Best Assisted Belay Device for Lefties?

FYI - I did search, but nothing terribly relevant for the past few years and felt an updated set of answers may be useful.

I'm looking for the best assisted belay device for my wife. She doesn't climb that often, but really doesn't like how awkward the grigri is for a leftie. Before I tell her to "just go practice", I was wondering if there were updated experiences from lefties on the pinch and other devices that may make them more viable. 

Yes I know tube devices are ambidextrous (my daily driver is an ATC). Yes I know she can practice and get used to it, but as we're early in the curve, is it better she spends time on grigri practice or get something like a gigajul?

I'm not a lefty, but here's my two cents. I have a gigajul and it works exactly like an ATC except for lowering, so if she already knows how to use an ATC, the learning curve would be very minimal. I find it's not as assisted as a grigri depending on the rope/carabiner combo but is 100% still an abd in assist mode. 

I use my gigajul and jul2 with both hands depending on how tired my hands get :D. But if you're using rope bigger then 9.5 i would recommend a jul2 for indoor...

Here is my two cents (I am right handed, non-ambidextrous, but work with a lot of new climbers of varying hand dominance and experience levels)

The left handed grigri technique is finicky and can be difficult to excel at. I have taught one lefty how to use a grigri and she decided that the Smart 2.0 was her preferred device for top rope and lead belay. I have also spoken to several lefty climbers who say they sucked it up to learn the right handed techniques for the grigri but did not prefer it. I am unsure if the pinch has hit the US market yet but the materials I have been reading/ watching say that it suffers the same problems as the other grigri clones on the market in that it locks up really easy when giving slack and ergonomics are not quite where they want them to be for handling.

I am a huge proponent of tube style ABDs in all my teaching and mentoring because of the price and ambidextrous nature of them. If your wife feels more comfortable on a tube device, absolutely purchase one and practice to be a proficient belayer with it. Knowing how to properly use your belay device and the benefits/ drawbacks is more important that improperly using or being uncomfortable on a different device.

Which ever direction you decide to go with your belay device choice, learn how to use it and learn how to use it well. You can always get a grigri later on once you have built up your skills and advanced as a climber.

Mammut Smart and BD Pilot are both ambidextrous.  I am very ambidextrous and prefer the Smart. It's very sleek and easy to carry. Works well with modern thin ropes as well. 

My girlfriend is a lefty and struggled with the grigri. I purchased her a neox and it has solved all the issues she was having. She still lowers right handed, so there is a passing of the break strand at some point.

I’m a leftie that happily belays left-handed on a grigri. But there weren’t a lot of choices when I first started using an ABD. And now it’s comfortable, familiar, and I feel no need to spend money

I think if I were starting now, and didn’t already have multiple grigri,  I would probably choose the Revo.

But if she is already familiar and proficient with an ATC, then BD Pilot or Mammut Smart would be less of a learning curve to switch than Revo, imo. 

Going to chime in, as always, on behalf of the CT AlpineUp.

megajul

Note: She is not familiar with an ATC, I've had her on a grigri since she started climbing again as it's safer for me, the belayee. 

Not just saying “go practice” was a good instinct - it’s infuriating to me when people tell me that, and people love to tell me that sort of thing all the time. Or about how ambidextrous their other leftie friend is.

So on that, yeah the GriGri is just never a device I’ve particularly cared for. I’ve been using the Mammut Smart Alpine for years, and it’s far and away my favorite. The Smart 2.0 will work the same, just fewer features. The Edelrid Juul and BD Pilot will also work similarly, though I’ve found them a less comfortable on your thumb. Small, but in a long day it makes a difference.

Here’s a video on how to use the Smart:

https://youtu.be/YxrKmGnRiHE?si=U1xRuV4EFO0_APhU

It’s completely ambidextrous, nothing to change in how you set it up, no different motions, just change up which hand you use, and with pretty minimal practice it feeds very smoothly and the locking mechanism catches well.

I agree in theory with Elijah about the CT AlpineUp - it’s a fascinating device, I picked one up recently. But it probably will have a bit of a learning curve, though it is also completely ambidextrous. Tons of features, so if you think she may be interested in other aspects of climbing, it may be a good choice, otherwise I think the Smart is the way to go. But here’s the video on how to use the AlpineUp: 

https://youtu.be/EogWFgH_5kE?si=Un3Z1BPWzhYQTzFE

I’m a leftie/ambi, I make it work, but also had to reply since we have inverse user names.

Lefty here who loves the Pilot.

I also love my Gri-Gri...for single strand rappelling.

I’m a lefty and prefer the jul2 for an ABD with lead belay. I also use a gri gri and a reverso for other things. The one caveat with Juls is that they are steel, so I like to pair it with the steel biner recommended by Edelrid. Otherwise, it will tend to chew up an aluminum biner.

I get it re the gri gri for lead belaying. Also, when using lefty, the rope runs against a sharpish edge of the gri gri over the handle (black “back” plate opposite the colored one with to curved edge). So, using something else instead of trying to use it lefty saves a little rope wear (at least in theory).

Clickup

Geometric devices (click up, jul, pilot, etc)

Wild country Revo

As for camming devices like the grigri? Well, I feel like I’m losing my mind because I would have sworn on my life there was ONE device for lefties. I thought it was the Skylotec Lory but that turns out to be an Eddy clone. Might be that I’m misremembering but I’ll keep looking around for a bit here

there is a device coming soon by Alternative Current called the Sulu which has a right-sided lever

Lefty here, I like the mega jul but she will probably want gloves for lowering with it. I’ve also tried the Vergo and found it much smoother to feed out than the grigri if you like camming devices. Really anything tubular like the bd pilot will work nicely though.

I'd say, REVO if not working routes. Neox if you are. 

I’ve come to the conclusion that the belay device which I thought existed indeed does not exist. However, thinking outside the box:

The ISC RAD (I can’t attest to how well this lead-belays, but it is designed to. Minimum rope 9.9mm but I’ll bet you could safely get away with slightly skinnier). The handle is technically left-sided but its positioning leads me to believe the device is ambidextrous. I’m sure you could find a merchant with a good return policy to give it a try. Keep in mind it’s about twice as heavy as the grigri

Casey Jwrote:

FYI - I did search, but nothing terribly relevant for the past few years and felt an updated set of answers may be useful.

I'm looking for the best assisted belay device for my wife. She doesn't climb that often, but really doesn't like how awkward the grigri is for a leftie. Before I tell her to "just go practice", I was wondering if there were updated experiences from lefties on the pinch and other devices that may make them more viable. 

Yes I know tube devices are ambidextrous (my daily driver is an ATC). Yes I know she can practice and get used to it, but as we're early in the curve, is it better she spends time on grigri practice or get something like a gigajul?

You could consider the Edelrid Pinch If you can wait for it to become available in the US stores

As illustrated in the user manual, you can use it both with left and right hand.

https://avs.edelrid.com/images/attribut/54692_GAL_Pinch_ANSICHT_DINA4_Homepage.pdf

8a Correct use for releasing the rope with the right and left hand. The braking rope is enclosed with four fingers, the thumb is only placed on the releasing lever for the action of dealing out of rope.

I use the vergo and like it a lot. You still use your right hand as the break hand but you have a lot more to grip than with a grigri. That makes it more handleable with your weak hand. Don‘t know if a vergo would be the best belay device for an inexperienced belayed because it has its quirks and there is not a lot of guides on it.