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Climbing poles is part of being a lineman and it can be dangerous without the proper fall protection. Thankfully the technology of today has advanced and gives us a great selection of fall restraints that keep us on the pole. It’s important to find the best lineman fall restraint for you to make your work day safe and enjoyable.
If you’re in the market for a new bucksqueeze (fall restraint device) for that climbing belt of yours, read on and see which one best suits your needs.
Best Overall: Buckingham 490 K3 EZ Squeeze with LeverGrab
One of the newer belts on the market, the 490 K3 uses its patented and quite new LeverGrab technology to easily adjust your inner rope without needing to take your weight off. Many lineman rave about the 490 K3 as the most premium fall restraint money can buy. Not only does this fall restraint have the new tech of EZ Squeeze and LeverGrab, but Buckingham also made the Buckhorn easy to use. A smooth flick of the Buckhorn and your strap loosens just enough.
It doesn’t stop there either; they also toughened the handle and made it more ergonomic when in your climbing motion. The inner rope, ToughRope, is made of quality material and even has a red indicator when the rope has wore and is ready for replacement. You can easily set this fall restraint up for a left handed or right handed pole climber.
Best Budget: 3M Cynch-Lok
One I’m very familiar with as it was my first fall restraint I learned to climb with and I got quite comfortable using this model. This bucksqueeze cynch-lok is a bit dated (2012), but very reliable and did it’s job for me for years before it finally began to show it’s wear. The Cynch-Lok does exactly that- cinches tight to the pole when needed and can easily be adjusted with one hand.
The strap ends make for decent hand placement areas to raise and lower the fall restraint while climbing. I prefer the handle and carabiner of the EZ Squeeze for my hand placement, but the Cynch-Lok model works great and has a ton of life in it.
Best Runner-Up: Buckingham EZ Squeeze With Woven Inner Strap
This one is my favorite on the list. I’ve been using this model, with the woven inner strap, for the past year or so and I love how smooth the Buckingham WebGrab system is when adjusting as you climb up and down the pole. With the palm of your hand you can easily hit the Buckhorn and release some strap so you don’t have to adjust your weight, hence the EZ Squeeze name.
The carabiners are perfect for both safety and hand placement. The handle makes it a breeze to securely and comfortably climb poles. Some lineman prefer the rope inner strap, but personally I’ve always liked the woven web inner strap, but you can order whichever way you’d like.
Best Under $800: Buckingham Supersqueeze With Distribution Web Strap
The Buckingham Supersqueeze is a solid choice no doubt. It is very similar to the EZ Squeeze mentioned above, but it doesn’t have the EZ Buckhorn adjuster. The Supersqueeze requires you to take your weight off the strap and then adjust your Buckhorn, to give yourself some slack.
One other thing about this model is the hand placement straps, they just aren’t as comfortable to use as the EZ Squeeze. They work just fine, but personally I think the EZ Squeeze model above is a bit superior.
The Supersqueeze, much like the models above, allows you to adjust with one hand instead of 2 hands like earlier bucksqueeze models. Honestly, if you are in the market for a new fall restraint, this is the one I would get. The reasoning is because I rarely use the EZ Squeeze feature, the price is more affordable and it does exactly what you need it to do.
Unique Design: The Patriot
The Patriot is a fall restraint that many lineman enjoy because of the established handles. The other models on this list all require your hands to be placed on the carabiners or the leather strapping, but with the Patriot you get handles that make moving your belt up and down the pole a priority. Another aspect of the Patriot that is unique is inserting the key to the connector body when initially attaching to the Pole. This differs from the other models as they simply connect to your D ring with a carabiner.
Whether you prefer a Bucksqueeze, EZ Squeeze, SuperSqueeze, Cynch-Lok or the Patriot’s unique handle design these are all the best lineman restraints of 2022 and you can’t go wrong with any of them. It really does come down to personal preference. They all hold up well and will last you for years of hard work climbing up and down them poles.
If you are looking for a great climbing belt to go along with your new fall restraint check out The 2022 Ultimate Guide to Climbing Belts.