Modern climbing harnesses are designed to spread out the force of a fall across your body—and be comfortable to wear. Consider the following when choosing a harness:

Step 1: Consider Your Climbing Style

Alpine—Designed for mountaineering, these harnesses lack padding and extra features to save weight. They're highly adjustable to fit over varying clothing layers.

Sport—Ideal for the gym, top roping and sport climbs. They have a slim design with narrow leg loops for a full range of motion.

Multi-purpose —Designed for all types of climbing, they generally feature a padded waist and leg loops that are wide in the back and taper in the front. The leg loops have elastic webbing adjustments so the harness can be worn year-round with any combination of clothes.

Step 2: Focus on Features

Materials/Construction—Nylon webbing is used for structural strength. Most padded harnesses use laminated foam construction, which allows for a contoured shape and fewer seams. Less expensive padding options are stitched fleece or foam stuffing.

Gear Loops—For sport climbing, 2 gear loops hold plenty of quick draws; look for a harness with 4 loops for multi-pitch, trad and ice routes.

Haul Loop—Essential on multi-pitch routes to haul extra ropes; also helpful for attaching shoes or a chalk bag. Haul loops are not a secondary belay loop and are not designed to hold a fall.

Detachable Rear Risers—Let you stay tied in to the rope when adding or shedding clothing layers; essential on alpine harnesses and helpful on multi-purpose harnesses.

Step 3: Find the Right Size

The correct size and fit directly affect safety, comfort and mobility. When test-fitting a harness, make sure you're wearing the type of clothing you'll be climbing in.

Waistbelt—Should fit snugly just above the hip bones, with at least 3 inches of webbing extending from the buckle after it has been properly secured and doubled back.

Leg loops—Aim for a snug, but not uncomfortable, fit; you should be able to slip a hand between the loop and your leg.

Women's harnesses—The rise (distance from the leg loops to waist belt) is the key difference between men's and women's harnesses: It's generally 2 - 3 inches longer in a women's harness. Women's harnesses also have proportionally smaller waistbelts and larger leg loops than do men's harnesses.

Step 4: Harness Care and Retirement

A good rule of thumb is to replace your harness whenever you replace your rope; if you climb every weekend, replace it every few years. Also, replace it after any significant fall, even if everything "looks" okay. Keep strong chemicals and acids away from your harness and protect it from direct sunlight. Always inspect your harness before every climbing trip for abrasion, loose stitching or other damage.

Step 5: Other Considerations

Fitting Kids—A full-body harness should always be used on kids and anyone with a slim profile. If they flip upside-down in a fall they could slip out of a regular seat harness.

Chest Harness—Helps you stay upright in a fall—essential for crossing crevassed glaciers.