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Mad Rock Concorde Review

If you're buying everything all at once and need to save some $$, the price on these can't be beat
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Mad Rock Concorde Review
Credit: Mad Rock
Price:  $14 List
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Manufacturer:   Mad Rock Climbing
By Cam McKenzie Ring ⋅ Senior Review Editor  ⋅  Apr 19, 2018
56
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#14 of 16
  • Ease of Clipping - 25% 6.0
  • Ease of Unclipping - 25% 6.0
  • Portability - 20% 7.0
  • Handling - 15% 5.0
  • Ease of Grabbing - 15% 3.0

Our Verdict

If you're looking for the least expensive quickdraw out there, it doesn't get much cheaper than the Mad Rock Concorde. They are half the price (or even less!) than some other models in this test group. How is it so cheap? Mad Rock states that they developed a manufacturing process that can bust these out on the cheap while still maintaining proper strength ratings. There's a need in every market for bargain-basement products, and if you're hoping to put together your own set of draws but can hardly afford it, the price on these is hard to beat. These draws can be used for both trad and sport climbing, but are not the ideal choice for either, as they could be a bit lighter for trad, or a lot more user friendly for sport. Only bargain bin shoppers need apply, and be willing to take the knocks to performance.
REASONS TO BUY
Inexpensive
REASONS TO AVOID
Narrow sling
Exposed notch can snag on gear
Wide profile

Compare to Similar Products

 
mad rock concorde
This Product
Mad Rock Concorde
Awards   Best Buy Award
Best Bang for the Buck
 Top Pick Award
Best Buy for Lightweight Draws
Price $14.00 List
$14.00 at Dick's Sporting Goods
$19.95 at REI
Compare at 3 sellers
$14.89 at REI
Compare at 4 sellers
$15.95 at Backcountry
Compare at 2 sellers
$13.50 List
$13.50 at Backcountry
Overall Score Sort Icon
56
74
68
66
61
Star Rating
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Bottom Line Least expensive draw on the marketLarge carabiners work well with gloves onThis sporty quickdraw offers solid performance at a relatively affordable priceA good choice for new climbers that do a little bit of everythingA good value pick for trad climbers or anyone looking for an inexpensive option
Rating Categories Mad Rock Concorde Petzl Djinn Axess Black Diamond HotFo... CAMP USA Orbit Wire... Cypher Firefly II
Ease of Clipping (25%)
6.0
9.0
7.0
8.0
7.0
Ease of Unclipping (25%)
6.0
9.0
7.0
5.0
5.0
Portability (20%)
7.0
4.0
5.0
7.0
8.0
Handling (15%)
5.0
8.0
8.0
7.0
6.0
Ease of Grabbing (15%)
3.0
6.0
7.0
6.0
4.0
Specs Mad Rock Concorde Petzl Djinn Axess Black Diamond HotFo... CAMP USA Orbit Wire... Cypher Firefly II
Weight 3 oz 4 oz 3.5 oz 3.1 oz 2.6 oz
Sling Material Dyneema Polyester Polyester Polyester Dyneema
Available sling lengths 10 cm 11 cm, 17 cm 12 cm, 16 cm 12 cm, 18 cm 11 cm, 16 cm
Width of sling 10 mm 16 mm 18 mm 16 mm 10 mm
Non-Snagging Top Biner No Yes Yes No No
Non-Snagging Bottom Biner No Yes No No No
Unique features Double bent wiregate biners Large carabiners good for big hands or gloves, easy to clip Visual patterning designed to easily catch the eye while climbing Double wiregate carabiners Double wiregates with a rubber keeper on the lower biner
Forging method Warm Cold Hot Not disclosed Hot
Manufacturer Warranty Limited lifetime warranty 3 year 1 year 3 year At Cypher's discretion

Our Analysis and Test Results

The Mad Rock Concorde is a budget-friendly quickdraw that still gets the job done, though not particularly well. While the price is right, it is on the heavy side for trad climbing use, and not functional for sport climbing. But sometimes any draw is better than none, so if you need a set but aren't looking to spend a lot on them, this could be an option to consider.

Performance Comparison


mad rock concorde - testing out the concord. this inexpensive draw will get the job done...
Testing out the Concord. This inexpensive draw will get the job done without blowing your budget.
Credit: Cam McKenzie Ring

Ease of Clipping


While not the hardest model to clip (that honor goes to the Concorde's sibling, the Mad Rock Ultra Light Wire), it isn't the easiest either. The tension on the wiregates felt a little stiff, but not as bad as the Ultra Light. We appreciated that the rope end has a slight bend to it.

mad rock concorde - clipping the concords on a sport route. while not as snappy feeling...
Clipping the Concords on a sport route. While not as snappy feeling as some of the bar gates that we tested, it wasn't too stiff either.
Credit: Cam McKenzie Ring

Ease of Unclipping


If you've read some of our other quickdraws reviews you probably already know what we are going to say — this one comes with an unprotected wiregate notch that can get hung up on things when you go to unclip it. If you plan to climb a lot of steep sport routes, do you and your partner a favor, and look for something with a protected notch or keylocking solid gate.

mad rock concorde - you have to pay attention when unclipping these carabiners so that...
You have to pay attention when unclipping these carabiners so that the gate doesn't catch on the bolt. That's easier in a vertical situation than when your route is overhanging.
Credit: Cam McKenzie Ring

Portability


This draw weighs 3.0 ounces, which is about the middle of the pack. It's not as light as the lightest options (which clock in as low as 1.9 ounces), but it is lighter than most of the more sport climbing-focused options out there. If you like the looks (and price point) of this model but want something a little lighter, Mad Rock's Ultra Light Wire draw weighs only 2.4 ounces.

Handling


Our testers' main complaint about the Concorde's ease of handling is that the carabiners are on the thick side and take up more room on your harness. They also tend to bunch up a bit and cross-clipped on us occasionally when we had a lot of stuff on our gear loops. The thinner sling also made them more prone to twisting around, as you can see in the photo below.

mad rock concorde - the carabiners are thicker than most and a little bulbous. the thin...
The carabiners are thicker than most and a little bulbous. The thin sling also twisted on us a bit. Here we went to clip, and the bottom carabiner started to turn around. That's another benefit to thicker slings.
Credit: Cam McKenzie Ring

Ease of Grabbing


Like all of the thin 10mm draws, this one is not easy to grab — the dogbone felt unusually short on this model as well, making even more challenging to hang onto. If you know that you are prone to grabbing draws on challenging climbs (rather than take the whip), then look for something with a 25mm or wider dogbone, like our Editors' Choice winner, and accept that paying a bit more is often worth it.

mad rock concorde - not only is the sling thin (10mm) but it was also shorter than most...
Not only is the sling thin (10mm) but it was also shorter than most, making it the most challenging to grab.
Credit: Cam McKenzie Ring

Value


The price on this draw is hard to beat. It also comes in a six-pack for added savings. Whether or not that is a good value, though, is up for debate. It is one of the lowest-scoring models in our test group and given a choice we'd spend a little bit more for something else.

Conclusion


We appreciate Mad Rock's efforts to create the least expensive draw possible. There's always a need for budget items, and the Concorde is something even the poorest of dirtbags could probably afford. While this quickdraw doesn't perform as well as the more expensive models, if you don't care about anything else but the price of your quickdraws (and some climbers just don't!), then these are hard to beat.

Cam McKenzie Ring