(This review of the best leather camera wrist straps was last updated January 2021)
Until very recently, if you’d asked me how I carried my camera I’d have said using a retro-looking leather shoulder strap.
I wrote an in-depth review of the very best leather camera straps which I recommend you read before making a decision, the link is at the bottom of this article.
These days however I often favour a shorter, less dangly wrist strap.
Disclosure: Although this is a sponsored review, I only agree to promote products I have tried & tested and can vouch for, I would never risk my reputation by promoting any product I’m not 100% honest about.
Shoulder straps are useful if you for example shoot street photography from the hip as to not get noticed. As a whole they do allow you to use your two hands to do something else if you need.
But I also find that they often get in the way, especially if you use a tripod often. They always tend to dangle in the wrong place.
I now think the best solution is to keep the camera in the bag when not in use, and securely attached to my wrist when I shoot through the use of a leather wrist strap.
After intensive research online and asking many other photography experts, I eventually narrowed it down to a shortlist of premium leather camera wrist straps which I now have been testing as photographer myself for over 6 years!
I know which straps stand the test of time and which don’t. That’s something you won’t get from rushed reviews elsewhere.
Here's a short summary of what are think are the best camera wrist straps:
1 - Hawkesmill England
I was one of the first photographers to review Hawkesmill’s premium leather camera wrist straps back around 2014 and have owned some of their straps for as long as that.
Similar to the Tap & Dye or Angelo Pelle in terms of design and quality, what I like is the added benefit that they are made in England. Of course if you are in the US you may look for US made (though I’d still recommend Hawkesmill) but for any photographer that is UK based, let’s support British manufacturers.
The company is run by very nice people who have a passion and dedication to quality and not compromising and for this reason they have not outsourced to get the straps made in India or Morocco...
Of course quality comes at a price but I can highly recommend paying a little extra to guarantee you quality, after all… you need to be absolutely sure a leather wrist strap does what it should do: Under no circumstances let you down by allowing your camera to do anything else but remain attached to your wrist.
I can vouch for extended use, 5 years down the line, the strap has only improved by aging beautifully and becoming even more supple.
Finally, rest assured this leather camera wrist strap will never scratch your camera body, whereas other brands may by using the wrong metal bits / attachments.
2 - Tap & Dye
This, ladies and gentlemen, is without any exaggeration one of the very best leather wrist strap you’ll ever buy for your camera. OK, it's the priciest but at under $90, it's worth it when it comes to saving your camera from destruction by fall.
It is hand-crafted, made of thick (yet incredibly supple) leather, which is the softest I’ve ever come to touch. I can’t stress enough how beautiful it feels and looks.
What I really like is the fact it will not scratch my camera as (except the loop to attach to the camera itself) it is just thread and leather. The embossed Tap & Dye logo / branding is also a very nice touch.
Finally the hand stitched leather loop lock for size adjustment means you can adjust how tight it wraps around your wrist, ensuring it’ll never drop.
A must have camera strap for mirrorless camera users including the larger A7 series which I use.
3 – Angelo Pelle
Get ready to fall in love with that one!
Have any of you heard of Angelo Pelle?
With a little research and I came across this website and what a find! The site is a bit basic but this cannot be said of any products manufactured by Angelo Smaldore. Real premium stuff!
This is a beautiful leather camera strap, which will enhance the look of any camera while keeping it securely tied to your wrist. The leather is a little thinner than the Tap and Dye but doesn’t feel any less secure, plus it's also immensely soft. It’s very reminiscent of the Tap and Dye, but I really like the addition of the protective pad which slips between the camera body and the metal loop ensuring your camera will never get scratched.
Check out the website as they have lots of very special camera cases, straps and limited edition bits and pieces.
It's the wrist strap I often choose to use on my A7 series and my MFT gear.
4 – Gordy
If you just want a functional leather strap that doesn’t break the bank, then this is the one.
The Gordy leather camera strap, hand-made in the US, is quite popular and well known. It comes available in three lengths and three type of attachments: lug mount, string or tripod mount. This is my third favourite after Tap & Dye and Angelo Pelle. My wife prefers it for her Olympus E-M10 Mark II and I agree it's just the right size.
It comes in various leathers and a range of coloured waxed heavy-duty cord (including hot pink for those of you who like it flashy)
It's a simple camera strap, quite small and thin and does the job very well... which is to secure your camera and not get in the way of taking photos! I like the fact you can also customise it by adding a "bumper" which is a piece of leather placed between the camera and the attachment ring.
The wrist strap is still comfortable after an entire day walking around and I'd say probably the best sized strap. Not too big, not too small. The most straight forward choice if you are not looking for the most fancy strap and you can't really go wrong for $20!
Voila! I hope this review will help you decide on one. I could have included many more but that would only bulk-up this review not helping YOU the end user.
I prefer to only present to you the very best leather camera wrist straps there are.
Finally I recommend you read my other review of the Best Leather Camera Straps!
Until next time,