Modular Design, Serious Protection & Everyday Comfort

The PHI Cabrio is an interesting addition to the open harness market. It takes a slightly different approach, combining a lightweight, compact design with a strong focus on passive protection, modularity and everyday practicality.

After extensive testing in different conditions, including general flying, thermalling, launching and handling on the ground, we found the Cabrio to be a very versatile harness that could suit a wide range of pilots — from newer pilots looking for their first proper harness, through to experienced pilots wanting a comfortable, reliable open harness without the complexity of a pod.

The Cabrio is not designed to be the absolute lightest harness available, but it achieves a very good balance: it feels robust enough for regular use while remaining surprisingly compact and easy to transport.

Protection – Safety First Design

One of the standout features of the PHI Cabrio is its protection system.

Rather than relying purely on an airbag that needs airflow to inflate, the Cabrio uses a clever passive structure based around a double Nitinol ring system. These flexible metal supports help the airbag maintain its shape even before take-off, meaning the protection is already working during the most vulnerable moments — such as launching, landing or low-speed incidents.

This is a major advantage compared with traditional airbag harnesses that can offer reduced protection before the airbag has properly inflated.

The Cabrio achieved excellent crash-test results, with impact values around the mid-teens of G-force, placing it among the best-performing harnesses currently available.

The protection does not stop there. The Cabrio is also compatible with optional additional protectors, including D3O back and hip protection.

The optional back protector is available in different protection levels, allowing pilots to choose between maximum protection and a slightly lighter setup. Adding the higher protection version gives extra security and also adds some stiffness and support to the back area.

For pilots who prioritise safety, the Cabrio is one of the strongest points of this harness.

Reserve System – Simple, Secure and Well Designed

The reserve container is neatly integrated underneath the harness and provides a good balance between accessibility and security.

A common challenge with reserve systems is finding the right balance: easy enough to grab and deploy in an emergency, but secure enough to avoid accidental opening.

The Cabrio handles this very well.

The reserve handle is clearly positioned and the deployment system opens with a large, clean exit path, helping ensure the reserve can come out even in difficult situations.

The harness includes lightweight reserve bridles, and an excellent detail is that they are removable rather than permanently stitched in place.

This is important because it allows more flexibility, including the option to fit a steerable reserve system.

The reserve channels are also generously sized, making installation easier and avoiding problems with tight routing around reserve handles.

Clipping In – Safe and Easy

The Cabrio uses a Get-Up style system with two pass-through buckles.

The leg straps connect using simple, secure buckles that are very intuitive to use. Once clipped in, the system feels very reassuring and helps reduce the chance of mistakes.

The chest strap is adjustable, allowing pilots to fine-tune the shoulder position and overall fit.

Overall, the harness feels very straightforward to connect and adjust, which is especially important for newer pilots.

On the Ground – Excellent Launch Comfort

A good harness is not only about flying — it also needs to work well before take-off.

The Cabrio performs extremely well on the ground.

The geometry keeps the harness comfortable while walking, inflating the wing and moving around before launch. The wide straps and padding help spread the load, and the design avoids uncomfortable pressure points.

One particularly good feature is the way the harness articulates when standing upright. Instead of pushing awkwardly into the back of the legs, it follows the body position naturally.

This makes reverse launching and ground handling much more comfortable.

Getting In and Out – One of the Best Features

Getting seated properly after take-off can be frustrating with some harnesses.

The Cabrio is excellent in this area.

The transition from standing to seated position is very smooth, and returning upright before landing is also easy.

This is an area where many harnesses compromise, but PHI has done a very good job with the geometry.

For pilots who regularly launch and land in challenging places, this is a significant advantage.

In the Air – Comfortable, Stable and Reassuring

In flight, the Cabrio has a reassuring character.

It is not an extremely dynamic, highly weight-shift-sensitive harness. Instead, it sits slightly towards the stable and comfortable side.

This makes it particularly enjoyable in rough air, where the harness helps absorb movement and gives a feeling of security.

The pilot feels well connected to the harness rather than sitting on top of it.

Weight shifting works well, but like with any harness, you need to adapt your technique. Pilots coming from a different harness style may need a little time to understand how to get the best response.

The Cabrio offers a good balance between stability and control — comfortable enough for long everyday flights while still allowing active piloting.

Modular System – A Clever Concept

One of the biggest talking points of the Cabrio is its modular shell design.

The rear section can be removed and replaced, opening up several possibilities.

This allows:

• easier fitting of protectors
• simpler repairs if damage occurs
• a more minimalist setup for ground handling
• different storage or reserve configurations

The system is very neatly integrated. Unlike some modular designs that rely only on clips and feel slightly temporary, the Cabrio shell feels properly connected and secure.

This is a practical feature that could make ownership easier over many years.

Storage – Huge and Practical

Storage is another strong point.

The rear pocket is surprisingly large and can carry plenty of equipment.

A common problem with large storage pockets is that once filled, they push into the pilot’s back or affect comfort.

The Cabrio avoids this.

Even when packed full, the storage remains well positioned and does not noticeably interfere with comfort or handling.

This shows the attention to detail in the overall design.

Speed System – Well Thought Out

The Cabrio comes with a practical speed system setup.

The speed bar is a good size — not too bulky but large enough to use comfortably with gloves or during active flying.

A nice detail is the bungee retention system that keeps the speed bar controlled when not in use, preventing it from moving around and potentially getting in the way.

The only small improvement we would suggest is that the bungee routing could be optimised slightly from the factory, as adjusting it provides an even cleaner setup.

Build Quality and Details

The overall build quality of the PHI Cabrio is excellent.

Materials, stitching, padding and finishing are all at a very high level.

The harness feels durable without becoming unnecessarily heavy.

The attention to detail is visible throughout:

• removable modular shell
• quality reserve system
• comfortable padding
• good storage design
• practical adjustment points

It feels like a harness designed for real-world flying rather than just looking good on a specification sheet.

Small Critique

There are only a few minor points worth mentioning.

The speed bar bungee setup could be improved slightly from the factory.

Also, because the Cabrio prioritises comfort and stability, pilots looking for an extremely dynamic, highly responsive harness may prefer something more aggressive.

But these are very small compromises and depend largely on personal preference.

Verdict – A Highly Recommended Open Harness

The PHI Cabrio is a very impressive open harness.

It combines excellent protection, comfort, smart modular design and high build quality into a package that should appeal to a very wide range of pilots.

It is particularly suitable for:

• newer pilots wanting a safe, comfortable first harness
• progressing pilots moving beyond basic equipment
• experienced pilots who want a simple open harness for everyday flying
• pilots who value safety and comfort over extreme lightweight design

After extensive testing, the Cabrio is a harness we would happily continue using ourselves.

A very strong recommendation for anyone looking for a modern open harness with serious safety features and excellent everyday usability.

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