Review: Tantus Black Widow Connoisseur Harness

Not too long ago, Tantus launched a line of fancy-pants strap-on harnesses. Made of leather, they feature great designs and innovative harness technologies¹. Some of the Connoisseur line works with the standard rings  and buckles (Nevada and Black Widow), but a few of them rely on velcro for a super easy, more streamlined fit (Amazon, EZ and Nurse).  The standard designs of Nevada and Black Widow are more versatile, though, since they come with interchangeable rubber o-rings.

The Good

The Tantus Black Widow Harness can fit a fairly wide range of bodies. The hip size range listed on the site is 30-50″ but I think it depends on how you wear it and how you’re built. If you’re heavy-set with a large lower belly roll like me, you’ll be wearing this differently than someone with a wide-hipped flatter-tummy hourglass shape. The harness wearer is going to get the most pleasure out of the experience by wearing the front of the harness low enough so that the pressure from the base of the dildo rests above the clitoris, but this is a subjective point. That being said, if I went by my actual hip measurement, I would have been afraid of not fitting into this, but due to how I wore it I actually had a good bit of strap room to spare.

This harness is REALLY well made. The stitching is tight, the leather cut-out of the web design is perfect. The primary leather is all black, and then the front and back piece have a 2-layer design on top; a black spider-web cut-out design covers a red background leather. The straps have finished edges, everywhere, and all stitching is done in the contrasting red. This harness won’t fall apart on you, given proper care and maintenance².  The fit can be customized further because of the loop rings at the back for the leg straps, too. It’s made from a high quality leather that is soft, yet sturdy enough to withstand the rigors of this intricate design. If you’ve ever owned or felt an Aslan Leather Minx or Jaguar harness, it’s almost as soft as that…not quite as pliable though.

The designs are pretty unique and interesting. How can you not feel like a total bad-ass wearing a harness that evokes Super Hero undertones?!? The other designs are just as fabulous, too.  Nevada is more gender-neutral than Amazon or Nurse, which I appreciate. Amazon is pretty, and Nurse would be awesome for role-play/cosplay.

Why it Didn’t Work For Me

That’s right, it didn’t work for me as well as I’d like, and I hate to say it. Black Widow wasn’t a good fit for me. It’s all down to how my body is built. The lower belly overhang combined with the large o-rings on either side of the front piece meant that the o-rings dug into  me in an uncomfortable way.  The way the Black Widow front piece comes up in the center to a peak also didn’t work with my belly. The Nevada front piece design would probably work better for me in that aspect. The Amazon design wouldn’t work for me at all due to the thick design, but could be great for many other body types – just not mine.

Yes, that’s the only downfall – my own body.  Not every body will work with every harness, and that is sadly the case for me. You might also not be as sensitive as me. I’m a bit “Princess and the Pea” – even remnants of a tag will bother me, or a weird fabric will make me crazy. I’m extra, super picky in that regard, and I realize that. I fully believe though that this harness will work for the majority of you. If it weren’t so very well-made, I wouldn’t recommend it.

Color Coordinating

Stylized harnesses like this beg for color coordination, in my opinion. I can’t help it! I would feel weird pairing the Black Widow with any of the realistic flesh toned dildos, but that’s just me. Dark or medium purple could work in a pinch, I suppose, but I’d only feel truly right pairing it with a black or red dildo. Luckily there are many options for black harness-compatible dildos at Tantus.  Listed in size order from smallest to largest: Silk Medium, Mark O2, Curve, Throb, Silk Large, Adam O2, Raptor, Raptor XL and T-Rex.

Grab Bag might have a chance now and then at a red dildo. If red is really what you want to match, I’d suggest giving Tantus a call³ or email and they can probably go see if any existing Grab Bag items are sitting around at the moment in red. You might get lucky!