Starting out on rock climbing can be both a fun and daunting process. When you have gone for a couple of climbing sessions and decided this is the sport for you, the next step is to invest in your 1st pair of rock climbing harness and rock climbing shoes. Should you get something cheap for a beginner harness, or start looking at all the endless features and designs and brands. Well, we can have the best of both worlds. Here’s kicking off a useful guide for beginners to top rope and sport climbing how to select your very first rock climbing harness.
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What is the Best Climbing Harness for Beginners?
To find the list of absolute Best Climbing Harness for Beginners, we have researched many Beginner Climbing Harnesses and what people who bought and used them say about these products. Based on their experiences, we compiled for you the top 4 Climbing Harnesses for Beginners.
Also, to make it easier for you to making the right choice, we also wrote a mini Beginner Climbing Harnesses Buying Guide and frequently asked questions (FAQs). You will find it at the end of this article.
1. Black Diamond Momentum Harness
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| Price: 💲 (fewer 💲 = cheaper) Number of Gear Loops: 4 Adjustable leg loops: Adjustable Weight of Harness: 0.65 lbs |
The Black Diamond Momentum Harness is the company’s most popular all-around harness. It is designed to be effective across multiple situations, both indoor and outdoor, and for standard multi-pitch and sport routes. The harness comes with TrakFit leg loops and Dual Core Construction webbing, which together spread the pressure evenly throughout the product. There are four sturdy pressure-molded gear loops to ensure there are enough places to store all the gear you could need during a day of multi-pitch climbing.
The harness comes equipped with a pre-threaded Speed Adjust WaistBelt Buckle, which reduces the time you spend adjusting difficult features. The front loop is colored differently from the rest of the product around it, making it quickly and easily identified which minimizes the risk of clipping equipment unsafely into a different part of the harness.
Pros
- Adjustable legs for perfect fit.
- Brightly colored front loops quick and easy to identify
- Pressure molded gear loops that will not loose their shape
- Well padded for a comfortable full day of climbing
Cons
- Some female climbers find the fit is not ideal.
- Hard to find the correct size
2. Black Diamond Momentum Harness Package
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| Price: 💲💲 (fewer 💲 = cheaper) |
The Black Diamond Momentum harness is a great entry-level harness that’s affordable and can be purchased in a bundle with high-quality black diamond chalk, a chalk bag, and a belay device. Given that it’s comfortable, light, and easy to adjust, we think this harness does the basics well. While it is not super comfortable to hang in for long periods, isn’t equipped for alpine or ice climbing, and doesn’t have extensive kit carrying capacity, this is a great purchase for a novice sport or gym climber.
Pros
- Affordable,
- Can be purchased in a ‘beginners bundle’,
- Comfortable and lightweight
Cons
- Not great lumbar support,
- No ice clipper slots,
- Smaller than average gear loops
3. Mammut Men Ophir 3 Climbing Harness
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| Price: 💲💲💲 (fewer 💲 = cheaper) Number of Gear Loops: 4 Adjustable leg loops: Adjustable Weight of Harness: 0.82 lbs |
An all-around capable harness, the Mammut Ophir is modestly priced and a lightweight harness, providing everything you need from a rock climbing harness for a long outdoor multi-pitch or trad climbing route. There is sufficient room store all of your gear, it is fully adjustable with 3 traditional buckles.
Pros
- 4 wide gear loops.
- Synthetic abrasion protection
- Surprisingly breathable for a harness.
- Fully adjustable legs.
Cons
- Relatively bulky in size
- Design is monochromatic
4. PETZL – Mens SAMA Climbing Harness
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| Price: 💲 (fewer 💲 = cheaper) Number of Gear Loops: 4 Adjustable leg loops: Non-Adjustable Weight of Harness: 0.5 lbs |
The Petzl Sama is a versatile rock climbing harness that won’t break the bank. With its large gear loops and a rated haul loop, the Sama is a good choice for trad cragging, sports climbing and multi-pitching. The high-tech Endoframe technology of the waist belt and leg loops means this harness is super comfortable even when you’re hanging about for long periods! With a variety of different gear loops, both reinforced and not, there is enough space to store all of the gear you need. The thick padding does make the product a little bulkier, however it is comfortable to use and weight is evenly distributed throughout the wasitband and leg loops to make those long falls feel a little softer for both the belayer and climber.It’s not equipped for ice or alpine-style climbing though and has no ice clipper slots. Lastly, the leg loops are also non – adjustable, so you’ll struggle to get it on over your winter layers.
Pros
- Large carrying capacity,
- Thick padding across entire harness maximises comfort
- Fully UIAA certified
- Very lightweight
Cons
- Non – adjustable leg loops,
- Not equipped for ice or alpine climbing
- Thick and bulky im comparison to other products on this list. Front loop is harder to intuitively spot against the rest of the harness
Verdict
After all of our long research about the Best Climbing Harness for Beginners, we found that Black Diamond Momentum Harness is the best Climbing Harness for Beginners available today.
There’s also a Premium Option with all the best features and high-quality materials if you have more money to spend, namely Black Diamond Momentum Harness Package.
However, if you are on a slightly tighter budget, you can also consider the Mammut Men Ophir 3 Climbing Harness as an affordable alternative.
Our other reviews you may find useful in your research:
What You Should Know Before Buying Climbing Harnesses for Beginners
Loving your harness
Like all rock climbing gear you use, a climbing harnesses must be treated with care and protected from damages and the elements. Suppliers are obligated to include information on how to clean and store your harness on purchase (usually in the form of an information tag). This information can also be accessed on the supplier’s website. Regardless of the brand, some key behaviors remain the same: your harness should always be stored dry, steer away from direct sunlight, and safe from any chemicals or corrosive agents (e.g. bleach). If your harness comes into contact with sea water, washing it with warm clean water will do.
Questions and Answers About Climbing Harnesses for Beginners
Which is the best climbing harness for big guys?
Harnesses are fully adjustable, and often come in only one or two sizes but with multiple adjustment points to ensure that they fit bodies both large and small. The PETZL Sama is a great example of a fully adjustable harness that fits larger people, although all of the harnesses mentioned in this article are adjustable for multiple body sizes.
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