Nite Ize is a fascinating company – they make all kinds of neat gadgets that I’ve loved for years, and one of those gadgets is this – the S-Biner Microlock.
I’ve had this particular specimen for years, and firmly believe it’s more likely that you’ll lose it than break it. It’s proven impressively durable, riding in pockets and bags over the years without a hiccup.
I frequently use it to keep my car and house keys “together but separate” in case I want to put my house keys in a bag or something like that. It serves admirably in this role, and the locking feature keeps the keys from splitting apart – an issue I’ve had with other carabiners serving in a similar role.
Here you can see it in the “locked” position – the plastic portion keeps the spring gates from opening. Not exactly a climbing rated lock, but more than adequate for keeping my keys together.
One other neat feature of this carabiner I’ve taken advantage of is its lock for … not quite security, but deterrence.
Pictured here on the zipper pulls of my Vertx Ready Pack 2.0, which I discussed previously (and still owe you an in-depth review on), this s-biner keeps wandering hands (especially those attached to small humans) at bay – it’s certainly not something I’d use for true security, but it at least provides an opportunity to intercept someone trying to fiddle; most folks are not immediately familiar with the operation of these carabiners, which helps in this situation.
I’m quite pleased with this product and its durability, and I look forward to reviewing more stuff from Nite Ize at some point, they’ve got a lot of cool gadgets and gizmos!
-T