Weightlifting Straps come in all fabrics, sizes, and styles. For a beginner, it can be confusing to find the best option for your style of lifting so we'll break it down for you as clearly as possible.
To begin with, there are a variety of different fabrics that are used for lifting straps. The main four are cotton, canvas, leather, and nylon straps which all do the same job of assisting in the lift. Along with leather smelling fantastic, leather straps are the most comfortable option, avoiding chafing and calluses on the wrist which are results of the other fabrics. The other benefit of leather straps is their durability. Much to the detriment of our business model, these straps will last you years. While the leather will slightly stretch with use, it will not fray against the knurling of a barbell like other fabrics. Expect other fabrics to give out after 6 months to a year of use.
Styles vary depending on the type of lifting you're doing, and your general preference. Powerlifters typically use lasso-style straps, while Olympic Weightlifters opt for tear-drop style. This is mostly due to the type of release that is required after the lift has been completed.
Leather is usually measured in terms of ounces. One ounce equals 1/64th of an inch thickness. Thus, a weight of 7-8 oz. means the leather is 7/64th to 8/64th of an inch thickness. For best results, make sure to purchase the strap that is best for your level of lifting.
The straps we suggest for those pulling the lightest weights (under 120kg) would be the
Candy Pink straps. They are very pliable and soft and the leather has an already-broken-in feel. At really heavy weights these ones can stretch but for most athletes lifting regularly under that range, they will be very reliable. These are all 5-6 oz. leather weights.
The next category is straps that are good for every type of lifter. They will need a couple of pulling sessions to break in and feel as broken in as the straps above, but they will hold up to heavy weights and be super reliable for years. These include our
Wednesday,
Caribbean,
Purple Haze, and the
Lorenzo. Most of these leather are more of a natural leather sensation and will take a couple of sessions to break in as they are stiffer leather. These are also 5-6 oz. leather although there is a bit more variation in the type of leather with regards to how stiff the leather is.
The last ones which are the heaviest duty and a bit thicker for bigger hands and pulling really heavy weight are the
Vader Straps,
Dark Knight Deadlifting Straps,
Blue Steel Deadlifting Straps,
Dark Knight,
Tatanka, and
Stitch-free lifting straps. They’ll still feel good for mid-weight lifters but they are the ones we always suggest for athletes regularly pulling over 120kg. The Vader, Dark Knight, and Tatanka will feel a bit more broken in from the start and the Blue Steel will take a couple of sessions. These two kinds of leather are 7-8 oz. leather.
If they are oiled regularly and hung to dry to keep moisture and health in the leather, rather than getting dried out and brittle from the sweat and moisture, our straps should last you years. They have a 6-month warranty with a full replacement if anything happens to them within those 6 months.
Learn more about oiling your leather
here.
