Start with the kind of connection. Karabiners stated to EN 362:2004 Class B, in oval or bulb shapes, are general connectors for joining a lanyard, rope or device to a harness D-ring or anchor: the oval shape keeps ropes and devices aligned, and the bulb shape has a snag resistant key lock nose. Hooks stated to Class T are made to sit at the end of a lanyard, such as snap hooks, swivel hooks, scaffold hooks and the 85 mm steel tower hook. For clipping straight onto a beam or large structure, Karam's stainless steel anchorage hooks are stated to EN 362:2004 Class A, and its steel and aluminium anchorage hooks for a telescopic pole are stated to EN 795:2012 Type B, for setting up an anchor point overhead.
Then match the gate opening to what the connector has to close around. Karabiners in this range open from 13.5 mm to 27.0 mm, which suits D-rings, rope eyes and lanyard loops, and the 22 mm gate of the steel PN114BE is noted as easy to handle with gloves and ropes. Scaffold hooks open 50 mm (PN131N) or 50.8 mm (PN177) for scaffold tubes, the aluminium scaffold and rebar hooks 60.0 mm, or 109.0 mm on the PN138, tower hooks from 50.0 mm to 85 mm, and the stainless steel anchorage hooks up to 140.0 mm. Most connectors here have a minimum breaking strength of 23 kN; some larger steel karabiners reach 40 or 45 kN, while the Class A stainless steel anchorage hooks and the aluminium tower hook are listed at 20 kN.
Next choose the locking action. A screw locking sleeve is turned by hand and suits connections that stay in place for a long time, and the lock indicator versions, such as the PN112(LI) and PN116B(LI), show when the sleeve is properly closed. A quarter turn gate locks itself and opens with one twist, so it is quick to clip and unclip through a shift, while a triple action gate needs three deliberate movements to open, for extra protection against accidental opening. Snap hooks, scaffold hooks and tower hooks mostly have a spring gate that closes and locks on its own. Swivel hooks such as the PN130, PN162 and PN165 stop the lanyard twisting, and a load or fall indicator on models such as the PN123, PN162, PN165, PN181 and PN130 shows whether the hook has already arrested a fall.
Finally pick the material for the site. Aluminium alloy keeps weight down, with oval karabiners from 74.6 g, and the aluminium oval karabiners are also stated to EN 12275:2013. Alloy steel models reach up to 45 kN, polished stainless steel suits work where corrosion is a concern, and the Karam dielectric snap hook and scaffold hook, moulded in polymer with steel reinforcement, have dielectric resistance up to 14 kV stated by Karam. For explosive atmospheres, the PN112, PN116, PN116BE and PN117 also list ATEX 2014/34/EU, and where an ISI mark is specified, the PN111, PN113, PN121, PN162 and PN131N are marked to IS 3521 (Part 5):2021.