Petzl is a big name in the harness and vertical safety world. They produce high-quality gear and the Corax is no exception. With fully adjustable waist and leg loops, the Corax is super comfortable and will work over different body types or clothing layers. The front gear loops are rigid while the rear gear loops are soft to fit more comfortably beneath a backpack for long days on the wall or in the mountains. The harness itself does not come with loops for ice clippers, but this harness is compatible with over-the-harness clippers available on the market.

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See Our Best Climbing Harness Review 2021

The Petzl Corax is one of Petzl’s most affordable harnesses on the market. At only $60, it is right in the same ballpark as the Black Diamond Momentum. There are a few design features on the harness that help it stand out from other harnesses in this price bracket, and as always, Petzl makes eye-catching gear so the color selection is excellent.

The Corax is unisex, and as will be discussed in the Design section, the adjustability allows it to fit well on both sexes.

Design

Immediately the first thing that you notice on the Petzl Corax are the dual adjustment buckles on the waist belt. Having dual buckles serves a multitude of purposes—mainly for keeping the belay loops centered on your body no matter your body type or what layers you’re wearing.

The leg loops are adjustable, giving freedom for layers—from baggy insulated pants to spandex. The leg loops are slightly contoured for hanging comfort while working on a project or belaying.

Comfort

The main waist belt only uses a thick band of webbing that is surrounded by a perforated closed-cell foam for pressure distribution. Certainly not the most comfortable design but the padding does help. The bonus for comfort is the dual adjustment on the waist belt which will keep the harness centered on your waist. This helps keep the padding in the right places and reduces the chance for pressure points.

The thicker padding on the leg loops also adds to the overall comfort of the harness. For a beginner, this is a very comfortable harness. It is not the lightest harness, but in the end, we’re dealing in grams. We’ve never thought that the weight of a harness is as crucial as how it feels on your body while you’re pulling on some rocks.

Gear Loops

Petzl has gone with four gear loops for the Corax, which feels like an industry standard at this point. The front two gear loops are stiff, while the rear two gear loops are soft for comfort under a backpack. The gear loops are surprisingly large and able to handle a lot of gear, even a beefy trad rack. Along the rear of the harness, there is a small loop for a chalk bag as well.
 

The harness is missing ice clipper loops, but it is adaptable with over the harness Caritool clips, so it would not work very well for ice climbing or mountaineering right out of the box. For pursuits such as mountaineering, it is also slightly bulky and heavy when trying to move quickly over glaciers or other terrains. At 490g, it is one of the heavier harnesses in our review.

The Bottom Line

It is one of the most adjustable harnesses on the market—thanks to the dual adjustable waist belt and the adjustable leg loops. The versatility that this adjustability allows combined with the price tag at $60 makes the Petzl Corax a very good “bang-for-your-buck” harness. The large gear loops are another great addition to a surprisingly capable harness.

Simply put, this is not the most comfortable on the market, and the dual adjustable waist belt takes longer to dial in while putting on the harness. That said, these are small flaws for a highly affordable harness. Again, the weight and bulk take it out the mountaineering realm, but overall, it is a very capable climbing harness.

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