Your climbing harness is a key piece of equipment for top rope rock, lead and sport climbing. The right harness for your type of climbing can improve both performance and safety.
Extend usable service of the harness. Simple maintenance will help prolong the life of your harness. Protect it from the elements. Keep it in a moderate temperature. When finished climbing, clean and inspect it.
Cleaning with water should be sufficient. If you need to get out difficult stains or dirt and tiny rock grains, use a mild soap. Rinse the harness thoroughly to get the soap completely out of the nylon fibers. Let your harness dry in open air shaded from the sun before packing it back into its storage bag.
Inspect your Climbing Harness. Look for signs of wear. Pay special attention to the
stitching and tie-in points. When you see visible signs of wear, fading, scratches which tear the weave, or after it has held an extreme fall it's time to get a new one. After your harness has dried, inspect it for signs of wear and tear and fraying at all the seams. Signs of wear will show up better when the harness is clean and dry. Fraying will stand up as shown in the picture. Look carefully at the stitching and seams. Tug gently on the seams and anchor points to make sure they are secure and don't feel loose.
Storage for the harness. Put it someplace protected from sunlight, moisture or humidity, and in moderate temperatures. Exposure to these elements will cause the nylon and seams to degrade. Do not store it in the same closet or shed with paint, thinners, chlorine, bleach, acid or any oxidizing material. Vapors from these chemicals will also degrade the strength of your harness. Before climbing, check again for fraying or loose seams.
Factors to consider when choosing a climbing harness:
Material: Harnesses are made from a variety of materials: Nylon and nylon webbing; ballistic nylon, closed cell foam with mesh lining; evazote 50 foam, ballistic nylon, microfleece; 7-mm closed-cell foam and 3-D mesh; chyri span with wall mesh, mini diamond ripstop; 600D Polyester; 1050D Ballistics nylon -- each material type compliments the type of climbing harness
Adjustability: Adjustable or fixed loops for legs are a feature that help ensure good fit and comfort. The adjustability of leg loops adds weight and bulk which may not be desirable for high end competition climbing. Sport climbers may prefer the added comfort and fit at the expense of the small weight and bulk of buckles and straps.
Gear Attachment: Most harnesses have some type of way to hang gear, Quickdraw, carabiner, Belay Device or runners. Usually they have 3 to 5 attachment points. They are made of molded rubber/plastic or woven nylon.
Recommend Use: Harnesses are built with features which compliment the type of climbing your will be doing. Sport, trad, ice, competition, mixed climbing have different requirements, so the type of harness to use should have features best suited for the type of climbing. The manufacturer recommends a use. Of course that doesn't limit use in another aspect of climbing, it simply means the harness has features which are more likely to be advantageous for that type of climbing.
Padding: Most rock climbing harnesses come with foam padding for the waist band and legs. The padding in these areas is well worth any extra cost. A wide waist band, especially in the back is also important. The purpose of the harness is to distribute the force of a fall to many points. The wider the waist band, the better the force is distributed. If the waist belt is too wide it will get in your way while making moves. The back of the waist belt should be firm and stiff. Legs should be secured by adjustable straps. Wider webbing provides more comfort. A comfortable width of leg webbing for an average weight person is 2 inches or about 5 cm or greater. A narrow webbing, less than 2" or 5 cm, will be less comfortable - and may cut off the circulation in your leg if you are left hanging too long. However, the thicker webbing may hinder freedom of movement.
Weight: Harnesses vary in weight from very light three quarters of a pound to a pound and a half (300 grams to 600 grams). Weight is a tradeoff of features and comfort. Padding, gear attachments, and buckles add weight; however if you need a very light weight, lean harness for competitions or highly technical climbing and don't need the additional features, many are available.
Black Diamond Alpine Bod Harness. This harness is for climbers needing a light weight harness. It is a version of the Bod harness only constructed much lighter. T Alpine Bod keeps the fundamental good design and made to fit over layers of clothing and includes gear loops to make racking much easier. It is an excellent pick if you are looking to reduce weight of your gear. This climbing harness is recommended for light mountain climbing.
Nylon
Adjustability: Waistbelt and legs
Weight: 395g, 14oz
Warranty: 1 Year
Black Diamond Phoenix Harness. This is a high performance and ultra light sport climbing harness weighing only 325 grams. It is sleek with a padded waist belt for comfortable for working in it for extended time. Abrasion-resistant fabrics are used for durability with molded gear loops to provide flexibility. Excels in Performance sport climbing.
Material is Chyri Span with Wall Mesh, Mini Diamond Ripstop
Adjustable waist belt
4 molded equipment tubes
Weight: 325g, 11.5oz
Warranty: 1 year
Black Diamond Bod Harness. The BD Bod climbing harness is an all-time classic. It has a heavyweight waist belt that is fleece padded that is very easy to wear. It is light weight and gives the climber excellent freedom of movement.
Nylon
Padding: Fleece waistbelt
Weight: 495g (1 pound 2oz)
Warranty: 1 Year
Black Diamond Blizzard Harness . This is BD's most comfortable ice / mixed climbing harness. It has a compression molded bullhorn waist with back lumbar support. It performs superbly while belaying multi-pitch routes. It is constructed using snow shedding and durable fabrics. An excellent climbing harness for mixed ice and rock.
Material: Nylon webbing, Kelas, Sil Nylon
Adjustability: Waistbelt, leg loops
4 molded loops
Weight: 495g, 1 pound 2oz
Warranty: 1 year
Women's Black Diamond Diva Harness. The Diva is a light weight made using a mixture of nylon and closed cell foam. It is only 10.6 ounces in weight. Gear loops hold enough quickdraws for a sport route. This is the sport climbing harness for women who want a light weight harness.
Nylon and closed-cell foam
Adjustable waist
Recommended Use: Women's Sport Climbing
Weight: 10.6 oz
Warranty: 1 year
Black Diamond Chaos Harness . The Chaos climbing harness has a wider than standard waist belt and in the bullhorn shape for more comfortable during long hanging belays. It also has vents molded into the belt for increased air on hot days. There are 4 gear loops for the rack and a full strength haul loop.
Nylon and synthetic materials
Adjustable waist, elastic legs
Compression molded foam makes this a good harness for long routes
Warranty: 1 Year
Metolius Safe Tech Deluxe Harness - Men's. This is an enhanced version of the All-Around harness. It is an excellent fitting and safe harness designed to provide the greatest amount of lower back support and freedom of movement at the same time. It is tough but has a soft inner polyethylene foam with brushed inner lining. It is ideal when you will be in your harness a long time, for example routesetting or extended pitches outside. This climbing harness was engineered with safety in mind, as redundant and error proof as absolutely possible.
Metolius Safe Tech All-Around Harness. Ergonomic shapes to this climbing harness provide exceptional range of movement for both men and women. The adjustment system allows for maximum adjustment for any size person or layers. Everything from leg risers, gear, haul, and belay loops are made to take a load of a minimum 2250 lbf (10kN) approx equal to max impact force rating of a modern climbing rope.
600D Polyester
Full adjustability in leg and waist
4 Nylon reinforced webbing loops
Padding: Fully padded
Weight: 16oz
Warranty: 1 year
Women's Metolius Safe Tech Deluxe Harness. Designed to provide max support at the lower back and freedom of movement at the same time. Has a durable 1050d Ballistics outer layer for toughness, and polyethylene foam with a brushed inner lining on the inside for softness and comfort.
Petzl Hirundos Climbing Harness. The Hirundos is light in weight and is designed with a low-profile to help you send the most difficult. The perforated closed-cell foam pad is comfortable but does not inhibiting airflow and breathability. For sport, competition and mixed climbing.
Material: Nylon
Adjustability: DoubleBack buckle on waist
4 Gear loops, 2 Caritool slots
Perforated closed-cell foam
Weight: 10.6oz (300g)
Warranty: 3 years
Petzl Pandion Climbing Harness. The Petzl Pandion Climbing Harness is ultra light, ideal for cold weather climbing. It is easy to get on over boots and layered clothing. It is easily adjustable in the waist and legs. The Pandion climbing harness is also an excellent gym climbing harnes due to its light weight. Recommend for glacier travel.
Material: Nylon
Adjustable leg, rear support, and waist
No padding
Weight: 290g
Warranty: Limited
Petzl Adjama Climbing Harness. The Adjama is ideal for all-season use. It has a padding that is perforated to increase the air circulation at the contact locations.
Petzl Sama Climbing Harness. Perforated foam padding and mesh lining combine to make the Sama Climbing Harness an exceptionally breathable/wearable during the summer. The Sama has pre-threaded DoubleBack buckle and elastic leg loops that can be released easily. This is an excellent rock climbing harness.
Material is Nylon, mesh, perforated closed-cell foam
Adjustability: DoubleBack waist buckle
Gear Hangars: 4 Regular, 2 Caritool slots
Padding: Perforated closed-cell foam
Warranty: 3 Years
Petzl Luna Women's Climbing Harness. The Women's Luna Climbing Harness is easily adjustable at the leg loops and waist. It has perforated closed-cell foam padding for an exact fit and comfort. It is comfortable to wear in shorts in the summer for sport or multi pitch trad climbing. Excellent harness for rock climbing.
Nylon, mesh, perforated closed-cell foam
DoubleBack waist buckle
Gear connection points: 4 Regular, and 2 Caritool slots
Padding is perforated closed-cell foam
Warranty: 3 Years
CAMP USA XLH 95 Harness. This harness weighs almost nothing, and nothing else on the market comes close to this weight. It is a mere 3.4oz. This harness is not the best choice for rock climbing, but is perfect for adventure racing, backcountry skiers, ski mountaineering, and other extreme sports that require a harness. Excels in use for adventure racing, ski mountaineering.
Nylon
Adjustable elastic draw cord in front
1 Single-biner loop on each side
Weight: 3.4oz, 95g
Warranty: 1 year
Women's CAMP USA Jade Climbing Harness. The Jade Women's Climbing Harness has auto fit leg loops and long torso length, and the 3-D mesh padding provides excellent distribution of weight. The No-Twist belay loop keeps your 'biner is in its strongest orientation to the rope while belaying.
Nylon with 3-D mesh padding
Auto fit legs
Recommended Use: Trad climbing and long routes
3-D mesh padding on waist and leg loops
Weight: 12.8oz (365g)
Warranty: Lifetime
Women's Petzl Selena Climbing Harness. The Women's Selena Climbing Harness is made with a perforated closed-cell foam and mesh giving it excellent ventilation--this adds padding to make long durations in the harness comfortable. The pre-formed gear loops help keep the gear rack easy to access.
Nylon, perforated closed-cell foam, mesh
Adjustability: DoubleBack buckles on waist and legs
Closed-cell foam in waist and legs
Warranty: 3 Years
Petzl Canyon Climbing Harness. This climbing harness was made to take the demands and harsh environment of canyoneering and spelunking. It is made with tough nylon construction and a replaceable PVC seat to protect you. It has 2 gear loops to hold gear and a high tie-in point for rappelling. Great canyoneering harness.
Inspect your Climbing Harness. Look for signs of wear. Pay special attention to the
stitching and tie-in points. When you see visible signs of wear, fading, scratches which tear the weave, or after it has held an extreme fall it's time to get a new one. After your harness has dried, inspect it for signs of wear and tear and fraying at all the seams. Signs of wear will show up better when the harness is clean and dry. Fraying will stand up as shown in the picture. Look carefully at the stitching and seams. Tug gently on the seams and anchor points to make sure they are secure and don't feel loose.
Black Diamond Alpine Bod Harness
Black Diamond Phoenix Harness
Black Diamond Bod Harness
Black Diamond Blizzard Harness 
Women's Black Diamond Diva Harness
Black Diamond Chaos Harness 
Metolius Safe Tech Deluxe Harness - Men's
Metolius Safe Tech All-Around Harness
Women's Metolius Safe Tech Deluxe Harness
Petzl Hirundos Climbing Harness
Petzl Pandion Climbing Harness
Petzl Adjama Climbing Harness
Petzl Sama Climbing Harness
Petzl Luna Women's Climbing Harness
CAMP USA XLH 95 Harness
Women's CAMP USA Jade Climbing Harness
Women's Petzl Selena Climbing Harness
Petzl Canyon Climbing Harness