Buying guide for best yoga straps
If you practice yoga, you can attest to its many mental and physical benefits. Yoga gives you the opportunity to relax and center yourself, whether you practice in your home or attend classes at a studio. It also increases flexibility and. boosts circulation. If you’re ready to take your yoga practice and your flexibility to the next level, it’s time to reach for a yoga strap.
These long fabric straps can assist your practice. Yoga straps are ideal for progressing into more difficult poses, or they can work to extend your reach if you’re not as flexible as you’d like. Yogis often wrap straps around their feet or legs and push or pull in opposite directions to stretch or master a pose.
Benefits of yoga straps
Yoga students often use yoga straps to work toward more advanced poses. They provide plenty of support to lean into a pose that’s hard to reach on your own. Yoga straps can help you achieve challenging, deeper poses while incrementally increasing flexibility. Given the intensity of some stretches, there are yoga straps that are equipped with easy-release features that help you exit a pose quickly if it becomes too difficult or strenuous.
Restorative yoga classes are geared toward helping students enter poses with minimal effort. This type of practice is a relaxed, approachable way to open your body to certain movements. A yoga strap is used in restorative yoga as an assistive device that provides support and lets you transition between poses with ease.
Yogis and athletes alike use yoga straps to increase flexibility. You can use a yoga strap when stretching to increase your overall flexibility, particularly to loosen glutes and hamstrings. Athletes and physical therapists also use yoga straps in resistance training and strength building. Using your own body weight to strengthen your muscles reduces the risk of injury.
Key considerations
Style
While some students simply use a yoga strap fully extended and hold onto the ends, others manipulate the strap for more advanced training. Traditional, ringless yoga straps are simple straps that can be folded or tied. However, the most popular style of yoga strap features two D-rings on each end, so you can loop and adjust the strap in different ways. The D-rings are usually metal and therefore very durable.
There are also cinch-buckle and pinch-buckle yoga straps. These buckles are generally made of hard plastic. Cinch buckles work in a similar way to D-rings but are easier to release. They don’t require as much strength to maintain their shape either. Pinch buckles, similar to those seen on life jackets and luggage, have a quick-release feature. They’re also adjustable by pulling the strap on one end, and like cinch buckles, they are easy to manipulate and hold their shape well.
Size
Yoga straps are available in 6-foot, 8-foot, and 10-foot lengths. The 6-foot straps can be a bit too short for restorative yoga classes. That said, 6-foot straps are ideal for basic stretching and home practice as well as assistance in regular yoga classes. As far as width, most yoga straps are 1.5” thick. This universal size is the most versatile for wrapping around feet and legs of all sizes.
Features
Material
Yoga straps are constructed with a high degree of durability to hold up to prolonged, intense use. They’re usually made of 100% cotton that is woven into a webbing style to provide up to 500 pounds of tensile strength. There are a few styles that are cotton and nylon blends, though these tend to be less popular. Nylon blends are somewhat slicker and smoother, so there is a loss of grip when you move away from straps that are 100% cotton.
Color
Depending on the manufacturer, there may be dozens of colors to choose from when shopping for yoga straps. If you have a favorite color, you’re likely covered. There are also some yoga straps with printed patterns or designs woven into the cotton. These attractive styles are not only aesthetically pleasing, but they also stand out so you can easily identify your yoga strap among others at a studio.
Yoga strap prices
Yoga straps cost $5 to $25. At the low end of the price range, between $5 and $10, are styles that come in only one length and select colors. If you’re not married to a particular color, there are also two packs in plain colors in this price range.
If you’re looking for longer yoga straps, aim for the $10 to $15 range.
High-end yoga straps cost $15 to $25. Here you’ll find cinch-buckle and pinch-buckle yoga straps. These straps are usually made by premium brands that are well-known in the fitness community, and they often feature unique colors and come with their own carrying cases.
Tips
- Stretch slowly. Be mindful of your body, and take your time stretching. Smooth transitions between poses are safer and let you progress naturally.
- Ask for assistance from the instructor. If you’re new to using a yoga strap, ask your yoga instructor to show you the proper form. This will reduce the likelihood of injury and show you how to maximize your yoga strap experience.
- Bring your yoga strap on trips. If you have limited space in a hotel room (or your suitcase) and can’t roll out a yoga mat to practice, rely on your yoga strap instead. You can use it on your bed, in a sitting position to loosen up, or for a modified practice session.
- Be consistent. In order to progress in yoga, consistency is key. Commit to a practice schedule so that you can become more flexible and capable with your poses.
- Apply lotion after your practice. Cotton yoga straps can rub against the skin, especially your feet. Apply lotion or cream after your practice to avoid chapped and broken skin.
FAQ
Q. I see there are also yoga straps with loops. What’s the difference, and should I get this style instead?
A. Yoga straps with multiple loops offer another way to stretch. For the most part, if you plan on doing restorative yoga, the traditional strap style is best. If you’re purchasing a yoga strap for stretching or exercise other than yoga, a looped style could be helpful. Not only will you save time adjusting between exercises, but looped straps also create a steady progression in your training with evenly spaced loops.
Q. Why aren’t yoga straps stretchy or elasticized?
A. Control, strength, and resistance are central to yoga practice. Some of these elements could be compromised if there is too much give in the strap. As a result, most yoga straps are made of 100% cotton that’s soft enough to come into contact with skin but not flexible. Remember that incremental progress is also a part of yoga, and with the challenge of a firm yoga strap, you can naturally develop your mastery of poses.
Q. When should I replace my yoga strap?
A. If well-cared for, yoga straps should last for years. However, as they’re made of cotton and regularly used in practice, they’re susceptible to a high degree of wear. If your strap begins unraveling or gets slack in frequently used areas, it’s time to buy a new one. For yoga straps with rings or buckles, particularly plastic ones, if you notice any cracking replace them before they completely break. If a yoga strap snaps while you’re stretching, you could risk injury from your body being jolted out of the pose unexpectedly.
