Heroclip Small

Heroclip is a hybrid gear clip that is now available in a Small size in addition to the original size, which has now been labeled as Medium, plus another new size labeled as Mini. The three different sizes (which range from 3 11/16 inches long for the Medium, 3 1/16 inches long for the Small, and 2 5/16 inches long for the Mini) are rated to carry loads of 60, 50, and 40 pounds respectively, and provide greater flexibility for how and where a Heroclip can be used.

The Heroclip is a device that is not really designed for any one specific application, but can be used for many applications and its overall usefulness is really only limited by the creativity of the user. The applications can range from simply clipping an item to your pack to using the integrated hook to hang your pack, trekking poles, or other gear while in camp. While the Heroclip may have similarities to a climbing carabiner, it's an accessory clip only and not for climbing use in any way.

A little over a year ago I did a review on Trailspace of the initial Heroclip design which at the time only came in one size.  That earlier review can be found here: Heroclip Medium Review. 

Heroclip has expanded its product line and the Heroclip is now available in three sizes: Medium (the original version), Small, and Mini.

Design and Construction

As I shared in my original review, the Heroclip is composed of an aluminum accessory clip with a bent wire gate common to climbing carabineers that has an 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.

The Heroclip is currently available in the following three sizes:

• Medium: 3-11/16" long by 3-1/8" wide, and weighs 2.0 ounces
• Small: 3-1/16" long by 2-3/8" wide and weighs 1.1 ounces
• Mini: 2-5/16" long by 1-7/8" wide and weighs 0.7 ounces

All the sizes are made from what looks to be ¼" thick aluminum plate.

I was provided a number of the Small HeroClips to review and found the build quality to be very good and consistent across all of the devices I had and with the other sizes I have evaluated. The anodized finish looked good and the operation of the spring wire gate and plastic swivel was also very consistent from one Heroclip to the next. The new sizes have nice environmentally-friendly packaging where the only non-recyclable elements are the zipties holding the Heroclip to the card.

One detail I pointed out in my original review is that I thought the Heroclip would have a better feel in your hand if the edges of the aluminum components had more of a chamfer or radius instead of the simple corner on the original parts I reviewed. I don’t know if I can take the credit, but the Small and Mini Heroclips that I received to review all had a more prominent chamfer as shown in the picture below, which I think improves the feel of the Heroclip in your hand and helps align the Heroclip to the premium price it is sold for ($14.95 to $19.95 depending on size).

Another design detail I commented on in my original review was related to the warning notice printed on the side of the body of the Heroclip. I think it is great that Heroclip includes a warning notice as it is appropriate for this type of product, but the issue I had previously and still exists with the new Small and Mini sizes now available is that a contrasting ink isn’t always used, which makes it difficult to notice the printed warning on the silver bodied Heroclip sizes and even more difficult to see and read on the Mini size due to the small font size as shown in the pictures below. 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.

                          Hard to read warning marking on Heroclip Mini

Versatility

What is supposed to differentiate the Heroclip from other accessory clip designs is its versatility. I have had the larger Medium size Heroclip for more than a year and have found it useful and shared some of those applications in my earlier review, but I have taken a liking to the Small and Mini sizes due to their smaller configuration sand weights, which I feel are more aligned to my outdoor activities.

I have consistently been carrying the Mini Heroclip and have found it useful as a basic gear clip to hold things to my pack, like the Microspikes in the picture below.

                           Heroclip Mini being used to clip Microspikes to pack

Another application I have been experimenting with is having a Heroclip attached to one of my pack straps. I then utilize the hook feature to hang my trekking poles from the Heroclip when I stop to take a picture, etc. Normally I would just stick my poles in the snow or lean them against a tree or rock, but half the time one or both poles would end up on the ground. 

By using the hook feature on the Heroclip it keeps my trekking poles handy and then I can just fold the hook out of the way when I don’t need it. This approach would also be useful for a camera that had a strap or gloves that have a loop. I am torn on which Heroclip I prefer as the Small easily accepts my trekking pole straps, but the Mini is smaller and lighter.  

Here are a couple of pictures showing the application with each size of Heroclip.

      Heroclip Small and Mini being used as temporary place to hang trekking poles 

One more application I have been experimenting with is using a Small and Mini Heroclip attached to two loops on the bottom of my chest pack I use when I am out fly-fishing. The idea is to be able to have a place to set my rod when I am setting up a new rig, etc. and I have found that the hook on the Small Heroclip is a nice size to cradle the cork handle of my rod and the Mini is just right for cradling the shaft of my rod. The nice thing about using Heroclips is that the hook feature can be folded out of the way so that they don’t hang up on things when they are not being used.

Here is a picture from a recent fishing trip with the setup I was describing above.

               Heroclip Small and Mini being used together to hold a fly rod

Strength

As with the original Heroclip size I reviewed previously, the new smaller Heroclip sizes also have a statement on the packaging that each of the sizes can hold the following loads:

•              Heroclip Medium: 60 lbs (was only rated at 50 lbs in previous review)
•              Heroclip Small: 50 lbs
•              Heroclip Mini: 40 lbs

It's also worth pointing out that Heroclip provided a statement on the packaging 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 Heroclip is sincere in trying to communicate that the Heroclip is a simple accessory and never should be used in an application where there is any real consequence, especially with someone or something getting hurt.

So with that said, I did want to verify the claim that the Small Heroclip could hold 50 pounds, so I utilized the same test method as I did in my first review of the Medium Heroclip.

The method I used was to clip the Heroclip under test 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.

                                                        Load test setup

The first test was with the Heroclip in its basic configuration with the hook feature in its stowed position. I added weight to the bucket until I reached 50 pounds and while there was a small amount of deflection to where the spring gate wouldn’t fully close, the Small Heroclip held the load without any issue and operated normally after the test.

                                Heroclip Small with 50-pound load on basic clip

There is no clear indication on the packaging on if the 50-pound maximum capacity applies when the Small Heroclip is utilized in applications involving the load being carried through the hook, so I ran a second test of that configuration, as it could 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. After I loaded the Small Heroclip to 50 pounds I saw the same type of deflection as in the previous test, but the Small Heroclip held the load without an issue and operated normally after the test. 

Here is a picture of the Small Heroclip loaded through the hook with a 50-pound load.

                             Heroclip Small with 50-pound load on hook feature

So all in all, the new Small Heroclip size clearly meets the claim on the packaging of being able to hold up to a maximum load of 50 pounds.

Summary and Recommendation

Again, for me personally, of all the sizes I have found that the Mini Heroclip is the perfect size for many of the things I find the Heroclip useful for and having multiple sizes really extends the versatility of the design. I thought I would slip in one more picture of the three sizes of HeroClips available next to one of the wonderful frost flowers we get here in the Northwest when conditions are just right.

Overall the Small Heroclip is a well-made accessory clip that has unique features that enable it to be used in a variety of useful applications. The two new sizes of Heroclips really expand the potential uses and enable the user to pick a size “just right” for their situation. While not inexpensive at a typical retail price of $19.95 for a Medium, $17.95 for a Small, and $14.95 for the Mini, the Heroclip a well-made product where the value comes from using a little creativity to take advantage of the Heroclip's unique features for different applications. If you're just looking for a simple clip device then an old carabiner or generic accessory clip would be a more cost effective solution.

Many thanks to the people at Heroclip for the opportunity to test the Small size HeroClip for the Trailspace Gear Review Corps!

Available Heroclip sizes:

Background

I have been using several of the Medium size Heroclips for well over a year and have been using the Small and Mini size Heroclips for over the last five months. I have used them in a variety of conditions from around the house to always keeping one or two with me on hikes and other outdoor activities with the intent of experimenting with how they could possibly be used.