The following is a gear review from Jess Spate, a Chick who climbs across the pond in the English Peak District as well as North Wales. Jess wrote a review of the Black Diamond Lotus for those looking for a harness they can use year-round during the rock and ice seasons.

The Black Diamond Lotus is the women’s equivalent of the Aspect harness. Both are intended for year-round use and come with a full complement of adjustable leg loops, standard gear loops, four ice clipper slots, and a haul loops. It’s supposed to be a go-anywhere, do-anything harness and it actually does that pretty well.

Surprisingly, it’s quite light. The first time I pulled it out of my bag at for a climb, a sport climbing friend remarked how chunky it was and then picked it up. The look on his face was worth the purchase price- the Lotus is a lot lighter than it looks. A medium weighs in at 420g, comparable with the Petzl Luna and 100g less than some other competitors. On the other hand, it’s a lot heavier than the women’s offerings from high-end brands like Arcteryx and BD’s own women’s Aura sport harness comes in at 326g. The Lotus is light for an all-season harness, but there are far lighter options out there.

The Lotus is the first Black Diamond harness I’ve worn on a regular basis. The characteristic BD gear loops are quite striking. The flatter base means that gear doesn’t bunch up so much, but it does slide around more if you haven’t got much on there – I’m not convinced it’s a better or worse shape than the usual wedge.

The adjustment system works smoothly but the Lotus does suffer from the same problem as the old BD Primrose. The tape on the waist is shorter than you might expect so getting into the harness takes a bit of a wiggle- I noticed this even when trying on the medium, which is a little too big when it’s all done up. You can always undo the strapping and rethread it every time you want to get in or out of the harness if you can’t quite manage it, but you really shouldn’t have to do that. For most people it won’t be a problem but a couple of inches extra length on the strap could avoid the whole issue, so making it so short seems like an odd choice.

The leg loops are quite wide and they don’t taper off as quickly as they do on some other harnesses. That’s quite comfy when you’re hanging with legs apart (or on the business end of a fall) but less so holding the weight of another climber in a standing position. It’s not a major issue but if you’re belaying a redpoint attempt you’ll probably notice – if your body shape is anything like mine, of course. Harness comfort is always individual to the climber.

Overall I rate the Lotus as a good all-around harness, especially if you’ll want to use the ice clipper slots from time to time. Like all harnesses, try before you buy if possible, and do be aware that harnesses are classified as PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) so some retailers, both online and off, won’t take them back for exchange or refund if the one you order the wrong one. If you can’t find a Lotus at a shop near you to try on a Primrose or another women’s BD harness to estimate size.

Jess Spate lives and climbs in Wales, UK, and edits Outdoor Equipment Online, a price comparison website where you can find all kinds of climbing harnesses and other outdoor gear. In the USA she works for Appalachian Outdoors. Although she’s dabbled in European Alpine Climbing, gritstone highballs, and waterfall ice, she still thinks Dinorwic Slate Quarry is the happiest place on Earth.