S-Biner Microlock Review

Carabiners are useful items, but let’s be honest they are rarely exciting are they? They made a design, and then little to know innovations have been done since. But they are a useful piece of travel kit, and with Nite Ize making improvements on the standard carabiner I thought it would be good to grab a few and put them to the test.

I like how with the Nite Ize S Biners they have at least attempted to make improvements. Taking a carabiner and adapting to the S shape and adding the integrated microlock. It feels really solid, which backs up how it can sustain a high weight rating with such a small size. it even comes in a choice of colours, with stainless steel or black. I have been testing the stainless steel version. You can get an aluminium version which comes in colours but I believe it may be weaker, however Nite Ize does not provide a weight rating.

The first thing you’re likely to notice is the distinctive S shape. This creates two gates making it easier to clip and unclip items individually instead of having to manaever one. and even clip more than two objects together if you’re creative enough. I really like this shape and I think its a simple solution that really makes a difference to its ease of use. I used it to clip my travel pillow to my bag at the airport saving room inside. and when I needed it I can remove it one-handed.

The S-Biner with Microlock is capable of holding up to 3lb. That’s incredibly impressive given its small size and the fact it weighs only 4g. It may be tricky to find anything of that weight that will actually fit on it though. But it’s still reassuring you don’t have to worry about it breaking on you anytime soon.

I’ve never seen a carabiner with a form of the lock on it. The exception being the twist locks on specialised climbing carabiners. So I was quite surprised to hear one has been added onto this tiny one. It’s called a Microlock and it’s a tiny bit of plastic that you rotate and will jam the gates from opening. A simple yet effective mechanism. Now this isn’t going to stop determined criminals. Realistically to unlock it takes just a simple twist, but it’s not an action that goes unnoticed and acts as a deterrent. I bought a few of these and used them in various places, and to be honest I have found some to be incredibly stiff. I can barely unlock it when I have time let alone if I was under the pressure of being caught. No lock is ever foolproof but it acts as a deterrent and often that’s just as important.

As I mentioned I have purchased a few of these for various different reasons. So it’s safe to say I like them but I have noticed one issue regarding the lock. The consistency does vary. Some lock and unlock with what feels like the correct amount of force. But one or two have been incredibly stiff and taken more effort than feels acceptable.

I’ve ended up using the S-Biner Microlock pretty much everyday now. I have one always attached to each set of my car keys. One set is for holding my Technogym wellness for the machines at the gym, the other I use for holding my Tau by Rolling Square on days out. It just makes it easy to unclip and connect, I hate having all my keys dangling as it just makes a clunking noise when I start working out. Having a S-Biner Microlock makes it easier to clip and remove whatever I need to use, instead of having to pry open the keyring each time. Allowing the battery pack to work on its own without a bundle of keys getting in the way.

I love these and think they are fantastic. They do provide larger sizes which are also brilliant but they don’t incorporate a microlock, instead opting for a different slidelock system. They are reasonably priced making them fantastic value for money. Having a couple of these along with the various other sizes means you have one for any situation. Whether that’s hanging your water bottle off your bag or linking keys together.