Smart

Most of the comments thus far aren’t aware of the differences between a standard ATC, and an ATC Pilot. You can’t go wrong with a grigri or Pilot but the Pilot is the better option for most first devices IMO. Unless you’re gifting it to someone. My recommendation is not as a former Black Diamond rep

Left handed belay instructor here… Like it or not, the industry is moving towards assisted breaking devices, so don’t buy an ATC. On toprope, you can actually apply some pretty slick left handed technique with a GriGri, but not so much when lead belaying. Any of the geometry assisted devices (BD Pil

I like the mammut smart 2.0. I think it's normally 50 bucks, but REI has it on sale etc. It has no moving parts in it but uses an interior pinching surface that interfaces with the rope and caribiner to assist lock if the rope starts feeding too quickly (someone is falling). With a single mechanism

This happened to me before - lowering a heavier climber and I got my hand stuck in the ATC and it was so painful. I got an auto braking device (Mammut Smart) which feels a lot like an ATC but has the auto brake similar to a grigri. I personally don't like a grigri because it is harder on lead belay.

Yeah, silly me for not mentioning my belay device. I use Mammut Smart 2.0, from the manual it says: "To guarantee optimum functioning of the Smart 2.0, the use of a Smart HMS or a similar symmetrical, round-profile HMS carabiner is recommended." What bothers me here is the phrase "symmetrical, round

I use a smart alpine, which is a twin-tube version of the Mammut Smart. There is an odd motion that you can do where the curve of the belay biner can bind in the device, locking it up and preventing rope from traveling in either direction in it. I think it is better to have the wider belly, as well

The mammut smart and atc Pilot are geometry based and use almost the same technique for belaying as your reverso, with the benefit of the backup that you’re trying to figure out. I’m not a fan of making something that is not complex more complex because I don’t want to pick a tool that already exist

Look up the Mammut Smart 2.0. It functions like an ATC but has assisted breaking.

Mammut Smart 2.0 is really nice for single pitch sport, much easier to feed slack for lead belay compared to a grigri and the assisted breaking bites very hard like a grigri. I know people will say that it’s fine to lead belay with a grigri, but the safe way (without disengaging the cam) is very fin

If you only ever plan to do single pitch climbing with anchor hardware, it's fine. Very similar to the Ederlid Jul2, Ocun Bow, and Mammut Smart. However Petzl Grigri or Edelrid Pinch are better at locking off the rope if your partner is projecting and hanging lots, or if you have a weight difference