Finding a comfortable harness is essential for every single climber to do. Nobody wants to put on a harness they hate and makes them uncomfortable every time they want to climb. The comfortability of the harness has a direct impact on how much enjoyment climbers are able to get out of their session.
That said, there is no one harness that will provide every single climber with the fit and features they need. This article explores the most comfortable harness for various key categories/types of climbing harnesses: beginners, women, indoor gym, and trad.
The most comfortable climbing harnesses for the following categories are:
- Beginner – Petzl Adjama
- Women’s – Petzl Luna
- Indoor Gym – Misty Mountain Bolt
- Trad – Misty Mountain Cadillac Double Pass
Comfortability is just one of many factors that go into picking out the right climbing harness. While I believe the above harnesses are the most comfortable, they may not be the most budget friendly.
If you are interested in what harnesses I believe to be the best bangs for your buck, check out my recommended gear page. If you are a very budget conscious climber, I even compiled a list of the best climbing harnesses under $100.
The remainder of this article will dive into each climbing harness and why I believe it to be the most comfortable harness for that category.
Most Comfortable Beginner Climbing Harness
When looking for a beginner climbing harness, you are going to want to look for one that is very comfortable, affordable, and can be used for a wide variety of activities. As a beginner you will not need to look for extremely light weight sport climbing harnesses or big wall harnesses to carry countless items of trad gear with you.
In addition to this, you also will not need to get one that is incredibly expensive. There is no point in spending a lot of money on something when you are just starting to get into the sport. It will be better to get a good harness that will be comfortable, last you a long time and allow you to gain valuable experience without breaking the bank.
There will always be time later in your climbing career to get that super sweet harness after you know what you are looking for.
Personally, I believe the Petzl Adjama is the most comfortable beginner climbing harness currently on the market. Most beginners fall absolutely in love with this harness. Let’s just say after using it, you will never want anything to do with those crappy rental harnesses you get from the gym.
This harness provides beginners with everything they need including 5 gear loops and an accessories loop you are able to hang your chalk bag on. It gives you the ability to adjust the waist belt and leg loops to be customized to your specific body dimensions. In addition to this, the harness is very well padded and breathes very well.
The Petzl Adjama is the harness I wish I had when I was a beginner.
Click the link to check out its current price on Amazon.
Most Comfortable Climbing Harness for Women
Women’s climbing harnesses are designed differently than men’s harnesses. Women’s climbing harness waist belts are angled such that they are narrower at the top and wider at the bottom, the waist belt to leg loop size ratio is smaller than men’s harnesses, and they have a larger rise than men’s harnesses.
These design features make the harnesses better fitting for people with small waists and larger hips/legs. While women can use men’s harnesses, they typically will not fit as good or be as comfortable as a women’s harness.
You will not want to wear a harness that is uncomfortable and a mental burden to put on.
Personally, I believe the Petzl Luna is the most comfortable climbing harness for women currently on the market. While I do not personally wear women’s climbing harnesses, all of my female climbing friends that have got this harness absolutely love it. A few of them even switched to it from their (then current) harness after trying on the Luna for a couple routes.
It provides climbers with excellent padding in all the right places, has an adjustable waist belt and leg loops, 5 gear loops, and is very lightweight and breathable. Basically, it is completely adjustable, extremely comfortable, and has pretty much everything a typical climber could want in a harness.
Based on my friends’ reviews and my research, you will be hard pressed to find a more comfortable all-around women’s harness.
Click the link to check out its current price on Amazon.
Most Comfortable Gym Climbing Harness
When looking for an indoor gym climbing harness you will want to look for one that is relatively lightweight as well as comfortable. Unlike most outdoor climbing, you will not need to carry a lot of gear up with you as you sport climb in the gym. Most gyms will have the quickdraws hanging on the wall already and you just need to clip into them as you climb.
During gym climbing you will typically be pushing yourself to your limits and will want to save every ounce you can. While the harness weight doesn’t play a huge role in the majority of climber’s performance, it becomes a larger factor when climbing at high levels and/or for very long periods of time. At these climbing levels/durations, saving even less than a single ounce can be the difference in sending your project or peeling off at the crux again.
Therefore if you are looking for a gym-only harness, it will be in your best interest to get a lighter one with less gear loops. That said, you won’t want to completely sacrifice comfort (unless of course you are trying to go to new climbing gyms everyday and are trying to on-sight their hardest routes to show how much of a legend you are).
Personally, I believe the Misty Mountain Bolt is the most comfortable indoor climbing gym harness currently on the market. It may not be as well known as other harnesses made by large companies like Black Diamond and Petzl but it is absolutely fantastic.
It is incredible just how comfortable this harness is given its weight. The Misty Mountain Bolt is very minimalistic and nails the necessities better than any other harness I have come across. If you are looking for a no-frills harness that is lightweight that still maintains a high level of comfort, look no further.
While you may not want to go multi-day trad climbing with it, the Misty Mountain Bolt will provide you with more comfort than you thought possible for a lightweight gym harness.
Click the link to check out its current price on Amazon.
Most Comfortable Trad Climbing Harness
When looking for a trad climbing harness, you will want to make sure that it has enough space to carry all of your gear. Picking out an ultra light harness designed for competition sport climbing that doesn’t have any gear loops will not do you any good.
In addition to this, trad harnesses need to provide climbers with ample durability, and all day comfort. You will not want to wear a harness that starts to get uncomfortable within an hour of having it on.
Personally, I believe the Misty Mountain Cadillac Double Pass is the most comfortable trad harness currently on the market. It is incredibly durable and comfortable. You can sit in this all day and be completely cozy. While it is not the lightest harness by any means, it performs absolutely incredible.
It is lighter than a traditional big wall harness but still provides climbers with 6 reinforced gear loops and a heavy duty haul loop. Misty Mountain harnesses are gaining notoriety for being incredibly comfortable and performing at very high levels.
Click the link to check out its current price on MistyMountain.com.