The job: keeping the phone attached to you.
The cheapest accessory on this site is also the one that prevents the most expensive repair. A strap does one thing: it means a dropped phone stops before it reaches the ground.
Almost all of them attach the same way. A thin tab slips between the case and the phone with a small loop poking out of a port opening, and the strap clips to that loop. This means the strap is compatible with your case, not with your phone, which is a distinction listings tend to blur.
One warning belongs at the top rather than the bottom of this page: a cord worn around the neck is a strangulation hazard for small children. These are adult accessories. They are not for children, and they are not for sleeping in.
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| What to weigh | What to look for | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Wrist or crossbody | Strap length and whether it is adjustable | A wrist strap prevents drops. A crossbody strap frees both hands. They are different accessories that look similar. |
| Tether tabs included | How many tabs ship with the strap | Without a tab, a strap has nothing to clip to unless the case has its own loop. |
| Case compatibility | Whether the case has enough give at the port opening | A rigid case with no flex at the charging port will not take a tether tab at all. |
| Hardware | Metal buckles and rotating joints versus plastic clips | The clip is where straps fail, and a rotating joint stops the strap twisting every time you turn the phone. |
| Who is wearing it | Adult use only for anything worn around the neck | Neck cords are a strangulation hazard for small children and should be kept well away from them. |
Long straps worn across the body. The most useful and the ones the child safety warning applies to most directly.
3 listings in this subgroup.
Two tether tabs included
Crossbody
An adjustable crossbody strap with metal buckles and two tether tabs stated. The tabs are the part that does the work: a thin card slips inside the case and the strap clips to the loop that sticks out. Two of them means the strap can move between two cases.
The listing states: Two tether tabs, metal buckles, adjustable.
Crossbody
Two adjustable neck straps with two tether patches, which is the plainest version of this idea in the category. Adjustable means it can be shortened to a shoulder length rather than worn at the neck, and that is generally the better way to wear one. Two of everything covers two phones.
The listing states: Two adjustable neck straps and two tether patches.
Crossbody
A crossbody strap attached to a small zip pouch, which the listing describes as an anti-theft design. The pouch takes it from an accessory into a very small bag, which is either exactly right or entirely beside the point depending on what you already carry. Card and key space is the practical difference.
The listing states: A zippered purse and an anti-theft crossbody design.
TORRAS Crossbody Phone Lanyard
CACOE Phone Lanyard, 2-pack
XANGNIER Crossbody Strap with Zip Pouch
Short loops around the wrist. Same drop protection, none of the neck strap concerns.
2 listings in this subgroup.
Six pieces in the set
Wrist
Two neck straps, two wrist straps and two tether tabs in one set, which is enough to equip two phones two ways. The wrist strap is the version most people end up using, because it does the same job with none of the neck strap concerns. Buying the set means finding out which one suits you without a second order.
The listing states: Two neck straps, two wrist straps and two tether tabs.
Wrist
Two braided wrist straps, stated as ultra-light, designed to attach to a case. A wrist strap is the version of this accessory with the fewest caveats attached to it, which is why it belongs in most bags. Braided cord holds a knot better than flat webbing.
The listing states: An ultra-light braided strap for cases.
takyu Lanyard and Wrist Strap Set
SURPHY Wrist Strap, 2-pack
The little card that makes the whole thing work, sold on its own for when a case changes.
1 listing in this subgroup — nothing to compare it against here.
Stainless, three per pack
Tether tabs
Three stainless steel tether tabs with a rotating joint, sold without a strap. This is the replacement part that turns a strap you already own into a strap that works with a different case. The rotation matters because a fixed tab twists the strap every time the phone turns over.
The listing states: Stainless steel tabs with 360 degree rotation.
TORRAS Crossbody Phone Lanyard
takyu Lanyard and Wrist Strap Set
Yojaro Rotating Tether Tabs, 3-pack
CACOE Phone Lanyard, 2-pack
SURPHY Wrist Strap, 2-pack
XANGNIER Crossbody Strap with Zip Pouch
Through a tether tab: a thin card that sits between the case and the phone with a small loop that comes out through the charging port opening. The strap clips to the loop.
It depends on the case, not the phone. The case needs enough flex at the port opening for the tab to sit under it without pushing the case off.
Cords worn around the neck are a strangulation hazard for small children. These are adult accessories. Keep them away from children and never use one for sleeping.
A well-designed one leaves the port clear, but it does add a small amount of thickness right at the opening. Some tightly fitted cables will not seat properly with a tab in place.
None of these listings publish one. Treat a strap as drop protection for a phone rather than as load-bearing hardware.
Links to Amazon on this page are affiliate links, and a qualifying purchase may earn this site a commission at no extra cost to you. It changes nothing about what is written here: no prices, no ratings, and no claims of our own testing. Affiliate Disclosure.