Heroclip Medium

The HeroClip is a very versatile accessory clip that can be used in a number of applications both in the outdoors and around the house.

Overview
Years ago people started using climbing carabineers as accessory clips to hold keys and other various items and as time went on manufactures started coming out with accessory clips that had many similarities to climbing carabineers from a look and operation perspective, but had no real load carrying capability and were only intended to be used as low cost accessory clips.

The Heroclip is a further evolution of that trend and consists of a refined accessory clip design that takes it a step further by incorporating a hook assembly with a swivel that allows the allows the Heroclip to be used in significantly more applications then the generic accessory clip found at your local store.

Overall Design and Construction
The Heroclip is composed of an aluminum accessory clip with a bent wire gate common to climbing carabineers that has a aluminum hook assembly attached through a plastic swivel. The swivel allows the hook assembly to rotate 360 degrees about the axis of the swivel and both the hook and the body of the accessory clip can rotate at the joint where they are attached to the swivel. The tip of the hook assembly has a fixed rubber tip that faces to the inside of the hook.

I made a short video to show how the features of the Heroclip can move relative to each other.

I had several Heroclips to compare and the build quality of all three of the devices seemed very good. Also, the weight was a consistent two ounces for each of the Heroclips I examined.

One area where I think the Heroclip could be made even better is with making the edges/corners slightly larger and stepping up to a higher quality surface finish. While the current design of the Heroclip is more than adequate, the Heroclip would feel much better in your hand if all the edges had a slight larger radius and the aluminum components were tumbled to a greater degree so the finish was much more like what you find on a typical climbing carbineer being made today by Petzl or Black Diamond. 

The Heroclip is not inexpensive at $19.95 and I think stepping up the finish would better justify the premium being asked for the Heroclip over other accessory clips currently being sold.

While not a major issue with the design of the Heroclip, I did want to share some observations I had with the warning notice printed on the side of the body of the clip.  A warning notice is appropriate for this type of product so that it won’t be used in an inappropriate application.

A very clear warning is provided on the packaging, but the warning noticed printed on the actual Heroclip only uses a single color of ink that isn't always easily readable on some colors of Heroclips. With the color of ink used on the Heroclips I was reviewing, it was difficult to notice the printed warning on the silver bodied Heroclip shown in the picture below compared to the black bodied Heroclip.

While it is understandable that a single color of ink would be used from a manufacturing perspective, if the warning notice is important, a contrasting color should always be used so the warning notice is visible to the person using the product.

The other issue I had with the warning notice was with the use of the word “inert”. I think the statement “Inert objects only” really is meaningless to the average person who might buy the Heroclip. The primary definition of inert is with lacking the power to move or not being chemically reactive. I think if the intent of the warning is tell the user not to use the Heroclip for objects that are important to them, then maybe words like expendable, inconsequential, or unimportant could have been used and would be much more understandable by most people using the Heroclip.

Strength and Weight Carrying Capability
On the packaging for the Heroclip there is a picture of a closed Heroclip and a statement that it holds 50 lbs. It's also worth pointing out that on the back of the package there is a statement about safety and that the HeroClip is not to be used to hold humans or animals and is for static loads only, which is then followed by a long statement focused on warranty and liability.

My takeaway is that Lulabop Inc., maker of the Heroclip, is trying to communicate that the Heroclip is a simple accessory and should never be used in an application where there is any real consequence, especially with someone or something getting hurt or damaged.

So with that said, I did want to verify the claim that the Heroclip could hold 50 lbs.

The way I approached testing the Heroclip was to clip it between two climbing carabineers hung in my garage and then load the Heroclip by adding lead weights to a bucket clipped to the lower carabineer.

I first added weight to the bucket until I had reached 50 lbs. At 50 lbs there was a little deflection in the HeroClip, but the bent wire gate still would open and close into the notch on the main body of the clip.

While Heroclip clearly states that the maximum capacity is 50 pounds. I did add additional weights until I go up to 74 v for the sake of science. At 74 pounds there was slightly more deflection and the Heroclip still held the load, but the deflection was great enough that the bent wire gate would no longer close after it was opened.

While there is no clear indication on the packaging on if the 50 pounds maximum capacity applies when the Heroclip is utilized in applications involving the load being carried through the hook, I decided to run a test of that configuration, as it would be commonly used. The hook and the plastic swivel are key features that make the Heroclip so versatile, so I felt that it was important to apply a load through these features to see what if anything happens.

I loaded the Heroclip as shown in the picture above to 54 pounds, at which point it held the load and I did not observe any significant deflection within the swivel feature on the Heroclip which I would consider the weak link when it is loaded in this manner.

So all in all, the Heroclip seems to clearly meets its claim of being able to hold up to a maximum load of 50 pounds.

Versatility
What is supposed to differentiate the Heroclip from other accessory clip designs is its versatility. I have been making a point to keep a Heroclip with me when I have been out and about on hikes, but also when I was just going about my normal daily activities and kept my mind open for possible applications where the Heroclip might be useful.

When out hiking, the fundamental use I found for the Heroclip was as a hook to hang gear if for some reason I didn’t want to set the gear on the ground because of mud, etc. I tried it out on a recent hike to an old fire lookout in our area.

The hook on the Heroclip made it easy to find a variety of locations to hang my pack easily on features that existed within the lookout, including even a railing constructed from 2x4’s.

The Heroclip is also useful for hanging your trekking poles instead of leaning them against a tree. Maybe it’s just me, but every time I lean my poles against a tree, one or both always tend to end up on the ground.

I also experimented with using two Heroclips to temporarily hold a fly pole while a car, like my Subaru, is stationary, by hooking the Heroclips on the rail of the roof rack or clipping one to a door handle.

I also found that the Heroclip could be useful for some non-outdoor applications.

My daughter educated me that purses like her $800 Louis Vuitton in the picture below, are never set on the floor or hung from the back of a chair, and need what is called a purse hook.  Because of the way the hook is designed on the Heroclip with a unique rubber tip, it makes for a very functional purse hook that meets all of my daughter’s expectations (which isn’t always easy…).

While working around my house I found that when clipped to my tool belt, that the Heroclip actually makes a nice hook to hang a nail gun on if you were working up on a ladder. 

Also, because of the size of the hook and the design of the rubber tip, the Heroclip felt very secure for hanging a can of paint on the rung of a ladder.

My daughter also pointed out that the Heroclip could be clipped to the support of a typical car headrest, which would then provide a convenient hook to hang a purse, shopping bag, etc. on the back of your seat.

Summary and Recommendation
Overall the Heroclip is a well-made accessory clip that has unique features that enable it to be used in a variety of useful applications, both in the outdoors and around the house. While not inexpensive at a typical retail price of $19.95, I think that most people will find the Heroclip a well-made product that they will find useful for a number of helpful applications.

Many thanks to the people at Lulabop for the opportunity to test the Heroclip with the Trailspace Gear Review Corps!

The Heroclip is fantastic. I use it everywhere.

This clip is amazing. I keep finding that odd jobs are made easier with help from a HeroClip.

I have used it while camping, backpacking, biking, and around the house. Its versatility and design make this clip worth a purchase. 

Missing item

I ordered five clips as gifts and only received four. After several attempts to resolve this I still have had no response.

Great product, but horrible customer service....

Horrible customer service.

Background

Customer service was horrible, product is OK.