The Corax LT: Petzl’s new form-fitting harness. But first, some background on me, the tester: I have been climbing for about eight years and have spent most of that time indoors, making it outside a few times a year. Living in the middle of Illinois takes a lot of commitment to climb on real rock.

After I transitioned to a job at a gym centered around rock climbing instead of jazzercise, I have since found that having the right harness while sport climbing truly makes a difference.

Harness Testing Areas

I primarily single pitched sport climbed (indoor and out) in Illinois, Utah, and Wyoming and that’s what I’ll discuss below.

Petzl Corax LT climbing harness 1
Climbing at Sinks Canyon, Lander, WY - the Ancestral lands of Cheyenne, Eastern Shoshone, and Apsaalooké (Crow) tribes.

What I’m Looking for in a Harness

1. I need space in my gear loops for my quickdraws. I want to be able to unclip my quickdraws without thinking while I’m on a new route.

2. I want it to be comfortable to protect me from the big falls I’m now taking.

Note: I had my first harness for as long as you should have a harness because I didn’t know there could be a difference in experience with another harness. My sides would hurt from just catching a few falls and I learned it was time for a new one.

The Black Diamond Momentum is the main model I’ll compare in this review. My newer Momentum was nearly the same design as my original Momentum, the two differences being a color change and smaller gear loops. I picked the Momentum again because I got a sweet deal at the gym and decided to upgrade.

Sizing the Petzl Corax LT

I read that the Corax LT was supposed to be comfortable and form fitting. I decided to get a men’s small because that’s the size I have been wearing in harnesses previously.

Once it arrived, my next thought after undoing the buckle and slipping my feet through was that it was tight around my thighs. Really tight. I’ve always worn a size small in harnesses and didn’t think this should be any different.

I was wrong.

I should’ve better read the specs before ordering it because these elastic leg loops are smaller than I expected. The first time I put it on I’m sure I looked like somebody putting on pantyhose for the first time. I had to keep hiking them up my thighs to get them in the right place and was forced to take a seat to finish the job. I always preferred my leg loops a little looser, but the Corax LT’s aren’t adjustable. When I finally fixed the harness into position, it wasn’t cutting off any circulation, just super snug.

Petzl Corax harness front 2
Spoiler alert: This is the women's medium and it fit WAY better in the thighs. Though, you'll notice I'm almost completely cinched down on the waist.

The biggest downfall about these elastic leg loops is that I can stretch further than my harness will allow me. Specifically, when I’m using high feet. I’m not super tall and need to use my flexibility to my advantage. With the size small harness, I found my leg loops retract how high my foot can go. It feels as though I’m wrestling against the webbing holding my harness together to force my leg higher. I haven’t had this issue with adjustable leg loops.

Once I included the size of my thighs into the equation on the size chart, I found that a women’s medium fit my specs better. I’ve found it doesn’t restrict my capability to hand-foot match, and fits like a glove. I just can’t lose any weight because the waist is pulled about as tight as it can go.

Gear Loops

The BD Momentum has suited me fine enough, the smaller gear loops meant I had to rack a few draws on the back, though, which meant I couldn’t reach them comfortably.

Six quickdraws on the Momentum fill up almost the entire gear loop, while there is still plenty of room for more on the Corax LT. (see photo below)

Petzl Corax LT vs Black Diamond Momentum gear loops 3
Black Diamond Momentum (smaller) gear loops on left. Petzl Corax LT (larger) gear loops on right.

Off the bat I noticed the Petzl loops are more flexible than the plastic-coated ones I was used to. A few times when I went to clip my belay device, I wasn’t sure I hooked it because I couldn’t feel the familiar hard loop of my BD Momentum.

The front loops on the Corax LT are wider as it wraps toward the front, which is nice as it keeps my draws close and easy to reach.

I haven’t done much multi-pitch, but I do like to save space and wear my harness when I hike to the crag. The rear loops lay flatter than the front loops and has made wearing a pack on my back much more comfortable.

In my experience, the front gear loops weren’t as rigid as I would have liked them to be. With even three quickdraws attached, the weight sags the loops onto my leg, making it harder to unclip. I must push the carabiner into my thigh and twirl it to get it off my harness. However, I do like how they are wider toward the front and easier to reach.

When I needed to unclip anything from the rear gear loop, initially, I found it even harder to do so because the loop is so lightweight that I wasn’t sure I was removing it or not. I found myself squeezing open the carabiner, pulling in the direction I thought would unclip, only to end up pulling against my rear gear loop. I’ve since learned to push down more which has made unclipping from the rear loops easier.

Lander Climb Petzl Corax LT clipping 4

Foam Comparison

Along with the harness, Petzl craftily sent me a sample of the foam they use in the Corax LT and foam from the inside of a Black Diamond Momentum, conveniently, the other harness I own. Right away, I noticed the foam on the BD Momentum looks like that old back-up life jacket your friend let you use because they preferred the comfortable cool-looking one.

I learned this about the two different types of foam:

EPE (expanded polyethylene) – a common foam used in packing materials, it breaks down quicker and is cheaper to make. BD Momentum

EVA (ethylene-vinyl acetate) – a foam used in helmets, knee pads, and other high-impact sports, it’s higher quality and density (than EPE) so it also lasts longer. Petzl Corax LT

The Corax LT harness is more comfortable and it feels obvious why I should choose something that is going to be softer on those points of pressure.

Buckles

I liked that the buckle has two different colors, a silver on top and black on bottom, making it easier to check if I’m double-backed.

Petzl Corax buckle 5
Petzl Corax 2-tone buckle

Color

My first thoughts about this harness when I unboxed it were that it’s blue. A stunning cobalt blue.

The women’s is a lighter blue color, and is what I’m wearing in all the photos in this post.

Petzl Corax LT harness side 6

Price

Another plus for the Petzl Corax LT is that this harness is a few dollars less than the current version of the BD Momentum. And both these harnesses are some of the cheapest available.

Note: I got the Corax LT for free in exchange for an unbiased review, and as I mentioned earlier I got a big employee discount on the BD Momentum.

Overall

I like the Petzl Corax LT. The foam is far more comfortable compared to Black Diamond’s Momentum. I have had to learn how to unclip from my gear loops slightly different, but it hasn’t stopped my progress. Before buying, though, measure your hips and your thighs to receive a harness geared toward your size.

Pros

  • The high-quality foam used in the Petzl Corax LT is long lasting and comfortable
  • Cheaper than many other harness options
  • The wider front gear loop brings gear toward your front, making it easier to see and reach
  • The multicolored buckle makes checking for being double-backed easier
  • The softer rear gear loops make it comfortable to wear a pack while harnessed up

Cons

  • The sizing is very specific – watch out!
  • The light gear loops mean weight will sag them down more, forcing a particular unclipping style