Best sport belay device for lefty?

So I’m a big fan of grigris and the BD Pilot, I need to get my GF a belay device for Christmas, but she’s a left hand belayer and she hates grigris because they are all geared to righty’s like me. Any suggestions? Looking my for an auto blocking/assisted breaking device for single rope sport. Thanks guys! 

Reese Milburn wrote:

So I’m a big fan of [...] the BD Pilot

It seems like you already know the answer. What exactly are you looking for here?

I like my megajul (need bulletproof carabiner or similar). Idc what the haters say.

Just my opinion, but you should be able to belay with either hand.

My girlfriend is also a lefty and really likes the gigajul. You just have to get and HMS carabiner to fit it well so the rope gets totally locked in a fall 

I'm a lefty and I just got used to belaying right-handed with the gri-gri. It took just a couple outings. I know that's not quite what you asked for, but I think it's the best solution, and totally worth the effort.

speaking as a lefty having used nearly all of the styles of belay device out there, it's honestly not that hard to get used to any belay device. That being said, my gf likes the trango cinch because it feeds easier in smaller hands than a grigri, it might be more of a hand size thing rather than a hand dominance thing.

David K wrote:

It seems like you already know the answer. What exactly are you looking for here?

I’m looking for a left handed belay device

Yoda Jedi Knight wrote:

I like my megajul (need bulletproof carabiner or similar). Idc what the haters say.

Just my opinion, but you should be able to belay with either hand.

I agree, but if she’s more comfortable belaying my left handed, then I want her to do what’s most comfortable, so I stay alive

Pilot should function the same left handed. I like mega jul sport and it locks well with round stock HMS biner.

All versions of the Mammut Smart are symmetrical. 

I’m a leftie, and I love the gri-gri. Clickup and Smart are symmetrical, and so is Revo. Theoretically all of those should be exactly as good for a leftie as they are for a rightie.  I don’t have a magic bell to tell which one she will like, she should try them, and see.

Many gyms would have a variety devices that you could borrow free, or for a small fee, to use at the gym, so she could test some devices that way. Or you could round up some friends with a variety of devices.

Any device you choose will feel strange, unfamiliar, and awkward at first, compared to whatever device she is currently using. There will be a learning curve.

But that is beside the point. Why are YOU choosing a device for her, anyway?  Shouldn’t she choose her own device?

Leftie here, like everyone else I belay with a grigri right handed. I wonder how many people can ATC belay equally well with the left and the right?

Lefty here who learned on ATC originally. Left as brake hand is too hard-wired to switch hands comfortably. Tried everything including left-handed Gri-Gri use (a very dumb idea). Pilot works best for me.

Lifeguard feeds just as well left-handed if used properly, but it sucks for giving slack quickly. Thumb loops on Juls get in the way. Smart doesn't feed as smoothly as Pilot. Vergo gets recalled too often. These are all opinions, of course.

The downside to Pilot over Gri-Gri is that there's some rope creep with thin, new ropes, but it locks up solid on anything 9.4+ that's seen a little use. 

All this said, why not have her demo a few devices at the gym/crag and see what SHE likes?

I dont understand this thread at all. I'm right handed but will switch between belaying left and right handed all of the time. Especially on longer routes if my partner is hangdogging a lot. Its not difficult to use most devices with both hands - even the Grigri.

I guess if I was forced to pick a non grigri, equal to both sides device I would say either the gigajul, or the smart.

I think it would be important to be able to belay with both though, can't most people switch when needed..?

As a lefty I really like the vergos (trango) ergonomics over the grigri. Especially having to pinch the grigri with your right hand always felt uncomfortable (althought, like other posters said, not impossible to learn).

SinRopa wrote:

He said it was a Christmas present...let’s not make this something it clearly isn’t...

I’m sure the receiver’s opinion is not at all an important consideration in this case. I’m getting my husband a new bike for Christmas, I better go ask the Internet, they’ll know what he needs better than he does.

This thread has multiple suggestions of the devices. Hopefully OP’s wife will get to test them, and choose the one she likes, rather then getting a Christmas surprise with something that she doesn’t. 

Another vote here for the CT Click Up.

Reese Milburn wrote:

I’m looking for a left handed belay device

There's no subtlety on the internet. *sigh*

As far as I know, no left-handed belay device exists.

However, there are a bunch of symmetrical belay devices on the market which work just as well left handed as right handed. The BD Pilot is a symmetrical belay device which works just as well left handed as right handed. You've already said you're a big fan of the BD Pilot. Since then BD Pilot is a device that works for left-handers and is already a device you're a big fan of, it seems logical to me that you would want to get the BD Pilot.

Dan Daugherty wrote:

That can be returned if she doesn't like it. Let the guy buy a gift for his partner.

The problem with returning climbing gear though is the store gets shafted because they can't put it back on the shelf. Better to sell it on MP than just return it to the store.

Lefties, out of necessity, are far more ambidextrous than right handed people.
Teach her to use a grigri and be done with it. 

Mammut Smart, Mega/Gigal Jul, That BD device that kind of looks like a stubby claw are probably good options.

I would lean towards the Smart and Jul since they have good multipitch applications.