Best Lifting Straps and Wrist Wraps

1. Straps vs Wraps

Lifting straps help your grip on pulling exercises so your back and legs can keep working after your hands give out. Wrist wraps support your wrists on pressing exercises to keep them stacked under heavy loads. They solve different problems.

2. Types of Lifting Straps

3. Wrist Wraps

Wrist wraps come in stiff and flexible versions, usually 12 to 24 inches long. Stiff, longer wraps suit heavy bench and overhead presses. Shorter, flexible wraps suit high-rep training and Olympic lifts.

4. Don't Neglect Your Grip

Use straps on your heaviest sets and high-rep back work, but do warm-ups and some working sets without them so your grip keeps getting stronger.

5. How to Use Lasso Lifting Straps

Slide your hand through the loop so the tail runs along your palm toward your thumb. Place your hand on the bar, wrap the tail around the bar away from you, then roll the bar to tighten the strap before gripping. With practice, you can set straps quickly at the start of each set.

Use straps on heavy deadlifts, rack pulls, rows, shrugs and high-rep back work where grip limits your training. Avoid straps on lifts where you may need to release the bar quickly.

6. Wrist Wraps: How to Wear Them

Loop the thumb strap over your thumb, wrap the band around your wrist joint with firm tension and secure the velcro. The wrap should cover the wrist joint itself. Remove the thumb loop during the lift if your federation requires it.

7. Choosing Straps and Wraps by Material

Cotton straps are comfortable and grippy, nylon straps are durable and leather straps last a long time but need breaking in. For wraps, stiffer elastic offers more support for heavy presses.

8. When Not to Use Straps

Skip straps on warm-up sets, lighter working sets and any lift where you want to build grip strength directly. Avoid straps on Olympic lifts unless you use a quick-release style. Many powerlifting federations also prohibit straps in competition deadlifts, so competitive lifters should train without them regularly.

Balanced strap use lets you train the back and legs hard while still developing a strong grip.

9. Our Recommendation

Start with a pair of cotton or nylon lasso straps and medium-stiff wrist wraps around 18 inches long. Together they cover most lifters' needs for heavy pulls and presses at a low cost.