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DMM Alpha Sport Quickdraw Review

A fantastic option for sport climbing
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DMM Alpha Sport Quickdraw Review
Credit: DMM
Price:  $29 List
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Manufacturer:   DMM Climbing
By Cam McKenzie Ring ⋅ Senior Review Editor  ⋅  Jul 10, 2019
80
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#2 of 16
  • Ease of Clipping - 25% 10.0
  • Ease of Unclipping - 25% 8.0
  • Portability - 20% 4.0
  • Handling - 15% 9.0
  • Ease of Grabbing - 15% 9.0

Our Verdict

The Alpha Sport is a high-end sport-climbing quickdraw made by DMM. We love its clipping action, and the notch in the bent gate seems to eat our rope up every time with no misfires. The solid gates are keylocking and easy to unclip, the sling is wide and easy to grab, and the full-sized carabiners have great handling. They are on the heavy end and also expensive, likely because they are made in the UK and then imported here. But, if you can get your hands on these for a good price, or just like the look and feel of them, they are an excellent option for most sport climbers. This is one of the best draws for hanging on your project in our estimation. But, due to their considerable weight and bulk, this is not a draw that we would choose to alpine climb with, or even take on long trad climbs.
REASONS TO BUY
Great clipping
Wide sling for easy grabbing
Keylocking gates don't snag
REASONS TO AVOID
Heavy
Expensive

Compare to Similar Products

 
Awards  Editors' Choice Award
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Top Pick Award
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Best Buy Award
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Overall Score Sort Icon
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Star Rating
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Bottom Line Great sport climbing draw but on the heavy sideOur favorite option for sport climbingWeighing only 2.6 ounces, this quickdraw is perfect for those seeking lightweight performance in alpine environments or multi-pitch rock climbsThe most versatile quickdraw in our review is light and easy to useThis sporty quickdraw offers solid performance at a relatively affordable price
Rating Categories DMM Alpha Sport Qui... Petzl Spirit Express Black Diamond Litewire Petzl Ange Finesse Black Diamond HotFo...
Ease of Clipping (25%)
10.0
10.0
6.0
7.0
7.0
Ease of Unclipping (25%)
8.0
8.0
8.0
9.0
7.0
Portability (20%)
4.0
6.0
9.0
7.0
5.0
Handling (15%)
9.0
9.0
7.0
7.0
8.0
Ease of Grabbing (15%)
9.0
9.0
6.0
5.0
7.0
Specs DMM Alpha Sport Qui... Petzl Spirit Express Black Diamond Litewire Petzl Ange Finesse Black Diamond HotFo...
Weight 3.9 oz 3.2 oz 2.6 oz 2.6 oz 3.5 oz
Sling Material Nylon Nylon Dynex Nylon Polyester
Available sling lengths 12 cm, 18 cm, 25 cm 12 cm, 17 cm 12 cm, 16 cm 10 cm, 17 cm 12 cm, 16 cm
Width of sling 25 mm 25 mm 12 mm 25mm 18 mm
Non-Snagging Top Biner Yes Yes No Yes Yes
Non-Snagging Bottom Biner Yes Yes No Yes No
Unique features Dual keylock carabiners, wide sling Sling is wider at the bottom to facilitate grabbing, stiff sling Double hot-forged wiregate with a rubber keeper on the lower biner MonoFil Keylock gate, comes in four options with different length slings and carabiner sizes. Visual patterning designed to easily catch the eye while climbing
Forging method Hot Cold Hot Not disclosed Hot
Manufacturer Warranty 1 year 3 year 2 year 3 year 1 year

Our Analysis and Test Results

The DMM Alpha Sport comes with dual key locking hot-forged carabiners. The bottom carabiner has an ultra-bent gate with a distinct notch for easy clipping. The smaller length sling that we tested (12cm) weighs 3.9 ounces, and it also comes in 18cm and 25cm length slings. This high performance draw is one of the more expensive options in our review.

Performance Comparison


dmm alpha sport quickdraw - attempting a project at the fins where we specifically hung the dmm...
Attempting a project at the Fins where we specifically hung the DMM Alpha sport at the crux where it was easiest to clip, and grab, should we not be able to do the move.

Ease of Clipping


The gate on the bottom carabiner has a unique shape to it. It's “extra” bent, with almost a notch for the rope to fit onto. When you put the rope against this bent gate, the weight allows it to simply fall right through into the basket, making it one of the easiest carabiners to clip that we tested. This helps you find the sweet spot for clipping every time, and it pops into the carabiner with ease. The top carabiner also features a keylocking that makes it easy to clip to bolts.

dmm alpha sport quickdraw - quick clipping of the rope, no matter which way the draw is facing...
Quick clipping of the rope, no matter which way the draw is facing, is one of the best attributes of the Alpha Sport, and one that any dedicated sport climber will appreciate.

dmm alpha sport quickdraw - the bend in the bottom carabiner on the alpha sport is shaped like a...
The bend in the bottom carabiner on the Alpha Sport is shaped like a rope, and allows the gate to snap open almost by itself when the rope is dropped against it, making these one of the nicest and easiest carabiners to quickly clip.

Ease of Unclipping


The Alpha Sport is also a cinch to unclip. The keylocking solid gate and the shape of the carabiner help it pop off the bolt without catching when stripping a route. The large carabiners are a cinch to grab due to hot-forged ridges on the outside of the spine that provide extra grip, and the wide gate opening easily allows for removing the rope.

dmm alpha sport quickdraw - the combination of keylocking nose, very large carabiner with a...
The combination of keylocking nose, very large carabiner with a large gate opening, and these contoured texture ridges for easier gripping of the biner make the Alpha one of the easiest to unclip from bolts.

Portability


This quickdraw weighs 3.9 ounces in the shorter 12 cm sling that we tested. That makes it about on par with some of the other high end draws that we compared it to, but noticeably heavier than the Petzl Spirits (3.3 ounces), particularly when climbing with a full set of each. That makes these better suited for redpoint burns where the draws are already hanging, rather than onsight attempts.

dmm alpha sport quickdraw - 3.9 ounces is by no means the lightest draw that we reviewed, and...
3.9 ounces is by no means the lightest draw that we reviewed, and the oversized biners are not exactly compact either. Use these draws at the sport crag, and carry something smaller and lighter for bigger missions.

A Tale of Two Sets of QDs
One of uur lead testers had been using a full set of Petzl Spirit Express for a period of four years, while her main climbing partner had a set of DMM Alpha Sports. While they each like the two rather similarly, she's noticed that her friend typically grabs the Spirits over her own draws when it's time for a hard onsight. Every ounce counts!

Ease of Handling


In addition to everything else we like about these draws, they also handle well. They're full-sized, have external rubber keepers, and never seem to do anything weird on our harness like bunch up or cross clip. We've used the 12 cm and 18 cm lengths and like them both equally. They are also available in a 25 cm sling, though that is a less useful length — better to double up two for the occasional times that you might want a longer draw.

dmm alpha sport quickdraw - these hot-forged alpha carabiners are extra large, and some of the...
These hot-forged Alpha carabiners are extra large, and some of the easiest to handle. On the outside of the spine are little ridges that provide extra texture for gripping when clipping the rope, and the black rubberized keeper effectively keeps the carabiner properly oriented all of the time.

Ease of Grabbing


Since they are easy to grab, the DMM earned high scores in this metric. The 25mm wide sling fits perfectly in the palm of most adult-sized hands. This was similar to the way that other high end draws are designed — with grabbing in mind! If you're a perpetual draw-grabber (no judgment here!), you'll want to take a look at the Alpha Sport.

dmm alpha sport quickdraw - the super fat 25mm wide sling on the alpha sport is comfortable and...
The super fat 25mm wide sling on the Alpha Sport is comfortable and a cinch to grab and hold onto, again making this draw a top choice for sport climbing projects near your limit.

Value


The Alpha is right up there with the most expensive draws that we've tested for this review. We appreciate that it is a quality product and high-performing, but the price tag can be hard to handle, particularly if you're buying a dozen or so. The Petzl Spirits are a few dollars less per draw and offer equal if not slightly better performance, while there are other options out there for less than half the price of these! However, those draws won't work as well on harder sport routes, which is where the Alpha Sport excels.

dmm alpha sport quickdraw - there's nothing wrong with hanging! we especially love hanging on...
There's nothing wrong with hanging! We especially love hanging on the DMM Alpha Sport because the large carabiners are gentle on our rope, and its really easy to grab the draw to pull back to the highpoint again. These are some of the best sport climbing quickdraws you can buy, but wouldn't be a top choice for trad climbing.

Conclusion


We really like the DMM Alpha Sport and can't say enough good things about this quickdraw. They clip and unclip exceptionally well, and are an excellent option for harder sport climbs.

dmm alpha sport quickdraw - the karate wall at smith rock is one of the longest and most classic...
The Karate Wall at Smith Rock is one of the longest and most classic vertical face routes you will find, with plenty of bolts but also long run-outs, it was the perfect venue for testing sport climbing draws.

Cam McKenzie Ring