Universal Harnesses: The Importance of Harness Fit

Many of the safety harnesses on the market today come in standard sizes—small, medium, large. We’ve all experienced buying an item in our size only to find when we try it on that it “runs large” (we’re swimming in it) or “runs small” (we couldn’t squeeze it on if we tried). A “medium” could go either way.

If you’re trying to buy a harness online using only standard sizing categories as your guide, it’s easy to end up with a harness that doesn’t fit the way you expected for any number of reasons. We know that receiving a harness that doesn’t fit is frustrating at best, and can even delay your work.

At Malta Dynamics, we’ve decided to address this issue by offering universal harnesses. Our “S-M-L” harnesses are one-size-fits-most and can adjust to fit like a small, medium, or large, plus everything in between. You can adjust them to fit you. Because of this, our products fit most people correctly the first time, so you can spend less time trying to decode harness sizes and get back to the work that brought you to shopping for harnesses in the first place.

This solution addresses a couple of key issues that often arise for harness customers. The first issue is the need for a comfortable, well-fitting harness. Ill-fitting harnesses are bad news all around. In order to provide optimal safety, harnesses must fit snugly but not be constricting. Additionally, safety equipment only works if you use it, and you can imagine that if a harness isn’t comfortable, most workers won’t want to wear it all day. Comfort has always factored heavily into the design of our products—we offer options with full shoulder, back, waist, and leg comfort padding—and ensuring a good fit is part of that design.

The other issue customers often face when choosing harnesses is different sizing needs based on the season. Those working outdoors in the winter often need a larger size to account for the extra bulk of thicker winter clothing and coats. This is especially true in very cold climates, where extra layers of insulation are a matter of worker safety. All those extra layers need to fit snugly inside the harness, too, and some workers end up needing to buy two harnesses – one for summer and another, larger harness for winter to accommodate their cold-weather gear. A single, adjustable-size harness allows you to have one harness you love that you can wear year-round.

We also have a new harness selection tool that lets you choose the right harness for your job. You can choose harnesses by style and by D-Ring configuration to make sure your equipment meets your exact needs.

Once you have the right harness, you’re ready to get to work. We also have a brief video demonstrating how to properly put on and inspect your harness before you begin—you can find the video on our YouTube channel.