REASONS TO BUY
Adjustable leg loops
Inexpensive
REASONS TO AVOID
Minimal padding
Stiff construction
Lower rise
Product Update
The Venus 4.0 is now available. Read on below to see a comparison of the two harnesses.
April 2019Mad Rock Venus Review
Good for those who like to wear their harness more on their hips and who don't want to spend a lot of money
Credit: Mad Rock
Our Verdict
The Venus harness is an inexpensive option from Mad Rock. Often sold in a “starter pack,” with a chalk bag and belay device, we can see this harness appealing to entry-level climbers. It doesn't have a lot of padding or the split-webbing engineering found in more expensive models, and we could tell the difference when hanging in it. We liked the comfort better on the Black Diamond Momentum, our Best Buy winner, which costs only a few dollars more.
Our Analysis and Test Results
Venus 4.0
Mad Rock released the updated Venus, the Venus 4.0. The 4.0 version sports new colors, updated gear loops, and a thicker waist belt. Below is a comparison with the updated harness shown first, followed by the Venus harness we tested.
We are now linking to the updated Venus 4.0, but our experiences accounted below refer to the previous Venus harness.
Hands-On Review of the Venus
The Venus has a single strand of webbing as the primary structure of the waistbelt (with padding built up around it). It has adjustable leg loops and a full-strength haul loop.
Testing out the Venus. This harness sat lower on our hips than others, which a few of our testers liked.
Credit: Cam McKenzie Ring
Standing Comfort
We gave the Venus a lower score for standing comfort for several reasons. The material is stiff and not very pliable, which we noticed when sitting or just hanging out in the harness. Also, the rise is on the low side, so if you try to wear this one on your waist, the front of the waist belt then digs into you a little bit. This harness is better for those who like to wear their harness lower on their hips.
You can see how the front of the harness is dipping forward and digging into us. There's wasn't enough rise in the front for most of our female testers.
Credit: Cam McKenzie Ring
Hanging Comfort
The construction of the Venus's waistbelt is fairly simple — there's a single strand of one-inch webbing tacked on to the “padding” on the waistbelt (we use quotation marks because there is little padding there). When you weight this harness, you can feel that all of the pressure is in that one inch of webbing. Other harnesses use dual or even triple webbing systems to disperse the load over a greater area, and the difference is noticeable.
Testing this basic harness reminded us how far harness design and engineering has come, though it does usually come with a steeper price tag as well.
Credit: Cam McKenzie Ring
Discipline-Specific Features
The Venus is more of an attempt at an all-around harness than a discipline-specific one. There is a full-strength haul loop, which you don't always get out of a sport harness, but the rear leg loops are secured with large buckles, which is never comfortable when chimneying. We look for comfort in our all-around models for those long days on the rock, but this one just didn't deliver so well.
The buckles make it easier to drop the leg loops, but they don't feel great in certain climbing situations like chimneys.
Credit: Cam McKenzie Ring
Versatility
The Venus is best used for single-pitch climbing (since we didn't find it too comfortable to hang in). The gear loops can hold quite a bit though, so you could easily use it for traditional climbing.
We did like the adjustable leg loops on this model more than the ones on the Black Diamond Technician.
Credit: Cam McKenzie Ring
Adjustability
The Venus has adjustable leg loops, which helped give it a good score for adjustability. The risers in the back are easy to adjust as well.
We prefer to use this harness for sport climbs over trad.
Credit: Cam McKenzie Ring
Value
This harness is not cheap. However, we thought many harnesses with a similar price tag were better quality and more versatile.
Conclusion
The Mad Rock Venus lacked enough comfort for us to recommend it whole-heartedly, but it still gets the job done, and when purchased as a starter pack, it is an incredible value. Pick this one up if you are new to climbing and need to get a lot of gear at once but don't have an unlimited budget to do it with.
—
Cam McKenzie Ring
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