A harness is an essential part of your climbing equipment. It’s the vital link between your body, the rope, the quickdraws and the cliff.
While on belay, you’ll spend quite a lot of time hanging in your harness, so its comfort is paramount.
As always, safety is the top priority, so make sure your climbing harness complies with technical standard number: EN 12277.
Choosing the right gear for climbing is crucial in not only ensuring you have an enjoyable and fulfilling experience but also ensuring your safety and well-being when climbing; whether that’s indoors, out in the mountains, on snow or rocky walls, we’ve put together three crucial factors to consider when choosing your climbing harness, we’ll go into more detail on each feature further down the article.
YOUR ABILITY
Whether you’re a beginner or consider yourself a pro at climbing, understanding your ability is key when choosing your climbing harness. Opt for a single tie-in loop harness if you’re after something beginner-friendly.
INTENDED USE
An easy way to choose which climbing harness will best suit you is to consider the type of climbing you’ll be doing, whether that’s indoor, mountain climbing or wall climbing; this will affect the type of harness you’ll need.
YOUR AGE/WEIGHT
Your age, size and weight are also an essential factor when choosing your climbing harness; that’s why it’s always recommended to try on your harness in person to make sure you find the perfect fit.
This is a harness specially designed for children, they can be for a specific climb or multi-purpose use.
There are two kinds of children’s harnesses:
1) Full-body harness: the straps cover the whole of the child’s body (hips and chest). This kind of harness is recommended for children that weigh under 40kg, as they have a higher centre of gravity than adults and the tie-in point needs to be higher to prevent inversion.
2) Classic harness: these harnesses are recommended for more experienced young climbers only, as there’s a higher risk of inversion than with a full-body harness.
This is an adjustable harness that can be used year-round and with all types of clothing. They are slightly heavier due to having more buckles. This is a good harness for a climber looking for an all-purpose harness for a range of activities.
Multi-purpose harnesses specifically designed for women’s body requirements are also available.
The thigh loops on these harnesses cannot be adjusted hence why they should be chosen carefully to ensure you get the right size. Trying these harnesses in the hanging position is extremely important to assess their comfort.
They are lighter than standard harnesses as they have fewer buckles. Their padding is optimised for freedom of movement and minimal weight.
Understanding your skill level also plays a part in choosing the right climbing harness as some harnesses are made for easy use and others a bit more complex due to the nature of the intended climb because, as you would expect, more experienced climbers may choose more challenging and complicated climbs and therefore needing a harness that will provide certain features compared to those who are just starting out and may require something more basic and easy to use.
IF YOU'RE A BEGINNER OR TOP ROPE CLIMBER
You can choose a single tie-in loop harness. It is easier to use while ensuring safe roping. It's also the best value for money.
IF YOU'RE EXPERIENCED/ LEAD CLIMBING
If you're a more experienced climber or taking on lead climbing, then you should opt for a double tie-in loop harness, which is better suited to lead climbing. On these harnesses, the foam pads on the thighs are enhanced to give you more comfort when you are suspended from the belay to secure your second when multi-pitching.
ALL-PURPOSE USE
Preferably, an adjustable thigh harness should be chosen to adjust the tightness according to the activity (indoor climbing, rock climbing, mountaineering) and the type of clothing worn. Although it is slightly heavier, it has a greater number of adjustment buckles; thus, it guarantees optimal comfort.
FOR SPORT CLIMBING
With a lighter design and more freedom of movement, a non-adjustable thigh harness is preferable (it will still maintain a minimal fit, thanks to the thigh elastics). Ideal for performance.
FOR MOUNTAINEERING
Choose an extra-light harness with clips on the thighs to attach skis or crampons.
Choosing the right size harness for comfort around your waist and thighs is extremely important.
The leg loops on adjustable ‘all-round’ harnesses are easy to adjust to accommodate different thicknesses of clothes, whether it's during winter or summer. On the other hand, the elasticated thigh straps on ‘sport climbing’ harnesses give minimal adjustability (again, winter versus summer clothing).
Something to note:
There are specific harnesses for caving and canyoning. Caving harnesses are much more resistant to abrasion than climbing harnesses and have a belt that secures with a quick link (delta or semi-circular maillon). Canyoning harnesses are often lined with a protective girdle to protect the harness and the canyoner during descents.
Usually, the centre of gravity for young children is higher than that of adults, so the tie-in point must be higher to avoid the risk of spinning around and losing control while climbing. That’s why we have a whole range of climbing harnesses dedicated to young climbers. Of course, age is only an indicator; you should essentially choose your child’s harness depending on their size and weight. It may turn out that your child requires more support; if so, checking for a suitable option from the adult section may be the way to go. If you’re in doubt, you can always pop into your nearest Decathlon store and have your child fitted by one of our expert advisors.
Don't forget to check out our 'Check&Go' designs.
Designed by Simond, this system is used in all our kid's harnesses. It allows climbing instructors to quickly see if the mutual tie-in control and the belaying system have been done correctly, for everyone's piece of mind.
CLASSIC HARNESS
The classic harness is made especially for small, experienced climbers or older kids. The handy adjustable buckles on the thighs will support your child as they grow.
FULL HARNESS
A full harness is recommended for kids younger than 9 (or 30 kg). This model remains the safest option if your child is not under this bracket but is a beginner, and their stature allows it.
It is impossible to determine the comfort of a harness without trying it on, so don’t be shy, come into a decathlon store to get a good feel for what really works for you. Always remember to try on your harness in the hanging position. The comfort of a harness matters little when you’re standing on your feet, but you'll really appreciate it when you’re hanging on belay on a rock face with a slow second climber.
While in the hanging position, identify any pressure points, particularly at waist level. Check that the gear loops are easily accessible, and note the thickness and density of the padding as well as the width of the waistband.
Now that you know everything there's to know about climbimg harnesses, find one that works for you. Decathlon's range features a wide variety of brands, sizes and functionalities for you to choose from.
