REASONS TO BUY
Compact
Affordable
Rope runs easily over round stock
REASONS TO AVOID
Heavy
On the small side for hitches
Many twists needed to open gate
Metolius Element Review
Bridging the gap between compact and pear shaped lockers
Metolius Element Carabiner
Credit: Metoliusclimbing.com
RELATED: Best Locking Carabiner of 2024
Our Verdict
The Metolius Element Keylock is a small pear-shaped locker that bridges the gap between compact and versatile. Its most notable quality is its affordability, as it's one of the least expensive lockers in this review, providing good value. Its best use is as a compact belay locker while trad climbing, and we loved it for use with a Petzl Reverso, either while lead belaying or while belaying off the anchor in auto-lock mode. The completely round stock, as compared to the I-beam stock prevalent in most lockers, allows the rope to slide smoothly with less friction, regardless of the use, and makes belaying easier. Its compact size takes up less room in the pack or on the harness, but also means it isn't as good for organizing a complex belay. It's also quite heavy, especially considering its size, but consider using one as a compact belay locker or for building anchors if you are on a budget.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
Metolius Element | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  Best Bang for the Buck |  Best Compact Locker | |||
| Price | $12.00 List | $12.95 at REI Compare at 4 sellers | $14.95 at Backcountry Compare at 3 sellers | $11.00 List $7.67 at Amazon | $11.99 at Public Lands Compare at 2 sellers |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | An affordable option for those who want a small pear-shaped locker | Our Best Bang for the Buck winner due to its great price, but also its impressively lightweight | The lightest and easiest to use small locker | Our Best Bang for the Buck winner requires no compromise for a lower price | A basic screwgate locker that will get the job done with a minimal hit to the wallet |
| Rating Categories | Metolius Element | CAMP USA Photon Lock | DMM Phantom | Mad Rock Super Tech... | Black Diamond HotFo... |
| Overall Utility (25%) | |||||
| Ease of Unlocking and Locking (25%) | |||||
| Compactness and Weight (20%) | |||||
| Gate Security (20%) | |||||
| Gate Clearance (10%) | |||||
| Specs | Metolius Element | CAMP USA Photon Lock | DMM Phantom | Mad Rock Super Tech... | Black Diamond HotFo... |
| Weight | 74 g | 44 g | 41 g | 45 g | 48 g |
| Gate Closed Strength (KN) | 24 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 24 |
| Sideways Strength (KN) | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 |
| Gate Open Strength (KN) | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 |
| Gate Clearance (cm) | 2.1 cm | 1.8 cm | 1.6 cm | 1.7 cm | 1.8 cm |
| Visual Locking Indicator? | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| Carabiner Shape | Pear | Offset-D | Offset-D | Offset-D | Offset-D |
| Lock Closure Type | Screw-lock | Screwgate | Screwgate | Screw-lock | Screwgate |
Show full specification details ▼Hide full specification details ▲
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Metolius Element Keylock is a pear-shaped locker, and so its best use is as a belay locker for trad belaying. It's very compact, but is considerably heavier than most comparable options, a noticeable downside that in our mind really limits its use. Regardless of the intended purpose, we want the lightest product that can adequately do the job, and in many ways the Element feels like a throwback to a previous age of climbing equipment, rather than embracing the lighter weight I-beam designs that have nearly halved the weight of similar locking carabiners.
Performance Comparison
Using the Element as the master point tie-off at a double bolted anchor on the summit of a multi-pitch route. It serves as a good compact and affordable option for this purpose, although is heavier than the alternatives.
Overall Utility
The Element is quite versatile, as its pear shape has the advantage of being good for belaying while minimizing rope friction on the 'biner. We like it best bringing up the second with a Petzl Reverso, as the lack of friction caused by a thin offset-D locker allows for easier pulling of the ropes without stressing our elbows. While it is the same size as a lightweight/compact offset-D, there are more uses for it. That said, as it's far more compact than other HMS shaped lockers, it doesn't as easily fit clove or Munter hitches, and isn't as easy to clip many items to.
Despite its small size, this locker is shaped right for smooth function of a Munter hitch, as shown here. It also easily fits clove hitches. It is a solid compact and affordable option for an HMS style locker.
Ease of Unlocking and Locking
The patterned metal screwgate is easy to grip in our fingers and has a very buttery smooth action as it twists around the gate. However, we noticed that it required the most twists of any screwgate tested to go from fully open to fully closed: 12 ½ half twists, or just over six full twists. By comparison the easiest of the screwgate locker requires only four half twists or two full revolutions to go from fully open to closed, and is therefore much quicker and easier to open and close.
While the screw gate is easy to use, spins smoothly, and is no problem to grip, it requires the most revolutions to go from completely closed to completely open of any that we tested. This photo also shows perfectly the design and shape of a keylock nose.
Compactness and Weight
Our Element Keylock weighed 74g on our independent scale. This is almost twice the weight of the lightest compact locker, which weighs a mere 41g. It is also around 18g heavier than our Editors' Choice winner, the best pear shaped locker we tested, which is also larger, and therefore a bit more versatile. While we appreciated its compact size, the Element honestly feels like a bit of a relic in a modern age of new designs intended to minimize weight.
At 74g, this locker is heavy due to its use of round stock rather than I-beam, and despite being super small, is not super competitive weight wise, a disappointment.
Gate Security
Like all screwgate lockers, the gate is plenty secure as long as the climber remembers to properly close it every time. Screw gate lockers will never be quite as secure as auto-lockers for this reason. They are also best oriented with gravity, that is, basket side down when locked closed, so any vibrations caused by movement of the rope doesn't assist in the gate unlocking itself, which can happen. We rated this screw gate the same as most of the others when it comes to gate security.
Gate Clearance
At 2.1cm of gate clearance, the Element Keylock offers a surprisingly large opening for a locker so small, far more than any of the other compact lockers we tested. This helps make it more versatile for fitting multiple ropes when rappelling or when tying a clove hitch.
For such a small locker, the Element has pretty good gate clearance, measured at 2.1cm, ensuring that you can fit two ropes if needed for rappelling, or a hitch.
Value
The low price of these lockers is one of their principal advantages. They are certainly the most affordable pear shaped locker. While there are some downsides, such as weight and a slow to open gate, we think they are a pretty decent value purchase.
The small but pear shaped Element is best used as a compact belay locker, as we are doing here while cragging at Smith Rock.
Conclusion
The Metolius Element Keylock is a small, round stock, pear shaped locker that fits a niche unfilled by any other. It is the size of a compact locker, but has the desirable and versatile pear shape. It is also very affordable. That said, it is quite heavy compared to the competition, which is the main downside one must weigh against its benefits.
This anchor uses five locking carabiners: Two small, compact lockers on the bolts. One auto-lcoking pear shaped locker as the master point where the leader is tied in. And two lockers for the auto-block belay device which allows one to take photos while belaying up the second safely.
—Andy Wellman
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