Gri gri+ is it better or worse?

Is the gri gri plus better or worse or like everything else when it comes to climbing does it depend on what you’re doing with it to decide if it’s a good or bad buy. 

I don't like it.  The stupid safety feature pissed me off to many times.  If you're new, you may love. 

It’s fine, but I wouldn’t choose it over new gri-gri, or the old gri-gri2, or the original gri-gri. It has unnecessary (for me) features that make it somewhat annoying to use. 

I like the stainless steel wear protection, I wish they'd add that to the regular gri gri.   The "lead/toprope toggle" and the "safety" feature are annoying.

The only advantage I can think of that the plus has over the original or gri gri2 is the increased range for rope sizes. Otherwise it's heavier, more expensive, and more annoying to use.

If the increased rope size range is something you need/desire, I'd recommend just getting the gri gri 2019, as it's cheaper and can handle thr same size range. If you don't need that, then just get one of the older gri gris and save yourself some cash.

Worse.

I have it. I don't like the toggle between top-rope and lead mode. I also don't like the panic feature where it locks up. Would get the new GriGri over the plus any day. Plus, it's cheaper and lighter

I echo what a lot of other people have said. The steel wear plate is nice. The anti panic feature locks up too frequently, especially if you belay lighter climbers or have a lot of rope drag. I end up bypassing the anti-panic most of the time by pulling the lowering lever back further. The fact that you can bypass the anti-panic by continuing to pull back on the lever also seems to somewhat defeat the purpose of the feature. 

I'm actually a fan of the top rope vs lead mode, but it does add another item to check before leaving the ground.

Dan Daugherty wrote:

Anti panic feature can be defeated if you are in a panic by pulling harder. Pointless since that's the exact motion it's supposed to protect you from.

The toggle for tr/lead is a gimmick at best. Lead setting makes it act like the previous grigri for paying out slack. TR mode engages the cam earlier but I can't find a situation where you'd need that earlier engagement over what you get in lead mode.

I had to defeat the cam when I pay out slack 90%+ of the time on the plus. Bought the latest version and I rarely defeat the cam to pay out slack. It's only when my leader is panic pulling rope to clip a draw that I have to defeat the cam vs feeding the slack from break side and pulling from climber side.

Ok I’m convinced

I've had the GriGri+ since it came out, but I've become annoyed with it and watching my partners struggle with it due to the safety lockout engaging all the time and preventing smooth lowering when there's rope drag in the system. I leave it in lead mode all the time, the only compelling reason for putting it in the super-grabby TR mode is if you're being belayed by somebody you don't trust, but then you shouldnt allow them to belay you. The steel plate means it will last forever, however, so I do still use it for single-pitch climbing quite often, but it's far too heavy to bring multipitching (GigaJul is king there).

Recently I found a good deal on the new GriGri (the 3) and pulled the trigger. It's only an ounce lighter but also smaller and less bulky so it feels significantly lighter on the harness. It feeds slack easier and doesn't have the annoying panic feature, so all-in-all a much better device. I've even brought it up some multipitch climbs as it's nice for belaying from above and very useful for simulclimbing and other things. No steel plate means it'll wear out eventually so (at least for now) I save it for multipitch or days with longer approaches and use the + for the gym, easy access crags and places with super abrasive dirt/sand. 

I like the GriGri+ top rope mode for top rope belaying new climbers that want a tight belay. Just ratchet out all of the slack.

I also use it sometimes for bringing up followers. With some ropes, the weight of the rope can cause it to back-feed in lead mode.

That and the steel plate aside, there's really no benefit to the GriGri+.

The "anti-panic" feature is the main downside. It is mildly annoying, and I would rather not have it. You will develop a feel for where it kicks in, and most of the time you will not trigger it. If you do trigger it, it can be defeated by pulling the handle back further. Note that this makes the "anti-panic" somewhat useless in the hands of an actual panicking belayer. When the handle is further back, I find the position less comfortable than the normal lowering position. However, it might be more comfortable for someone that is left-handed.