Best carabiner to use with a Grigri?

one that closes most of the time.

I also use a gridlock magnetron. as others have said once you get used to it becomes second nature. It also acts as a great way to make sure your belay is awake and alive enough to be safely belaying you. 

When I hand it over to someone if they can't figure out how to open it and load it, I know to look for another belayer.

The SMD auto from petzl is the best one I’ve used. The Grigri seemed to ‘bind’ on the rock lock for me, and there is no need for a big rope bearing surface on a Grigri carabiner. 

It’s probably the smoothest autolocker I’ve used too. One of the few that is truly a one hander without to much work getting used to it

I have used about 1/2 a dozen different models with the Grigri and I think the DMM Belay Master is the best so far. 

DRusso wrote:

It also acts as a great way to make sure your belay is awake and alive enough to be safely belaying you. 

Care to explain that? Maybe I'm just not awake enough...

Taketaketaketaketake ....take wrote:

Care to explain that? Maybe I'm just not awake enough...

Gridlock carabiners are not that hard to figure out. If you can't figure out how to use one, I don't trust your ability to safely belay me.

I use an Edelrid Strike, it's clean and simple.

Plain-ass BD Positron locker is my go-to. I honestly don't understand the need to buy a belay-specific biner. I honestly don't understand the need to buy half of the whatever-specific devices I see in gyms.

DRusso wrote:

Gridlock carabiners are not that hard to figure out. If you can't figure out how to use one, I don't trust your ability to safely belay me.

Fair enough I guess, as long as there are other criteria. I just assume all strangers are idiots until proven otherwise.

I really like the Petzl Freino.  Its expensive but nice if you use it a lot.  won't cross load but unlike other non cross load carabiners it doesn't really require any extra steps.  The friction spur is nice when you are belaying someone much heavier.  Expensive but worth it if you use you're gri gri a lot.  If you prefer other belay devices then there are probably cheaper options. 

I hate my rhino.  Went back to using my petzl William triact

The spirit is expensive for a small, lightweight D, but it is so smooth and weighs nothing. I use it and it's perfect.

@Nick, can you say why you hate the Rhino? I've been using one for over a year, and I'd recommend it to anyone, so it's useful to know why it doesn't work for someone. I like to understand the negatives of gear that I use.

@Victor K, belay device does not shift around the Rhino's spine (BTW, this is the main feature and the main selling point), thus it is awkward to clip it on/off to/from back gear loop. For me this is a show stopper issue.

@Pavel, thank you.

Victor K wrote:

@Nick, can you say why you hate the Rhino? I've been using one for over a year, and I'd recommend it to anyone, so it's useful to know why it doesn't work for someone. I like to understand the negatives of gear that I use.

Pavel covered it!  It makes for annoying racking. A mild problem in the gym but a major one with a full rack on a hanging belay.

When I’m climbing multi-pitch routes, I typically don’t use my GriGri. When I do use it, I don’t run into the racking problem because I rack on a shoulder sling. Attaching and removing the Rhino on the back gear loops is easy if they aren’t packed with gear. It’s ironic, because I use a Gridlock for my ATC, and it is much worse to rack on the rear loops of the harness.

The new info in this thread (to me) sent me back to Petzl’s website. They indeed do not recommend an HMS carabiner for use with the GriGri.

A-K wrote:

Is cross loading that big(common) of an issue? 

All the extra stuff inside the biner seems like it is just adding a solution to a minor/non-existent problem. It takes less than 2 seconds to move your biner if it rotates. 

Shhh...The armchair climbers want to spend more money because it makes them feel like they are actually climbing...in the gym. Let them have their joy.

I use the DMM Rhino - it is great