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Since we started more than 10 years ago, our team of lady rock crushers has tested over 30 of the best climbing harnesses for women. Our review features 11 of today's top models, including great options for gym, rock, alpine, and ice climbing. We wore these harnesses while tackling long alpine objectives, clipping bolts at our local crag, in the gym, and on icy, picked-out waterfalls.
The Arc'teryx AR-385a continues to impress for its versatility in all disciplines. Thanks to an innovative design that practically eliminates padding, it's surprisingly lightweight and agile for gymnastic movement yet still comfortable in a hanging belay. It's not quite as breathable as gym-specific harnesses, but if you want to invest in a single harness that can do it all, this is our favorite.
We recognize that not everyone wants to pay for a harness like the AR-385a, which is why it's important to point our that you can get 97% of the performance for a fraction of the price from the Black Diamond Momentum. You can't go ice climbing in this harness – there are no ice clipper slots – and its heavily padded waist belt isn't great for tropical climates. But for anything between these two extremes, this harness presents the best value in our lineup.
OutdoorGearLab's roots are in rock climbing, and as a result, we have a world-class team of climbers putting down the best reviews of climbing gear. Whether you're searching for a new rope, a fresh pair of climbing shoes, or you want to update your belay device, we have in-depth reviews and gear round-ups to help you with your selections. Also, check out our curated list of climbing gear.
Editor's Note: We updated our women's harness review on November 21, 2024.
Weight (size small): 13 oz | Designed for: Trad, Alpine
PROS
Lightweight
Comfortable for hanging in
Versatile for many disciplines
Big gear loops
CONS
Expensive
Not very breathable
If you like to climb in the mountains, hit the crag with your double set of cams, or rack draws for your alpine sport project, the Arc'teryx AR-385a is the do-it-all harness for you. The AR-385a is an impressive piece of engineering: it's comfortable, sleek, and functional, and it is sure to attract compliments at the crag and invite questions about its design. The patented Warp Strength Technology evenly distributes weight across the harness, practically eliminating padding while maintaining comfort. While it includes all of the necessary features for an all-around harness, it really shines for trad and alpine climbing. The wide waistband provides comfort at hanging belays, and the extra-wide gear loops ensure ample room for a double rack plus some. There is also a large haul loop in the rear to clip approach shoes or haul a tagline. If you're looking for a compact option for long rock climbs or an alpine mission, this harness is a great choice.
A small gripe with the design of this harness is that it absorbs more sweat than most. So if you regularly climb in hot and humid climates, it is likely worth considering something with a mesh back, like the ultra-breathable but equally expensive Black Diamond airNET. The main downside to the AR-385a, however, is the price tag. It is, without a doubt, one of the more expensive models we've tested and likely better suited for someone who climbs a lot. If you're just new to climbing, or you mostly plan to stick with sport climbing, other less expensive options will better serve your needs.
Weight (size small): 10.5 oz | Designed for: Sport, Trad
PROS
Lots of padding in the waist belt and legs
Rigid gear loops make clipping easy
Excellent value
CONS
Waist belt is not very breathable
No ice clipper slots
An iteration of a harness that Black Diamond has been selling for years, the Black Diamond Momentum does not disappoint. It's a versatile, all-around model that is comfortable, adjustable, and inexpensive. It has Black Diamond's unique trakFIT adjustable leg loops, which provide a bit of adjustability but still the security of a fixed-leg system. The plastic-covered gear loops are rigid and stick out from the waist belt for easy clipping and unclipping, and there is a sturdy haul loop in the back.
The Momentum has a thickly padded waist belt, which is excellent for hanging belays but not so great on warm days. We always found ourselves with a sweaty back in this one, and something you certainly should keep in mind if you regularly climb in hot weather or tropical climates. If that sounds like you, it's worth considering upgrading to a more breathable harness like the Black Diamond Solution. Other than that, the Momentum is an affordable buy for a new climber who wants a guaranteed all-around versatile harness or for a seasoned rope climber looking to save money.
Weight (size small): 11.4 oz | Designed for: Sport
PROS
Breathable and lightweight
Comfortable
Great mobility
CONS
Specific fit for leg loops
Less than ideal for long hangs
While we don't love every harness that Black Diamond is currently making — we're looking at you, Technician — we'll admit we do love the Black Diamond Solution for both trad and sport climbing. The Solution is lightweight and breathable, and it is surprisingly comfortable considering the minimal amount of padding. The load is dispersed throughout the waist belt and leg loops via three different strands of thin webbing so you never feel a pressure point in one spot. The elastic on the leg loops have great stretch and mobility, and they are tapered just the right amount for where they pass through your thighs.
The leg loops on the Solution have a bit of stretch, but they're not adjustable. If you have larger or smaller thighs relative to your waist, the Solution may not fit you well. And though this harness felt great while hang-dogging and giving our friends epic belays, it wouldn't be our first choice for a Grade V with hanging belays. For high-grade alpine climbs, it's well worth considering investing in a harness like the Arc'teryx AR-385a. However, if single-pitch tad or sport cragging is your jam, you'll appreciate the lightweight nature of the Solution and the surprising level of comfort it provides.
Weight (size small): 9.7 oz | Designed for: Sport, Trad
PROS
Lightweight
Comfortable
Women's specific fit
CONS
Leg loops aren't adjustable
Small rear gear loops
The Blue Ice Cuesta is a women's-specific climbing harness designed for comfort and freedom of movement on long days. Its lightweight design makes it ideal for climbing in the backcountry, where every ounce in your backpack matters. As our top pick for multi-pitch climbs, it strikes a perfect balance between functionality, comfort, and durability. The harness has adequately sized gear loops capable of accommodating a double rack, while its abrasion-resistant fabric stands up to burly chimney climbing and scumming on sharp granite. Additionally, the rear gear loops lie flush with your body, which makes climbing with a backpack much more comfortable.
Although the leg loops are equipped with elastic that provides some stretch, they don't allow for large adjustments. If you need just a bit of extra wiggle room to accommodate an extra layer or a pair of long underwear, it shouldn't be a problem and shouldn't restrict mobility. The Cuesta lacks ice clipper slots, limiting it to a three-season harness. If you're looking for a versatile harness for all types of climbing, it's worth considering investing in a four-season option like the Arc'teryx AR-385a. Despite these few drawbacks, the Cuesta remains an affordable and comfortable choice tailored to the female form.
Weight (size small): 4.9 oz | Designed for: Sport, Alpine, Ice
PROS
Extremely lightweight
Breathable
Durable
CONS
Difficult to add layers while wearing
Not comfortable hanging
The Blue Ice Addax is ideal for alpine or backcountry climbs that prioritize lightness and speed. This is the ultimate ultralight option, just as long as you aren't going to be hanging in your harness or rappelling through the night. It also works great for general mountaineering and glacier travel when you just need a harness for crevasse safety. Despite its lightweight design, it offers exceptional durability, defying expectations often associated with lighter gear, which carries the stigma of wearing out faster than heavier alternatives. With four gear loops, a haul loop, and ice clipper slots, it's a versatile and reliable choice for climbers looking to cut weight from their backcountry kit.
But being one of the lightest harnesses on the market has its drawbacks. Its minimalist design features a pretty slim waistbelt and leg loops that are not very comfortable to hang in for extended periods of time. That said, its breathable material will keep you from getting too sweaty during hot days of climbing or long travel days across glaciers. Although the Addax can technically do it all, it's not the best option for climbs that require a heavy double rack or big walls – that's better reserved for a harness with more padding and rigid gear loops, like the Blue Ice Cuesta. It's better to save the Addax for those fast-and-light missions where saving weight is key.
Hanging in the Addax while crossing the tyrolean into the Torre Valley.
Credit: Babsi Vigil
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A champion for long routes, the women's Cuesta is a lightweight harness that prioritizes comfort and durability. Our lead tester puts it through its paces on a multi-day climb in Patagonia.
Credit: Tad McCrea
How We Tested
At Outdoor GearLab, we've been reviewing women's climbing harnesses for seven years and have tested over 20 models. We are constantly researching the newest products on the market and adding new ones to this review as they become available. We buy each harness at retail price and test them side-by-side in a series of objective and subjective tests to get a good idea of how they stack up. We wear them for hours at the crag and use them in various disciplines, from sport climbing to trad climbing and alpine climbing. We also look in depth at the features of each harness and note how many pieces of gear each gear loop can hold. We utilize information from a vast network of testers to ensure our judgments are accurate. If you want more detailed info on our testing processes, see our full How We Test article.
Our climbing harness testing is analyzed based on five different metrics:
Hanging Comfort (30% of overall score weighting)
Standing Comfort and Mobility (25% weighting)
Features (20% weighting)
Versatility (15% weighting)
Adjustability (10% weighting)
Why Trust GearLab
This review was brought to you by Jane Jackson and Whitney Clark. Jane and Whitney have spent years hanging around big walls and crags all over the world. From multi-day journeys up El Capitan in Yosemite to multi-day climbs in the mountains, our testers have experienced the value of a comfortable harness and the downsides of an ill-fitting one. At the moment, both Jane and Whitney are based in Bishop, California, where access to traditional and sport climbing routes seems limitless. They put these harnesses to the test on long trad routes in Yosemite, sport climbing sessions in the Owens River Gorge, and the basalt crags of northern Arizona.
The models in this review are our favorites from the dozens of women's specific harnesses available online. After spending months wearing and testing this year's top models — assessing comfort, versatility, adjustability, and discipline-specific features — we have ended up with a comprehensive review that should guide you toward the harness of your belay-duty dreams!
Analysis and Test Results
This review focuses on women's rock, gym, aid, and ice climbing harnesses. Some are built for ultralight alpine missions, some offer hanging comfort, and others feature lots of loops to maximize gear storage. To objectively compare each in our testing, we rate them on hanging comfort, standing comfort, features, versatility, and adjustability. This article offers advice and compares each product in-depth. Read more about how to choose a women's climbing harness.
Worse Value
Better Value
What's the Best Value?
The women's climbing harnesses we tested in this review had a significant price range. What do you get from an expensive one that you don't from a budget option? Sometimes, not much! Some “cheaper” models might not have the most complicated waist belt designs, meaning they might not distribute the load well or might not be as comfortable for prolonged hanging. The high-value Black Diamond Momentum performs the best of all lower-priced options and is functional for all types of climbing. The Edelrid Jayne is another lower-cost model, but its bulky rear gear loop isn't as functional as others – this harness is better for the beginner who plans to climb only occasionally.
The leg loops on the Solution harness fit snug but are stretchy enough to not impede movement.
Credit: Kyle Queener
Hanging Comfort
This metric is often the dealbreaker when purchasing a new harness. It may look and feel great, but if hanging in it doesn't feel right, you should move on to the next model. As manufacturers move to lighter and more intricate designs, often the padding is left by the wayside. We typically need some padding to soften the weight of our bodies against the harness's frame. Unsurprisingly, the models with more padding scored higher in this metric than those without.
The Arc'teryx AR-385a, Black Diamond Momentum, and Blue Ice Cuesta were our favorites for hanging comfort. Those harnesses had ample padding and support with no weird features that dug into our sides or pinched us.
Hang Testing
Climbing gear shops typically have a clip-in point that you can use to do your hang test before making a purchase. This is a crucial test, as our testing has shown that what might feel good while standing and walking around a store will not necessarily feel good when hanging.
You might think this metric is only important for people doing long multi-pitch routes with hanging belays, but sport climbers tend to spend a fair amount of time hanging in their harnesses, so this is a key consideration for most climbers. We also like the hanging comfort of the sporty Black Diamond Solution.
The Black Diamond Solution (bottom) has wide leg loops that reach most of the way around your thighs but taper nicely between your legs. The Technician's loops (top) use the same triple-strand design, but don't offer as much coverage and were not as comfortable.
Credit: Cam McKenzie Ring
Typically, a climbing harness holds 70% of your weight on the leg loops and only 30% on the waist. So, while manufacturers tout the comfort of the waist belt above all, you want to be sure the legs are just as comfortable, if not more so. The AR-385a harness is comfortable in the waist, and the leg loops sit nicely on our thighs and the back of our legs.
Fit for Women's Specific Models
Most manufacturers make several women's specific models to choose from; some even have a women's version of every men's model in their line-up. Whether you need a “women's” model depends on how your body is proportioned. The manufacturer has deemed the typical female climber's form (and they seem to all have different ideas of what that is). Don't be afraid to try on some men's or unisex versions when shopping – while you may prefer the more “girly” styling on the female options, the fit should come first and foremost when buying this essential piece of gear. In the rest of this article, we'll cover how the various models fared in our test metrics and discuss what to consider when looking for an affordable model.
The Black Diamond Technician also has a comfortable waist belt, but the leg loops have too much webbing and not enough support, and we felt pinched by them. The Black Diamond Momentum performs well in this metric because of its wide waistband and well-padded leg loops. This is an excellent and less expensive option for multi-pitch and trad.
Taking a whip in the Technician. This harness had our least favorite leg loops, and we didn't like spending any time hanging in it.
Credit: Cam McKenzie Ring
Standing Comfort and Mobility
We've given comfort a big part of our rating metric but split it between standing and hanging. Why? While the hanging comfort is key, unless you're always stuck at hanging belays, you'll likely spend more time standing around, belaying, or sitting down in your harness at the crag than you will be hanging in it. Since most climbers don't want to take it off after every pitch, we need it to be always comfortable.
The models that ranked the highest in this metric were (not surprisingly) the lightweight and minimalist ones. We like the Black Diamond Solution best for standing comfort. We like the leg loops on the Solution, which are wide in the back but taper between the legs for minimal bulk in that area. The Blue Ice Cuesta has a women's specific fit with a higher waist and larger leg loops, making it go almost unnoticed while wearing all day.
From tapered, supportive leg loops to its ability to comfortably carry gear, the BD Solution is one of the most comfortable harnesses we've tested.
Credit: Will Stanhope
Another top model for standing comfort was the Arc'teryx AR-385a. It was lightweight and breathable, making it less noticeable and more comfortable throughout the day. Some were easy to wear under a pack and hike around, and we preferred the Arc'teryx model when hiking or scrambling with our harness.
Putting the Cuesta's mettle to the test in Patagonia.
Credit: Babsi Vigil
We don't love the waist belt on the Petzl models and find that the wider waistband digs into us in the wrong places if we try to wear them on our waists. Those ladies that wear theirs a little lower and around their hips might find it more comfortable.
The thin design of the Arc'teryx AR-385a makes it comfortable to wear under a pack and hike around in.
Credit: Glenda Huxter
Features
For this metric, we considered what type of climbing each harness was designed for and how well its features work for those disciplines. Some models have many features (ice clipper slots, extra gear loops, etc.). If you are looking for a sport harness and don't want or need all of those extras, but you still want something lightweight with easily accessible gear loops, consider the feature set.
We can't say that there was ever a time that we felt very limited by the material or structure of the models that we were testing — these are not the old, bulky, and confining climbing harnesses of yesteryear. Instead, all models have movement and fluidity built into their design.
The Blue Ice Addax is comfortable deceivingly functional for its size.
Credit: Babsi Vigil
For a traditional-only harness, we thought the Arc'teryx AR-385a had the best features, including wide gear loops, an easy-to-use haul loop, and a waist belt built for hanging belays. We could rack it full of gear and quickdraws and still had room for our descent shoes, anchoring gear, and belay setups. For fast-and-light alpine missions where you'll spend little time hanging in your harness, the Blue Ice Addax is definitely the way to go. It is one of the lightest harnesses on the market, super durable considering its minimalist design, and goes practically unnoticed in your pack.
On a multi-pitch route, you need ample space on your gear loops.
Credit: Tad McCrea
Those looking for a sport harness will appreciate the gear loops and simple design of the Black Diamond Solution. It's lightweight but can still carry a ton of draws, unlike the Petzl Selena, with its hard-to-reach rear gear loops. The Black Diamond airNET is also a great sport climbing harness, but we would have liked to see the pressure molded gear loops on both the front and the back rather than the lightweight webbing on the rear two gear loops. We liked the plastic protector found on some harnesses, like the Edelrid Jayne. It prevents wear in a hard-to-see spot and should help increase the longevity of your harness.
We were comfortable projecting in the Black Diamond airNet harness.
Credit: Will Stanhope
We would pay particular attention to this metric if we were looking for a climbing harness that we would use mostly for alpine adventures, say a season in the High Sierras in California. Since much of the climbing there often involves scrambling in between technical pitches without a lot of hanging belays, we'd want a harness that is lightweight, minimalist, easy to move around in, and comfortable under a pack — like the Addax or the AR-385a.
Racking up is made easy in the AR-385a harness with its big gear loops and angled design.
Credit: Luka Krajnc
Versatility
Versatility is an important metric for anyone who likes to do a lot of different types of climbing, or for someone new to the sport who is not sure what style they like best and wants to try it all. It's also a key consideration for those of us who don't have much money to spend on gear and would prefer to own only one harness and have some more money to spend on a set of cams or quickdraws.
The most versatile climbing harnesses we tested were the all-around models, like the Blue Ice Addax, the Arc'teryx AR-385a, and the Petzl Sitta. These models can do everything, and they do it well. They all excel in a mountain environment as they strike a nice balance between functionality and durability. Each of these harnesses also features ice-clipper slots, making them viable options for ice climbing, too.
Moving through tight terrain is no problem with the AR-385a, even if you're carrying a big rack.
Credit: Clint Helander
Note that the Petzl Luna no longer has ice-clipper slots since the new Caritool Evo from Petzl clips around the entire waist belt. The Black Diamond Momentum and Blue Ice Cuesta are slightly less versatile, as they do not have ice clipper slots, but they are still well suited to traditional or sport climbing.
The Petzl Sitta is one of the lightest, fully-functional alpine harnesses on the market.
Credit: Diana Wendt
Adjustability
Our final rating metric evaluated how adjustable each model was to accommodate different layers of clothing and body types. This is a key consideration if you plan on climbing in various climates and if your proportions are not what the manufacturer has deemed “standard” or “average.”
The Arc'teryx AR-385a has adjustable leg loops that accommodate a 4-6 inch difference in leg circumference. Adjustable legs allow us to wear the same harness to the gym in leggings one day and out on an ice climb over long underwear and softshell pants the next.
Unsurprisingly, the models with adjustable leg loops scored higher in this metric than those without, but not all adjustable leg loops are created equal. We want something that still provides padding around most of our thighs whenever possible. The Black Diamond Technician does not – it has less leg loop and more webbing, which makes it uncomfortable to hang in.
Black Diamond's trakFIT slider. The elastic underneath the webbing adjusts with the sliding buckle. It's not as adjustable as a real buckle/webbing leg loop, but there is no extra webbing flapping around on your legs which is nice.
Credit: Cam McKenzie Ring
While adjustable leg loops add more weight to a climbing harness — the adjustable Petzl Luna weighs about two ounces more than the non-adjustable but similar Petzl Selena — that difference is pretty minimal. The Black Diamond Momentum has a trakFIT closure that combines the functionality of an adjustable leg loop with the lighter weight of a fixed one. A sliding buckle can tighten or loosen the fixed loop with elastic attached underneath it for stretch. While we like this system, it does not offer as much adjustability as a buckle system (2-3 inches instead of 4-6).
From traditional climbing to sport climbing, we put these harnesses to the test.
Credit: JP
Conclusion
A harness is a necessity for all roped climbers; the fact that it can keep you alive makes the decision-making process that much harder. It is crucial to find a model that fits your climbing style and your build. We hope you can use the information in this review to make an informed decision about the type of harness that's right for you.
