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Edelrid Eddy Review

For gym climbing and easy-access crags, this device plays it safe
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Edelrid Eddy Review
Credit: Backcountry
Price:  $150 List
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Manufacturer:   Edelrid
By Andy Wellman & Jack Cramer  ⋅  Feb 21, 2020
58
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#16 of 17
  • Catch and Bite - 30% 8.0
  • Lowering and Rappelling - 30% 5.0
  • Feeding Slack - 20% 5.0
  • Weight and Bulk - 10% 2.0
  • Auto Block - 10% 7.0

Our Verdict

The Edelrid Eddy has been around for a while but has yet to gain much popularity. Compared to the most popular active assist belay devices, it weighs twice as much and costs more. The Eddy does have a few benefits over the standard GriGri: it's smoother with thick ropes (>10.0mm), more durable, and features an anti-panic lowering mechanism. This mechanism stops the rope if the belayer pulls the handle too hard or loses control during descent. For these reasons, it's a great choice for pure top-roping. We think the Eddy's high weight limits its practical use to gyms and easy access crags. Its added safety features make it ideal for camps or multi-purpose gyms that introduce lots of people to climbing.
REASONS TO BUY
Anti-panic lowering handle
Durable
Better for lefties
REASONS TO AVOID
Heavy
Huge
And expensive

Compare to Similar Products

 
edelrid eddy
This Product
Edelrid Eddy
Awards  Editors' Choice Award
Best Overall for Experienced Climbers
Editors' Choice Award
Best for New Climbers
Top Pick Award
Excellent for Lead Belaying
Best Buy Award
Best Bang for the Buck
Price $149.95 at Backcountry
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$99.85 at Amazon
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$100 List$33.88 at Amazon
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Bottom Line Ideal where weight is not a considerationBy far the most popular belay device in the world is also one of the very bestVersatile assisted braking device with well-designed safety featuresThe most ergonomic device for lead belaying, but it's not great for top-ropingSimple, durable, and optimal value for multi pitch climbs
Rating Categories Edelrid Eddy Petzl GriGri Petzl GriGri+ Trango Vergo Black Diamond ATC G...
Catch and Bite (30%)
8.0
9.0
9.0
9.0
5.0
Lowering and Rappelling (30%)
5.0
7.0
8.0
6.0
9.0
Feeding Slack (20%)
5.0
7.0
6.0
9.0
9.0
Weight and Bulk (10%)
2.0
5.0
4.0
5.0
8.0
Auto Block (10%)
7.0
9.0
9.0
7.0
5.0
Specs Edelrid Eddy Petzl GriGri Petzl GriGri+ Trango Vergo Black Diamond ATC G...
Style Active assisted braking Active assisted braking Active assisted braking Passive assisted braking Auto-block tube
Recommended Rope Diameter (Single) 9 mm - 11 mm 8.5 mm - 11 mm (optimized for 8.9 mm - 10.5 mm) 8.5 mm - 11 mm (optimized for 8.9 mm - 10.5 mm) 8.9 mm - 10.7 mm 8.9 mm - 11 mm
Recommended Rope Diameter (Half) N/A N/A N/A N/A 8.1 mm - 11 mm
Recommended Rope Diameter (Twin) N/A N/A N/A N/A 8.1 mm - 11 mm
Weight (oz) 12.8 oz 6.3 oz 7.1 oz 7.1 oz 2.8 oz
Double Rope Rappel? No No No No Yes
Belay Off Anchor? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Assisted Braking? Yes, active Yes, active Yes, active Yes, passive No

Our Analysis and Test Results

The Edelrid Eddy is an active assisted braking belay device. Here is a link to the user manual for the Eddy, published by Edelrid. Be sure to read the manual to learn how to use the device, and please don't use the information published in this review as instruction.

Performance Comparison


edelrid eddy - you rig the edelrid eddy in the opposite direction of the petzl...
You rig the Edelrid Eddy in the opposite direction of the Petzl GriGri 2. This was tricky to learn but made it a little easier to belay for left-handed climbers.
Credit: Jack Cramer

Catch/Bite


The Eddy is approved for rope diameters between 9.0 and 11.0 mm. Within this range, it provides a reliable static catch using a cam that locks in place. Taking in more rope will release this cam, but to feed slack again, it has to be manually released. It's not much of an inconvenience, and our testers appreciated the confidence this locking mechanism inspired. The Eddy's orientation is opposite to that of the more popular GriGri, with the brake strand closer to the belayer's body and the climber strand exiting on the far side. We think this orientation makes the Eddy easier to use left-handed, though it's still not ideal because the lowering handle isn't ambidextrous.

edelrid eddy - the cam in locked position with the edelrid eddy. unlike the other...
The cam in locked position with the Edelrid Eddy. Unlike the other assisted braking devices, you have to disengage this cam manually before you can start to feed slack again.
Credit: Jack Cramer

Lowering/Rappelling


Many injuries have resulted from panicked belayers pulling back too hard on the handle of active-assisted locking devices and dropping their partners to the ground. To prevent this from happening the Eddy's lowering lever is designed to stop the rope when it's pulled too far. To lower a climber properly you have to keep the lever in a half-way position where rope will feed but the device won't lock. Although this is a safety feature that could prevent injuries with beginner belayers, some of our experienced testers were frustrated by the narrow range of the lowering “sweet spot.” While the Petzl GriGri+ had a slightly less sensitive lever, the Eddy's sweet spot is larger than the Camp Matik.

edelrid eddy - the eddy features an anti-panic lowering mechanism. this is designed...
The Eddy features an anti-panic lowering mechanism. This is designed to prevent belayers from accidentally lowering their partners too quickly. Proper function is dependent on rope diameter, sheath friction and other variables. Please refer to the owner's manual.
Credit: Jack Cramer

The Eddy is the smoothest device we tested at lowering with large ropes (>10.5 mm). On some beat up, stiff, static lines we tried rappelling, the Eddy was the only assisted locking device that actually allowed us to descend.

Feeding Slack


Feeding slack with the Eddy is both better and worse than with the GriGri. Better because you can pull the rope through the device faster than the with GriGri, making it easier to keep pace with a leader. But worse because when you do pull too fast, the cam locks in place and won't let you feed anymore until you manually release it. This can create bad short roping issues when the leader unexpectedly jerks the rope, the device locks, and the belayer struggles to release the cam.

edelrid eddy - the smoothness of taking in rope the edelrid eddy made it one of our...
The smoothness of taking in rope the Edelrid Eddy made it one of our favorites for top roping.
Credit: Jack Cramer

Weight/Bulk


At 13.0 ounces, the Eddy is the heaviest belay device we tried and more than 30% heavier the second heaviest. It's also huge, bigger than any other device we tried. On your screen, these 4oz/1 inch differences might not sound significant, but they're impossible to miss with all the devices actually in hand.

edelrid eddy - the size difference between the four active assisted locking...
The size difference between the four active assisted locking devices. Clockwise from the upper left it's the Edelrid Eddy, Camp Matik, Trango Cinch, and Peztl GriGri 2.
Credit: Jack Cramer

Auto-block (resistance belaying a second)


When belaying a follower directly off an anchor, the Eddy offered relatively low resistance, thereby saving a climber's elbows when belaying many pitches in a day in this mode. It was bested, though, by the other active assist devices we tested it against. That said, the Eddy is much easier to belay with from above than popular and less expensive auto-block options.

edelrid eddy - the edelrid eddy is smooth and reliable enough for big walls, but...
The Edelrid Eddy is smooth and reliable enough for big walls, but would you want to lug its 13.0 oz up a pitch this steep?
Credit: Jack Cramer

Value


The Eddy is one of the more expensive belay devices in this review, although is a bargain compared to some of the other active assist devices. If you are truly in the market for one of these devices, then it provides adequate value, and the cost should not be the factor that scares you away. However, there are many other compelling reasons to choose a different active assist device.

Conclusion


There was a time when the Edelrid Eddy created real competition with the original Petzl GriGri. However, with the introduction of the newest devices and as rope diameters have steadily decreased, that is no longer true. Today, the Eddy feels overpriced, overweight, and outmatched in a field of belay devices that has grown lighter and smoother each passing year.

Andy Wellman & Jack Cramer