Arc’teryx Skaha Harness Review 2024

The all new, super light harness from Arc’teryx fills a neat gap in the harness range.

PROS

• Lightweight
• Comfortable
• Medium is well sized

CONS

• Dropping the back straps tricky

We first featured an Arc’teryx harness way back in 2015, they were a revolution at the time with the amazing WST (Warp  being the outstanding feature. This meant the harness waist belt could be thinned out and widened and still reduce weight and improve comfort. We reviewed the AR 395a and I climbed in that harness for years solidly, until the tie-in loops sadly began to show wear (at which point you should definitely retire any harness).

The new Arc’teryx Skaha fills a neat gap in the harness range, the AR harness always felt, well a little all around. The AR 395a was an exceptional harness and was perfect for alpine routes as well as ice climbing and the fixed leg Konseal harness was great for trad and sport. The Skaha brings all those years of R&D, as well as experience together with feedback to produce a modern sport climbing harness that has all the best features of previous harnesses with some great improvements in comfort and lightweight performance.

Light and compact, the harness took up no room in the pack. The storage bag is robust and easy to access.

The Skaha utilises the WST technology that amazed us all when it first came out. For more info on that read our review of the AR 395a. All you really need to know is that the tech offers an amazingly light and breathable experience. The abrasion resistant, 150D outer mesh has a pleasing honeycomb pattern and as with the AR 395a you cannot feel any tape webbing  through either the waist belt or leg loops. This means you can get maximum breathability for those hotter days. 

I’ve been using the harness throughout some hot climbing days this summer as well as indoor sessions and the harness has been a joy to wear. Once I’ve put it on I’ve hardly noticed it as the flexibility in the waist belt has given the harness a very soft feel. Further comfort is provided by the Spacermesh liner, which has proved super soft against bare skin and wicked away any sweat super fast. I have had no chaffing when using this harness in hot climbing sessions. I have been testing a size Medium, my waist size fluctuates between a 33-34” and it has fitted perfectly with room to spare for a jacket (or the winter timber!). 

Plenty of the room on the gear loops for a full rack of quickdraws. According to my two son’s my 10 years old Arc’terx cap is worth a fortune!

The Skaha harness packs up nice and compact and comes with a neat storage bag which opens wide to give easy removal. The harness weighed in at 296g on the trusty CGR scales’ that’s a couple of grams lighter than the stated weight so it will fit into tight spaces and is light enough for a long carry if needed (say up to Ceuse for instance). As I have said previously it’s so light and compact that it feels great to wear and has been perfect for outdoor sport climbing and indoor routing. The large, ergonomically shaped gear loops provide plenty of space for quickdraw or trad kit and are finished with rigid plastic which helps with fast deployment of gear when you need it. There is a fifth gear loop at the back for those of you who like to clip a chalk bag onto. I prefer to have my chalk bag on a length of ab tat so I generally keep rescue kit on the back such as prussic loops, Maillon and knife (for multi pitch routing) as the loop is generous in size. All gear racks are bar tacked for durability – but 0kn rated so don’t be hanging off them!

The leg loops on the Skaha harness are fixed with an elasticated adjuster at the rear. Over the last decade or so I have been working on what were my skinny sport climber legs so I have preferred an adjustable leg loop. So it was a pleasant surprise to find that the leg loops on the size medium that I have been testing fitted really well with some room to spare – I’ve been wearing the harness with shorts this summer so hopefully there will be enough give when the weather turns cooler, it feels like there will be. The leg loops are finished with shock corded retainers that are knotted into the leg loops and held at the waist belt by what the website states is a quick release hook – this has been very difficult to release and although I have managed to release it, it has proved really tricky. That said the leg loops have been really comfortable for hanging around working moves. I’m not so sure I could release the back for toilet stops and I feel it needs a little work on – we shall see.

The Skaha harness is superlight and comfortable, very nice to use on long routes.

Finally the all important front of the harness with its quick release buckle for easy adjustment, burly tie-in loops and the slim but solid belay loop. When you are buying a harness you should pay extra attention to this area as this is the link between you and the rope, check all stitching and the batch number for the date of manufacture. Always check your harness for signs of wear in the tie-in loops and belay loop. In fact, if there is any wear on any part of a climbing harness you should retire it immediately. 

With more harnesses coming from cheap online sources you should be checking labels carefully, needless to say with its Made in Canada cachet and fully labelled with all relevant CE, UKCA and EN certifications you can be sure that the Arc’teryx Skaha harness is safe to use for all climbing adventures with full confidence.

So, in conclusion the Arc’teryx Skaha harness is a great addition from the climbing designers. It’s superlight, comfortable and soft feeling next to skin. The generous, rigid gear loops offer enough scope for plenty of sport quickdraw or a full trad rack and the burly tie-in loops offer confidence to fall off those harder climbs. Finishing touches include a complimentary colour scheme and embroidered Arc’teryx decal and Archeopteryx on the waistbelt. All in a lightweight and compact package with all the refinements and innovative features you would expect from a premium brand.

The Arc’terexy Skaha Harness comes in one colour way and sizes XS – XXL. The female specific version comes in sizes XXS – XXL.

The SRP is £160 and it can be bought direct from Arc’teryx UK and specialist retailers. 

Disclosure – CGR reviewers and writers are never paid to provide a review and the website does not take advertising or link to affiliate sales. We are a bunch of keen climbers and travellers who accept sample products and offer an honest and independent review of the item.