Hands-on Gear Review

Arc'teryx R320 Review

   
Top Pick Award

Climbing Harness - Men's

  • Currently 4.2/5
Overall avg rating 4.2 of 5 based on 10 reviews. Most recent review: November 2, 2011
Street Price:   Varies from $100 - $159 | Compare prices at 5 resellers
Pros:  Cool looking, light, compact, great gear loops
Cons:  Expensive, not the most comortable
Best Uses:  Sport climbing, gym climbing
User Rating:     
  • 1
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  • 5
 (4.3 of 5) based on 9 reviews
Recommendations:  100% of reviewers (8/8) recommend Arc'teryx R320
Manufacturer:  Arc'Teryx
Review by: , Chris Van Leuven on January 3, 2010
Overview
Of all the harnesses we tested, this one turned the most heads – it is just so thin and unlike any other harness out there. Arc'teryx uses what they call Warp technology to make the waist belt and leg loops about the thickness of two quarters. This means the harness feels like you are not wearing anything. In addition, this harness has a number of quality design features such as a self-locking buckle, awesome gear loops and waist belt tuckaway. Not surprisingly, it was the most expensive harness we tested. The women's version of this climbing harness is the Arc'teryx R280.

  • Photos
  • Specs
Arc'Teryx R320 Harness
Arc'Teryx R320 Harness
Credit: arcteryx.com

Neither the gear loops or haul loop are full strength. Not a big deal ...
Neither the gear loops or haul loop are full strength. Not a big deal with cragging but its nice to have bomber clip in points when you are way off the deck on a multi-pitch climb.
Credit: Chris McNamara

The R320 had some of the best gear loops we tested. They held a ton of...
The R320 had some of the best gear loops we tested. They held a ton of biners and were easy to clip.
Credit: Chris McNamara

Specifications for Arc'teryx R320
  • Weight: 11.7 oz
  • WST: load is evenly supported across entire harness structure
  • Self locking buckle
  • Wear Safety Markers on tie in points
  • Four injection molded reversible/removable gear loops
  • Haul loop
  • Belay Loop
  • Thermoformed tie in point
  • Elasticized leg loops
  • Drop seat
  • Storage bag
  • Fabrics:
  • 7075 T6 Aluminum Anodized buckle
  • Schoeller Dynamic
  • Spacer mesh
  • Type 66 Nylon webbing
  • Polyurethane Gear Loops

The Bottom Line

This was our favorite cragging and gym climbing harness because it is so full featured while being light and compact. Although it is the most expensive harness, the Arc'teryx lifetime warranty insures that you will enjoy it for, well… a lifetime. On a strict budget, get the Black Diamond Momentum harness. If you want the ultimate sport climbing harness at any price, try this on next to the Black Diamond Ozone and see what fits best. Another budget pick is the Mad Rock Alpha Harness but if you want the coolest harness out there, one that will turn the most heads, this is it.


Comparative Review At-a-Glance

See more side-by-side comparisons
  This Product Editors' Choice Best Buy Award
Product Name Arc'teryx R320 Black Diamond Chaos Black Diamond Momentum
Video video review
Street Price $135 | compare prices$125 | compare prices$46 | compare prices
Overall Score
100
0
84
100
0
84
100
0
76
Editors' Awards  Top Pick Award   Editors' Choice Award   Best Buy Award 
Pros Cool looking, light, compact, great gear loopscomfortable, lightComfortable, great gear loops, great value.
Cons Expensive, not the most comortablegear loops break, a little tricky to fitNo self-locking (speed adjust) buckle.
Best Uses Sport climbing, gym climbingall around climbing, sport climbing, craggingSport climbing, trad climbing, multi-pitch climbing, gym climbing.
Date Reviewed Jan 12, 2012Aug 01, 2011Jan 12, 2012
Weighted Metrics Arc'teryx R320 Black Diamond Chaos Black Diamond Momentum
Comfort
10
0
7
10
0
9
10
0
8
Gym and Sport Climbing
10
0
10
10
0
8
10
0
7
Multi-pitch
10
0
9
10
0
10
10
0
9
Alpine Climbing
10
0
8
10
0
7
10
0
6
Ease of use
10
0
9
10
0
7
10
0
7
Product Specs Arc'teryx R320 Black Diamond Chaos Black Diamond Momentum
Weight (size medium or Size 1) 11.7 oz 14.5 oz 14.7 oz
Gear Loops 4 4 4
Haul Loop Yes Yes Yes
Adjustable Legs? No No No
Warranty Lifetime 1 year 1 year
Self-locking buckle? Yes Yes No


OutdoorGearLab Editors' Hands-on Review

Likes
This climbing harness is revolutionary; we have never seen a harness this thin and low profile while being as comfortable as it is. This is one of the few harnesses to easily fit in a laptop bag along with shoes, computer, chalkbag and belay device. And when standing around with it on, it almost feels like you are not wearing a harness. In addition, just about every other feature of this harness is designed well. The gear loops were our favorite in the review; you could clip more biners to them than any other harness and they were easy to clip because of their hard plastic coating. While a few companies now use gear loops that are angled forward, these gear loops were among the few where the gear would slide forward to be there where you wanted it. Also, because there is no space dedicated to ice climbing biners, both the gear loops are positioned further forward where you can easily reach your gear.

While most harnesses now have a self-locking buckle for the waist, this one was one of the smoothest to operate. Also, it has the best tuckaway feature for the extra tail for the waist belt. Everyone agreed this was the coolest looking harness, both in design, colors and material. It's the Audi of harnesses – refined, elegant and expensive. It even comes in a special little tin box that makes it feel like a luxury purchase.

Finally, we love the Arc'teryx lifetime warranty; read more below.

Dislikes
While this harness felt the most comfortable while climbing and standing around, it was not the most comfortable to hang in. Most reviewers were wowed by it at first and wanted to use it. But after hanging in it a lot, some of the initial excitement faded. It is not that the harness is uncomfortable; it is just not as comfortable as other harnesses with beefier foam, especially for hanging around in all day. It is more comfortable than other superlight harnesses such as the Petzl Hirundos and Camp Air, but not as comfortable as the Petzl Sama or Black Diamond Aura and Ozone.

A few minor dislikes: the leg loop straps were very difficult to unhook while wearing. For some women this might be a deal-breaker. It is possible that we tested a harness with a defective hook, so try unhooking for yourself. When rappelling, some testers found the leg loops swished around and were not too comfortable. Also, the trail line loop is not that beefy and a little tricky to clip biners to.

Best Application
This harness excels when you are not hanging in it for long periods of time. This was one of our favorite harnesses for gym climbing, sport climbing and cragging but not for a multi-pitch route or a big wall climb that involves hanging around for hours at a belay.

Personal Story - Awesome Warranty!
Arc'teryx claims a lifetime warranty. And they mean it. Chris Mac got one of their Blade 15 laptop bags after making a donation to the Access Fund. After a year or two the zipper to the main laptop compartment broke. He sent it back to Arc'teryx, fully expecting to pay for the replacement since he had used the bag hard, often stuffing the it to the gills so he would not have to check another bag on the airplane. Arc'teryx not only did not charge for the replacement, they said his model was no longer available so would he like to upgrade to their newer, bigger and flashier model? All at no charge! Up to that point Chris was turned off by the expense of most Arc'teryx gear. But having seen how they stand behind their products, he says they are good value if you plan to use them a lot.

Value
This harness is expensive. For the same price of $135 you could buy three Black Diamond Momentum harnesses. Before testing it we wondered why anyone would pay that much money when there were pretty solid harnesses for $45. That said, considering that a harness will be your most used piece of gear and considering the Arc'teryx warranty, if you want the ultimate featured harness that will last for years then this is a good investment.

Chris McNamara, Chris Van Leuven, OutdoorGearLab Review Staff

Arc'teryx R320

   
Compare this product side-by-side to other climbing harness - men's

OutdoorGearLab Member Reviews of Arc'teryx R320


Most recent review: November 2, 2011
Summary of All Ratings

OutdoorGearLab Editors' Rating:   
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  • 5
 (4.0)
Average Customer Rating:   
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  • 5
 (4.3)

100% of 8 reviewers recommend it
Rating Distribution
11 Total Ratings
5 star: 36%  (4)
4 star: 36%  (4)
3 star: 18%  (2)
2 star: 9%  (1)
1 star: 0%  (0)
Sort 9 member reviews by: Most Recent | Most Helpful
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   Nov 2, 2011 - 10:33pm
tooth · Climber · B.C.
This harness was great until I stuffed it into the bag enough times and ended up over-stretching the elastic in the leg loops. I have skinny legs. Now the loops flap around on my legs and I don't like the harness as much. Maybe I should fold/roll it like the last poster.

Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this product to a friend.
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   Nov 2, 2011 - 10:23pm
rurprider · Climber · Mt. Rubidoux
The R-320 is a super comfy harness, but very fragile. I did a significant amount of climbing in it, but didn't abuse it and it showed enough wear to warrant retirement after one year. The gear loops were awesome and the harness so light I'd be walking up the trail having forgotten I was still wearing it, but too expensive for the short time it lasts. I've gone to a similar Mammut harness that has reinforcements where the R-320 wore out, at 1/5 the price.

Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this product to a friend.
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   Oct 10, 2011 - 03:59pm
crøtch · Climber
This is a super-comfy harness with enough room for a full rack of doubles plus draws. It's probably the most comfortable harness I've ever had and the low profile works as well as a harness can in squeezes.

There are a couple of things that could be better.
1) The rear haul loop is so flimsy that I feel like I might wear through it in a single chimney. I beefed mine up with some climbing tape.
2) The elastic that hold the leg loop to the waist belt in the back wears very quickly and elongates. It could be a bit thicker at the attachment point to the leg loops.
3) It's not easy to drop the leg loops when nature calls. A buckle, or better hook design would help.

Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this product to a friend.
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   Feb 3, 2011 - 11:03am
caughtinside · Climber · Davis, CA
This has been a great harness for me. The only drawback to me is that the lower tie in wears VERY quickly. I'd say it lasted a year of heavy climbing before I wore through the black webbing on the lower tie in into the orange, when Arcteryx recommends replacement.

This has been my favorite harness, but for the price I need it to last longer.

Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this product to a friend.
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Jul 28, 2010 - 08:00pm
 
G_Gnome · Climber · In the mountains... somewhere...
Ha! The lightweight haul loop was one of my favorite features. Anytime I haul a second line up a route I tie it in the front anyway so that it just feels like a lead line so I loved that feature. Chopped the think off of mine!
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   Jul 28, 2010 - 12:19pm
luntor · Climber · norway
This one got me to overcome my fear of the self-lock buckle!
I will offer 2 cons and workarounds :
  • the leg loop wearpoint tend to shift sideways; I have wrapped 2mm cord for the mid 10cm and made it into U-shape
  • flimsy haul-loop (if you can call it so); I have tied some thin webbing through D-ring and around harness
OK, this add a few gr but makes this my favorite since the '70s Troll Willians

Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this product to a friend.
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   May 11, 2010 - 03:40pm
cultureshock · Climber · Mountain View
Pros:
* Very lightweight and moves well with your body.
* Comfortable to wear while hiking and descending from long routes.
* Breathes well and is soft enough to wear shirtless.
* Gear loops are reversible and large enough for a double rack of cams plus quickdraws.

Cons:
* Gear loops are somewhat floppy and the plastic can become detached.
* Gear loops are proportional to the size of harness. The smaller sized harnesses have less room for gear.
* Adjustable leg loops are only available on other modles
* Expensive

For a complete review:

http://www.dreaminvertical.com/?p=1548
  • Luke


Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this product to a friend.
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   Jan 30, 2010 - 07:18am
justindan45 · Climber · GA
I found this to be my best climbing purchase yet.

Likes:
Super lightweight.
Holds up to lots of abuse.
Has built in wear indicators on belay loop and tie-in points.
Organizes gear well. Forward racking.
Comfortable.
The WST system works for me distributing the load evenly on hanging belays.
Feels like you have nothing on at all.
Highly abrasion resistant for adventure climbing.
'Strecthy' fabric reduces that restricted feeling that some harnesses give.

Dislikes:
None so far.

Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this product to a friend.
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   Jan 3, 2010 - 09:03pm
Ihateplastic · Climber · It ain't El Cap, Oregon
Having used everything from 1" tube swamis with self-tied leg loops to 2" red swami belt only to a bunch of homemade stuff (testing... what testing?) and several purchased harnesses I was perplexed when it came to purchasing a new harness. The choices were indeed endless. I went to stores, hung in 'em, dropped the leg loops, thought about racking gear, considered how I could possible put it on wrong, etc.

In the end I settled on the one that tore the biggest hole in my wallet, the Arc'teryx R320. I have not looked back.

The harness is ultra-ultra-ultra light, wraps small in the pack, is acceptably comfortable in a hanging belay, nice enough to rap in and the short falls I have taken so far leave my twig and berries intact.

The ONE BIG COMPLAINT I have is the "haul loop." I am not sure this loop could support a haul line! I know they don't want people being idiots and clipping into it as an anchor point (DON'T do this!) but still, let's add a little bit of beef to it boys!

Overall, I highly recommend this as a great all-around trad harness. Keep it on all day and you will still feel light and airy at the end of the day. (I have no idea what that means... just came out of my head like a vacuous tampon commercial. )

Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this product to a friend.
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Arc'Teryx R320 Harness
Arc'Teryx R320 Harness
Credit: arcteryx.com

Arc'Teryx R320 Harness

Credit: arcteryx.com
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