Petzl Djinn Axess Review
Our Verdict
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Petzl Djinn Axess | |||||
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Awards | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ||
Price | $18.00 List $14.95 at REI | $21 List $18.95 at Backcountry | $20.00 List $19.95 at REI | $14.00 List $15.95 at Amazon | $13.50 List $15.95 at Amazon |
Overall Score ![]() |
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Star Rating | |||||
Pros | Easy to clip, durable construction, large size works well with gloves | Snappy clipping action, wide sling is easy to grab, light for a sport quickdraw | Visually pleasing, affordable, easy to unclip keylocking top biner | Lighter than other sport draws, good price point | Lightweight, inexpensive |
Cons | Heavy, dogbone is on the thin side and not easy to grab | Expensive, still a little heavy for trad climbing | Tight gate springs require slightly more effort than others to clip, 18mm sling adequate but not perfect for grabbing | Wiregates can snag on gear, bottom positioner is bulky | Notch in wiregate can snag, thin sling is hard to grab |
Bottom Line | A great all-around draw for those with large hands or who wear gloves | The best overall draw for sport specific climbers | A cool looking and functional quickdraw at a moderate price point | An inexpensive entry-level draw for all-around climbers | An inexpensive and lightweight quickdraw that's a good option for trad climbers or those on a budget |
Rating Categories | Petzl Djinn Axess | Petzl Spirit Express | Black Diamond HotFo... | CAMP USA Orbit Wire... | Cypher Firefly II |
Ease of Clipping (25%) | |||||
Ease of Unclipping (25%) | |||||
Portability (20%) | |||||
Handling (15%) | |||||
Ease of Grabbing (15%) | |||||
Specs | Petzl Djinn Axess | Petzl Spirit Express | Black Diamond HotFo... | CAMP USA Orbit Wire... | Cypher Firefly II |
Weight (ounces) | 4 oz | 3.2 oz | 3.5 oz | 3.1 oz | 2.6 oz |
Gate opening bottom carabiner (mm) | 27 mm | 25 mm | 27 mm | 27 mm | 25 mm |
Width of sling (mm) | 16 mm | 25 mm | 18 mm | 16 mm | 10 mm |
Sling Material | Polyester | Nylon | Polyester | Polyester | Dyneema |
Manufacturer Warranty | 3 year | 3 year | 1 year | 3 year | At Cypher's discretion |
Non-Snagging Top Biner | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
Non-Snagging Bottom Biner | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
Forging method | Cold | Cold | Hot | Not disclosed | Hot |
Unique features | Large carabiners good for big hands or gloves, easy to clip | Sling is wider at the bottom to facilitate grabbing, stiff sling | Visual patterning designed to easily catch the eye while climbing | Double wiregate carabiners | Double wiregates with a rubber keeper on the lower biner |
Available sling lengths | 12 cm, 17 cm | 12 cm, 17 cm | 12 cm, 16 cm | 11 cm, 18 cm | 11 cm, 16 cm |
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Petzl Djinn Axess has double cold-forged keylock carabiners, with a bent gate on the lower end. The sling is 12cm long and 16mm wide. This draw has some of the largest carabiners with the widest gate opening, which is helpful if you have large hands, or need something that you can efficiently use with gloves on when ice climbing.
The Djinn Axess is currentl available in a few new colors. Though Petzl has switched up this quickdraw's look from what you may see in our photos, the rest of its features remain the same.
Performance Comparison
Ease of Clipping
The carabiners on this model are some of the largest that we've tested. The bent gate opening is 27mm wide, and our testers with larger hands found that the Djinn Axess clipped very easily. The wide gate opening also makes it easy to place a clove hitch or other rope anchor points in the bottom carabiner at the top of a climb.
Ease of Unclipping
The keylocking carabiners on both ends of this quickdraw prevent it from snagging on your harness, the bolt, or the rope when cleaning steep sport routes. The downside to having a keylock carabiner on the rope clipping end of a draw is that there is potential for the gate (which is heavier than a wiregate) to 'flutter' open during a fall. A carabiner with an open gate is significantly less strong than when it's closed (9kN open vs. 23 kN closed for the Petzl Djinn Axess) which can lead to the carabiner breaking. In practical application, the instances of this happening are exceedingly rare, but it is something to consider. Another downside of the solid gate design is the tendency for it to get gummed up and sticky over time.
Portability
This is one of the heavier quickdraws that we tested, weighing 4 ounces per draw. If you're looking for lightweight draws. On the other hand, the Djinn are heavier because they're made with durability in mind. The bigger and heavier "rugged" carabiners on this draw are more likely to last longer than thinner, lightweight ones. Our testers, and the people we've had use these draws, all agreed that the elevated performance is more than worth the extra weight.
Handling
The Djinn Axess earned mix reviews for ease of handling. The oversized carabiners feel great in all size hands, but our testers with larger "paws" really appreciated it, as some of the smaller carabiners out there can be difficult for them to handle. However, they do feel slightly clunky on our harness when racking a whole set of them at once. This model also comes with Petzl's String bottom carabiner positioner, which is an external and removable rubber keeper. The upside to a removable keeper is that you can switch it out if starts to wear out or break; the downside is that it creates the potential for user error. Be sure to double-check that your draws are assembled correctly - the bottom carabiner must pass through the sling and the rubber String.
Ease of Grabbing
The sling on the Djinn Axess is only 16mm wide. While it is easier to grab than the 10mm dogbones found on lightweight models, it's not nearly as easy to grab as the wider slings on the higher end, and more expensive, draws, which usually have a slings in the 25mm wide range.
Value
The Djinn Axess are priced about 30% less apiece than the Petzl Spirit Express, and might even last longer than them, so, all in all, they are a great buy with a moderate price tag. They are the highest rated draws that fit into our "affordable sport draws" category, so provide optimal value.
Conclusion
The Djinn Axess is a great, though heavy, sport climbing draw that should stand up to the wear and tear that bolts and repeated top-roping will dish out to your gear. High performing, easy to handle, and at an affordable price point, these are an excellent choice for newer climbers, or those who simply want great performance at a reasonable price.
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