The Edelrid Jayne II is a reasonably priced, all-around harness. It is a bit bulky, but this means that it is comfortable in a variety of settings. From cragging and sport climbing to multi-pitch trad routes, it excels. Its low-rise didn't fit our lead tester super well, but its highly adjustable waist belt and leg loops make it a good option for climbing programs or gym use. We prefer a lighter weight harness, like the Black Diamond Solution, for sport climbing and cragging. This harness costs less and was much more comfortable and sleek to climb in.
Editor's Note: This review was updated on July 7, 2022 with information on the latest version of the Jayne harness.Edelrid Jayne II Review
This all-around harness is a good beginner model and also good for gyms or programs
Credit: Edelrid
Price: $70 List | $69.95 at Amazon
Pros: Sliding waist belt keeps the belay loop in front as you adjust it, comfortable to hang in, durable
Cons: Rear haul loop isn't very functional, bulky
Manufacturer: Edelrid
Cons: Rear haul loop isn't very functional, bulky
Manufacturer: Edelrid
By Cam McKenzie Ring ⋅ Senior Review Editor ⋅ Jul 7, 2022
Our Editors independently research, test, and rate the best products. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and we never accept free products from manufacturers. Learn more
Our Verdict
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
Edelrid Jayne II | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  |  | |||
| Price | $70 List $69.95 at Amazon | $80 List $79.95 at REI | $65 List $64.95 at REI | $80.00 at Backcountry Compare at 2 sellers | $75 List $74.95 at REI |
Overall Score  |
|||||
| Star Rating | |||||
| Pros | Sliding waist belt keeps the belay loop in front as you adjust it, comfortable to hang in, durable | Lightweight, breathable, comfortable, and highly mobile | Comfortable, easy to clip rigid gear loops, great value, adjustable leg loop system is light and easy | Well-constructed, adjustable, loops for ice clippers | Comfortable if you like to wear your harness on your hips |
| Cons | Rear haul loop isn't very functional, bulky | Uncomfortable if leg loops don't fit you | Waist belt doesn't have the best ventilation | Expensive, haul loop not full strength, gear loops in rear too small and hard to reach | Rear gear loops are small and hard to reach, haul loop not full strength |
| Bottom Line | This all-around harness is a good beginner model and also good for gyms or programs | A lightweight and thin harness that is comfortable to hang in | One of the best and least expensive all around harnesses in this review | Adjustable leg version of the popular Selena harness | A popular harness, particularly among women with a shorter rise |
| Rating Categories | Edelrid Jayne II | Black Diamond Solution | Black Diamond Momentum | Petzl Luna | Petzl Selena |
| Hanging Comfort (30%) | |||||
| Standing Comfort (25%) | |||||
| Features (20%) | |||||
| Versatility (15%) | |||||
| Adjustability (10%) | |||||
| Specs | Edelrid Jayne II | Black Diamond Solution | Black Diamond Momentum | Petzl Luna | Petzl Selena |
| Designed for these Disciplines | Sport, Trad, Ice | Sport | Sport, Trad | Sport, Trad, Ice | Sport |
| Weight in Ounces (Size Small) | 15.5 | 12 | 12.2 | 15 | 13.2 |
| Gear Loops | 4 (rigid with flexible attachment points) | 4 (rigid) | 4 (rigid) | 5 (rigid with flexible attachment points) | 4 (rigid with flexible attachment points) |
| Haul Loop | Yes (very small) | Yes (not full strength) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Adjustable Legs? | Yes | No | Yes | Yes (not detachable) | No |
| Self-Locking Buckle? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Ice Tool Holder Slot | Yes (2) | No | No | No | No |
| Waistbelt Construction | 3D mesh padding | Fusion Comfort Technology (3 strands of webbing) | Dual Core (2 thin bands of webbing with foam in between) | EndoFrame construction | EndoFrame construction |
| Special Features | Plastic protector over bottom tie-in point | Leg loops have same wide construction as waistbelt | trakFIT leg adjusters are low profile and lightweight | Contoured waistband, long-rise for better hip-pacement |
Show full specification detailsHide full specification details
Our Analysis and Test Results
Product Update Note — July 2022
The updated Jayne harness, sometimes called the Jayne III or just the Jayne, has a few small changes, such as the harness's bluesign certification, meaning that it was made with less environmental impact than the previous model. Notable updates include a revised tie-in point, elasticized leg loops, and wear indicators in the form of red webbing sewn into the belay loop and tie-in points that will notify you when the harness is wearing out. Above, compare the two versions; the one we tested is shown on the left, followed by the latest version of the Jayne, right.
The updated Jayne harness, sometimes called the Jayne III or just the Jayne, has a few small changes, such as the harness's bluesign certification, meaning that it was made with less environmental impact than the previous model. Notable updates include a revised tie-in point, elasticized leg loops, and wear indicators in the form of red webbing sewn into the belay loop and tie-in points that will notify you when the harness is wearing out. Above, compare the two versions; the one we tested is shown on the left, followed by the latest version of the Jayne, right.
Hands-on Review of the Jayne II
The Jayne II has a sliding waist belt to help you keep the belay loop in the right position. It has a tiny loop in the back that you could potentially use for a haul line, but it's hard to get a carabiner in and out of it. It does have two ice clipper slots and a low-profile back for chimneying. Note that we thought this harness was a little on the roomy side in the size medium that we tested. We had a ton of extra webbing on our waist belt and had the harness cinched all the way down. Just keep that in mind if you are between sizes on their chart, you'll perhaps want to size down.
This all-around harness felt a little heavy when sport climbing, but it was comfortable to hang in.
Credit: Cam McKenzie Ring
Standing Comfort
We found the Jayne to perform averagely in terms of standing comfort. Its bulkiness got in the way on routes but didn't bother us too much standing around. That said, we preferred to remove the Jayne before walking and felt it was a bit inhibiting when lounging around at the base of the crag.
Here you can see the extra stitching on the inner thigh that was a bit bothersome when the harness was on for long periods of time.
Credit: Lindsay Hamm
Hanging Comfort
This harness was an average performer when it came to hanging comfort as well as standing comfort. There is some good padding in the waist and leg loops, so we liked hanging in this one more than some of the superlight models, and we liked that it wasn't as bulky as others. There was one spot on each leg loop that is hard and full of stitching, and we sometimes felt that pushing into us which wasn't so comfortable.
A hanging belay in Yosemite in the Edelrid Jayne. This harness was surprisingly comfortable to hang in!
Credit: Lindsay Hamm
Discipline-Specific Features
The Jayne has some good features for an all-around model, like ice clipper slots, but it is missing a real haul loop in the back, which was a little annoying, especially since it seems like it is designed for multi-pitch climbing or long routes.
The "e" is actually a tab that you can (try to) slide a carabiner in to. We prefer bigger haul loops than this one.
Credit: Cam McKenzie Ring
It took some time, but we did end up liking the plastic reinforcement on the bottom tie-in point, though. This protects both your harness and your rope from repeated friction and wear in one spot.
The plastic covering is meant to add durability to the tie-in points. It also makes the belay loop slide around freely, which we liked.
Credit: Lindsay Hamm
Versatility
This is a pretty versatile harness. It's comfortable enough for long routes, though you might not have quite enough room on your gear loops and it doesn't have a useable haul loop. (The tab at the back says 25 kg (55 lbs), but it's hard to get a carabiner through it.) It does have two ice clipper tool slots, should you only ice climb occasionally or only want one on each side when you do.
One of the two slots to attach an ice tool carabiner.
Credit: Lindsay Hamm
Adjustability
While this harness does have adjustable leg loops, we thought that the rise was a little low, and even when we had the leg straps extended all the way, it didn't sit on our waist properly. The leg loops are fully adjustable though, which is nice when it's cold out, and you need to layer. The waistbelt is also adjustable in a unique way.
The extra-long webbing makes the Jayne highly adjustable, but also shows that this harness runs big.
Credit: Lindsay Hamm
The load bearing webbing is moveable within the padding so that you can keep the belay loop directly in front of you when making the waist bigger or smaller. Again, this harness runs large, so consider going down a size to get the proper fit.
The leg loops were easy to adjust and we liked the range. The buckles were easier to use on the Jayne than other models we tested.
Credit: Lindsay Hamm
Value
This harness has a very approachable price tag. That said, harnesses from other brands received higher scores and had lower price tags than the Jayne.
Conclusion
There is nothing wrong with Edelrid Jayne II, but it didn't stand out enough in any one particular way to win an award in our review. It is comfortable and fairly versatile though, and may just be the perfect fit for you!
— Cam McKenzie Ring
You Might Also Like
Ad-free. Influence-free. Powered by Testing.
GearLab is founded on the principle of honest, objective, reviews. Our experts test thousands of products each year using thoughtful test plans that bring out key performance differences between competing products. And, to assure complete independence, we buy all the products we test ourselves. No cherry-picked units sent by manufacturers. No sponsored content. No ads. Just real, honest, side-by-side testing and comparison.
Learn More