REASONS TO BUY
Simple
Affordable
Quick to adjust
REASONS TO AVOID
Leg loops uncomfortable
Black Diamond Bod Harness Review
Black Diamond Bod Harness
Credit: BlackDiamondEquipment.com
Price: $60 List
By Chris McNamara ⋅ Founder and Editor-in-Chief ⋅ May 9, 2015
Our Verdict
The Black Diamond Bod Harness is maybe the oldest climbing harness design still in production. Its simple design has lasted decades and it is still a harness many guide schools and gyms choose. The construction is simple and durable.
This is a good harness for teaching people to climb in. But if you are an entry level climber, we strongly recommend the Black Diamond Momentum for men or the Black Diamond Primrose for women. Those harnesses have many more features, are more comfortable, are $5 cheaper and will last forever. If you are a gym or institution, we recommend the Black Diamond Vario Speed, which is really fast and easy to put on big groups. We also recommend the Petzl Corax over the Bod. Those harnesses are faster to put on people in a big group and more comfortable. They are more expensive but because they cover a wider range of waist sizes you need to buy fewer of them. All that said, many gyms and schools will still prefer the Bod because of its simplicity, lower price and the good chance they are already familiar with it.
Our Analysis and Test Results
Likes
The Bod fits a wide variety of leg size and waist combos. The leg loops are highly adjustable and, more importantly, they are quick to adjust. If you are teaching a big class of new climbers, this harness is easy to fit to someone quickly. Also, the harness is relatively compact. Climbing gyms love these harnesses because they can throw them in one bin and have them take up relatively little space compared to harnesses with more volume. Lastly, they are time-tested and bomber. It is hard to wear them out; just about every piece of webbing is beefy. This harness even comes with gear loops and a haul loop that make it suitable for multi-pitch climbs.
Dislikes
The main dislike with this harness is its groin comfort. The leg loops pull into the groin as opposed to most leg loops that mostly apply pressure to the legs. This is not a big deal if it is your first time climbing and you are just doing a couple of routes. But if you are going to climb a lot you will want to upgrade quickly to a more comfortable harness.
This harness is heavy because it uses such big webbing and a big buckle. Unlike most harnesses, there is no self-locking buckle, so you need to double back the harness. This makes putting on the harness take a little longer and is one more safety check you need to make, especially if you are teaching lots of students. Also, it means that if a harness is just a little too small and there is not enough extra webbing, you need to take off the harness and find a bigger size. This can be annoying if you are teaching a big group. It is a problem solved with other harnesses such as the Black Diamond Momentum DS or Petzl Corax where one size fits more people.
Best Application
This is ideal for climbing gyms or schools that teach a lot of people to climb because it is relatively quick to put on and off.
Value
We can't understand why this harness is more expensive than the Black Diamond Momentum, which is a much better harness with more features. That said, this is one of the cheaper harnesses for quickly sizing to different people. The Momentum DS and Petzl Corax are both $25 more.
—
Chris McNamara
You Might Also Like
