Souldier recycled seatbelt guitar strap review

I received this because someone else hated it.

Yes, really.

A little while ago I put up my donations page, and a reader, Paul, emailed me and said he wanted to donate but in the form of a thing and not money. The end result was him sending to me what you see above, the Souldier recycled seatbelt guitar strap. Thanks to Paul for sending this out to me.

Paul figured it was better to send the strap my way rather than donate it to Goodwill. Yes, he hated the strap that much.

Do I hate the strap? No. But I won't say I'm in love with it either, and I think I know why Paul didn't take to the strap very well.

The thing about seatbelt material is that while very strong and will last basically forever, there are a few things about it some don't like.

First, it's "slippery" when wearing it over a shirt, as it's supposed to be. Seatbelt material doesn't "grab" at all.

Second, you absolutely cannot wear this strap shirtless. I personally don't do that, but if I did, I would not use this material. Sweat + seatbelt strap = not a good combination.

Third, the thinness of the strap may cause discomfort on the shoulder because this has zero padding to it.

With all that out of the way, now that I actually have one of these straps, here's my review:

Yes, it is absolutely real-deal seatbelt lasts-forever material, no question about it.
Looks nice, definitely upscale.
Easy to clean (but do not put in a washer, hand-clean only.)
Not good for heavy guitars. Lightweight instruments only.
The ultimate for those that like a strap that slides real easy.
The worst for those who want a strap with padding as this has none.

To note, this strap is very well-made. The construction of the strap is very, very good. And I will say again that this is an upscale strap. You are getting what you pay for with it...

...but you just have to be aware that yes, this is made out of seatbelt material. Works for some players and not for others.

You can consider this the same as with some upscale guitar picks. Some players really like paying extra for picks made from ultem (arguably the best tortoise shell-like pick material.) But you have to like picks like that. If you don't, stick with the cheap celluloid picks.

Published 2016 Apr 1