Of the many props on the market promising to enhance your yoga practice, the yoga strap is one of the most versatile and popular with consumers. A yoga strap is a strap that is designed to provide extra support during your yoga sessions, helping you to attain more difficult poses that require flexibility and balance.
Yoga straps can also be used to assist with basic stretching or physiotherapeutic exercises.
Whether you’re a beginner to yoga looking for some extra support to get you started, or an experienced yoga practitioner hoping to get more out of your sessions, a yoga strap could be exactly the tool for you!
We’ve compiled a list of the 5 best yoga straps on the market to help you find the right product to meet your individual requirements.
If you have any questions, our buyers guide and FAQ section will help you make the perfect choice.
Top 5 Best Yoga Straps
Tumaz Yoga Strap
This yoga strap from Tumaz is overwhelmingly positively reviewed by customers for its combination of superior quality and affordable price.
Made of 2.5 mm thick, non-elasticated polyester cotton, the Tumaz Yoga Strap is both soft and sturdy, combining comfort with durability. The strength of the material and the 4 mm welded D-ring buckle mean that this strap can support 2,379 lbs, which is just over a ton.
The strap is available in 3 sizes: 6 ft, 8 ft, and 10ft. The range of available lengths means that the Tumaz Yoga Strap can cater to a variety of body types and heights.
Moreover, the strap comes in a wide array of colors. These include single colors such as turquoise, lilac, and pink, amongst many others, as well as several attractive two-color combinations. Tumaz has even ensured that the dyes used to color their yoga straps are eco-friendly for the environmentally-conscious consumer.
Pros
- Soft but durable material
- Strong D-ring buckle
- Supports up to 2,379 lbs
- Available in 3 lengths
- Wide (and eco-friendly) color range
Cons
- No foot loops for grip
REEHUT Yoga Strap
The REEHUT Yoga Strap, like the Tumaz, is made of polyester-cotton to ensure shape retention and durability. However, the material is thinner and more lightweight, whilst still being soft enough to prevent painful rubbing during use.
The durability of the product is enhanced by its incorporation of a metal D-ring buckle, which also improves the adjustable aspect of the strap, helping you to maintain a range of diverse yoga poses. However, this strap doesn’t need to be restricted to yoga practice – it’s also great for targeted stretching in general!
Similarly to the Tumaz strap, the REEHUT is available in 6 ft, 8 ft, and 10ft lengths so you can select the size best suited to your body. You can also choose from a range of fetching color options to match your yoga aesthetic.
Pros
- Soft and durable material
- Available in 3 lengths
- Strong D-ring buckle
- Lightweight
Cons
- No foot loops for grip
- Reports of material being too thin
SANKUU Multi-Loop Yoga Strap
For a durable and versatile yoga prop that can be used for yoga, physiotherapy, or even dance, consider the Multi-Loop Yoga Strap from SANKUU. This strap is made of nylon material and is designed to achieve the perfect balance between resistance and softness, providing support whilst minimizing the risk of muscle injury during stretching.
The material is also easy to clean, which is ideal given that this strap will likely be used during exercises of varying intensity and may need washing to maintain freshness.
The strap is 98 inches long (8 ft) to accommodate all heights, and has 12 individual loops for hands and feet, which provide extra grip and allow the user to adjust the length of the strap according to their needs.
The SANKUU Multi-Loop Yoga Strap is available in several eye-catching color options includes a carry bag for added portability, plus an instruction booklet to help you get the most out of the product!
Pros
- Versatile
- Extra-long (8 ft)
- Strong and durable
- 12 individual loops for grip and adjustability
- Includes carry bag and instruction booklet
Cons
- No buckle for closure
OPTP Stretch Out Strap
Yoga is just one of many potential uses for the OPTP Stretch Out Strap. Originally designed in 1993, this strap is one of the most popular stretching props on the market and can be used for support during simple stretches or to help with more advanced yoga poses.
This strap measures a generous 6 ft, 4 inches in length, and is made of woven nylon for durability. It features 10 individual loops for hands and feet, and can therefore be adjusted according to the demands of any given stretch or exercise.
Although this is a simple product in terms of design, it has proved to be a highly effective and versatile yoga prop over the years and even comes with a stretching guide including over 30 stretches to help you enjoy the full extent of the benefits that this yoga strap has to offer.
Pros
- Versatile
- 10 individual loops for grip and adjustability
- Includes stretching guide with over 30 stretches
Cons
- No buckle for closure
- The rigidity of the strap may be uncomfortable for some users
Best Yoga Straps Buying Guide
Still not quite sure which yoga strap to invest in? No worries! Read on for a comprehensive buyers guide to purchasing the best yoga strap for your needs.
Length
First and foremost, when purchasing a yoga strap, you’ll want to make sure that the strap is long enough to accommodate your height and exercise requirements.
Some yoga straps are available in a variety of different lengths (usually between 6 ft and 10 ft), allowing you to select the length which best corresponds to your height. If you’re smaller in stature or average height, a 6 ft strap should work well for you. However, if you’re taller or want a little more length to work with in terms of the stretches or poses you like to do, an 8 or 10 ft strap might be more appropriate.
Some yoga straps are only available in a single size, but these tend to run longer than average at about 8 ft to accommodate most heights and body types, so you shouldn’t need to worry if your preferred strap only has one size option.
Material
Material is an extremely important factor to consider when buying a yoga strap because this is primarily what will dictate the strength, durability, and comfort of the product. Which material you choose will largely come down to your individual preference, but certain materials do come with added benefits.
Cotton is a great material for yoga straps because it is soft, thick, and durable. It is also a good material for machine washing, which is an ideal quality in an exercise prop.
Nylon is also a strong and durable material, so if you want a long-lasting yoga strap that retains its shape, nylon is a great option. However, nylon yoga straps often lack the comfort that cotton provides, and may feel noticeably more synthetic.
Polyester-cotton, meanwhile, provides a great balance of strength and comfort and is used in some of the most highly reviewed yoga straps. This material offers a good level of resistance for support without being so rigid as to cause injury, making it a popular choice of material for yoga straps.
Loops
Some yoga straps feature a certain number of loops (usually 10 or 12) for securing hands and feet in position, whilst others don’t. Loops are not an essential feature for yoga straps, but they can be extremely useful for improving grip and allowing you to adjust your position incrementally without having to deal with any fastenings.
However, depending on how tall you are and how the loops are spaced out, you may find yourself having to compromise your ideal position to get a solid grip, so bear this in mind when making your purchase.
Fastenings
Yoga straps that don’t feature loops for your hands and feet will have a fastening of some kind to secure the strap. This will usually be an adjustable D-ring buckle. These buckles are great features for durability and strength as they tend to be made of solid metal. Because they are adjustable, D-ring fastenings help to avoid the spacing issue sometimes encountered with looped straps by allowing you to adjust the strap to exactly the right length for your stretch or pose. The drawback here is that you will need to readjust the buckle when changing poses.
Style
As you can see from the products outlined above, yoga straps are available in an incredible range of colors and designs. Before making your purchase, be sure to look at all the color options and choose your favourite! With all the available options, you should have no problem finding a strap that matches or at the very least compliments the rest of your yoga gear, expresses your personality and makes you feel confident.
Additional Features
As with any product, additional features included with your yoga strap are a great bonus! The two most commonly included additional features for yoga straps are instruction guides and carry bags, both of which can prove incredibly useful.
An instruction guide or manual can be especially helpful for beginners in terms of figuring out how to use the strap to help with both stretching and yoga poses. Meanwhile, a complimentary bag is useful for portability and can be great for taking your strap with you to yoga class, or just keeping it safely stored when not in use.
Yoga Strap – Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a yoga strap?
A yoga strap might not strictly be essential for practicing yoga, but it can really help.
If you’re a yoga beginner, using a strap may benefit you by proving extra support while you get used to balancing and holding poses. Yoga straps can be especially beneficial for beginners because they encourage good alignment, which can be difficult to master when you’re just starting out. Keeping your limbs and spine properly aligned also minimizes the risk of injury.
If you’ve been practicing yoga for a while, but have recent found that you’ve hit a plateau in terms of your flexibility, a yoga strap can be a great way to gently stretch out your muscles and provide that little bit of extra support you need to keep you progressing on your yoga journey.
The benefits of using a yoga strap aren’t limited to improving your athetlic prowess, however; a yoga strap can also encourage you to improve your posture in general, which in turn can minimize common complaints such as back and neck pain in your day-to-day life. Some yoga straps can even be turned into practical carrying straps for your yoga mat!
So, whether you’re a beginner or a professional, investing in a yoga strap can benefit you both by providing support and safety during your practice, as well as improving your posture and potentially even making your life easier in terms of portability.
What length yoga strap should I get?
As previously mentioned, yoga straps vary in length, so it can be difficult to work out which size to purchase, beyond the general guideline that a 6 ft strap will suit shorter to average-height frames, whilst taller frames will likely be better suited to straps 8 ft and upwards.
If you’re still unsure which length will be best for you, a safe option is to purchase a strap measuring around 8 ft or above with loops for your hands and feet. This way, you can be sure that your strap will be long enough to accommodate your height whilst also giving yourself the option of placing your hands and feet in the position that feels most comfortable for you, using only as much of the strap as you need for any given stretch or exercise.
How do I use my yoga strap?
A yoga strap can be used in a variety of different ways depending on the nature of your exercise and the design of your strap. The two primary uses for a yoga strap are deepening your stretches and providing support and guidance during yoga poses.
There are so many different stretches and poses you can use your yoga strap to help with, and the technique and placement will vary according to which part of your body you are stretching. However, an easy example is the seated forward fold, in which you should sit on the floor with your back straight and your legs straight out in front of you.
Loop the end of your strap around the balls of your feet and gradually lean forward to stretch your hamstrings. Using the strap for support in this stretch prevents your back from rounding, deepening your stretch, and allowing you to practice proper alignment.
Other stretches and poses using your yoga strap work using the same premise: allowing the resistance created by the strap to intensify your stretch and guide your body into alignment.
How do I clean my yoga strap?
After a sweaty yoga session, you’ll want to be able to clean your yoga strap quickly and thoroughly to keep it feeling, looking, and smelling fresh. Always check the care instructions of your yoga strap to make sure you’re washing it in a way that doesn’t damage the structure of the product.
Generally speaking, however, cotton-based straps should be fine to machine wash on a cold setting. For nylon straps, remember to wash separately from other fabrics, also on a cold setting. Use gentle detergent where possible and always allow your yoga strap to air dry, as putting it in the drier may structurally damage the material and affect its durability and resistance.
