Figure 8 Lifting Straps vs. Lasso Straps: Which Should You Use?

When you're deciding between figure 8 lifting straps and a standard lasso-style strap, the choice comes down to one fundamental tradeoff: maximum bar-to-wrist security versus the ability to adjust, release, and move between exercises quickly. Both strap geometries exist to extend what your grip can handle on heavy pulling movements, but they accomplish that goal in meaningfully different ways — and choosing the wrong one for the wrong lift can create problems ranging from wasted setup time to genuine safety concerns.

This article breaks down exactly how each style attaches, which movements each one suits, what the safety implications look like (especially for floor pulls), how fit and comfort factor in for different body proportions, and which Spinto products fall into each category. If you're still deciding whether you need lifting straps at all rather than wrist wraps, the Lifting Straps vs. Wrist Wraps guide covers that ground before you dig into figure 8 straps vs regular straps here.

Figure-8 vs. Lasso Lifting Straps at a Glance

Before getting into the detail on each style, a side-by-side look at the core decision points helps cut through the noise. The table below focuses on supported, factual comparisons rather than vague performance claims.

Quick Comparison Table

The central tradeoff is clear: figure-8 straps give you a more locked-in connection in exchange for a slower, more deliberate release. Lasso lifting straps give you broader adjustability and quicker on/off transitions in exchange for a slightly less fixed feeling at the wrist-to-bar interface.

How Figure-8 Lifting Straps Attach to the Bar

A figure-8 strap gets its name from its shape: two loops connected at a central crossing point, much like the numeral it references. One loop goes around the lifter's wrist, the bar passes through the central crossing area, and the second loop closes around the wrist from the other side. The result is a fixed, closed connection between the wrist and the bar — the bar is not simply held by grip or wrapped material; it is structurally linked to the lifter's wrist through both loops.

Because of this geometry, bar movement and rolling are significantly reduced once the strap is properly set. The bar cannot separate from the strap without the strap being deliberately removed. That is the design's primary strength. It is also, without qualification, its primary limitation: you cannot open your hand and drop the bar the way you could with a lasso-style strap or no strap at all.

Short How-to: Using Figure-8 Straps

Getting set up correctly with figure-8 straps takes a little more deliberate practice than looping a lasso strap, but the process is straightforward once it is familiar.

1. Slide one loop of the strap over your hand and position it snugly around your wrist.
2. Position the bar through the central crossing area of the strap — the “waist” of the figure-8 shape — so the bar sits inside both loops.
3. Bring the second loop up and over your wrist from the other side so the bar is enclosed within the strap's full figure-8 structure.
4. Rotate your hand and the bar together to take up any slack and set the strap in a secure, non-shifting position before you begin the rep.
5. Before ever using figure-8 straps for heavy pulls, practice the full setup and removal sequence with an empty bar or a very light load until it feels automatic.

That last step is worth emphasizing: the time to learn how to get in and out of figure-8 straps is not during a heavy working set.

What Figure-8 Straps Feel Like in a Pull

Lifters who use figure-8 straps regularly often describe the sensation as feeling locked to the bar — the bar moves when you move, and it does not travel independently of your wrist once the strap is properly set. When grip strength is the limiting factor on a heavy rack pull or a loaded shrug, the sense of security that comes from a fixed bar-to-wrist connection is precisely what makes these straps useful.

The tradeoff in feel is that setup and removal genuinely take more time than unwinding a lasso strap. You are not just pulling a loop off your wrist; you are working through the full figure-8 geometry in reverse. For lifters moving through a session with varied exercises, or anyone rotating between strapped and unstrapped sets, that extra step adds up over time.

Fit is also worth noting before you order. Because the loops are fixed in size, figure-8 straps can feel tight or restrictive on lifters with larger wrists or thicker forearms. The available wrist circumference inside the loop has to accommodate both the wrist and the bar comfortably, and not every figure-8 strap on the market is generous in that measurement. This is a real consideration, not a minor footnote.

How Lasso Lifting Straps Attach to the Bar

A lasso strap — also called a regular or standard lifting strap — works through a simple, adjustable loop-and-wrap mechanism. The lifter threads one end of the strap through a sewn loop at the other end to create a noose-style wrist loop, adjusts that loop to fit comfortably around the wrist, and then wraps the loose tail of the strap around the bar. When the lifter grips the bar and the load pulls down, the strap tightens around the bar naturally, locking the connection under tension.

The key word in that description is adjustable. The lifter controls how loosely or snugly the strap fits the wrist before wrapping the bar, and they can vary how many times the tail wraps depending on the exercise, the bar diameter, and personal preference. This flexibility is what makes lasso straps the more broadly applicable design across different pulling movements.

Because the strap wraps around the bar rather than closing in a fixed loop, the release mechanism is also fundamentally different: unwrapping or uncoiling the strap disengages it. You do not have to work through a figure-8 geometry to remove it.

Short How-to: Using Lasso Lifting Straps

The setup process for a lasso strap is quicker than for figure-8 straps, and most lifters adapt to it within a session or two.

1. Thread the loose end of the strap through the sewn loop at the opposite end to form a slip-style wrist loop.
2. Slide the loop over your hand and position it snugly around your wrist — firm enough to stay put, not so tight that it cuts circulation.
3. Lay the loose tail of the strap across the bar and wrap it around the bar in the direction that will tighten under load. Most lifters wrap toward themselves and under, though this varies; find the direction that cinches the strap tighter as you pull.
4. Grip the bar on top of the wrapped strap and take up any remaining slack before you initiate the rep.
5. Practice wrapping consistently on both hands so tension is similar across your left and right grip — mismatched wraps can create uneven feel during a pull.

Why Lasso Straps Work Across More Pulling Movements

The quicker on/off transition is the practical reason lasso straps appear in more training contexts than figure-8 straps. Between sets of Pendlay rows, for example, you may stand up, rest, adjust your position, and set up again — and repeating a multi-step figure-8 procedure for every set of rows adds friction to the session. Unwinding a lasso strap takes a few seconds.

The same logic applies to movements where the lifter alternates between strapped and unstrapped work, or where the bar needs to be repositioned mid-session. Because lasso straps allow lifters to dial in how much tension they want on the bar on a set-by-set basis, they also accommodate the variation inherent in a training block that mixes heavy deadlift work with lighter, higher-rep accessory pulling.

For Olympic-style pulls — hang pulls, high pulls, and related derivatives where bar path and hand position matter — the lasso style is the more commonly appropriate choice precisely because it does not lock the bar to the wrist in the same fixed way a figure-8 does.

When Figure-8 Straps Win

Figure-8 straps are at their most useful when two conditions are true simultaneously: the load is heavy, and the movement is controlled and predictable enough that quick release from the bar is not a priority. Those two conditions align most reliably on rack pulls, heavy shrugs, deficit pulls from blocks, and seated rows.

On a heavy rack pull, for instance, the bar starts at a fixed height, travels a short, predictable range of motion, and returns to the rack. The lifter is not expected to dump the bar mid-rep, and the shortened range of motion means the pull is inherently more controlled than a conventional deadlift from the floor. Under those conditions, the locked-in connection of a figure-8 strap offers real practical value — the bar stays exactly where you set it against your palm, and there is no sense of the bar rolling or shifting during the pull.

The same argument applies to loaded shrugs, where heavy loads are held and elevated through a short, vertical range of motion with no realistic need to jettison the bar mid-rep.

Figure-8 Deadlift Straps for Heavy Pulls

Within the context of deadlift training, figure 8 deadlift straps come up most often in discussions about heavy pulling from a reduced range of motion — rack pulls set above or below the knee, for example — or deficit pulls from blocks where the setup is deliberate and the environment is well-controlled. The “locked-in” feel that makes these straps popular for rack work is the same quality that makes some lifters prefer them for their heaviest conventional pulls in training.

That said, figure-8 straps should not be treated as universally better for every deadlift variation. The same fixed connection that prevents bar roll also prevents you from dropping the bar quickly if something goes wrong during the pull. That limitation is manageable on a rack pull. It becomes more significant on a conventional deadlift from the floor, where the bar has a longer path of travel and a failed rep may require a faster response.

Figure-8 Straps for Powerlifting Training

In the context of powerlifting training — not competition, but the preparatory work that surrounds it — figure 8 straps powerlifting discussions almost always center on accessory work rather than the competition lifts themselves. Rack pulls and heavy shrugs used to build posterior chain strength and reinforce pulling mechanics are the primary applications cited by powerlifters who incorporate figure-8 straps into their training. When the goal of a session is to accumulate volume on a heavy supported movement and grip is not the focus of the stimulus, these straps serve a practical function as a training tool.

Whether figure-8 straps are permitted in any specific federation's competition equipment list is a separate question — and one covered in the FAQ section below.

Spinto Figure-8 Option

For lifters who want the fixed, locked-in geometry described throughout this section, Spinto offers the SP-27 Figure 8 Lifting Straps at $19.99. This is the direct option for anyone whose training includes the rack pulls, shrugs, or heavy supported movements where the figure-8 design makes practical sense. The SP-27 is available through Spinto's Straps & Wrist Wraps collection alongside the full range of lasso-style options covered below.

When Lasso Straps Win

Lasso straps earn their position as the more broadly used strap style through a combination of adjustable fit, quicker release, and compatibility with a wider range of pulling movements. For most lifters training a mixed program — conventional deadlifts, rows of various kinds, accessory pulls — a well-made lasso strap covers more ground than a figure-8 without the safety tradeoffs that come with a fixed bar-to-wrist connection.

The versatility argument also extends to adjustability across sessions. If you are pulling conventional deadlifts early in a session and moving to T-bar rows afterward, a lasso strap lets you fine-tune tension for each movement without swapping equipment.

Lasso Straps for Rows and Olympic-Style Pulls

On Pendlay rows and T-bar rows, the practical case for lasso straps is easy to make: you set up, you pull, you release, you reset. The between-rep and between-set transitions happen quickly, and the ability to unwrap a lasso strap in a few seconds rather than work through figure-8 geometry keeps the session flowing without unnecessary interruption. When rowing volume is high and rest periods are short, setup efficiency matters.

For Olympic-style pulling derivatives — hang pulls, high pulls, and similar movements — the lasso strap is broadly considered the more appropriate choice because these lifts involve a more dynamic bar path and may require the lifter to redirect or adjust hand position in a way that a locked figure-8 connection would complicate. The adjustable nature of a lasso wrap is a better fit for the demands of these movements.

Lasso Straps for Conventional Deadlifts From the Floor

When the conversation turns specifically to conventional deadlifts from the floor, the release mechanics of the two strap types become a meaningful practical difference. When comparing figure 8 straps vs regular straps for floor pulls, the lasso style's ability to be unwound or released after a rep — without requiring the deliberate disengagement process that a figure-8 demands — is a genuine functional advantage. If a rep goes wrong or the load shifts unexpectedly, the lasso strap's less fixed connection gives the lifter more options in response.

This is not a claim that lasso straps are inherently safer in an absolute sense; strap selection should always be paired with appropriate loading, good technique, and a training environment where the lifter can execute the movement in a controlled way. But the release mechanics are different, and those mechanics matter for a lift that travels from the floor through a full range of motion.

Spinto Lasso Strap Options

Spinto's lasso-style strap range covers several construction types and price points, giving lifters a meaningful range to choose from based on material preference, intended use, and budget.

SP-23 Basic Lifting Straps — $7.99 are the entry-level option in the lineup, built from cotton and priced to suit lifters who want a straightforward, functional strap without added features.

SP-25 Padded Lifting Straps — $12.99 step up with additional padding for lifters who find standard strap material uncomfortable across the wrist during heavier or higher-rep work.

SP-24 Silicone Padded Lifting Straps — $12.99 add a non-slip silicone grip surface and wrist padding to the lasso format.

SP-26 Heavy-Duty Lifting Straps — $19.99 are built for consistently heavy pulling in accessory work.

SP-28 Olympic Lifting Straps — $14.99 are the option within the lasso family most specifically oriented toward Olympic-style pulling movements, where the demands on strap construction differ from conventional pulling work.

All five of these products fall within the adjustable lasso strap category discussed throughout this article. The full range, including the SP-27 figure-8 option, is available in the Straps & Wrist Wraps collection on the Spinto site for side-by-side comparison before ordering.

Safety: The Biggest Difference Is Whether You Can Release the Bar

Of all the practical differences between these two strap styles, the release mechanism is the one that deserves the most deliberate attention. It is not a secondary concern or a fine-print caveat — it is a fundamental design difference that should influence which strap you choose for a given lift.

The plain version: with a lasso strap, you can unwrap or release the strap from the bar with relative speed after a rep or set. With a figure-8 strap, you cannot simply open your hand and drop the bar. The two-loop fixed connection that creates the locked-in feel also prevents the fast separation that opening your hand provides with a bare grip or a lasso strap.

This distinction is especially relevant to deadlifts performed from the floor. On a floor pull, the bar starts at its lowest position and travels through a full range of motion — and if something goes wrong at any point in that range, the lifter's options for separating from the bar quickly are meaningfully constrained when wearing figure-8 straps. On a rack pull or a machine-based supported row, the geometry of the movement makes a rapid bar release less likely to be necessary in the first place. The same strap that is perfectly reasonable in one context creates a different risk profile in another.

Figure-8 Straps and Failed Reps

The most direct advice here is also the most important: do not assume that you can quickly let go of the bar while using figure-8 straps. This is not a design flaw — it is the design — but it means users need to understand what they are opting into before loading the bar heavily.

Learn the full setup and removal process with a light load. Practice it until the motion is unhurried and automatic. Understand which movements in your training program involve a realistic possibility of a failed rep or an unexpected load shift, and make an honest assessment of whether a fixed bar-to-wrist connection is the right tool for those pulls.

Figure-8 straps are generally better suited to controlled, predictable pulling situations — rack pulls set to a specific height, shrugs from a fixed position, machine-based rows — than to lifts where the load, range of motion, or training environment introduces meaningful variability.

Basic Strap Safety Habits for Either Style

These habits apply regardless of which strap geometry you choose, and none of them are complicated.

Inspect your straps before each session. Look for visible wear, fraying, thinning material, or any degradation in the wrist loop or stitching. A strap that looks worn is a strap that should be replaced before it fails under load.

Match the load to the movement and your current level of familiarity with the strap style. Adding a new strap type to a near-maximal effort on an unfamiliar day is not good practice. Use a controlled load while you are learning a new setup.

Do not use straps to compensate for genuinely poor technique or a disorganized training environment. Straps extend your grip; they do not fix bar path, brace your torso, or correct movement problems.

Finally, match the strap to the movement, not just to the weight on the bar. The heaviest weight you can lift with figure-8 straps is not the deciding factor in whether figure-8 straps are appropriate for that specific pull on that specific day.

Fit, Comfort, and Durability Considerations

Most strap comparisons online focus almost entirely on geometry and security, stopping short of the practical questions around wrist circumference, forearm thickness, and what happens to these straps after months of consistent training. Those gaps are worth addressing directly.

Lasso straps offer more adjustability around the wrist than a fixed figure-8 geometry by design. The slip-loop mechanism lets the lifter dial the wrist fit in or out across a meaningful range, which means lasso straps tend to accommodate a broader range of wrist and forearm sizes without feeling restrictive. Figure-8 straps, because their loops are fixed in size, offer less room to adjust — and the available interior space has to accommodate both the wrist and the bar simultaneously.

Wrist and Forearm Fit

For lifters with average wrist circumference, figure-8 fit is rarely an issue in practice. But for lifters with larger wrists or notably thick forearms, the fixed-loop geometry can feel uncomfortably tight — a concern raised consistently in training community discussions around figure-8 straps. The loop has to be large enough to slip over the hand, sit correctly on the wrist, and still accommodate the bar within the same enclosed space. When wrist circumference is at the higher end, those requirements compete with each other.

If you have questions about whether a specific figure-8 strap will fit comfortably before ordering, note that Spinto offers the SP-27 in S/M and L/XL — larger wrists take L/XL. Returning straps because the fit is wrong is an avoidable frustration.

Lasso straps sidestep this issue almost entirely because the wrist loop adjusts to the lifter. The tail of the strap then wraps the bar independently, so wrist circumference and bar diameter are accommodated separately rather than within a shared fixed loop.

Durability: What to Compare Before Choosing

Strap durability depends far more on construction materials, stitching quality, and how the strap is used and stored than on whether it is a figure-8 or a lasso geometry. Making a broad claim that one style outlasts the other misrepresents how these products actually wear.

What you can compare meaningfully is the construction category within the lasso lineup. Cotton straps, padded straps, silicone straps, heavy-duty constructions, and Olympic-specific builds each involve different material choices with different wear characteristics. If durability under heavy, frequent loading is a priority, comparing the construction descriptions of the SP-25, SP-24, SP-26 Heavy-Duty, and SP-28 options against your actual training demands will give you more useful information than comparing strap geometry alone.

For both figure-8 and lasso styles, routine inspection — checking stitching, wrist loop integrity, and material condition — is the most reliable way to catch wear before it becomes a training-session problem.

Which Strap Should You Choose?

There is no single correct answer that applies to every lifter, and any source that tells you otherwise is oversimplifying. The honest decision guide is a short one: match the strap to the movement, factor in your wrist size and comfort preferences, and be clear-eyed about the release-speed tradeoff before you load up something heavy.

Choose Figure-8 Lifting Straps If…

• You want the most locked-in connection available for controlled, heavy pulling movements.
• Your training prioritizes rack pulls, heavy shrugs, or seated rows where quick release is not a concern.
• You have read and understood that figure-8 straps do not allow a fast bar release the same way a lasso strap does, and that tradeoff is acceptable for your training context.
• Your wrist circumference is comfortable within the fixed-loop geometry of the strap you are considering.
• You want to explore what the SP-27 Figure 8 Lifting Straps at $19.99 look like as a specific option.

Choose Lasso Lifting Straps If…

• You want a strap style that works across conventional deadlifts, rows, and Olympic-style pulling work without changing equipment.
• You value quicker setup and release between sets or when moving between exercises in the same session.
• You want the flexibility to adjust wrist loop tightness and bar wrap tension based on the movement.
• Your wrist size or forearm thickness makes the fixed figure-8 geometry an uncertain fit.
• You want to compare the SP-23 cotton, SP-25 padded, SP-24 silicone, SP-26 Heavy-Duty, and SP-28 Olympic lasso options before deciding on a specific construction.

Conclusion: Match the Strap to the Pull

The comparison between figure-8 and lasso lifting straps comes down to two things: how locked in you want to be, and how quickly you need to be able to release. Figure-8 straps deliver maximum bar-to-wrist security with a deliberate, fixed connection that works well for controlled heavy pulls — rack pulls, shrugs, and supported movements where the bar goes nowhere fast. Lasso straps deliver adjustable fit, faster release, and the versatility to move between conventional deadlifts, rows, and Olympic-style pulling work without replacing equipment or spending extra time on transitions.

Neither style is universally better. The best strap is the one that fits the movement you are doing, the load you are handling, and the training environment you are in. If you are still working out the broader question of whether lifting straps are the right tool versus wrist wraps, the Lifting Straps vs. Wrist Wraps article covers that comparison in full — it is worth reading before committing to either strap style if you are not certain which type of support you actually need.

When you are ready to look at specific options, the full range of Spinto straps — SP-27 figure-8 and all five lasso constructions — is available in the Straps & Wrist Wraps collection for direct comparison.

Figure-8 and Lasso Lifting Straps FAQ

Are figure-8 straps better than regular lifting straps?

Neither style is objectively better — they solve different problems. Figure-8 straps are better suited to heavy, controlled pulling movements where a locked-in bar connection is the priority and quick release is not needed. Regular lasso straps are better suited to conventional deadlifts from the floor, rows, and Olympic-style pulls where adjustable fit and faster release between reps or sets matter. The right choice depends on what you are lifting, how you train, and your comfort with the release mechanics of each style.

Can you use figure-8 straps for deadlifts?

Yes, figure-8 straps are used for deadlifts in training — particularly for rack pulls, deficit pulls from blocks, and other variations where the range of motion is controlled and a rapid bar release is unlikely to be necessary. For conventional deadlifts from the floor with a full range of motion, the fixed bar-to-wrist connection of a figure-8 strap means you cannot quickly drop the bar if a rep goes wrong. Many lifters choose lasso straps for floor pulls for that reason, reserving figure-8 straps for rack-based and supported pulling movements.

Are figure-8 straps allowed in meets?

This is a question that requires a direct answer only from the current equipment rulebook of the specific federation you compete in. Equipment rules vary between organizations and are updated periodically. USPA, USAPL, IPF, and other federations each maintain their own approved equipment lists, and what is permitted in one federation's equipped or unequipped division may not be permitted in another's. Do not rely on forum posts, articles, or secondhand accounts — check your federation's current rulebook or contact the organization directly before assuming any strap type is approved for competition use.

Can beginners use figure-8 lifting straps?

Beginners can learn to use figure-8 straps, but they should approach the process deliberately. The fixed bar-to-wrist connection requires more deliberate setup and removal than a lasso strap, and the inability to quickly drop the bar makes it especially important that newer lifters practice the full setup and release sequence with very light loads before using figure-8 straps on any meaningful weight. Many coaches and experienced lifters recommend that beginners start with lasso-style straps to get comfortable with strap use in general before adding the additional complexity of the figure-8 geometry.

Do figure-8 straps fit big wrists or thick forearms?

Fit can be a real issue with figure-8 straps for lifters with larger wrists or thick forearms. Because the loops are fixed in size and must accommodate both the wrist and the bar simultaneously, the available interior space is finite. Lifters with above-average wrist circumference sometimes find figure-8 straps uncomfortably tight or difficult to set correctly. Lasso straps, by contrast, have an adjustable wrist loop and wrap the bar separately, making them more accommodating across a wider range of wrist and forearm sizes. Spinto offers the SP-27 in S/M and L/XL; larger wrists take L/XL.

Can you use figure-8 straps for rows?

You can use figure-8 straps for certain row variations — seated rows and supported machine-based rows in particular, where the setup is controlled and you are not expected to release the strap quickly between reps. For Pendlay rows, T-bar rows, and other free-weight rowing movements where you stand up and reset between sets or reps, most lifters find lasso straps more practical because the between-set transitions are faster and the strap can be adjusted or removed without working through figure-8 geometry. The more controlled and fixed the rowing environment, the more reasonable a figure-8 strap becomes; the more dynamic and high-transition the row, the more the lasso style tends to make sense.