Not every camera comes with a stylish strap for your photography outings. In fact, most camera straps that are included with your camera purchase are simple and plain – a bit boring, if you ask us.
To step up your photography gear and add some style to your camera, we’ve created a list of the best camera straps you can buy right now.
No matter which type of photographer you are or which camera you have, these straps are guaranteed to make you want to upgrade your accessories.
Best Camera Straps in 2023:
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The Low Down on Camera Straps
Photographers spend so much time carefully deciding what camera and lens to invest in, but tend to forget one of the most important aspects of photography: our own longevity.
The key to that longevity? Your own comfort when shooting. A camera strap can make or break your shooting experience. When carrying the weight of our gear for long periods of time, the toll becomes evident.
With the right camera strap, shooting for long periods will be more comfortable and better on your body. When considering camera straps, you need to know two things:
- There are several types of straps, and all are intended for a different type of use.
- Some straps are meant for DSLRs and others for Mirrorless systems.
Neck straps are the most common camera straps. For one thing, it’s the strap that comes as a default with your gear. This type of strap mounts to your camera at two points and slips over your neck (or sometimes shoulder). These straps are best for casual shooting and when you want your camera primed for easy access at all times.
Wrist or hand straps are camera straps that attach the camera to your hand rather than being held around the neck. Although this type of strap may seem daunting at first, it’s excellent for those using mirrorless and other compact systems. If you always have a camera bag on you, this can be a really comfortable option for safe shooting.
Harnesses, holsters, and clips are the preferred camera carrying method for event photographers, wedding photographers, action photographers, and those on the go–a lot.
These options give you immediate access to the camera without the need for a bag, and redistribute weight to help alleviate some back pain.
What you decide to go with depends on how the gear you have to lug around feels on your body! It is best to try all the different types with your most commonly used setups and see what works best.
Best Camera Straps
Best Neck/Shoulder Straps
1. Woolnut Camera Strap
The decadent mix of German wool and Scandinavian leather makes this strap both stylish and very functional.
Nothing screams luxury like wool and leather combined into one! The Woolnut Camera Strap is a major upgrade from the default strap, both in style and function. Made of Scandanavian leather and German wool, this truly European strap is designed for a premium feel and aesthetic. Not only that, its materials are also made for optimal comfort.
Much like your favorite leather jacket, the leather will be worn in and conform nicely to your neck and shoulders. The wool is nicely wedged in the leather around the most weight-bearing parts of the strap, offering significantly more comfort.
The price is a bit more than most expect from a strap, but it’s certainly not the most expensive. The high-quality materials make the Woolnut Camera Strap a worthy investment.
2. Peak Design Slide
Peak Design has been stocking photographers with versatile and functional gear for years- and the Peak Design Slide is no exception!
Peak Design is a grand name in the photography world, selling ergonomic camera bags all the way to straps. The Peak Design Slide is one of their most popular offerings. In fact, it’s so popular you’ll often find professionals sporting it on a shoot! This is, without a doubt, one of the best camera straps on the market.
What makes this strap stand out from the rest is expressed by its name – there is a great sliding system that allows you to lengthen or shorten the strap in seconds (with ease!). You can shorten the strap for comfort when walking then quickly slide the strap to a longer length when using the camera to shoot.
Peak Design products come with their signature anchor points which make interchangeability simple and they’re also really flexible! You can even fix an anchor to the base with the Slide camera strap. This makes for a much more comfortable hang when you’re on the move!
Despite all the neat features, there’s one thing this camera strap lacks – padding. Padding = comfort. So this isn’t the best camera strap if you’re planning on lugging around a heavy setup for a long period of time.
3. Capturing Couture Scarf
This scarf strap is both beautiful and very functional, offering a secret compartment for all of your sensitive posessions!
A unique type of camera strap, the Capturing Couture Scarf has a hidden secret that makes it worthy of appearing on our list!
The feminine and beautiful design makes this strap quite the looker for starters – and the scarf design can be very comfortable. It is limited to being used on Mirrorless systems or lighter DSLRs as the strap does not provide as rigid support as a leather strap would. That being said, for the street photographer or everyday studio photographer, this is more than enough. Coming in a slew of patterns, there is certainly a look for most tastes!
What makes this strap really unique is the fact that it boasts a hidden compartment! There is a zippered opening in the scarf that offers ample room to store a range of accessories for your shooting adventures. The pocket is discrete and hidden, so there is limited opportunity for pick-pocketing or purse looting.
An added bonus is that the design is also reversible, so you can pick what side you like best!
4. OpTech Pro Loop Strap
This affordable strap is built for one intended purpose, and it does its purpose well! With a wider shoulder strap, the weight load is distributed in a much better fashion.
This is the most affordable strap on our list, but don’t let the low price of the OpTech Pro Loop Strap fool you – this one is mighty!
Made of neoprene, the strap stretches to a 6-centimeter width which helps offset much of the heavy load of a large rig. At the end of the day, we generally look at straps to carry a max. load even if that’s not our usual setup! This little strap is extremely durable and rugged and built with those heavy loads in mind.
A neat feature of this camera strap is the quick disconnect which offers great versatility if you want to remove the strap quickly. This is great for when you need to set up a composition that the strap doesn’t allow for. The neoprene body has a non-slip back, so you won’t find this one sliding down frequently (a common issue photographers deal with)!
Best Wrist and Hand Straps
5. Peak Design Cuff
In true Peak Design fashion, this wrist strap holds all of the same benefits as their other products; quick and easy adjustment, lightweight, and versatility.
Its no surprise that the best camera strap designed for use around a hand is a Peak Design product. Peak Design tackled the wrist strap with the Peak Design Cuff. A great option for smaller cameras, such as point and shoots or mirrorless systems. The Peak Design Cuff will ensure both the safety of your gear and the comfort of your wrist. This is also compatible with some of their other straps, adding to the versatility!
When not in use, the Peak Design Cuff has a magnet on it to turn it into a bracelet, ensuring you don’t lose it if you opt for a different strap on your shooting adventure! In true Peak Design style, adjustments are all simple and rapid.
6. Gitzo Century Wrist Strap
Genuine Italian leather constitutes the material of the Gitzy Century Wrist Strap, ideal for those that love the best.
The price is not for the faint of heart, but if wrist straps are your thing, it’s worth it! The Gitzo Century Wrist Strap is made of genuine Italian leather, making the strap super durable and very comfortable. Italian leather is known for its softness to the touch and highly durable nature, and this strap embodies all of the above.
Commonly seen on cameras such as Leica, the classic style of this strap lends itself to street photographers and those that prefer a hand hold on their gear. As a bonus, the material is also quite resistant to scratches, so it’ll look new for a tremendous amount of time.
7. Spiderpro Hand Strap
Security and good looks both come to mind with the Spiderpro Hand Strap, which is more like a harness for your hand.
The Gitzo Century was already pricey, but the Spiderpro is even costlier. However, fear not, there is a reason it’s worth the investment! Not only is this a hand strap, it looks more like a hand harness; inspiring confidence on going fully handheld with your camera. Built for both DSLR and mirrorless cameras, any size gear that you use will work excellently with the Spiderpro Hand Strap.
Spiderpro is another one of those companies that is frequently referenced with photography accessories, but they are best known for their straps. Even in the face of the toughest audience, this strap holds a very high star rating on all major eCommerce platforms.
This strap is fully adjustable, even down to how much room you have between the camera and your hand, allowing it to be set to your exact comfort level. An additional security strap can be fastened around your hand as well. If you have the cash and love the feel of your camera at your fingertips, this is definitely the best camera strap for you!
Best Harnesses, Holsters, and Clips
8. SpiderPro Camera Holster
Changing the way photographers consider carrying gear, this holster acts as a utility belt around your hip to carry the camera weight.
Leading in with another SpiderPro product is the SpiderPro Camera Holster. A clip system for the singular camera user, this holster bears the weight of your gear on your hip – helping alleviate neck, shoulder, back, and wrist issues! A unique design, the increased width and padding help keep this strap comfortable for almost everyone.
Inspired by heavy duty utility belts, this holster intends to change the way photographers think about carrying their gear. For those concerned about the camera falling head first onto the concrete ground, this holster boasts a triple clip system so you can’t accidentally undo it! Your camera slides neatly on and off this holster, making it easily accessible while remaining unbelievably strong.
Plus, you feel a bit like a Western gunslinger with this – extra perk, right?!
9. BlackRapid Double Breathe Harness
This is likely the most comfortable and versatile option for wedding, event, and action photographers that need to carry two cameras at once!
Brace yourself for the ultimate solution for photographers that have to carry two cameras on them (such as wedding photographers and event photographers): the BlackRapid Double Breathe Harness is here to help. With a name that sounds just as cool as its use, the BlackRapid Double Breathe Harness offers a grand solution to carrying two cameras at once. Each camera sits at your side with easy accessibility on this camera strap.
The harness cross at your back and clip in the front helps evenly distribute the weight and keep everything tight and secure on your body. Plus, if you are working with just one camera some days, you can remove the second strap and use it as a sling harness!
Accessing each of your cameras is extremely easy, so you’re never left to feel limited by a harness. The attachment points screw in nicely on the bottom of your camera, in the same spot you’d attach a tripod or monopod. The camera attachment screws on and is nice and secure, encouraging confidence during any shoot.
10. Cotton Carrier SKOUT
For those for whom other solutions didn’t work well, this chest sling is a great idea! If you’re out for an adventure, the added waterproof cover is a great bonus.
For those that keep their gear close to their heart (literally), the Cotton Carrier SKOUT is for you! This chest sling keeps your camera secure at your chest, a great solution for those that can’t keep the camera on their hip or shoulders. Evenly distributing the weight at your chest or rib cage, the SKOUT makes it easy for photographers who are on the go to carry their gear and leave hands free. Often shown in advertisements with adventure photographers, hiking and biking are made much easier in this arrangement.
Though this design is limited in weight of your gear, for those that don’t carry an exorbitant kit, this can be for you. The large area of spread helps keep the SKOUT camera strap comfortable and non-limiting. As a bonus, this setup comes with a waterproof camera cover to protect in the event of unexpected rain. You also get a small zipper pocket in the area of padding for your phone, keys, or batteries and cards.
Which Camera Strap is Right for You?
Picking a camera strap can be as difficult a decision as what lens you want to use. Depending on what kind of a photographer you are and what your gear needs to include, the strap you settle on is one that will aid you through all of your shooting adventures.
Our favorite neck and shoulder strap is the Peak Design Slide, for its incredible versatility and many useful features. This one will last you through several cameras for sure! The OpTech Pro Loop Strap takes the cake for best budget strap, at a great price with excellent use. The Spiderpro Hand Strap is our go-to for being handheld, with the extra strap going around your hand adding extra security. The BlackRapid Double Breathe Harness is the ultimate for dual camera wielders, helping support two heavy weights with ease!
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Best handmade camera straps: welesdesign.com