The rock climbing harness is one of the few items in a climber's gear assortment that isn't redundant. There are, however, a number of redundant features built into each harness to help ensure that it's capable of holding a climber's fall--or holding the belay if that climber's partner should fall. The rock climbing harness won't help you much, and might even hurt you, however, if it's poorly fitted--and choosing a harness without considering what sort of rock climbing you'll use it for is a bit like picking fruit without looking. You might get exactly what you need, and you might not.
Step 1
Choose a general style of climbing harness based on your preferred activities. If you do a lot of big wall climbing, you'll want a harness with lots of padding and multiple gear loops. If you do a lot of sport climbing, you'll want less padding and can tolerate fewer gear loops; trad climbers that aren't doing big wall climbs may still prefer more gear loops. If you prefer to keep your climbing gear on a chest sling, the number of gear loops on the harness will be irrelevant.
Step 2
Decide whether you have to have drop legs (also known as detachable leg loops), which make it much easier to go to the bathroom with the harness still on. Also, decide whether adjustable leg loops are a priority for you. These are useful if you might wear your harness over both heavy and light layers of clothing at various points in time, say, for winter or summer rock climbing.
Step 3
Try the harness on. Thread the webbing through each of the buckles and double the webbing back, unless the harness has "speed buckles" which do not need to be doubled back. If you're not positive about how to buckle the harness correctly, ask a salesperson. It should be snug but not uncomfortable at both waist and hips.
Step 4
Check the fit of the harness. The waist belt should sit above the upper edges of your hip bones. The leg loops should be snug up against your upper thigh.
Step 5
Slide your flattened palm between your leg and one of the leg loops. If there's enough room to rotate your palm 180 degrees (while still flat), the loop is too loose. Tighten it if possible and, if you can't tighten the loop any further, try on a smaller harness. Repeat this test for the other leg loop and for the waist loop as well.
Step 6
Ask the salesperson if it's possible to do a hang test. If there is a properly anchored rope available, he can help you tie into the harness and hang on the rope so that the harness supports your full weight. Look for any uncomfortable pinches or pulls, and pay attention to whether the edges of the waist or leg loops bite into your skin. If the harness passes all of these tests, buy it.
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