Petzl  Freino Autolocking Carabiner

I picked the Freino to pair with my GriGri and, frankly, it's fine. The little hook for your rope when lowering or rappelling is nice but not game changing. It has quite a few drawbacks, however: -It is a really small carabiner - far smaller than most belay 'biners. -Because of the size and shape, it doesn't really hang on your harness or gear sling well without the hook being a bit hazardous. -Also due to size and shape, it is only useful for belaying/rappelling with specific devices. Overall, I feel like you are better off getting two regular carabiners and using both in your belay loop (one for the belay device, one to clip the rope for extra friction).

The biner works fine with a Simple, but US cave rigging practices (IRT) are not conducive with it. The problem has a few layers to it: First: because of the position of the friction spur, the gate has to face away from you. Next: in US caving, it is very common to rig the rope such that it is laying on the ground. Often this means the caver must negotiate over a ledge while descending. Third: the gate is only double-action... if the biner is scraped across the lip/ledge, it can twist the gate and it be pushed open. **I writing this warning because I have scraped/pushed open the gate on the edge of a pit while on-rope to rappel.** I would be hesitant to put a new caver (in the US) on this biner, and would opt instead for an Am'D screwgate biner with a Raumer Handy as the brake.

Bought this carabiner so my daughter can easily add extra friction while belaying me. I am almost 2x my daughter's weight and she loves belaying me with the Freino tied into a GRIGRI+.

I bought this to help when I'm on belay and lowering my heavier partner, it works like a charm. Some other reviews made me worry it would be too small, I use it with a grigri and have no complaints re size or anything else. It's super easy to clip the rope thru the freino ahead of lowering and makes a meaningful difference in taking off some of the weight. My partner is about 70 pounds heavier than me.

Seeing as HMS means a carabiner is munter specific, I'm surprised Petzl didn't come up with something similar for this carabiner and GriGris. My personal GriGri feels incomplete without the Freino, especially in the many different guiding scenarios I get with clients through Pisgah Climbing School. When I first borrowed this years ago from a friend, it felt bulky and less versatile due to the required configuration and shape. Years later, it's a core tool in my kit, whether it's belaying a heavier climber from below or above, managing friction better when I'm descending (especially if it's wet or the rope's thin), saving a redirect carabiner in top belays, or for lowering heavier items in a search and rescue application. The double action gate is super smooth and easy to operate one handed but gives me more peace of mind than a standard screwgate that might work itself unlocked. Despite the high price and niche appearance, I highly recommend this carabiner for anyone using a GriGri

Awesome carabiner. Especially when paired with the grigri.adds rope control and the one handed engage/ disengage is so nice!

This is the right carabiner to use with a GriGri, plain and simple. You can easily add resistance when lowering or rapping, which is a huge deal. Honestly, just try it, you'll never look back. I'm on here buying my second because my first one is worn out.

Works well to provide extra friction for lowering. However, it is extremely easy to pinch a bit skin in the wire gate when attempting to open the main gate.

Wanting to teach my wife how to belay me with my GriGri, she was reluctant. Paired it up with this carabiner and she immediately became more confident lowering me. Whereas some experienced people might not need, and hence not want, the extra feature; less experienced belayers might feel more confident. Pricey, but worth every extra buck IMO.

This is the older style Freino, it works fine in the Petzel stop BUT is slightly easier to cross load in that use. It you are getting this to go with a stop for single rope technique, I suggest tracking down the updated version which reverses the gate and the friction spur relative to the wider part of the biner.