Tree stand or ground blind, the timeless debate among hunters. However, if you have decided to hunt on treestand in the upcoming hunting season, then it’s absolutely important that you use a treestand harness. It’s something that you can put on to your body to prevent you from falling in case you slipped while climbing up the treestand, etc.
Note: Check out our best treestand for hunting and archery here. All three types of tree stands are included and you can definitely find one that suits you best.
Still cant imagine? Well, just like binocular harness that holds the binocular, a treestand harness holds you.
Treestand Safety Harness Comparison Table
In case you would like to make quick comparisons, then you can do that with the table below. We have compile all their respective specs in a comparison table for your convenience.
To take advantage of the comparison table, these are the things that you should know before moving on.
- Overall Comfort – Overall comfort is rated from very bad to very good.
- Hanging Comfort – Hang Comfort is rated from very bad to very good.
- Ease of Use – Ease of Use is rated from very bad to very good.
- Weight – Weight is measured in lbs
- Price – All price are measured in USD
| Product | Comfort | Hang Comfort | Ease of Use | Weight | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Safety System Bowhunter | Good | Good | Very Good | 2.5 lbs | $$ |
| Big Game Ez-On | Average | Good | Good | 3.4 lbs | $ |
| Tree Spider Speed | Good | Very Good | Very Good | 3 lbs | $$$$ |
| Safety UltraLite Flex | Very Good | Good | Very Good | 4.4 lbs | $$$ |
| Summit Fastback | Very Good | Good | Very Good | 4 lbs | $$ |
Hunter Safety System Bowhunter Harness Review
If you are looking a simple, lightweight and user friendly treestand safety harness, you found it. It is the Hunter Safety System Bowhunter Harness.
Unlike traditional safety harnesses that are full with unnecessary and potentially dangerous dangling straps, you will not find any of that and confusing weave-through buckles on the Bowhunter. Due to the fact that the Bowhunter eliminates all the dangling straps and weave-through buckles, you can expect yourself to strap into your harness in no time.
Weighting at 2.5 lbs, the Bowhunter is the lightest harness we have here in the list. In terms of comfort, the Bowhunter is so light to the point where you can barely feel that it’s there. It felt like as if you are wearing another jacket instead of a harness. Same thing goes when it comes to hanging comfort, except this time you know that it’s there or else you won’t be dangling feets above ground.
It is a very versatile harness and you can even use it during the winter. This harness can be worn over your clothes or underneath your cold weather gear in the cold seasons.
Price:
Who is this for:
- User friendly
- Lightweight
- Comfortable and mobile harness
Big Game Ez-On Basic Safety Harness
Weighting at 3.4 lbs, the Ez-On is quite light as well. A large nylon waist buckle is easy to operate and the parachute style buckles around the legs fasten quietly. All in all, you can pretty much get into the Ez-On without breaking much sweat. The only downfall is that the treebelt and lanyard is a tiny bit cumbersome to install.
The shoulder straps are quite comfortable but they tend to dig into your chest when you’re hanging. A soft foam frame prevents the straps from tangling up and the padding provides comfort for you when leaning back against the tree.
There are some minor setbacks to the Ez-On, for example the padding does produce some cracking sounds when leaned on and the fact that the shoulder straps do dig into your chest while hanging, but it can be overlooked given for the price of the Ez-On. It is the cheapest on the list and quality wise, it is up there among with the rest of the harnesses in our list.
Price:
Who is this for:
- Cheap but reliable
Tree Spider Speed Harness Review
Weighing in at 3 lbs, the Tree Spider Speed Harness is the second lightest in the list. Not to mention that the design of this safety harness is unique as well. The figure eight strap design does not come with a waistbelt and you only need to tug the two large tags to adjust the harness. It features two machined aluminium leg buckles that have large tabs for ease of use and the fact that they don’t rattle when collide with each other makes the Tree Spider that much more appealing to us.
The tether is elastic hence providing you with increased mobility. A padded shoulder area prevent your back from touching the tree and the relaxed nylon webbing pliable provides you with maximum comfort. The only downside is that the straps are easily tangled up when you’re hanging from a tree.
Price:
Who is this for:
- Unique design
- Ease of use
- While it’s pretty durable and strong, it’s also very comfortable.
Hunter Safety System UltraLite Flex Harness Review
The Ultralite Flex Harness is a vest-style harness with the waistbelt and the shoulder straps sewn inside the harness to keep them tidy and to prevent them from tangle up with each other. It features individual, padded hexagons to provide the user with comfort and flexibility when you are in the treestand. Besides that, the Ultralite Flex comes with a trim design that will provide you with a snug fit but without sacrificing your mobility.
The Harness features the new HSS 1.25” upper body webbing, tether and waist buckle that will provide you with the strength that HSS is known for without any added weight and bulk. It also includes a secure, mesh phone pocket for added convenience.
The only drawback for the Ultralite Flex is that it weights at 4.4 lbs which is the heaviest among the harnesses we have on the list.
Price:
Who is this for:
- Comfortable and mobile
- Wouldn’t mind that tiny bit of weight
Summit Treestands Fastback Harness Review
The Summit Treestands Fastback Harness is the best harness among the others on this list. It is comfortable, mobile, easy to use and yet not too heavy for you.
The nylon webbing is conforming to your body’s contour and the rubber coating on the low profile buckles prevents the buckles from making clanking noise that will scare off your prey when collided. Once it is fully adjusted, it fits your body like your favourite t-shirt. That being said, the lack of paddings on the leg straps make it so that when you are hanging, it digs into your legs and crouch area.
It features an ammunition holder and a bow holder on the harness belt which provides you with convenience and you don’t have to worry that your bow or ammunition might fall off your stand while you are wearing the Fastback harness.
Again, the only downside to this harness is that is weights in at 4 lbs which is the second heaviest among the harnesses that we have here on this list.
Price:
Who is this for:
- Harness that is designed for your comfort and safety
- Easy to use
- Mobile
Some Key Considerations when Purchasing a Hunting Tree Stand Safety Harness:
Scent
Scent, one of the most important factor to consider before hunting. An elevation of 30 feet in your trusty tree stand should reduce the chances of being spotted by your prey and provide you with a better view of your surroundings. That being said, if your treestand isn’t higher than at least 25 feet, you will increase the chances of being detected by your prey that is coming towards your kill zone. Hunting ground blind, however, will require much more preparation to be setup correctly.
The fact that you will be hunting on the same level as your prey means that you will need to take extra care to remove or cover up your scent. Make sure to use scent free soap or detergent to clean yourself and your belongings. Whatever that you do, be sure to track the wind direction, intensity and the time of the day as well. The sun will heat up the air causing it to rise which means using treestand might be more beneficial, but as the night comes the air will cool down and instead of rising up the air will travel much more closer to the ground.
Terrain
Let’s move on to the next issue, terrain. Choose whether to hunting ground blind or using treestand depending on your terrain. This might sound simple enough but you might be surprise by the number of hunters that make this mistake. Know your surroundings or hunting ground before making this decision might pay off big time. A tree stand is not going to help you much if you are hunting in a field that only have tall bush and small trees likewise hunting ground blind in a rainforest full with tall trees and big bushes. On that note, make sure to use the right way to setup your treestand or hunting blind according to your environment. Anything that stands out will scare away any prey that sees it no matter it’s in the air or on the ground.
Note: Since animals will also camouflage with their surroundings, I would recommend the use of binoculars for seeing in near vision while spotting scopes are used to see at farther places. Here are tips to care for your binoculars too.
Why you need a safety harness
If you are using treestand harness, then it’s highly advisable to use a safety harness. If you thinking that you are not going to need it because you will extra careful or your treestand is just a “few” feet above the ground, I am afraid that you are out of your mind. Regardless of how controlled your environment is, there is and will be some unforeseen situation and maybe one of them is you falling from your treestand all the way from a 30 feet tall tree.
Either way, if you were to fall off from your treestand, your hunt is going to end right there and then. Even veteran hunters that hunt regularly in a treestand will advise you to get a safety harness. So why not take the extra precaution and don’t take the risk? It can happen to you, and especially so if you have been hunting long enough. But if you’re wearing a harness, you’ll just have a scary story to tell to your friends and family with a happy ending.
Top 5 rated treestand safety harness review
These are some other factors that we took into consideration when deciding if these harness will be in our top 5 best treestand safety harness review.
Overall comfort
Let’s face it, you are going to be wearing your harness during your entire hunting if you are hunting in a treestand. A good harness should be comfortable enough for you to be able to carry out your hunting activities. We don’t want the safety harness itself that is preventing you from taking home your trophy, do we?
Hang comfort
If you were to slip and fall from your stand, you are going to spend a good amount of time dangling in your harness. We do need to inform you that none of the harness in the market currently are going to completely comfortable when you are hanging in them. But a good harness will be able to hold you upright, distribute your weight evenly and obviously not suffocating your body, allowing your blood to flow normally as if you are not hanging at all.
Ease of Use
A good harness should be able to easy to understand and use without scratching your head. You should be able to fasten your harness and remove it at a moment’s notice.
Weight
A dependable harness should be lightweight. This is because you are going to be spending a lot of time wearing it in your trusty treestand and a heavy harness might be your downfall. It might tilt off your centre of gravity and before you even know what is going on you will be dangling above the ground.
Price
We are determined to find you the best deal there is and the price of the harness is definitely going to be taken account by us. We are here to ensure that you get no less than what you are paying for.
Conclusion
Don’t take treestand harness lightly since it’s one of the most important equipment in ensuring your safety while you are happily hunting on a treestand.
Also, don’t forget to get yourself a pair of shooting gloves to improve the grip on your weapon and a backpacking chair to rest on if you’re tired while hunting.