UKC

I want a second harness for random folk that want to have a go at climbing with me-indoors or outside trad. . I often take people out who want to have a go-relatives, friend's older  offspring etc. I am looking for adjustable legs loops, adjustable waist, easy to put on and fairly liberal in its choice of sizes- not wanting to spend too much -any ideas if this is reasonable-thinking centres must have harnesses like this. Thanks.

Yup, check out the DMM Alpine ABS or Brenin -- they're used a lot by centres and fit that exact bill.

https://dmmclimbing.com/Products/Harnesses/Alpine

Fits almost everyone.  Used by centres.  

Another vote for the DMM Alpine. 

TOP TIP: Although you should always tighten the waist belt first...  To stop the Alpine giving you a wedgie make sure the legs are tight too.

You may as well get one that's super adjustable and pretty light if possible. That way you can use it for winter / alpine

not enough gear loops

The gear loops thread onto the harness waist belt. Need more? Just thread another one on.

Most centres will have dozens of the damn things knocking around, along with random leg loop elastics. If you have a really tiny waist then you could thread a few on the leg loops too

This! I use them as scrambling harness’s for clients if they don’t have their own, with a few extra gear loops.

Light, mega adjustable and super comfy. One of those is a lie!

Hi. Thanks for your help. Have seen these. Seem great but wondered_-: I think the tying on loop is too high to introduce someone to belaying from it. (?)Also if someone wants to use a climbing wall and pass the wall intro test, they normally have to tie on a figure of eight, then thread it through the legs and waist and back thro the figure of eight. Would it be acceptable to tie just onto the high loop using figure of eight at a wall? (I assume that's how its done), not a carabiner. Thoughts on this very  welcome. Is there a more conventional harness that does wide range of fit? Thanks.

The "high" loop is fine to belay from and any sane member of wall staff would accept tying into it as a demonstration of competency. The point is to tie in to the relevant harness (the one they're wearing) correctly, not to demonstrate how it would be done on some other harness. Even a very inexperienced member of staff, who you might sometimes expect to be nervous about variation from the norm, is likely to be familiar with those harnesses because they're fairly ubiquitous.

You won't find a "conventional" harness that can match the range of adjustment. The unpadded webbing is what gives it the range.

https://dmmclimbing.com/Products/Harnesses/Brenin-Harness

Linked to from the DMM alpine page, haven't seen this one before but sounds like what you're asking for 

This what our wall uses as hire equipment. Good harness, does fit absolutely everyone 

It's fine to belay from. The only caveat with the belay loop is that it sits horizontally rather than vertically. This means you need to orientate the belay device, left or right, so that it works with whichever hand is dominant.

Yes just tie on to the belay loop as normal. It's not just DMM that makes this style of harness, Petzl, Edelweiss, Beal etc have made harnesses of this type. It really shouldn't be a problem.

The DMM Brenin is nearly as versatile. 

You're welcome.

I find those tangle and twist horribly and so prefer the DMM Centre Alpine which is the same but with double back buckles and alpine style belay loop.

Either would do though.

I can't work out if you are joking?  

It's what I and many many others learnt to belay using. It's used by lots of walls and centres.  But if you really don't like it there is a version with the other way.  Look at the bottom of the page I linked and click Brenin. It's a matter of preference.  

They are a bit tangly, but not horrendous. If the OP wants to use it to give people a taster of climbing, and is going to fit it for them, then I'm sure it will be fine. It just depends whether the priority is the tie in and belay loop or not

Yes, that's why I mentioned the DMM Brenin, which is very similar but with a standard belay loop.

Yeah I tried out one of the similar alpine harnesses and it was a real ball cruncher when you weighted it. Sent it back!

I wouldn't have one as my main harness, but as a spare one for a friend they are great - as noted they adjust to fit anyone up to about 40-42" waist but right down to a small child (once they are big enough not to need a chest harness - though in that case they can be used with a separate one also supplied by DMM).

Unlike everyone else recommending DMM Brenin or Alpine harnesses, I've used them loads over the years snd I am NOT a fan.

Both are OK if you desperately need something that will fit 99% of people but don't care that it does so fairly badly and doesn't perform particularly well for proper climbing (as opposed to a token abseil, couple of top-rope ascents or some scrambling).

The alternative is to get something like a Petzl Corax with a double waist buckle design. It will fit about 80%+ of people (e.g. size1, covers waist 25.5"-38") but does the job properly and is a similar price - https://www.decathlon.co.uk/corax-harness-id_8388710.html

Thank you. That looks the one-the corax petzl more what I want. But does size 1 really go to 38 inches as info on websites in centimetres converts to about 33 inch max. Though some reviews have said sizing generous. Ta

25 1/2 to 37 1/2 inches roughly.  

Plenty of children will have smaller than 25 inch waist.  So it depends on the children you mean.  

It seems like what you asked for and what you want don't match.  

In reply to Mars bar. I didn't mention children. Just older offspring (young adults) and adults. Sorry this wasn't clear. That's why I was asking about size one or two of pezl. 

Thanks for clarifying.  Offspring read as children to me.  Older offspring as children around 8 upwards. (Old enough to go climbing without parents).  It's not a word I associated with older or adult children.  Perhaps a regional variation in use? 

If any of them are very very slim then 25 inches may be too big, otherwise as I said I checked the conversions and got the figures above.  

I've got 2 Wild Country Synchro harnesses - twin waist buckles seem to give enough adjustability to cover everyone I've lent one to, apart from small kids, where I have kid-specific harnesses anyway.