When comparing Petzl Reverso 4 vs Mad Rock Lifeguard, the Slant community recommends Mad Rock Lifeguard for most people. In the question“What are the best belay devices for rock climbing?” Mad Rock Lifeguard is ranked 5th while Petzl Reverso 4 is ranked 6th.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Use as tuber and guide mode in same direction
Using it as a tuber/rappelling device, belay or guide belay is always used in the same direction (carabiner from bottom). This also allows to switch to back to climbing in an abseil situation.
Pro Asymmetrical design
With one side providing significantly more friction.
Pro More compact than a Grigri2
Pro Feeds rope to leader without special technique
Feeds slack somewhat more easily than Grigri, if the brake strand is lifted up and fed into the device (like belaying with a tube device).
Cons
Con No assisted braking
Con Lowering is more finicky than Grigri
Quickly transitions from "too slow" to "too fast".
Con No "lip" to grab while feeding slack quickly
While it typically feeds slack better than a Grigri, so the Grigri "fast feed" technique is not necessary, it can still sometimes get jammed. The "fast feed" Grigri technique of putting fingers under the metal lip and pressing down on the cam is not as easy to do on the Lifeguard as it is on Grigri.