Outdoor Gear Lab

The dual belay loops set this harness apart along with super comfortable leg loops and waist belt. Metolius calls this an "all-around" harness, but it's far less suited to "all-around" use than many of the other harnesses in this review. It excels at long multi-pitch climbs where you're going to be spending some time hanging off your harness. It is far from the lightest or most mobile, but it is super burly and will last for years...." go to full review

The Sama is a versatile high-scoring harness. It isn't as breathable as the previous version, but some of our reviewers found it more comfortable. Sizing is difficult, but when you get it right it fits great and works well for everything. As with our Editors' Choice winner, we wouldn't be disappointed if this was the only harness in our closet, even though this model offers slightly less performance...." go to full review

From Yosemite big walls to grungy climbing gyms, this harness has what you need to get the job done. For years, the Petzl Corax has been a popular harness for good reason. It is the winner of our Best Buy award because it offers a terrific value for only $65. If you're looking for a harness that can do it all, this is the one for you. It's quite comfy and does everything from ice climbing to long multi-pitch trad routes. Additionally, the dual front buckles make getting a perfect..." go to full review

The Black Diamond Chaos is a top tier product that has a great mix of features, mobility, and comfort. Is a true all-around rock climbing harness. It wasn't as comfortable as some models we tested, but it is quite light and feels great. If it fits you well, you'll probably love this harness for years. We are happy to give the Black Diamond Chaos our Top Pick award because it is the best trad climbing harness we reviewed...." go to full review

We love the Arc'teryx AR-395a and gave it our Editors' Choice award, but most of our reviews love their relatively cheap harnesses nearly as much. Once you get past the steep price tag, the AR-395a is a true all-around contender offering high performance across all our metrics. If you love to climb everything in sight, this harness will take you there. If this was the only harness in our closet, we wouldn't complain one bit...." go to full review

With the introduction of the visual and sensible markings on the Sensor, we have seen the first significant improvement in climbing rope safety in some time. In this initial offering there are still performance and price issues, but with time we expect Mammut to resolve them. Until this technology becomes available in more models, this rope is ideal for climbers shopping for a workhorse rope that are also interested in increasing their margin of safety.go to full review

This rope was widely liked among our testers and the climbers we polled. Its low weight, supple hand, and smooth catch make for a pleasurable climbing experience. It just missed winning our Top Pick award for skinny alpine/sending rope, losing to the lighter and thinner Sterling Nano IX.

We found that we did not like the black color of our test rope. Not only does it not stand out well in photos, but it made it very difficult to find the middle-mark, especially in low light situations..." go to full review

As we've tried to make clear, the Marathon Pro demonstrated the best durability of any rope examined in this review. Primarily for this reason it won our Top Pick Award for the best 'workhorse' rope. Its heavy weight (63 g/m) created by the thick sheath was its greatest drawback. However, in many situations this heft can be tolerated for the increase in lifespan it provides. Overall, we recommend this rope for shoppers who are looking for a good performing rope that can handle..." go to full review

The exceptional low weight and smooth handling are ultimately the reasons why the Nano IX took home our Top Pick award for the best alpine/sending rope. Shoppers should be aware that its small diameter did compromise its durability in our tests. But if you can stomach the fragility, this rope provides the weight savings to get you up your most ambitious goals.go to full review