Our 9 Favorite Hand Grip Camera Straps of 2023

Using a hand grip camera strap can bring a new level of comfort and security to your photography experience.

If you’re anything like me and are the kind of photographer who likes to shoot all day, your hand and wrists can quickly get tired from holding a heavy camera, so having something to share the load is definitely worthwhile.

A camera hand grip is an excellent solution, especially if you’re prone to getting a sore neck or chaffed skin.

Neck camera straps often don’t hold the camera securely enough, while standard wrist straps generally fail to offer the right amount of support.

A hand grip camera strap holds the camera snugly against your hand, helping to distribute the camera’s weight evenly and keeping your camera both safe and quick to access.

Whether I’m out taking photos for fun or shooting professionally for clients, I’ve found a camera hand grip to be a great solution to shoot all day without missing a shot.

At the same time, it makes sure my hands and wrists don’t get fatigued.

In this article, I’m going to take you through some of the best hand-grip camera straps on the market.

There’s one for every budget, but you might also want to check out our other guide to the best camera straps too.

What is the Best Hand Grip Camera Strap in 2023?

Peak Design CL-3 Clutch Hand Strap | OUR TOP CHOICE

The Peak Design CL-3 Clutch Camera Hand Strap is my top choice of hand strap.

Peak Design has a long history of producing high-quality equipment for photographers, and this shows in the design of the CL-3 Camera Hand Strap.

It is extremely robust and able to hold up to 90 kilograms, so it’s more than capable of being combined with full-frame DSLRs and mirrorless cameras, even with bulky battery grips.

The Peak Design Clutch is designed to be compatible with every brand of DSLR and mirrorless camera out there, so it’s a great choice for photographers who shoot with multiple bodies or brands.

The CL-3 Clutch Camera Hand Strap has a strong strap with microfiber pads, which means it’s extremely comfortable. You adjust the strap with a cinch, so it’s simple to loosen or tighten, and it’s suitable for all hand sizes.

I can’t recommend this hand strap enough. For me, it’s the best strap on the market.

A good hand strap is simple – it only needs to do a few things and do them well, and the Peak Design CL-3 does them perfectly. Using it, I feel confident my camera is safe, and it’s so comfortable I can shoot for hours.

• Peak Design Clutch camera strap review

JJC Pro Hand Grip Strap | BEST VALUE

Anyone looking for added security and grip without breaking the bank should look no further than the JJC Pro Hand Grip Strap.

Despite its low price, it has all the qualities necessary to satisfy any level of photographer. 

It’s robust, compatible with a range of tripod attachments, and fits all DSLR or mirrorless camera bodies.

Similar to the SpiderPro V2, it also has an extra wrist strap built in, which gives users an extra layer of security.

Another great feature is this hand strap’s 90-degree adjustable eyelet.

This enables the camera to be strapped to an external harness or holster (for those shooting with two cameras) using a carabiner, so if you’re taking a break from shooting for whatever reason, you can free up your hand without sacrificing the safety of your camera.

SmallRig Black Mamba Hand Strap |BEST BUDGET HAND STRAP

This hand strap does everything it needs to do, but on one condition: you need to use it with a Small Rig camera cage (and bear in mind it needs to be a full cage, not a half cage).

This product isn’t, unlike the others on this list, meant to be used as a standalone hand strap.

Small Rig makes a huge range of camera cages for every brand of camera, from Fuji and Nikon to Sony and Canon. They also manufacture them for every size of camera body, from point-and-shoot to DSLR or mirrorless. 

Whatever you’re shooting with, Small Rig is sure to have you covered, but you’ll need to invest in a camera cage too.

Once you’ve got a cage, this hand strap is a great addition to add a layer of comfort and security on top of the versatility offered by the camera cage.

Canon Hand Strap E2 | CANON USER’S FAVORITE

This is the perfect hand strap for DSLR shooters using Canon bodies.

It fits all of their EOS DSLR cameras and, I imagine, their mirrorless cameras too, as they are built with the same eyelets incorporated in the housing.

It is also possible to use this strap on a Nikon DSLR body, or another brand with similar strap eyelets, although this idea highlights one of the main limitations of this strap: most photographers are pretty loyal to their brands, and using a Canon strap on, for example, a Nikon body is just…well…no-one in their right mind would want to do that!

This product is also a little limited by its incompatibility with smaller Canon cameras, and also by its price, as it’s quite a bit more expensive than the other offerings on the market.

That being said, as with all Canon products, it’s a high-quality piece of camera gear.

It’s easy to install and use. The wide strap, perfect for distributing the weight of your camera over the back of your hand, is made of comfortable soft leather and will cushion the hand over the full duration of long shoots.

What more does a Canon DSLR shooter (or any shooter) need?

• See more leather camera straps

JJC Deluxe DSLR Camera Hand Strap | BEST DSLR HANDSTRAP

The JJC Deluxe DSLR Hand Grip Strap is an upmarket version of the company’s Pro offering.

This strap can be used with a variety of tripod attachments, and with all DSLR or mirrorless cameras. Like the Pro, it also has an extra wrist strap built in for that extra bit of security.

The camera strap is made from cushioned microfiber and, as with the Pro, it comes with an adjustable eyelet so that, using a carabiner, you can strap the camera to a holster or external harness to give your hand and wrist rest. 

Spider Camera Holster SpiderPro V2

This product by SpiderPro is one of the most well-thought-out camera hand straps in terms of design, although the hard creative work that’s gone into its production is reflected in its relatively high price.

Its S-shape is a highly-ergonomic design, which offers comfort and support while leaving plenty of space for the knuckles and fingers to move around the camera controls. Of all the products on the market, this is perhaps the hand grip camera strap I’d be least worried about getting in the way.

The SpiderPro V2 is also one of the sturdiest, safest hand grips out there. Its three-point locking mechanism makes it incredibly secure (while also being quick-release, and easy to take off), and the added wrist strap gives you extra security.

The strap is made out of a breathable, low-friction material, so your hand won’t chafe while using it.

For photographers who are not on a tight budget, this could be an ideal choice of camera hand strap.

Cotton Carrier Hand Strap

Along with the JJC Pro hand strap, this option is one of the most affordable hand grip camera straps on the market.

Using the supplied rubber gasket, it can be configured to fit any brand, and like most hand straps, it can also be used with a tripod.

However, if you have any other tripod connection than the Arca-Swiss-style plate, you’ll need to choose another option from the list, as that’s the only mount the Cotton Carrier is compatible with.

The velcro strap is easy to fasten and unfasten, and the Cotton Carrier is a large grip, so it will give you a lot of support, although this does come with a usability cost.

Some users have pointed out that the strap blocks the SD card port and battery compartment, so this is something to bear in mind before buying.

Altura Photo Camera Hand Strap

This robust product can be combined with pretty much any DSLR or mirrorless camera to protect it from accidental drops, and the photographer from aching hands and wrists. 

The design is simple, it’s not the prettiest, but it does the job. Your hand will be fully supported, and when using the extra wrist loop, your camera will be twice as safe as it would be otherwise.

 Like many other hand grips, it attaches quite simply – the adjustable straps fasten at the top of the camera through the strap eyelet on your camera body, and at the bottom using a mounting plate that screws into the tripod mount beneath the camera body.

 Simple, safe, and secure.

Joby UltraFit Hand Strap

The Joby Ultrafit is a popular choice among many amateur and professional photographers. Its design is slim, simple, and ergonomic.

It is also lightweight, but despite this is more than strong enough to give extra support to a photographer using a heavy, full-frame DSLR camera.

It’s easy and quick to adjust to your hand size, so you can get the perfect fit, and comes with an in-built tripod mount so you can quickly put your camera onto a tripod.

This tripod base plate has the added bonus of being adjustable, so it doesn’t get in the way of your camera’s battery compartment (a common complaint with some of the other hand grips on the market).

Overall, this is a solid choice and will give photographers the support, freedom, and security they’re looking for from a hand grip.

Which is Better: The Camera Wrist Strap, the Neck Strap, or the Hand Grip Camera Strap?

Many photographers still use the neck strap to carry their camera, either slung around the neck, over a shoulder or wrapped around the wrist.

Hanging the camera around the neck, though, is a literal pain in the neck, and the camera tends to sway as you move, which means it’s easy to bump it into things and damage it.

Carrying a camera with the shoulder strap causes the same problems, although with the pain in the shoulder rather than the neck, and it’s also not particularly safe – it’s easy for someone to steal a camera slung over a shoulder using a neck strap, and also very easy for the camera to swing around and get knocked about.

Wrapping the neck strap around the wrist makes the camera much harder to steal, and the camera easier to access for the photographer, but neck straps aren’t really made for this. Whenever I’ve done it, my wrists and back of my hands have begun to sweat, as neck straps aren’t made of breathable material, and the strap has begun to dig into my skin – it’s very uncomfortable!

Wrist straps are slightly better, as they keep the camera close to hand and are also somewhat secure, but they’re mainly designed for smaller cameras, so even the best camera wrist strap, if used with anything heavier, like a DSLR camera, you’ll get a seriously sore wrist.

To my mind, hand-grip camera straps are the best of all worlds. A good camera strap will keep your camera safe, allow you to shoot comfortably for long periods with no aches, pains or fatigue, and quite possibly completely change your photography experience for the better. 

How to Choose the Right Hand Grip Camera Strap for You

Why Buy a Hand Grip Camera Strap? If you’re struggling with a sore neck or shoulder from using the neck strap to carry your camera, or just looking for a better way to keep your camera secure without sacrificing immediate access to it, a good hand grip camera strap is the way to go. 

Finding the right camera strap for you is not too difficult. Although there are many hand straps out there, they don’t need any more features than these: they should be comfortable, made of durable material, have some sort of quick-release plate or quick-release mechanism that allows the strap to be taken on and off easily, or mounted and unmounted from a tripod quickly, and they should have adjustable straps.

Beyond this, choosing the right strap it’s a matter of personal preference and budget. You may want your hand grip camera strap to be made of genuine Italian leather, or you may prefer something more lightweight and breathable.

Frequently Asked Questions about Hand Grip Camera Straps

What is a hand grip camera strap?

A hand-grip camera strap is a simple piece of camera gear. It holds your camera securely against your hand at all times, so that your camera is safe, and so that you are ready at a moment’s notice to take that shot.

Is a hand grip camera strap better than a neck strap?

Yes. A neck strap might leave your hands free, but you’ll pay for this with a sore neck and a camera that swings about and may get damaged. DSLR camera straps are not made with comfort or security in mind. But hand grip camera straps are; they are specifically designed to protect cameras from accidental drops and enable photographers to work on long shoots without fatigue.

Final Words

Whether you’re a professional photographer or a hobbyist who loves indulging in travel photography on holiday, I hope you see from this list of camera straps that it’s time to ditch that shoulder strap and swap it for one of the best hand-grip camera straps.

Tired of having a sore neck? Throw that camera strap away. Worried about accidentally dropping or damaging your camera? Same answer.

A hand-grip camera strap could be the perfect solution to your photography woes. Find the perfect fit and get shooting!