When you’re climbing on ropes, your harness is one of the most important pieces of gear you need to get off the ground. It’s a crucial part of your safety system, and you’ll be wearing it constantly, whether you’re climbing or belaying. Women’s climbing harnesses are designed specifically to fit women’s body types, and we here at the Adventure Junkies will help you pick the perfect women’s climbing harness for you, whether you’re a beginner just starting out in the gym or an expert trad climber.
For more of our top climbing gear recommendations, check out the Best Climbing Harnesses.
Quick Answer - The Best Women's Climbing Harnesses
- Black Diamond Solution Guide
- Black Diamond Momentum
- CAMP Alpine Flash
- Misty Mountain Finesse
- Edelrid Jayne III
- Petzl Selena Sport
- Arc’teryx AR-385a
- Mammut Ophir 3 Slide
- Edelrid Solaris
Comparison Table - Best Women's Climbing Harness
For the best experience turn your device horizontally| Name | Waist | Leg Loops | Gear Loops | Price | Rating | Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Diamond Solution Guide | XS 26-29 in, S 28-31 in, M 30-33 in, L 33-36 in | Fixed | 5 | $$ | 4.9 | Read Review |
| Black Diamond Momentum | XS 24-27 in, S 27-30 in, M 30-33 in, L 33-36 in | Adjustable | 4 | $ | 4.7 | Read Review |
| CAMP Alpine Flash | XS, S, M, L, XL | Adjustable | 5 | $$ | 4.7 | Read Review |
| Misty Mountain Finesse | S 26-29 in, M 29-32 in, L 32-35 in | Adjustable | 4 | $$ | 4.4 | Read Review |
| Edelrid Jayne III | XS 22.8-30.7 in, S 24.8-32.7 in, M 27.6-37.4 in, L 30.71-41.3 in | Adjustable | 4 | $ | 4.2 | Read Review |
| Petzl Selena Sport | XS 25.6-28 in, S 28-30.3 in, M 30.3-33.1 in, L 33.1-36.2 in | Fixed | 4 (2 Rigid, 2 Flexible) | $ | 4.5 | Read Review |
| Arc’teryx AR-385a | XS 25-27 in, S 27-29 in, M 29-32 in, L 32.5-36 in | Adjustable | 4 | $$$ | 4.7 | Read Review |
| Mammut Ophir 3 Slide | XS 24-27.5 in, S 26.5-30 in, M 28.5-33.5 in, L 33.5-39 in | Adjustable | 4 | $ | 4.7 | Read Review |
| Edelrid Solaris | XS 26.6-33.5 in, S 29.9-35.8 in, M 32.7-38.6 in | Adjustable | 4 | $$$ | 4.6 | Read Review |
| Name | Waist | Leg Loops | Gear Loops | Price | Rating | Review |
Reviews - The Best Climbing Harnesses for Women
Black Diamond Solution Guide
Specs
- Leg Loops: Fixed
- Waist: XS 26-29 in, S 28-31 in, M 30-33 in, L 33-36 in
- Gear Loops: 5
Features
- Lightweight
- Fixed leg loops with adjustable, releasable elastic risers
- Breathable Webbing
- BD Super Fabric for comfort and durability
BEST FOR: ALL-AROUND PERFORMANCE
Comfortable, durable, and lightweight, this harness is a great choice whatever discipline you climb.”
The BD Solution Guide offers a superb harness in a lightweight package that’s durable enough for tackling even the tightest of off widths. The sleek, minimal design of the Guide allows it to pack down small for easy stashing on long approaches. The well padded waistband is a delight to hang in, making it a perfect option for wearing on multipitch climbs or while projecting hard single pitch routes where you may find yourself contemplating the crux. The extra wide gear loops give you ample room for your double rack — and then some.
What I like most about the Solution Guide is the thin waistband that feels almost non-existent when you’re wearing a pack.
Black Diamond Momentum
Specs
- Leg Loops: Adjustable
- Waist: XS 24-27 in, S 27-30 in, M 30-33 in, L 33-36 in
- Gear Loops: 4
Features
- Bullhorn Shaped Waist Belt (for comfort)
- Easily Adjustable Leg Loops
- Women’s Specific Rise (to sit higher on torso)
BEST FOR: BEGINNERS
The Black Diamond Momentum harness is an excellent choice for a first harness for gym climbers and outdoor sport climbers alike. It has a women’s specific fit, with a rise designed to fit higher on the torso at the natural waist. The waist belt is constructed in a bullhorn shape, instead of just straight across, so it doesn’t dig into your sides, but sits comfortably on the hips. Both the waist and leg loops are padded yet breathable, for extra comfort.
The leg loops are adjustable, and the proprietary trakFit system makes those adjustments extremely easy. The four gear loops are enough for beginning sport leaders to rack up quickdraws, but you might be lacking in space for mult-pitch or trad climbs.
CAMP Alpine Flash
Specs
- Leg Loops: Adjustable
- Waist: XS, S, M, L, XL
- Gear Loops: 5
Features
- Ultralight, compact harness for alpinism and ice climbing
- Load webbing construction with minimal padding
- Auto-locking buckles at waist and legs
- Four ice tool attachments
BEST FOR: LIGHTWEIGHT EXPEDITIONS
This is a high performance lightweight harness that offers just the right features — and none of the extra frills — for your next climbing adventure.
Although not as lightweight as the Petzl Sitta, the Alpine Flash offers a few must-have features, including adjustable leg loops and ice clipper slots. A simple nylon strap with minimal padding is all there is to cradle your body, but CAMP designed the harness to evenly distribute weight, making it comfortable enough for all day wear. Five gear loops gives you plenty of space for racking cams, slings, and anything else you may need touring the alpine. Not only is this harness less than 11 ounces it packs down to the size of a soda can making it perfect for touring packs and long approaches.
What I like most about the Alpine Flash is how inexpensive it is for a high performance lightweight option.
Misty Mountain Finesse
Specs
- Leg Loops: Adjustable
- Waist: S 26-29 in, M 29-32 in, L 32-35 in
- Gear Loops: 4
Features
- Large Gear Loops
- Nylon Shell (for durability)
- Foam Padding (for comfort)
BEST FOR: SPORT CLIMBING
The Misty Mountain Finesse is a harness that helps you make the transition from the gym to outdoor sport climbing. It is extremely durable with a nylon shell, so it is made to stand up to the abrasion that happens when climbing on real rock. The four gear loops are large and sturdy, so you can easily grab your quickdraws when you’re in the middle of the crux. The foam padding and wide waist belt mean you will be comfortable in this harness all day. Also, Misty Mountain is a small American brand with its own textile facility, so the construction of the harness is extremely high quality.
Edelrid Jayne III
Specs
- Leg Loops: Adjustable
- Waist: XS 22.8-30.7 in, S 24.8-32.7 in, M 27.6-37.4 in, L 30.71-41.3 in
- Gear Loops: 4
Features
- Moveable Waist Padding (for adjustability)
- Ergonomic Waist Belt (for comfort)
- Reinforced Tie-In Point (for durability)
BEST FOR: RANGE OF SIZES
The Edelrid Jayne harness offers one of the biggest size ranges in women’s harnesses, making it possible for a wide variety of body types to find a harness that fits properly. Also, each specific harness size provides a lot of adjustability, which is very useful if you’re wearing layers in the cold, if your size fluctuates, or if you need to lend your harness to a friend.
Also, the waist belt padding on the Jayne is moveable, which means that when you do adjust the harness, you can center the padding and gear loops properly, which makes the harness more comfortable and your gear easy to grab.
Petzl Selena Sport
Specs
- Leg Loops: Fixed
- Waist: XS 25.6-28 in, S 28-30.3 in, M 30.3-33.1 in, L 33.1-36.2 in
- Gear Loops: 4 (2 Rigid, 2 Flexible)
Features
- Contoured Waist Belt (for lower back support)
- Longer Rise (for female body types)
- Foam & Mesh Padding (for comfort and breathability)
BEST FOR: GYM CLIMBING
The Petzl Selena is a great harness for long gym sessions. With a contoured waist belt and a longer rise, this harness is specifically designed to fit a female body type. The padding of the waist belt and leg loops makes this harness extremely comfortable for hanging in when you’re working a route, and the EndoFrame construction distributes weight evenly to avoid pressure points. The harness is also well-ventilated with mesh.
The leg loops on the Selena are fixed, so you’ll want to make sure they fit you properly, since you can’t adjust them (though they are elasticized for some stretch).
Arc’teryx AR-385a
Specs
- Leg Loops: Adjustable
- Waist: XS 25-27 in, S 27-29 in, M 29-32 in, L 32.5-36 in
- Gear Loops: 4
Features
- Extra Wide Waist Belt (for comfort)
- Longer Belay Loop (for women’s specific fit)
- Lightweight
BEST FOR: VERSATILITY
The Arc’teryx AR-385a is an excellent harness for getting outside and getting mileage on sport, trad, and even ice climbs. The gear loops are large, accessible, and constructed of polyurethane, which keeps your gear precisely in place, so you can always find what you’re looking for quickly.
Both the waist belt and leg loops are wide, but they are not overly padded. However, Arc’teryx’s Warp Strength Technology distributes pressure evenly to provide comfort even without a lot of padding. The material that makes up the waist belt and leg loops is designed not to absorb water to keep the harness dry in adverse weather conditions.
Mammut Ophir 3 Slide
Specs
- Leg Loops: Adjustable
- Waist: XS 24-27.5 in, S 26.5-30 in, M 28.5-33.5 in, L 33.5-39 in
- Gear Loops: 4
Features
- Reinforced Tie-in Points (for durability)
- Easy Adjustment Buckles
- Two-Part Webbing (to distribute weight evenly)
BEST FOR: VALUE
The Mammut Ophir 3 Slide offers a lot of features in an all-around harness for a very reasonable price. The harness is extremely comfortable, thanks to the Split Webbing technology, which evenly distributes weight around the hips and reduces the need for lots of padding. Slide Bloc buckles make it super simple to make adjustments to the leg loops and waist belt for a perfect fit.
The harness is designed to last with strongly reinforced tie in points, as well as a wear indicator so you’ll know exactly when it is finally time for a replacement and you’ll never have to worry about the safety of your harness.
Edelrid Solaris
Specs
- Leg Loops: Adjustable
- Waist: XS 26.6-33.5 in, S 29.9-35.8 in, M 32.7-38.6 in
- Gear Loops: 4
Features
- Dual Webbing Waist Straps (for precise adjustability)
- Vented Waist Belt & Leg Loops (for breathability)
- Abrasion Protector on Tie-In Point (for durability)
BEST FOR: ADJUSTABILITY
The Edelrid Solaris is the only women’s climbing harness designed with a special dual webbing waist strap for precision adjustability to fit both waist and hips. Each strap can be adjusted separately, so you can tighten the top one for a narrow waist, while loosening the bottom one for wider hips. Once they are adjusted, the single pull loop makes it easy to take the harness on and off.
The Solaris has incorporated 3D-Vent technology for extra breathability, so even though the waist belt is wide, you won’t be sweating in the heat or on a long day on the wall.
THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN BUYING A WOMEN’S CLIMBING HARNESS
Everyone has a different body shape, and climbing harnesses fit different bodies differently, so you’ll want to choose one that adjusts best to your specific shape. REI offers some great tips for how to fit and test a climbing harness, and you can feel secure that all climbing harnesses are rigorously tested to make sure you are absolutely safe when you’re on the wall.
The features you need from a harness will vary depending on your preferred type of climbing. If you’re mainly a gym climber, a basic harness will be perfect. If you’re sport climbing, you need to have plenty of gear loops for all your quickdraws, and if you trad climb, you need even more room on the gear loops to keep all of your cams and nuts organized.
FIT
Fit is definitely the first factor to consider in a harness, and it is crucial for both comfort and safety. You should measure your waist to make sure you get the right size. Climbing harness manufacturers share the size range of the waist in inches, so you can grab your tape measure and size yourself at home.
Also, think about what you wear when you’re climbing, to make sure the harness can adjust for that. If you climb outside in cold weather, you’ll be wearing more layers than when you climb in the summer or in the gym, so you’ll want a harness that can accommodate those extra layers with plenty of adjustment points.
Some harnesses have adjustable leg loops, but on other harnesses, the leg loops are fixed. Adjustable ones allow more flexibility in sizing, but if the fixed ones fit your body, they will still work well.
COMFORT
Whether you’re climbing in the gym or outside, once you put your harness on, you usually don’t take it off until you’re done for the day, so you want it to feel so comfortable that you barely notice you’re wearing it. Most climbing harnesses are padded, but you want the padding to be breathable and light.
You also should be sure your harness is comfortable both while you’re hanging on a climb and while you’re belaying on the ground. It’s nice to test out a harness in person to know if the waist belt or leg loops will dig into you uncomfortably.
DURABILITY
You climbing harness takes a beating, whether from the abrasive walls in the gym or real rock outside, so make sure the fabric is durable. If you climb a lot, reinforced tie-in points are designed to stand up to lots of wear from the rope. Some harnesses also have a belay loop with a wear indicator, so you’ll know when it’s time to replace your harness.
GEAR LOOPS
Gear loops are important if you’re sport or trad climbing, as you never want to be working a hard move and then fumbling to grab your gear before clipping. Harnesses have different numbers of gear loops, and they vary in size and placement, so you’ll want to figure out what works best for the gear you’re racking.
Bigger loops let you carry more draws, cams, and nuts, and that can be important on multi-pitch routes and longer climbs. Gear loops that are rigid can make it easier to grab your gear when you need it, while some harnesses have rear gear loops that are flexible to fit under a pack better. Extra back loops are great for gear you don’t need to get to as quickly while you’re climbing, like belay devices.
FEATURES EXPLAINED
ADJUSTABLE VS FIXED LEG LOOPS
Leg loops that have buckles to loosen or tighten are adjustable to a variety of sizes. Fixed leg loops usually have some elastic stretch but the size can’t actually be changed.
GEAR LOOPS
The sturdy loops on the sides of the harness. These are designed for holding the gear you need, from quickdraws to belay devices.
HAUL LOOP
Smaller than the gear loops, and located on the back of the harness. Meant for attaching a chalk bag, bag of gear, or trailing a rope.
TIE-IN POINTS
The heavy duty dual points through which you thread your climbing rope when you are tying in to a climb.
BELAY LOOP
The loop on the front of the harness where you attach you attach your belay device with a carabiner. It is designed only to be used for metal such as carabiners, and ropes or slings should never be tied to it.
RISERS
Thin stretchy straps that connect the leg loops to the waist belt. Sometimes these have adjustable buckles.
READ MORE
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