Harnesses are undoubtedly the most important part of your gears when it comes to climbing. It needs to be perfect as it is an important part of your safety gears. You will also be using the harness at all times; whether it is for belaying or climbing. 

Most harnesses out there are made using a male body in mind. It is of utmost importance that a harness fits you properly or else it won’t be serving its full purpose. We have made a list of best women’s climbing harness just for you.

Camp Supernova

Amongst the sixteen designs of harnesses that Camp offers, there is only Supernova that is designed for women. Although it is a little off putting to see that they only offer one design for us, we can have solitude in knowing that the design it offers is outstanding. Supernova is extremely lightweight and comfortable. It is unique in itself and marks a new standard for harnesses all around. 

There is a waist belt that is designed specially to fit a woman’s body. They come in different colours like blue and green which give us a break from the stereotypical pink that can be seen in other harnesses for women. This harness has been tested on steep routes and adventures with multi-pitch trad. The results were that the harness did very well in both the conditions. If you’re thinking of using this for ice climbing, then you should keep into mind that there are only two clips on this harness.

Pros

• Camp Supernova is extremely lightweight.
• It is very breathable and comfortable.
• Fits a woman’s body well.

Cons

Comparatively less durable.

A tad bit on the higher price range. 

Black Diamond Solution

Black diamond’s Solution uses a technology named the Fusion Comfort Technology. This technology uses three stands of webbing in the area of the waist belt as well as the leg loops in order to reduce the pressure points and help in distributing the load. A lot of women have ranked the Solution at the top when it comes to comfort. It has a thin waist belt and leg loops that keeps you cool and it doesn’t have any fitting issues that you might find annoying. 

Another striking feature that helps make this harness a little more comfortable are the leg loops which are tapered. The construction of leg loops isn’t simple, if they’re too wide and massy then you might feel like there’s a lot of bunching there. The leg loops are wide and it can taper down so that you feel comfortable. 

Pros

• It ranked at a high place when it came to the comfort level. 
• The rise is women specific.
• It is lightweight. 

Cons

• The leg loops are fixed
• It isn’t very versatile.

The Misty Mountain Silhouette

Made in the heart of Appalachia, The Misty Mountain Silhouette is an extremely comfortable and a well-rounded harness. With great comfort, it is also very sturdy and works wonders when used for long routes that might require you to be hanging at every single belay.

It has a four inches wide waist belt on the back and around the front it tapers back, contouring around the hips and waist, hence providing a ton of padding overall. It isn’t as massy as other big harnesses for the wall, but it is just the right size that won’t make you cry the next day when you have to belay again. 

There is a good amount of padding available on the leg loops as well which is great as the harness holds most of your weight. Yes, we do appreciate lighter gears but the extra padding is definitely needed on your harness.

You will also find a haul loop tab which is good enough to fit a carabiner or two. It is good to have more options for racking for items like a bottle, shoes or anything else that you would like to clip on your rear. Apart from that, the outside of the waist belt is made out of abrasion resistant materials.

Pros

• The comfort for hanging is a perfect ten.
• It is a fairly versatile harness
• It is highly adjustable.
• There is extra padding.
• It has large gear loops

Cons

• The mobility level is low.
• The standing comfort level is average. 

The Arc’teryx AR-385a – best women’s climbing harness

The Arc’teryx AR-385a comes with a warp technology that has a four-inch-wide waist belt. The harness is designed in such a way that the padding is distributed throughout the harness, instead of having padding only near one or two webbing bands that are responsible for carrying the load.  

It also comes with four rigid gear loops that are covered in plastic that has attachment points which are flexible. There is also a loop (non-structural), for an extra gear or maybe a haul line in the back. 

The standing comfort also reaches the top level. It comes with leg loops and waist belts that are so thin that you won’t even know it exists. However, the hanging support is just average.

Pros

• It is thin and lightweight. 
• Mobility is excellent
• It is extremely comfortable. 
• Has a great standing comfort.
• The versatility can be ranked 10/10.

Cons

• Very expensive.
• Low hanging support 

The Mammut Ophir

There is no shortage of features when it comes to Mammut Ophir 3 Slide. It comes at a very reasonable price and offers an all-round harness. The Split Webbing technology brings the comfort in the harness like nothing else. 

The weight is distributed evenly around the hips which automatically reduces the demand for extra padding. There are also Slide Bloc buckles that make it very easy to make adjustments to the waist belt and leg loops to make them your perfect fit. 

Designed specifically to tackle the strong tie in points, this harness also comes with an indicator that will let you know when the wear becomes high, so that you can replace the harness when time comes and you don’t have to worry about the safety of it. 

Pros

• There are ties in points for higher durability.
• Simple to use adjustment buckles
• Reasonable price.
• Comes with a wear indicator.

Cons

• Not the most versatile. 

The Edelrid Jayne

The Edelrid Jayne is a harness that offers the biggest selection of size ranges in the market of women’s harness. Thus, it becomes possible for women with different body types to find their perfect fit easily.  

There is also a lot of adjustability available for each harness size which can come in handy if you’re going to wear extra layers of clothing for cold. It can also come in handy if you’re lending the harness to your friend.

Jayne has a waist belt padding that can be moved, which basically means that when you want to adjust the harness, the padding can be centered and the gear loops as well. This makes the harness extremely easy to use, comfortable and makes your gear easy to grab. 

Everyone has varying body shapes. And harnesses come for various purposes. So, you must find a harness that suits your body well.  For a gym trainer, a basic harness would work, for a sports climber, a ton of gear loops will be required and so on. Here is a list of things you will have to bear in mind while buying the best women’s climbing harness.

Fit

This criterion should be at the top of your list as it will ensure your safety and is necessary for comfort. To get your perfect size, you should measure your waist properly and then select a harness. Now the plus point is that major manufacturers use a common size chart, so it won’t be a problem if you measure your waist at home and order the harness online. 

Another point to take into account is what kind of climbing you are going to do as you’ll need a harness to fit accordingly. Let’s say you are climbing in winter, then you will be wearing extra layers. So, keep in mind the extra layers before you buy the harness.

A few harnesses come with adjustable loops for legs but some have fixed loops. If you want better flexibility in sizing, go for ones with adjustable loops.

Comfort

This becomes a critical feature to look at for the most part, once you are wearing your harness, you won’t take it off till the end of the day. And so, you want the harness to be comfortable; so much so that you won’t even notice you’re wearing it. Harnesses are often padded which is good. But make sure the padding is light and breathable instead of bulky and tight. Make sure that you check the comfort of the harness while hanging as well as belaying. 

Durability

 Climbing is definitely not a soft activity. It is natural that your gears are going to go through the usual wear and tear. It could be from the walls, rocks, and the abrasion is inevitable. But make sure you buy durable harnesses so that you don’t have to buy them again and again. 

If you’re someone who climbs a lot then there are tie-in points reinforced which are especially designed to stand against wear and tear from the rope. There are some harnesses that come with a wear indicator too.

Gear Loops

If you are into trad climbing or sport climbing then gear loops are severely important. This is because these types of climbing are challenging enough already, you don’t want your gear loops to fumble before clipping and add to the challenges. Different harnesses come with a different number of gear loops. They also come in different placement and sizes.

If there are bigger loops, you will be able to carry more cams, nuts and draws which can be important when you need to multi-pitch routes and for longer climbs. Rigid gear loops will help you grab your gear easily when needed. If there are extra gear loops, you can attach gear that you won’t be needing immediately.

Conclusion

It doesn’t matter if you’re buying your first harness or are about to buy your 12^th one, a lot of thought should go into making this purchase. Because a harness is something you will be wearing regularly and your life undoubtedly depends on it. With more than average use, a harness should last around five to six years, which is way longer than some of the other items you will purchase like rope, shoes etc. Make sure you buy a harness suitable for your climbing style and your physique. 

A lot of manufacturers come up with harnesses designed for women, some come up with special women’™s design of their men’s model. What should be more important, that irrespective of their style, they should fit you the most. Because nothing will be more important than the fit.