Best Lifting Straps for Deadlifts: Buyer's Guide (How to Choose and Use Them)

Your back and legs can pull more weight, but the bar keeps slipping out of your hands. Sound familiar? That's exactly the problem lifting straps solve. They're cheap, simple, and one of the most useful things you can keep in your gym bag, as long as you pick the right type and know when to use them.

This buyer's guide covers what lifting straps do, whether they're "cheating," the main types of straps (with a comparison table), how to choose a pair, how to use lifting straps step by step, which lifts to use them on, and the mistakes to avoid. At the end we'll show you our own Bay Gear Co. lifting straps.

What Do Lifting Straps Do?

Lifting straps are strips of strong material that go around your wrist and then wrap around the bar, dumbbell, or handle. Once they're cinched down, part of the load is held through the strap and your wrist, so your fingers don't have to do all the work.

That matters because on heavy pulls, your grip often gives out before the muscles you're actually trying to train. Straps take grip out of the equation so your back, glutes, and hamstrings can finish the set.

The research backs this up. In a 2020 study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 20 trained men deadlifted with and without straps. Their average one-rep max was 177.0 kg with straps versus 160.6 kg without (Jukic et al., 2020). A 2023 study of 10 trained women found that straps let them do more reps at 80% of their max and lose less grip strength across sets, with no change in bar speed (Trahey et al., 2023).

Are Lifting Straps Cheating?

No. Lifting straps are a tool, just like a belt or chalk. The deadlift trains your back, glutes, and hamstrings. If your grip quits first, those muscles never get the full set. Straps fix that.

That said, there are a few fair points on the other side:

• Grip strength still matters. If you strap up for every single rep, your grip gets less practice. Most lifters do warm-ups and lighter sets without straps and save straps for heavy or high-rep sets.
• Most powerlifting federations don't allow them in competition. If you compete, check your federation's rules and practice your meet deadlifts without straps so you're ready on the platform.
• Some lifts are grip work. On farmer's carries or dead hangs, holding on is the point, so skip the straps.

A simple way to think about it: use straps when grip is in the way of the goal, and skip them when grip is the goal.

Types of Lifting Straps

There are four main styles. Here's how they compare.

Our straps are the lasso (loop) style. Still deciding between lasso and figure-8? We go deeper in Figure 8 Straps vs Loop Lifting Straps.

How to Choose Lifting Straps

Material

Most straps are cotton, nylon, or leather.

• Cotton is soft, grips the bar well, and is easy to break in. It's a great choice for most lifters.
• Nylon is slick and tough. It doesn't grab the bar quite as well as cotton but holds up well.
• Leather is durable and stiff at first, then softens over time.

Our straps are made from thick, durable cotton.

Padding

Padding around the wrist loop makes heavy sets more comfortable, since the strap is pulling on your wrist. Our straps have neoprene padding where the strap sits on your wrist.

Length

Longer straps can wrap around the bar more times, which gives a more secure hold, especially on thick handles. Shorter straps are quicker to set up. For lasso straps, somewhere around 20–24 inches works for most people. Our straps are 24 inches, enough for a solid wrap on most bars and handles.

Width

Wider straps spread the pull over more of your wrist and give more surface on the bar. Narrower straps are less bulky and easier to wrap on thin handles. A middle-of-the-road width works for most lifters.

How to Use Lifting Straps (Lasso Style)

Here's how to use lifting straps, step by step:

1. Make the loop. Feed the tail of the strap through the sewn loop so it forms a lasso.
2. Put your hand through. Slide your hand through the loop so the tail hangs down from the pinky side of your wrist, across your palm. If it hangs from the thumb side, switch the strap to the other hand.
3. Tighten the loop so it's snug on your wrist, with the padded part where it should be.
4. Grab the bar with your hand on top and your strap tail hanging below.
5. Wrap the tail under and around the bar in the opposite direction of your fingers. It should wrap toward you, from underneath, so tightening it pulls your hand onto the bar.
6. Twist to tighten. Roll your hand forward on the bar to wind up the slack until the strap is tight.
7. Close your grip over the strap and the bar. You still grip the bar; the strap just takes some of the load.
8. Repeat on the other hand, then set up and lift.

To release, open your hand and roll the bar backward to unwind the strap. Practice this on light weights first so it becomes automatic.

Lifting Straps for Deadlifts (and Which Lifts to Use Them On)

Great for straps

• Deadlifts (conventional and sumo): The classic lifting straps for deadlift use. Strap up for your top sets or high-rep sets when grip starts to slip.
• Romanian deadlifts and stiff-leg deadlifts: These are hamstring and glute lifts, and high reps can wear your grip down fast.
• Rack pulls: You can pull more than your floor deadlift here, so grip is often the limit.
• Rows: Barbell, dumbbell, cable, and machine rows, especially after deadlifts when your forearms are tired.
• Shrugs: Heavy shrugs are hard to hold onto.
• Lat pulldowns and pull-ups: Helpful on high-rep or weighted sets if your grip fails before your lats.

Skip the straps

• Cleans and power cleans: Don't use lasso or figure-8 straps on cleans. The bar has to roll out of your hands into the front rack, and you need to be able to let go of it fast if a lift goes wrong.
• Snatches and other Olympic lifts: Olympic lifters sometimes use short Olympic straps for snatch training, but that takes coaching. Learn the lifts without straps and talk to a coach before you add them.
• Pressing lifts: Bench press, overhead press, and dips don't need straps. If your wrists bend back on presses, you want wrist wraps instead.
• Grip work: Farmer's carries, dead hangs, and grip-focused accessories.
• Powerlifting meets: Practice your competition deadlifts without straps.

Common Lifting Strap Mistakes

• Wrapping the wrong direction. If the strap loosens when you pull, it's wrapped backward. The tail should wrap under the bar and toward you.
• Putting the strap on the wrong hand. The tail should come off the pinky side of your wrist. If not, switch hands.
• Leaving slack. Twist the bar to wind the strap tight before you lift.
• Not gripping at all. Straps help your grip; they don't replace it. Squeeze the bar.
• Strapping up for everything. Do warm-ups and lighter sets without straps so your grip keeps getting work.
• Using straps on cleans. Keep them for pulls where the bar stays in your hands.

How to Care for Your Lifting Straps

• Shake out chalk after each session.
• Air them out. Don't leave sweaty straps balled up in your bag.
• Wash them gently by hand in cool water with mild soap when needed.
• Air dry them. Skip the dryer and high heat.
• Check the stitching around the loop now and then, and retire straps that are fraying.

Lifting Straps vs Wrist Wraps

Straps and wraps get mixed up all the time, but they do different jobs. Lifting straps help your grip on pulling lifts. Wrist wraps support your wrists on pressing lifts like the bench press and overhead press. Read the full breakdown in Lifting Straps vs Wrist Wraps, and if you're shopping for wraps too, see our Best Wrist Wraps for Weightlifting buyer's guide.

Training push and pull? Our wrist wrap and lifting strap bundles let you mix and match designs and save.

Don't Forget Chalk

Chalk and straps work well together. Chalk keeps your hands dry so you grip the bar better on your lighter sets, and straps take over when the weight gets heavy. A little liquid chalk before you strap up also helps your hands stay dry under the strap. Not sure which kind to use? Read Liquid Chalk vs Powder Chalk for Lifting.

Featured Bay Gear Co. Lifting Straps

Every pair of our padded lifting straps is $19.99. They're lasso-style straps with neoprene padding at the wrist, and most designs are made from thick cotton. A few of our current designs:

• Black: Our "Murdered-Out" all-black straps, made from thick, durable cotton with neoprene padding.
• Coyote Brown: A tactical look, made from thick cotton with neoprene padding.
• Tactical Hawaiian: Our signature Tactical Hawaiian print, with a cotton build and neoprene padding.
• Pink Camo: Pink camo with the same cotton and neoprene build.
• Sand: A clean, neutral design that goes with anything.

Some designs sell out from time to time, so check the full lifting straps collection for what's in stock.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do lifting straps do?

Lifting straps wrap around your wrist and the bar so part of the load is held through the strap instead of just your fingers. That lets you keep holding the bar when your grip would otherwise give out on heavy or high-rep pulls.

Are lifting straps cheating?

No. They're a training tool that lets your back, glutes, and hamstrings do more work when your grip is the weak link. Just keep training your grip on lighter sets, and know that most powerlifting federations don't allow them in competition.

What are the best lifting straps for deadlifts?

For most lifters, lasso (loop) straps are the best all-around choice for deadlifts, rows, and shrugs. Figure-8 straps are more secure for max-effort pulls but slower to get out of.

How do you use lifting straps?

Loop the strap around your wrist with the tail on the pinky side, wrap the tail under and around the bar toward you, twist to take up the slack, and then grip the bar over the strap.

Do lifting straps make your grip weaker?

Straps don't weaken your grip, but using them on every set means your grip gets less practice. Most lifters warm up without straps and save them for their heaviest or highest-rep sets.

Can I use lifting straps for cleans?

No. Don't use lasso or figure-8 straps on cleans. You need to be able to let the bar roll into the front rack and release it quickly. Keep straps for deadlifts, rows, shrugs, and pulldowns.

Veteran-Owned and Built for Heavy Pulls

Bay Gear Co. is veteran-owned. Marine veteran Brian Young started the company in 2017 at Camp Lejeune, and today we're based in Sebastian, Florida. We make simple, tough gear with designs you won't see on everyone else at the gym.

Grab Your Straps

• Shop all designs: Bay Gear Co. lifting straps, $19.99
• Pressing and pulling? Get a wrist wrap and lifting strap bundle
• Sweaty hands? Add liquid chalk

Free shipping on orders $49+, orders placed by 3 PM ET ship the same day, and unused items can be returned within 30 days.