I didn’t think I needed a new belay device. The GriGri has been clipped to my harness for years, and like most climbers who’ve used one long enough, I’d stopped questioning it. It just worked. So when I picked up the Edelrid Pinch, I wasn’t expecting much beyond a novelty. A few sessions later, the GriGri is sitting in a drawer.
What’s different about it
The headline feature is the direct harness attachment. Instead of clipping the device to a screwgate and then to your belay loop, the Pinch clips straight onto the loop itself — no carabiner needed. It sounds like a small thing, but in practice it changes everything about how the device feels. It sits lower, closer to your body, and stays put. There’s no floppy device syndrome, no risk of a carabiner twisting into a bad position. It just hangs there, solid, exactly where you need it. It should be noted that the Pinch does sit better on a harness with a skinnier belay loop but it does work on the chunky ones too you might just need to attach it carefully. You can also use a carabiner if you want.
The other thing you notice immediately is how easy it is to feed rope. The open design means the rope runs through cleanly without the slight stickiness you sometimes get with a GriGri, especially on skinnier or slightly damp cords. Paying out slack felt more natural — closer to using a tube device, which is no bad thing. I found myself belaying more fluidly, reacting faster, with less conscious effort. After a long sport session, that starts to matter.
How it compares to the GriGri
Physically, they’re clearly cousins — cam-assisted locking, a lowering lever, similar loading markings. If you’ve used a GriGri, the Pinch won’t feel alien. The learning curve is gentle. But the differences add up. The Pinch is noticeably more compact, the rope path is smoother, and that direct attachment transforms the feel of belaying from something slightly mechanical into something more connected. You’re closer to the rope, closer to the climber.
The one adjustment is the lowering lever, which is shorter than on a GriGri. It took a session or two to get comfortable with, particularly for smooth, controlled lowers — but once it clicked, it was fine.
Is there anything I don’t like?
The only thing I personally find a little frustrating is the anti-panic but I would say it's actually a great safety feature. I probably need to spend a little more time practicing lowering smaller climbers as the feature sometimes kicks in when you don't need it too, especially if using thicker ropes. That said I probably wouldn't use the pinch for top roping indoors which is when you usually encounter older thicker ropes.
Worth it?
For sport climbing and single-pitch cragging, yes, without hesitation. The Pinch is genuinely well thought-out, and it’s one of those pieces of gear that makes you wonder why it took this long for someone to build it. If you’re a committed GriGri user, I wouldn’t expect you to switch after one go — but give it a few sessions and I’d be surprised if you went back. It also comes in slightly cheaper than a GriGri so if it’s a choice between the two I would go for the Pinch. The hardest decision might be which colour to go for...
