Petzl Djinn Axess Review

The Petzl Djinn Axess has double cold-forged keylock carabiners, with a bent gate on the lower end. The sling is 12cm long and 16mm wide. This draw has some of the largest carabiners with the widest gate opening, which is helpful if you have large hands, or need something that you can efficiently use with gloves on when ice climbing.

Performance Comparison

Ease of Clipping

The carabiners on this model are some of the largest that we've tested. The bent gate opening is 27mm wide, and our testers with larger hands found that the Djinn Axess clipped very easily. The wide gate opening also makes it easy to place a clove hitch or other rope anchor points in the bottom carabiner at the top of a climb.

Ease of Unclipping

The keylocking carabiners on both ends of this quickdraw prevent it from snagging on your harness, the bolt, or the rope when cleaning steep sport routes. The downside to having a keylock carabiner on the rope clipping end of a draw is that there is potential for the gate (which is heavier than a wiregate) to 'flutter' open during a fall. A carabiner with an open gate is significantly less strong than when it's closed (9kN open vs. 23 kN closed for the Petzl Djinn Axess) which can lead to the carabiner breaking. In practical application, the instances of this happening are exceedingly rare, but it is something to consider. Another downside of the solid gate design is the tendency for it to get gummed up and sticky over time.

Portability

This is one of the heavier quickdraws that we tested, weighing 4 ounces per draw. If you're looking for lightweight draws. On the other hand, the Djinn are heavier because they're made with durability in mind. The bigger and heavier “rugged” carabiners on this draw are more likely to last longer than thinner, lightweight ones. Our testers, and the people we've had use these draws, all agreed that the elevated performance is more than worth the extra weight.

Handling

The Djinn Axess earned mix reviews for ease of handling. The oversized carabiners feel great in all size hands, but our testers with larger “paws” really appreciated it, as some of the smaller carabiners out there can be difficult for them to handle. However, they do feel slightly clunky on our harness when racking a whole set of them at once. This model also comes with Petzl's String bottom carabiner positioner, which is an external and removable rubber keeper. The upside to a removable keeper is that you can switch it out if starts to wear out or break; the downside is that it creates the potential for user error. Be sure to double-check that your draws are assembled correctly - the bottom carabiner must pass through the sling and the rubber String.

Ease of Grabbing

The sling on the Djinn Axess is only 16mm wide. While it is easier to grab than the 10mm dogbones found on lightweight models, it's not nearly as easy to grab as the wider slings on the higher end, and more expensive, draws, which usually have a slings in the 25mm wide range.

Value

The Djinn Axess are priced about 30% less apiece than the Petzl Spirit Express, and might even last longer than them, so, all in all, they are a great buy with a moderate price tag. They are the highest rated draws that fit into our “affordable sport draws” category, so provide optimal value.

Conclusion

The Djinn Axess is a great, though heavy, sport climbing draw that should stand up to the wear and tear that bolts and repeated top-roping will dish out to your gear. High performing, easy to handle, and at an affordable price point, these are an excellent choice for newer climbers, or those who simply want great performance at a reasonable price.