The new Manera Eclipse harness has joined their very popular Exo range. Manera Eclipse is not a hard-shell harness per se. They call it the "adaptive shell" - that's still super stiff but gives a bit to match the rider's body shape. Which is a great idea actually. It's stiffer towards the centre and more flexible on the edges so it doesn't cut into your body when riding.

First thing that strikes straight out of the box is the attention to detail. Manera has always made excellent looking harnesses and Eclipse is not an exception. The stitching feels robust, straps are properly ribbed so they won't slip and loosen up the harness and the whole thing looks like it's built to last.

One drawback on the straps though - extra ribs are great but they also make adjusting a bit harder. And because they are fairly short you need to put some extra oomph into tightening... or like me, use others to help you. It felt like fitting a corset at first but when you find our fit it's just a case of clipping in and you're good to go. 

The harness feels very comfortable when riding. It doesn't bulge when properly adjusted and the downstrap really helps with preventing the spreader bar from tilting up. Also, the "Tuck Flap", as Manera calls it, or in other words: stiffened wings sliding into the harness from spreader bar further help to keep the bar from tiling upwards. The velcro belt is a bit different to most of the other harnesses with velcro points only at the beginning and end of the belt.

Fit really differs from person to person and your body build. It felt a bit too much on the ribs for me but others who tried it seemed not to notice that. If your ribs are close to your hips then this might be something to consider. Having said that, I've spent good few hours riding both over- and under-powered and I've stayed very comfy doing so. The gel foam helped with that for sure - it's very plush but also the variable stiffness of the harness worked well.

It's also a very light harness making it a perfect fit for kiteboarding trips! When compared to Ride Engine or Mystic Majestic X you can tell it's a bit more flexible. Being well priced it's definitely one to consider if you're looking to step up from your soft shell. And taking Manera's built quality into consideration it's definitely one of the best hard-shell(ish) harnesses on the market.

As always, if you have any questions about Manera Eclipse - give us a shout and we'll gladly help.