An unusual take on the traditional lifting strap, but these Death Grips are certainly effective.
When I set out to test some of the best lifting straps on the market, I thought this would be a fairly straight-forward procedure. After all, they’re just straps, right? Usually lengths of padded material, with one end designed to be wrapped around your wrist, the other around the handle of a barbell, dumbbell or machine. The idea behind them is that they’ll allow you to lift heavier weights because you won’t be limited by a potential lack of grip strength. While the idea with the JerkFit Death Grips is the same, the design and application is a little different.
Men’s Fitness verdict
The Death Grips are a different style of lifting strap – in fact they’re more like a glove. But they’re well suited to most types of lifting, particularly resistance machines.- Extra palm protection
- Comes in three sizes
- Easy to take off
- Could do with an XL size
- Fairly expensive
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JerkFit Death Grips design and build quality
This is a different type of strap because of the way it’s applied. JerkFit Death Grips could almost be considered more of a lifting glove than a strap. You secure the wrist wrap as you would a glove, and the strap itself provides extra protection for the palm. It wraps around the object you intend to hold just once.
There are other grips on the market that use this method, but these grips in particular are simple to use and feel strong enough to last for years’ worth of workouts to come. The tongue is short, and it won’t wrap around as many times as your traditional lifting strap would, but this is by design.
These are also different because of the material. They are made of PVC with neoprene padding. You’ll know you’re holding something, but there won’t be any discomfort from the pressure of the weight or resistance. These would be one of the best lifting straps for lifters who use machines in training or want to maintain a solid hold of cable attachments. Of course, they can work for barbells too, or even heavy dumbbells. I found that the skull on the strap really caught my eye and helped get me in the zone.
The largest size is designed for those with wrists over 8in (20.3cm) in diameter, but an extra-large option would have be nice for the bigger lifters out there. There’s a lack of support for the thumb, but that’s a minor inconvenience because you’ll still have a solid hold of whatever you’re using.
How it compares
When comparing the JerkFit Death Grips to our two top-rated lifting straps – the DMoose and No Conformity straps – there are some notable differences. Firstly our two top grips come in just one size – 24in / 61cm for the DMoose and 20in / 50.8cm for the NoCo. The Death Grips give you small, medium and large options.
However, there’s a lack of color options, with just the black PVC and neoprene gloves available. (I have to say the eye-catching skull design more than makes up for that though.) However, the DMoose has nine different designs, so might appeal more to those who like to rock a more individual look in the gym.
Of course, price will play a big part in your decision making. While the Death Grips are just a little more than the NoCo straps, they are almost four times the price of my favorite, the DMoose straps. That being said, they are a more robust design which I’ve no doubt will last longer.
User experience
In terms of user experience, though, both types work flawlessly. In fact the Death Grips are probably quicker to apply than traditional straps. That thick wad of neoprene padding is one of the comfiest I’ve tested too, and offers one of the most secure-feeling holds.
Overall they feel really well suited to resistance machines and this is probably where I’d use them most. But I found them a no-nonsense strap that just got the job done with barbells and dumbbells too.
How we test the best lifting straps
Our tester Roger Lockridge is an experienced product reviewer of all manner of fitness kit. He tested these lifting straps over at least a month at various weights and through a range of exercises at high rep ranges. Roger assessed each pair in terms of grip, comfort and durability. He then provided an overall score, taking availability, value and ranges of colours, sizes and other options into account.
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