling. We find it easy to tie knots due to its supple nature, although like most slings it is easy to incorporate twists into the knots. However, it is this same flexible suppleness that enables a figure-eight knot to become tighter welded than similar width slings, such as the Black Diamond Dynex Runner or the Sterling Dyneema Sling. After weighting, we find this sling a bit harder to untie than those other two, and so rated it a hair lower. While we tested the 60cm version, it also comes in 120cm and 240cm versions, which would be good lengths for equalizing pieces at an anchor, but this sling will work better for those purposes if you avoid tying figure-eight knots.
Tying knots in this supple sling in a cinch, although its thin nature also means that they tend to cinch down pretty tight. Like all slings, however, the clove hitch is easy to loosen, even after weighting.
Flat slings in particular are prone to twist working their way into a knot, as this one here is showing. These twists don't compromise the safety of the knot, although they can make them harder to untie. This supple sling tended to be harder than most to untie a figure eight knot once it had been weighted.
Alpine Quickdraw Test
With a skinny 10mm width and thin shape, there is less friction with this sling between itself or a carabiner when making an alpine quickdraw. This allows for easy equalizing of the tripled up loops in short mode, and also allows for very simple and easy extending into long mode. After many tests, one time we did experience the bar tack, with its tabs hanging off the two ends, hanging up on the carabiner as we extended it, but this affront was minor. In general, we think it is one of the best at this task, on par with the Sterling Dyneema Sewn Runner, which has a rubberized plastic sheath covering its bar tack.
Only 10mm wide and with a small bar tack, the Petzl Pur'Anneau is one of the best slings for easily tripling up into an alpine quickdraw.
Weight
Despite the extra two millimeters of width difference between the Pur'Anneau Sling and the Mammut Contact Sling, the two tie for the lowest weight at a mere 19g. This is a hair lighter (probably literally!) than the Trango Low Bulk 11 Sling, which is 11mm wide. It is also a tad lighter than the similarly 10mm wide Black Diamond Dynex Sewn Runner. If weight is a concern for your selection, then the Per'Anneau should be a top choice.
At the low weight of 19g, this is tied for the lightest sling we tested.
Bulk
At only 10mm wide and as flat as can be, this sling is easily one of the least bulky that you can buy, ensuring that it racks very nicely on the harness without taking up too much space. It is the same width as the BD Dynex Runner, although that one bulges in the middle and tapers towards the edges, while this one is simply perfectly flat. While bulk may not be the most important metric for choosing a sling, we think there is no reason to not choose a less bulky one if that is available, making this sling a great option.
Best Applications
The Petzl Pur'Anneau Sling is an ideal choice for extending pieces of protection while on lead to reduce rope drag. In particular it is a great choice for long routes or in the alpine where weight and bulk are larger considerations. It comes in 4x and 8x lengths for use equalizing anchors, but if you intend to use it for this purpose, be warned that it can be hard to easily untie welded figure-eight knots.
The Petzl Pur'Anneau Sling tied with a slip knot around a large chicken head high on the Resolution Arete on Mt. Wilson, Red Rocks. By slinging a horn such as this one, a sling goes from simply extending the protection to providing the protection.
Value
This sling is far and away the most expensive sling in this review. That still isn't a whole lot of money, and we think that you are getting an excellent product, and a good value. However, almost any other sling in this review will provide adequate performance for less money, so this isn't a very economical choice.
Most long traditional climbs tend to wander quite a lot as they follow the natural weaknesses, a good reason to have plenty of slings to extend your gear placements. Here on a sidewalk traverse high on Resolution Arete, Red Rocks.
Conclusion
The Petzl Pur'Anneau Sling is one of the highest rated slings in our comparative performance testing, and is particularly noteworthy for its low weight and bulk, as well as its soft, supple handle. It would easily be one of our top recommendations if it wasn't considerably more expensive than any other sling in this review.
—
Andy Wellman
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