Hip Harnesses

By Finley Baker

Last Updated March 20, 2025

Image Description [Vignette style illustration with green, orange, and pink color palette. The frame of the vignette includes an illustration of a green harness with an orange dildo repeated in each corner with the text "Finley Baker 2025." Within the vignette, two nude people are sitting on a pink couch, with an orange slide transfer board bridging the gap to a green daily use wheelchair with pink push rims and pink spikes on the handles. The person on the left side of the couch is a mixed race Latine and White trans masculine person who has their feet tucked up under them. They have long black wavy hair that is dyed green at the ends, with pink eyeshadow and orange lipstick. They have long fingernails painted green, except for two that are short and painted orange. They have the trans symbol, leaves, and snakes tattooed on their chest, with visible top surgery scar and no nipples. They are looking patiently on as their partner, an Asian trans man with a spinal cord injury, lifts his own leg into a green, brief underwear-style harness with orange dildo. He has a bird tattooed on his upper arm, and an orange necklace, septum piercing, and aviator glasses. His hair is short, reddish curls. There is a small bottle of lube and condom on the corner of the couch. A stained glass hanging lamp, pink mirror, and green pennant banner are visible in the background.]

Image Description [Infographic with several illustrations in three diagonal sections and a light green background. Heading text reads "Harnesses" with the subtitle "Can be used by anyone, most often by vulva owners for penetration of a partner." The first line reads "Some people also enjoy the visual of having their partner perform oral sex on the dildo they are wearing - 'sucking strap.'" There is a QR code with a link to this webpage and the caption "Scan for more." The first section is titled "Harness types" with three photos with captions. A jock style harness, blue brief style with "rodeoH" on the waistband, and a Body Dock suction cup style harness. The second section is titled "Assembly." There is an image of a dildo with the caption "Choose dildo: Without balls will lay flatter against the harness." The same dildo image is repeated with an orange arrow pointing to a condom with the caption "add condom (if using)." An orange arrow connects a blue dildo cushion to the same dildo image covered by the condom and another orange arrow points to a foam stabilizer or a metal O ring. The caption reads "Add optional extras. Grinder (blue silicone): Add sensation for the harness wearer. Stabilizer (black foam): Add to small or flexible base dildos. O Ring (metal or rubber): Similar to stabilizer, easier to sanitize, less cushion for wearer, various sizes." The same dildo image covered in a condom now has the blue silicone grinder attached, and an orange arrow point through the main O-ring of a bike tire harness. The caption reads "Feed dildo through front-most harness O-ring." The dildo set-up is now in the harness and the caption reads "Complete!" The third section is a color-coded illustration of a harness with a key for each color. Labels include metal O-rings, front codpiece straps, snaps or screws (change O-ring size), dildo/prosthetic, groin straps, and waistband strap. There are two photos of the front and back of a person's hips in green paints wearing the harness.]

Strap-On Hip Harnesses

Harnesses can be used to attach a toy/dildo/prosthetic/dick to your groin for any type of penetrative sex. The term dildo will be used for clarity, but some trans folks consider the strap-on harness set up to be an extension of themselves, similar to a hard packer. Some people also enjoy the visual of having their partner perform oral sex on the dildo they are wearing, this is often called "sucking strap." Any sex position diagram that is originally designed for cisgender/heterosexual couples can be reimagined with a harness/dildo combination and either a front hole (vagina) or back hole (anus).

Types of Harnesses

Underwear-Style Harnesses (Brief, Boyshort, or Boxer)

Harnesses that resemble underwear are more accessible to people with limited dexterity, motor control, or coordination in their upper or lower limbs. If someone has had a stroke or any type of one-sided leg injury/pain/numbness, it will be easier to put their affected leg into the underwear-style harness before the unaffected leg.
Underwear-style harnesses are also typically softer and there are no straps that fly around and produce unexpected slaps while having sex, which may be complimentary with those who prefer less sensory input.
If someone has bottom dysphoria and does not want to interact with their genitals, a black underwear harness can help to conceal this area of the body.
Can be washed with the rest of the laundry (but hang dry). Easier to ensure cleanliness if using with multiple partners.

Jock-Style Harness

Same shape as jock strap underwear, but with an additional O-ring and pocket for dildo to sit in.
Less adjustable than strappy types of harnesses, but elastic is softer on the skin.
Still have access to the wearer's genitals, if this is desired.

Leather or Nylon Strappy Harness

The most classic option, can be set up ahead of time to the person's specification's, but still needs to be adjusted by pulling straps tight in the moment, which can be difficult to produce the grip strength required to pull it snug with the friction generated by the rubber.
Mentally or cognitively, it may be harder to interrupt the flow of having sex to make adjustments with this type of harness.
Also made with vegan leather, or even bike tires! (Bike Tube Harness from WinkWink)
For those who cannot maintain an erection, there are options with hollow dildos that can be slipped over a flaccid penis like the Sportsheets Everlaster-Stud Strap On Harness.

Body Dock Suction Cup Harness

Adjustable nylon straps (same as traditional leather harnesses)
Can push any dildo with a suction cup onto the harness and it should stick - minimal set-up and no manipulation of small parts required once it is on

Optional Extras

Grinder/dildo cushion: It can be uncomfortable for some to have the base of the dildo pressed directly against the skin, or need additional cushion to avoid bruising if they play hard or have sensitive skin. If they crave additional sensory input, highly textured dildo cushion can be added (like the blue one pictured).
Stabilizer: If a dildo has a really small base, the stabilizer can help hold it closer to the wearer's skin and give them more control. This will also avoid any unwanted slippage if the dildo is soft and may slip through the O-ring. Anal sphincter muscles are quite strong, so it is important to consider the possibility.
O-rings: Can be changed on some harnesses to fit the girth of your dildo by unsnapping or unscrewing the straps holding the O-ring.

Cleaning

The following is directly quoted from the Come As You Are website: Care and Cleaning (Read here)

Leather: Wipe down the surface of the leather with a damp cloth and mild soap, and pat with a towel to dry. Once dry, if you’d like, you can treat your leather items with a leather conditioner to help prevent the material from drying out and cracking.
Vegan Leather: Wipe down the surface of the leather with a damp cloth and mild soap, and pat with a towel to dry.
Nylon / Spandex Blend: Machine wash in cold water with mild soap. Lay flat or tumble dry on low temperature.
Rubber: Clean by hand with water and mild soap. Hang to dry.
Neoprene: Machine wash in cold water with mild soap. Hang to dry.
Nylon webbing: Machine wash in cold water with mild soap. Hang to dry.

Resources & References

Strap on 101: Harness Anatomy - Off the Tongue, 2018

Fucking Trans Women by Mira Bellwether: A famous zine about having sex with trans femmes, created by a trans woman. Page 38 describes how trans feminine people can also derive pleasure from wearing strap-ons.

Items Pictured in Infographic

Harness Types

Rodeoh Brief Harness

Rodeoh Jock Strap-On Harness

Body Dock Suction Cup Harness

Assembly

Avant Lucky Glitter 8" Dildo

Shagger Dildo Cushion

O Stabilizer Support Base

Sportsheets Metal O Ring 3 Pack

Bike Tube Harness