Black Diamond Solution - Women's Review

The Solution uses Black Diamond's “Fusion Comfort Technology,” which has three different strands of webbing in the waistbelt and leg loops to help distribute the load and minimize pressure points. This harness weighed 11.6 ounces on our scales in the size Small we tested.

Hanging Comfort

We didn't think that the Solution would be so comfortable to hang in because, at first glance, there is minimal padding, and our experience with thin harnesses hasn't always been excellent. But the triple-strand load distribution disperses your weight over the entirety of the waistbelt and leg loops, and we felt great hanging in this one even on an extended belay or hangdog session.

Here, again, is where the Solution's leg loops are superior to other models. Some others we tested didn't have enough coverage, so we felt the adjustable webbing digging into the sides of our thighs and cutting off circulation. The Solution's loops extend far enough around the front to mitigate this issue. The waistband was also surprisingly comfortable for being so thin, though we still prefer more padding when doing longer routes with hanging belays.

Standing Comfort and Mobility

The Solution received one of our highest scores for standing comfort and overall mobility. It's our favorite harness to wear around the crag. The thin waist belt and leg loops help you stay cool all day long, and we didn't have any weird or annoying fit issues with it.

A lot of this metric comes down to how well the different geometries of a harness fit your particular body shape. The Solution is designed to fit the contours of a woman's body. We found this harness to sit slightly above our hips and still allow the leg loops to settle comfortably on the thigh without causing discomfort.

One of the things that makes this harness more comfortable are the tapered leg loops. Leg loop construction must be a finicky business — if it is too wide and bulky where it passes between your thighs, and you'll feel like there's too much material bunching up in that spot. The Solution has one of the widest leg loops in this review, but it tapers down so that there isn't too much going on between your legs.

Features

We rated each harness on its discipline-specific features. When evaluating an all-around harness, we wanted to be sure we really could use it for multiple disciplines, and with a sport-specific harness, we wanted it to have everything we needed to help us send our project and nothing that we didn't. When compared to other sport-specific harnesses, the Solution had much better features than comparable options in our lineup.

We think the molded gear loops that Black Diamond uses on most of their harnesses are some of the best in the business. They are encased in plastic molding so that they are rigid for easy racking, extremely durable, and abrasion-resistant. Our only quibble with this style is that it's not comfortable to throw your pack on over this harness when moving from one spot to another. It's not that big a deal to take your harness off either, but for anything more than a five-minute hike, you'll be more comfortable without it on.

We like that these gear loops lay flat. The idea behind their design is that it keeps all of your draws at the front of the gear loop for easy access. But when the angle steepens, they all shoot to the back of your harness, making them a bit harder to reach.

Versatility

As a dedicated sport model, the Solution isn't the most versatile harness, but it still works great for trad climbing and has plenty of room on the gear loops for a double rack. It's definitely comfortable enough to take on a longer route, but it lacks a few key features that you would want in an all-around model.

There is a 0 kN tab sewn on the back of the harness for a tagline, potentially, though it does seem a little flimsy to us. There's no option for ice tool carabiners, and the non-adjustable leg loops will limit your ability to wear this over heavier pants in colder weather.

Adjustability

The Solution is not very adjustable. The fixed leg loops do have a good amount of stretch to them from the elastic, but if the proportions don't quite fit you, then you won't find this model as comfortable.

Black Diamond does seem to have sized their leg loops a little more generously than the Arc'teryx models we've tested. If you do need more adjustability in the legs, check out a harness with fully adjustable leg loops or size up in this model to get the most comfortable fit.

Should You Buy The Black Diamond Solution?

The Black Diamond Solution is our number one choice for most sport climbing applications. The lightweight and breathable waistbelt won't weigh you down, and it's comfortable enough for prolonged hanging or working belays. If you haven't liked some of the thinner-style harnesses in the past, check this one out. You might be pleasantly surprised.

What Other Climbing Harness Should You Consider?

If a sport climbing harness is what you're after, check out the Black Diamond airNET. This is one of the lightest harnesses on the market and was designed in conjunction with Adam Ondra, who stripped it down to its bare necessities. The airNET has two fully molded gear loops on the front and two lightweight webbing loops on the back, which limits the space to carry draws. However, if you're sport climbing at a crag with fixed draws, this is an excellent alternative as an uber-lightweight harness. If you're aiming to invest in a more versatile harness for all of your climbing adventures – sport, trad, and ice – it's well worth considering our overall top choice, the Arc'teryx AR-385a.