DMM Belay Master 2 Review

The DMM Belay Master 2 is one of six belay-specific lockers that we've tested. While it used to be our Top Pick for this purpose, it is no longer the one that we recommend as our favorite. It still does an effective job and securing the gate closure, as well as preventing cross-loading or 'biner rotation, but simply doesn't do these things as simply and effectively as the other competition.

Performance Comparison

Overall Utility

Due to the fact that the Belay Master 2 is specifically designed for use with belay devices, we assessed it primarily for this function only. This is not the locking carabiner to be taken in the pack on a long overnight climbing trip into the mountains, on ski mountaineering trips or on most multi-pitch climbs. It is not intended for such uses, so would perform poorly if used for them. What it is meant for is to keep the rope or belay device from becoming cross-loaded against the belay loop, and it does a very good job at this. Less of an issue for top roping, where the slack in the rope is (hopefully) managed more attentively, the cross-loading of the belay carabiner is more of a problem while belaying a lead climber.

When lead belaying, more slack is inherently present in the system, and so the belay locker is allowed to more freely rotate if not attentively managed. We used the Belay Master 2 in conjunction with tube style belay devices like the Black Diamond ATC XP, as well as with a Petzl GriGri, while both lead and top rope belaying, and we found it to be intuitive and easy to use. When using the pivoting plastic gatekeeper, the screw gate must be locked for the plastic gate to close, serving as a reminder that the gate is locked. The spine of the Belay Master 2 is fluted slightly, which prevents the GriGri or similar device from binding along the spine.

One hindrance we noticed was that when storing the Belay Master 2 on our harness, the plastic clip pivots freely and has a propensity to catch and hook slings, cams, quickdraws, shoes, whatever was also hanging off our harness––a real annoyance. Since the gate must be screwed closed before the plastic clip can be snapped shut, it is not practical to solve this by locking the 'biner on your harness, and so for us this relegated use of the Belay Master 2 to gym climbing or at the sport crag, somewhere where we were not going to need to carry it around, or up a climb.

Ease of Unlocking and Locking

The Belay Master 2 is not the easiest locker to open and close, as there are more moving parts to secure the gate into place for use. Because the pivoting arm must open completely to unscrew the gate, it is much more cumbersome to leave the belay device and locker attached to the rope in between climbers as is often done in indoor or outdoor top roping sessions.

Other lockers work well as belay lockers for GriGri devices, and are much faster to open and closed. Some users, particularly those with larger hands, found it awkward to open the gate while the gate keeper was open, and were concerned about dropping it while high on the cliff. We agree, and would feel more vulnerable taking this carabiner on and off our belay loop on long routes.

The downside to this closure is that to stow the locker away on your harness without the plastic gate keeper at risk of popping off while climbing, the carabiner must be locked and unlocked each time, an annoying task if doing anything besides single pitch climbing.

Compactness and Weight

The DMM Belay Master 2 is one of the heaviest locking carabiners we reviewed, and when considering the plastic gate closure system, is also the bulkiest. That didn't make too much of a difference to us considering that we were typically only using this carabiner when climbing in areas with pretty short approaches. The weight comes not only from the addition of the gatekeeper, but also from the heavier stock used. The Belay Master 2 is hot forged and has I-beam construction along the crotch and spine, but the basket is a thicker, rounder stock with a soft angle leading into the spine, making for a durable and long lasting carabiner, something you want when using it as a belay carabiner.

Gate Security

When it comes to gate security, it's hard to beat the system in place on the Belay Master 2. Numerous steps are needed to open or close this locker, and there is a very simple visual indicator — the plastic gate is hanging open — if you have failed to secure it locked all the way. That said, it is much more difficult to close than a simple auto-locker, which also has virtually no chance of coming open on its own, either.

Gate Clearance

The Belay Master 2 has adequate clearance to clip into assisted braking belay devices like the Petzl GriGri, as well as into tube style devices that require capturing one or two strands of rope as well as the keeper wire. Due to the plastic gatekeeper restricting where you can place your hand, the Belay Master 2 can feel easy to fumble when trying to clip large diameter gym ropes, and feels like it has a smaller useful clearance than it would seem at first glance.

Value

The Belay Master 2 is one of the most affordable belay-specific lockers, making it a reasonable choice for one who is considering affordability above all else, and understands its particular limitations.

Conclusion

This is a locking carabiner specifically designed for use with belay devices to keep them from cross loading against the belay loop, thus reducing their strength. In gym climbing and sport climbing applications, this carabiner could be a useful addition to your kit and could help improve your margin of safety. For climbers looking for a carabiner to use in a broader variety of situations, we recommend checking out a standard HMS/pear style locker.