Could you say better? It is a bold statement to make. Our customers keep telling us that our products are better, so it must be true, right?
We want to explain why we think our harnesses are better.
Let’s start with the structure of the harness. Most of our webbing is industrial grade, and because we make our harnesses in Canada and, therefore, follow CSA/ANSI, our webbing is just a bit thicker and, with that, stronger and more durable.
Although we initially felt we should do what everyone else does, our adventure park customers specifically kept asking for the “industrial” grade, the heavy-duty stuff, instead of the recreational climbing harnesses, as they already knew that what they weren’t cutting it in durability.
Our customers use the products daily. They see the difference if well maintained, and we hear about it. Durability is essential to them; it has to be better.
Most people don’t know, but our webbing is treated against UV light. Could you say better? We think so.
Our foam is also a bit thicker and made of a closed-cell material that doesn’t absorb sweat. This, combined with a structural textile and antibacterial fabric, is an engineered product that provides less cutting of the webbing into the “flesh” but also gives it shape to make it easier to step into a harness. Comfort is a choice; although it costs more, we feel we need to go for better.
Ergonomics is a challenging goal to achieve, and we genuinely don’t understand why some, if not most, manufacturers keep changing their designs and gamble with the ergonomics of the harness.
We built all our harnesses based on generations in which each step improves what we already know works for you. We also use layouts of harnesses we already make to help reduce the cost of a design and tooling, but most of all, we know what works and what doesn’t. It has to be the right approach as it has to be better.
We do extensive product research and field testing, sometimes taking too long to launch a product. However, as we like to say, we want to sleep at night. One of the founders used the products himself in some of the most extreme circumstances. These days, it is the daughter of the founders using the harnesses they made. That counts for something if you talk about trust.
As for the cost of the product, we try to work hard to maintain a fair and competitive price. It is hard as most expect a particular price based on low-wage countries.
Fewer brands have workshops, but with the rising costs of everything, the pressure is high not to go to low-wage countries. This is possible with high-volume products, but it is for something other than niche market products. Not to mention the cost of certification.
We focused on automation, building our machinery and tooling, and creating our programs for the CNC bar tacking machines. We rely less on the workforce and more on skilled people who love their jobs and are passionate about climbing. That results in a better, more competitive product.
So, when we say better, we feel confident our product is better. Most of all, we know what you’re doing and understand when it is needed to create a better product so you can be better.