Arc’teryx harness their design expertise to launch the Litho SL

High-performance, technical mountain apparel design experts Arc’teryx Equipment have just made a a major advancement in sport-climbing harness innovation. Named the Lithos SL Harness, this cutting edge piece of kit delivers the next evolution of Warp Strength Technology alongside an industry-first sizing system that provides the ideal balance of weight, strength, and comfort for the modern sports climber. Developed in close collaboration with Arc’teryx athletes (including Jonathan Siegrist and Alannah Yip) whose invaluable performance insights, testing feedback, and real‐world fall data all directly informed the Lithos’s new structural platform, fit system,
and elevated durability standards. Which led to the utilisation of the brand’s in-house prototyping capabilities with early samples being custom-fit to a range of athletes’ body types which informed the development of the new numerical sizing system, a first for the climbing industry. As Arc’teryx’s Senior Designer of Hard Goods and Equipment Mike Foley explained:

“The goal of the new structural platform was to improve build precision, reduce build complexity and shave off weight while maintaining the level of durability that Arc’teryx harnesses are known for. This is our most tested harness we have ever developed, both through accelerated wear testing in a lab setting as well as real world wear testing with our athletes. The current industry approach to fit and sizing doesn’t account for the range of body types we see in climbing. You don’t wear a harness like you wear pants, so your sizing shouldn’t reflect that standard. Fit is critical for safety, comfort, and performance. We wanted to give climbers the option to choose their best fit possible. This new system allows you to do that based on your specific body type, we really narrowed in on perfecting the fit and construction to move with your body while pushing industry standards for durability and strength.”

This revolutionary new lightweight system introduces six waist sizes, each of which are paired with two leg-loop options, enabling climbers to select a harness based on their individual body proportions rather than traditional gendered size charts and thus improving precision, comfort, and mobility. At just 2mm thick, this is one of the strongest, most comfortable, and balanced expressions of Warp Strength Technology to date—contouring to the body, providing exceptional support while hanging, and moving seamlessly for maximum range of motion. Paired with a minimalist feature set, the Arc’teryx Lithos SL marks a new benchmark for sport‐climbing performance.

Check out the brand new Arc’teryx Litho SL Harness HERE.