Alright y’all, so I’m starting a new series based on the many questions I get about what straps I use, where to buy them, and the pros and cons of each of the different styles and producers of straps. This was partially prompted by my video of single strap breaking on me while doing beats in front of a bunch of my students.
This list most likely isn’t exhaustive, but I’m reviewing the major producers that I’m aware of being used consistently in our industry and space.
The companies I’ll be reviewing for their 3-meter straps so far are:
Habitat Circus – an Australian company that’s relatively new, but hit the scene for their comfy straps
Alexander Acrobatics – a tried and true German company
The Apparatus Lab – a new producer out of Greece
Les Atelier Forest – a Quebec-based company that’s been around for a quite a while
Circus Concepts – the other Quebec-based company that’s been around for a while
Lyon Straps – a new Colorado, US-based company that’s run by the parent of a straps artist.
I’m going to review them each on price, comfort, safety, versatility, customer service, cleanability (yeah, I made it a word), and aesthetics.
If I’m missing any makers of straps, feel free to write me and recommend I review other straps makers!
Let’s start with Habitat Circus! Here’s the lil’ video, and here’s how they stand out so far:
Price: 6.5
Comfort: 9.5
Safety: 7
Versatility: 7.5
Customer Service: 7
Cleanability: 9
Aesthetics: 9
Price: 6.5 with a price point of $335USD for 3 meter pair including taxes/shipping (but not any import fees – I had to pay around $25CAD to receive them here in MTL). This is definitely a bit on the higher side as pairs of 3 meter straps go. Most straps these days fall into the $200-$300 USD range before rigging (and rigging brings that WAY up)…these are above the general range I’m seeing so yeah, that’s why it’s a low score.
Comfort: 9.5 holy heck, they really are SUPER comfortable on the skin in terms of friction AND they do a solid job not putting too much pressure on any of the nerves (still a potential for nerve pressure with thinner or more sensitive wrists). That said, I did get some numbness and tingling from them, and I haven’t gotten that from my Alexander straps. Overall, they do feel pretty dang nice on the skin.
Safety: 6.5 – on their webpage, they only include the breaking load rating, but there is a QR code (didn’t work for me) on the straps that should contain their load testing certificate done by both Habitat internally and a 3rd party tester. Internal break testing shows a breaking load of 11.1kn. The 3rd party certificate lists that the sewn eye at the end broke at the stitching at 11.3Kn of force. This document has the manufacturing date and the suggested retirement date and time (essentially after 500-1k hours or by 2/25/2026).
On both straps, the stitching is nominally incomplete and asymmetrical, which is another part of why I’m dinging them a bit on safety. Even outside of any actual potential effect on load, it just doesn’t make me feel as comfortable as stitching that looks like it has been conscientiously done – I don’t want something sloppily done when I’m hanging 20′ in the air swinging from one arm. I’ve heard other reports of this being the case for folks with their straps. Dropped stitches, incomplete lines, etc are relatively common with these straps based on the pictures I’ve seen so far so definitely inspect your straps.
The internal load test and date of production info provided by QR code.
Finally, I’ve seen what appears to be the same rigging/swivel plate that they sell also listed on Amazon (by all appearances, but I have no way to know), on both there’s no branding or serial number on the rigging plate. I know I’m not here to review rigging, but just something that might give some folks pause.
Now, I’m pretty sure that not a single producer of straps will get a full 10 out of 10 in the safety category. This is partially due to risk assessment having a level of subjectivity with even professional riggers disagreeing on what is more/less safe, and partially due to me having a bit of inherent distrust after having a strap break on me.
Versatility: 8 – they feel great for swings, spins, and waist rolling (as much as waist rolling feels great)….but they’re quite slippery (at least for my puny weak fingers) so gripping above the loop feels harder than on some other style of straps (that are less comfy on the wrist skin). I could still grip above the handloops, but all in all, it was harder, and I think if I was doing lots of dynamic work above the loops, I might get frustrated.
Customer Service: 6.5 – overall, they were relatively responsive, minus leaving a few of my questions unanswered. They did ask for feedback, which is not a bad sign. That said, I’ve heard from quite a few people (aka enough to include this in my review) but generally, it seems that the customer service is sometimes not great by being slow, and/or non-responsive. That said, small businesses often run into this issue because they don’t have lots of staff so take that with a grain of salt.
Cleanability: 9 they’re anti-bacterial and you can wash them in a cold wash (and air dry them) if they get bloody/sweaty. That’s nice that it’s very clear how you’re allowed to clean them especially if they get high use.
Aesthetics: 9 the dye is gorgeous right now. We’ll see how it holds up/fades, but so far, I’m a big fan of the color.
All in all, these are REALLY comfy, pretty, and easy to clean straps. I’d recommend them to anyone who’s doing lower-load or lower-risk skills who doesn’t mind paying a premium for comfort/aesthetics, AND is comfortable with the dings on safety and potential customer service (though this may change as they grow).
If you’ve got questions/comments/concerns about Habitat straps or other straps from different producers, email me at koz.circ@gmail.com OR DM me on IG @circkoz.
I hope this helps you decide where you buy your straps from!