One of the best accessories you can get for your Leica is a strap. But which one? In this article about the best Leica straps we look at the ones that tick the right boxes that makes your kit look stylish and helps protect it.
Do you even need a strap?
Don’t even think about it, you need a strap. A little bump while you are holding your Leica and hand is the difference between picking up pieces of your camera in tears and having the strap save your camera. It’s much like a seatbelt, you wish you never use it but you are glad it’s there when you need it.
The other reason for getting one of those Leica straps is because it makes it easy to wear your camera in a way that makes you ready for anything that pops up in front of you. Having to reach and open your camera bag and just having your camera around your neck is the difference between missing a shot and getting it.
If you do not need a way to carry your Leica then consider at least the awesome Leica finger loop. You will need the right grip for your Leica and you can twist it in on the screw around the top. It’s one of the best ways to get the safety benefits of a strap without being one.
Best Leica straps list
| Name | Material | Adjustable | Get it here: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Oberwerth Rhein | Rhubarb leather | YES | Check Price |
| 2. Leica double rope | Climber rope + Leather | NO | Check Price |
| 3. Wide saddle | Leather | YES | Check Price |
| 4. Leather carrying strap | Leather | YES | Check Price |
| 5. Peak design slide lite | Fabric | YES | Check Price |
| 6. ONA The Sevilla | Leather | NO | Check Price |
| 7. ACAM100A Strap | Acrylic | YES | Check Price |
Now that we’ve seen the list of the best Leica straps, let’s look at each in more detail. Before digging into it, please note that these straps are great for most Leicas up to an M body with normal lenses (So no Noctilux for example). These kinds of kits require DSLR straps instead to be safe.
| Reasons to buy | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✔️ Extremely comfortable ✔️ Allergy-Free ✔️ Elegant and stylish ✔️ Environmentally friendly | 🛑 Ships from Germany |
Firs up as our best Leica straps is the Oberwerth Rhein leather strap. Both Leica and Oberwerth are hand-made, German companies so bringing them together makes sense. Due to soft, supple leather strap it feels like you have nothing around your neck or shoulder.
The leather itself is made of Rhubarb Leather so it’s animal / environment friendly. This special type of leather is also great for allergy suffers as it will not trigger leather allergies. The strap is easily adjustable with an eyelet system and there is a little flap to protect the point of contact between the camera and metal rings.
The only downside to this is this is special order only. This is something an artisan made in Germany and needs a few weeks to come stateside.
| Reasons to buy | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✔️ Thick and durable ✔️ Distributes weight well ✔️ Award winning ✔️ Leica logo detail | 🛑 Ships from Austria |
Second up on our list of the best Leica straps is also one of the most popular, the double rope by COOP. This winner of the 2020 European Design award is pretty unique. Normally camera straps made of rope like this are terrible for your neck but because they are so thick and doubled, the weigh distribution is excellent and you won’t feel pressure.
This is a very durable strap because it’s made of climbing rope, the material climbers depend their life on, so your camera is safe. So it doesn’t feel cheap because it’s not leather. There is a leather area around the ends made of vegetable leather, so it’s enviromentally friendly.
There’s the Leica logo and the COOP logo embed on those ends, making it just the right amount of subtle branding. There’s a beautiful “Leica red” version of this strap that goes real well with any Leica if you do not mind the somewhat flashiness.
Also, just like our first choice this comes from Austria so it might take a few weeks to come Stateside. Lastly, make sure you get the correct one, the steel ring version that is compatible with most Leicas.
| Reasons to buy | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✔️ Minimalist ✔️ Distributes weight well ✔️ Adjustable ✔️ Comfortable | 🛑 No fine tuned adjustments |
This will be our first “Made by Leica” strap of this list. If you want something minimalist, you cannot get simpler than that. This is nothing more than a long piece of leather that you can adjust with two eyelets.
This will not permit fine-tuned adjustments but it does the job well. There is a larger width around the neck area (hence “wide” saddle”) that makes this really comfortable to wear. There’s a nice Leica logo in the neck are that is just enough branding to make it nice without doing too much.
As a sign of craftsmanship the whole strap is stitched making this a really handsome, minimalist strap that will be at home with any Leica.
| Reasons to buy | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✔️ Minimalist ✔️ Nice design with logo ✔️ Sliding pad ✔️ Adjustable | 🛑 No fine tuned adjustments |
This is like a cousin to the number 3 choice of this best Leica straps list. This is basically the exact sanme thing with the same overall design. beautiful leather, Leica logo embossed, comfortable, stiched finish with one major difference.
Where the “Wide saddle” was just a single piece of leather with a wider neck area this has a sliding pad instead. So because of the weight the pad tends not to move when you do, so it makes it better if you like to move the camera around your body.
Either one is a great choice and comes down to prefference.
| Reasons to buy | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✔️ Modern ✔️ Fine tuned adjustments ✔️ Easily transforms (3-in-1) ✔️ High quality and affordable | 🛑 Must store properly with camera |
So far we’ve only looked at Leica straps that are leather and that matches the retro looks of the cameras. But what if you want something more modern? This is there the Peak Design Slide lite comes in. They really hold up to their name because their products are well designed.
This strap for example can go be worn as a sling, shoulder, or neck Strap. The metallic sliders make it easy to go from one to the other and are beautifully designed. The red screws and red highlights match the Leica logo so that is a plus.
It’s those metals that can create problems too, you have to make sure that they do not touch the camera if you put them both in a bag. That is not a big deal however because of the quick release system.
Instead of traditional metal loops, you have anchor connectors that makes it possible to remove the strap in about a second. Each strap comes with two sets so it’s like having one strap for two of your cameras (and you can buy more). And if you want even more versatility this strap also comes with a base plate that can be screwed at the bottom so that you can wear your Leica like a sling.
While this is not leather the fabric screams high quality and is large enough to distribute the weight if you wear it as a neck strap. The price (About $50) also makes this one of the cheapest Leica straps you can buy.
| Reasons to buy | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✔️ Minimalist with no frills ✔️ Beautiful leather, color options ✔️ Lug protector ✔️ Very affordable | 🛑 Not adjustable |
If you just want a Leica strap that is leather, good looking AND that doesn’t break the bank, then this is the ONA Sevilla. ONA makes some of the best bags out there and this strap of theirs look right at home in any Leica.
It’s a leather strap, it looks really good with the different color options and cannot be adjusted. It doesn’t get simpler than that. There’s a camera lug protector and it’s made of environmental friendly full grain leather.
Since the neck area isn’t wider (it’s content width) this is not recommended for too heavy kits in order not to put pressure on your neck. At about $60 however this is a steal.
| Reasons to buy | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✔️ Made with Acrylic ✔️ Still looks great on a Leica ✔️ Sturdy ✔️ Red accent | 🛑 Plastic buckles |
And this will be our last recommendation for the best Leica straps. This is great if you do no want a modern looking strap but you want something that looks vintage and that is NOT leather. This strap fits the bill nicely with it’s canvas-like Acrylic strap that is made in Japan.
It fits very well with a Leica and there’s an Artisan & Artisan logo highlight in red that matches the red Leica logo too. It’s sturdy material and since it’s pretty wide (0.8”) it’s pretty comfortable on the neck.
While the strap itself is made of fabric, the endings are made of high quality leather and has those protectors for your camera’s lug area.
You can really fine tune the length with this strap from 32.6 to 58.6″ with the plastic buckles. While this is somewhat of a downer, this is safer for your camera if you leave it in the bag with it as screen scratches are less likely.
If you are looking for a strap that looks right at home with the Leica’s retro looks and that is not leather, check out this one.
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed this article about the best Leica straps. If you do not mind the price, Oberwerth feels right at home with a Leica because it’s handmade in Germany. Second is the popular Double Rope by Coop. One of the best ones by Leica is the Wide saddle or the carrying strap depending on preference. The Peak Design is stylish and modern while Artisan & Artist ACAM100A provides something that is not leather. ONA the Sevilla is for those on a budget. Happy shooting.