Seismic renovation is a topic of crucial importance for many countries in the southern part of Europe, where the high levels of seismic hazard, combined with the presence of old RC frame structures, poses a severe risk to the lives of many. The e-CLT system, part of the European project e-Safe, proposes a seismic retrofit system for existing RC frame buildings by attaching CLT panels to the facade and connecting them to the existing structure with innovative friction dissipative devices. The authors conducted an experimental campaign at component level for this novel connector, with two different setups, with and without a CLT panel. This paper presents the cyclic test results on these friction devices, with particular attention to the influence of the timber connection on friction behaviour.