Grip pads or lifting straps: choose the construction you want

The connection to the bar is different

A grip pad covers part of the palm. The SQUATRAT design has four finger loops that hold the pad at the hand. It has no wrist cuff and no long wrapping tail. You place its suede surface between your hand and a bar or handle.

A lifting strap combines a wrist loop with a longer band. That band wraps around the equipment. Using it involves wrapping the tail as well as gripping the bar, then releasing it afterwards.

“Lifting grips” can describe a different design

The word “grips” is used for several kinds of equipment. Some designs have finger loops and a palm pad. Others have a wrist cuff connected to a palm flap that can wrap around the bar. A wrist-attached lifting grip is a different construction from the SQUATRAT finger-loop pad.

Check the photos and instructions rather than relying on the product name. Look for a wrist cuff, finger loops or a long strap tail. Those visible features tell you how the item is held at the hand and how it meets the equipment.

SQUATRAT suede grip pads have finger loops. They are not wrist-attached lifting grips or wrist wraps, even though several of these products may appear under similar search terms.

When to consider grip pads

Consider grip pads when you want a palm contact layer without wrapping a long strap around the bar. The SQUATRAT pair uses suede leather. Each pad is 9 cm high, 10.5 cm wide and 3 mm thick.

The on-hand photograph shows where the panel and finger loops sit. Compare it with your own expectations: one size is a product option, not a promise of identical fit for everyone.

The pads do not have a wrist fastening. If a wrist cuff is specifically what you want, do not select these simply because they are called “grips.”

When to consider lifting straps

Compare lifting straps when you specifically want a wrist loop with a tail that wraps around the equipment. SQUATRAT offers three constructions:

• Cotton with neoprene padding: cotton webbing without silicone grip print, plus a separate wrist pad.
• Cotton with silicone grip print: cotton webbing and neoprene wrist padding with silicone on the contact side.
• Unpadded cowhide leather: leather webbing without an additional wrist pad, giving direct contact with the leather.

All three measure 60 × 4 cm when laid flat. Both cotton versions have a 15 cm padded section and 7 mm padding thickness. Choose the construction and contact surface you prefer. Material names alone do not establish which lasts longest, carries the greatest load or produces a better training result.

The lifting strap material comparison explains those three options in more detail. It is the next step once you have decided you want a wrapping strap.

Three questions to make the choice clearer

Do you want a palm pad without a wrist cuff, or a band that wraps around the bar? This is the clearest distinction between the two product types.

Which contact surface do you prefer? The pads use suede. The straps give you a choice between padded cotton constructions and unpadded cowhide leather.

Do the dimensions and construction match what you expect? Check the measurements and close-up images. A material description or photograph is not a performance test.

Use the palm-panel and wrist-loop images to narrow your choice. Then view the grip pads or compare the lifting straps.

Common questions

Are grip pads and lifting straps interchangeable? Their constructions and handling differ. Do not treat them as equivalent just because both are used at the hand when holding equipment.

Are the leather straps made from the same material as the pads? The straps are confirmed as cowhide leather. The pads are confirmed as suede leather; that description does not identify a particular animal species.

Does a grip pad replace a wrist wrap? The SQUATRAT pad has no wrist fastening. A wrap worn around the wrist is a different product type.