REASONS TO BUY
Inexpensive
REASONS TO AVOID
Narrow sling
Exposed notch can snag on gear
Wide profile
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
Credit: Mad Rock
Price: $14 List
By Cam McKenzie Ring ⋅ Senior Review Editor ⋅ Apr 19, 2018
RELATED: Best Quickdraws for Climbing of 2024
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.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
Mad Rock Concorde | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  Best Bang for the Buck |  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  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | Least expensive draw on the market | Large carabiners work well with gloves on | This sporty quickdraw offers solid performance at a relatively affordable price | A good choice for new climbers that do a little bit of everything | A 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%) | |||||
| Ease of Unclipping (25%) | |||||
| Portability (20%) | |||||
| Handling (15%) | |||||
| Ease of Grabbing (15%) | |||||
| 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 |
Show full specification details ▼Hide full specification details ▲
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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