Phone Wrist Strap or Crossbody Strap: Which to Carry and How to Fit It

A phone wrist strap keeps the phone in your hand on a short loop. A crossbody strap hangs the phone against your body and leaves both hands free. Choose by what your hands are doing while the phone is out. Then check two things on a wrist strap: how the loop adjusts to your wrist, and how it connects to your case.

We sell phone wrist straps, so read this as a shop’s notes on its own listings plus what buyers ask online.

Wrist strap or crossbody strap

Three posts on Reddit put the question in buyers’ own words.

• One traveller asked whether a wrist strap would be enough to deter phone snatchers, because they did not have the crossbody lanyard that others recommended.
• One shopper asked whether people use a wrist or a shoulder strap, because the phone is hard to hold while shopping for produce.
• One owner wrote that they wanted a wrist strap and not a full body strap, because the strap on the crossbody cases they liked was too long.

Those three posts point to a simple rule.

Choose a phone wrist strap when the phone stays in your hand. Taking photos, following a map and scrolling on a train are all one-hand jobs. A short loop keeps the phone close to your hand.

Choose a crossbody phone strap when you need both hands. Carrying bags, pushing a cart or holding a child leaves no hand for the phone, so it has to hang somewhere.

In a crowd, put the phone away when you are not using it, whichever strap you carry.

One commenter on Reddit wrote that they bought a wrist strap for cameras and a buckle for durability in place of a thin phone wrist strap, and that it helped in tight transit. That is one person’s choice, and it is a reason to look at the cord and the buckle before you buy.

How a wrist strap adjusts

A wrist strap is only useful if the loop fits your wrist. Our listing for the Cream Cord Pink-Paw Adjustable Phone Wrist Lanyard describes a cream adjustable wrist lanyard with a pink paw-shaped slider. The same listing describes nylon cord and a plastic buckle.

Slide the loop closed until it will not slip over your hand when your arm hangs down, and leave enough room to get your hand out when you want to.

How a wrist strap connects to the case

A wrist strap connects to the case, and cases differ. Two of our straps show the two common ways.

The paw lanyard’s listing says a thin black tether connects to a suitable phone-case lanyard eyelet. Our listing for the Pink Cord Wrist Loop with Metal Case Anchor says it includes a T-anchor and requires a compatible case with a suitable bottom opening that retains the broad T-bar inside.

If your case has neither an eyelet nor a suitable opening, our guide on how to attach a phone lanyard covers the other attachment types.

Fit a wrist strap

Work through these in order.

1. Check the case. An eyelet takes a tether. A bottom opening that holds a bar takes an anchor.
2. Set the loop. Tighten it so it stays on your wrist, with room to slide your hand out.
3. Look at the cord and the hardware. Check the buckle, the slider and any clasp in the listing photos.
4. Try it over something soft. Let the phone hang from your wrist over a bed or a sofa before you take it outside.

Quick answers

Is a wrist strap enough for travel?

It depends on how you use the phone. A wrist strap keeps the phone on your hand while it is out. If your hands are full, a crossbody strap suits you better.

Can I use a phone wrist strap with any case?

The strap needs an attachment point on the case. Check for an eyelet or a bottom opening first, and read the listing for what the strap needs.

What is the difference between a phone wristlet and a phone wrist strap?

People use several names for a short loop that goes around the wrist: a phone wristlet strap, a wrist strap for a phone, a cell phone wrist strap or a phone wrist lanyard. A wrist mount that holds the phone on your forearm is a different thing, and our wrist phone holder guide covers it.

Where to go next

Browse the wrist loops or all phone lanyards.