Nowadays, ukuleles are bigger than the original tiny ukes produced in the 19th century; therefore, we need to use straps for our ukuleles to keep it safely while standing up to play and also that’s kind of way to decorate our musical instrument. We will go with you to select which ukulele straps have the best customer experience.
Do you really need an Ukulele Strap?
Many people find it pretty difficult to play Ukulele while not sitting down since you need to support your uke with your hands and also need to keep strumming away.
Some of you might think that doesn’t make sense due to the tiny size of an ukulele; however, let’s think about a Tenor and Baritone one with a kind of heavy wood or heavy construction. For that reason, a few players turn to use a strap to help them out; but we admit that it’s kinda overkill if we recommend you guys to use a strap for a Soprano or Concert uke because most people can handle the standing-up playing with these sizes easily.
By removing the need of supporting your uke with your hands, you can efficiently focus on playing with proper techniques. Besides, there are still a little bit disapproval of using ukulele straps because the standard traditional ukulele doesn’t have a strap on it; but if the uke strap works for you that means go for it!
Types of ukulele strap
A regular strap:
- A standard guitar strap is one of the most common choices for ukes. When mounted in the appropriate places, the strap buttons will hold the strap and the uke.
- This kinda strap is attached with 2 strap buttons can be a little bit imbalanced. In some cases, the weight of the neck will force the ukulele to tip forwards when you take your hands away from your uke.
Single strap button strap:
- The other end attaches via a string or lace right behind the nut on your ukulele. This is simply tied in place and provides a nice balance that doesn’t tip when unsupported.
Uke Leash:
- The Uke Leash is a bit of a hybrid strap. It only supports part of your uke. The leash supports the headstock end of your uke. One end of the leash attaches just behind the nut of your uke (like the single strap button strap) and the other attaches to your upper arm and behind your neck.
The HUG strap:
- The HUG strap is a hands-free shoulder strap that doesn’t need strap buttons (or any other kind of attachment). It simply wraps around your ukulele (underneath the strings) and forms a kind of sling. It’s worth noting that if you’re a fan of pineapple ukuleles it won’t work. It only works with ukuleles that have some form of waist.
Hook strap:
- Like the HUG strap, hook style straps simply attach to your ukulele without the need for any strap buttons. Rather than fitting around the body of the ukulele though, hook style straps go behind and under your ukulele and hook into the sound hole. Although hook straps do support your ukulele you still need to hold the instrument yourself to keep it in place. These straps are sometimes called thong straps.
Mobius straps:
- This is a brilliant and simple strap concept that doesn’t require adding buttons or altering your ʻukulele in any way. The Mobius Strap loops around the whole body of the ʻukulele and then goes over your shoulder like a normal strap. The clever twist in the loop holds the ʻukulele up and snug against your body.
Folk-Guitar-Style Ukulele Strap:
- This type of strap goes around your neck in a loop and wraps under the ʻukulele to hook into the sound hole. It doesn’t require a strap button or cause stress on the neck and is completely removable when you don’t want to use it.
How to choose a suitable strap?
Width:
- If you’re only going to play for a little while, a skinny strap will probably be fine. For longer sessions, wider straps that look like traditional guitar straps are usually preferable.
Materials:
Generally speaking, a strap is nothing more than a piece of material that holds your instrument in place. Now, there are a lot of different materials that can be used for straps, but the most common ones are nylon, suede, and leather.
- Nylon straps are the cheapest and most used ones. If you look inside any player’s case, the chances are that you will find at least one nylon strap in there. The main reason for that is because these are very dependable. Every player knows he can always count on a good old nylon strap.
- Additionally, these are easy to store and they take up a quite little space when rolled up.
- Suede straps are a bit pricier than nylon straps but they are still quite affordable. These have a large number of cult-like followers and that’s what keeps their popularity up. The basic suede straps are made of two pieces of suede sawed together while some better high-end options have a thick padding.
- Suede straps are also quite easy to roll up and store away.
- Leather straps offer the widest range of colors, styles, and sizes. Nothing feels and looks better than leather, but of course; the price is also a bit higher. If cared about properly, leather straps can last for ages.
- There are many different styles of leather straps and they can even be customized with rivets, metal buckles, or monogramming. Some of the exotic leather straps even have a snakeskin or cowhide stitched onto the face.
Our Top Best Ukulele Straps Picks
We’ve searched high and low through many different products and chosen five different models to compare. Have a look through all our pros and cons for each one to find your best ukulele straps.
Rinastore Ukulele Strap Country Style Soft Cotton Linen & Genuine Leather Shoulder Strap for Ukulele Banjo Mandolin (Coffee-US-12)
If you’re looking for a simple design, this strap could be an option. It is also anti-slip so it won’t slide around while you are trying to play. You can choose your favorite color and trust this value for money design has all the quality and longevity you should need.
Pros
- A fairly light, soft material
- The real leather and not imitation that falls apart fairly quickly
- Come with two buttons
- The metal slide adjuster is of quality material and adjusts easily
Pros
- Though it is real leather, it’s not high-grade leather.
MUSIC FIRST Classic Country style Soft Cotton & Genuine Leather Ukulele Strap Ukulele Shoulder Strap Version 2.0 With a MUSIC FIRST Genuine Leather Strap Locker
A strap lock can stop your instrument from falling to the floor if it comes loose or untied. This strap includes a strap lock for that extra level of protection. The design has an intricate and traditional look. You can imagine ukes through the ages being played with a strap like this. It has genuine leather ends and a cotton and nylon material along the strap itself.
Pros
- Made of cotton and real leather.
- Adjustable from 27.5 inches to 48 inches.
- Comes with a strap lock and a button to attach to your uke.
- Interesting and traditional design.
Pros
- After using a few weeks some threads might become loose strands
MUSIC FIRST Original Design “Fortune Cats (Maneki Neko)” Soft Cotton & Genuine Leather Ukulele Strap Ukulele Shoulder Strap
Cute Japanese Style Fortune Cat patterned. Japanese believe that this Cat will bring wealth. It is made of cotton and genuine leather
Pros
- Have a little culture behind it
- The material feels very sturdy
- Easy to clean
- Nice quality strap
Pros
- One of the holes is too loose and it falls off the Ukulele button very easily.
HOT SEAL Linen Style Adjustable Genuine Uke Leather Metal Hook Ukulele Strap Strong Back Straps (Linen Light Brown)
If you’re looking for a simple design, this strap could be an option. It is also anti-slip so it won’t slide around while you are trying to play. You can choose your favorite color and trust this value for money design has all the quality and longevity you should need.
Pros
- Come with an extra guitar pick and strap lock button
- Good looking, well made
- Easy install
- Soft and comfortable
- Rough texture stops a lot of movement across your clothes
Pros
- Though it is real leather, it’s not high-grade leather.
MUSIC FIRST Original Design “Dark Night Garden” Soft Cotton & Genuine Leather Ukulele Strap Ukulele Shoulder Strap With a MUSIC FIRST Genuine Leather Strap Locker
It has a very eye-catching design and because of the included strap lock, there is a lot of value for money on offer with this strap. It’s comfortable and good quality, too, with genuine leather ends that should last years.
Pros
- Have a little culture behind it
- The material feels very sturdy
- Easy to clean
- Nice quality strap
Pros
- One of the holes is too loose and it falls off the Ukulele button very easily.
Conclusion – Choose your best ukulele straps
The best uke straps are for the most players usually the cheapest ones. However, most of the straps are affordable and it is not a bad idea to sacrifice a few dollars more for a high-quality product that will last for a long time.
At the end, your choice always depends on your preference in designs and materials. You may fall in love with a classical and traditional one or a modern look. That’s all fine. Just go for it!