I'm in the "think they're worth it" camp. I own a Alpha hang-on. This is why: First of all they are squeekless. They are rock solid steady when up. They are ambidexturous, meaning you can put them on a tree from either side. The platform is adjustable for tree angle. The tree hook system is easy to put up. You don't have to have three free hands to do it. You can have multiple hooks in multiple trees, making relocating even easier.