They both have advantages and disadvantages. Many people are more comfortable with the climber because all the attaching/adjusting is done at the base of the tree. Whereas obviously with the strap on stands you must install climbing devices and then install the stand as you go up the tree. The climber used to be faster to get in place but with the new "climbing sticks" the strap on is just as fast and probably quieter. You can put a strap on stand in trees that are not suitable for climbing stands and you can hide the strap on stand in the limbs/foliage of the tree. Many will say that the climbing stand will fall with you and while that was a problem with some early versions, the new designs are stable and like the strap on are probably only going to fall if the stand breaks. Many will say the strap on stand is lighter which is kind of true but when you add the weight of the climbing devices they about equal out. Many people are more comfortable with the climbing stand in the tree because they feel more secure with the frame of the climber around them, it takes a little while for most people to get comfortable with a strap on stand because they feel they are just sitting on the side of the tree. If this is a problem with you, before the season put the stand up 5 or 6 feet in the tree spend some time in it to get comfortable with it and work your way up to hunting height. No matter which stand style you pick always use a good fall protection system. In summation, I prefer the versatility of the strap on style stand but do hunt occasionally out of a climbing stand particularly in areas where I am only going to be hunting once or twice or where I can't cut limbs to install a strap on in the foliage of the tree. Hope this helps
