COOPH Braid Camera Strap Review

You may recognise the 'COOPH' name and that's because we often work with them, sharing their really cool tutorials and features they put together each month for photographers. But, as well as having a talent for tutorials, the COOPH team also create modern, quirky and practical clothing/accessories for photographers. 

Their range of items includes fun t-shirts, bags, hats, jackets and camera straps and it's the latter we have on test here today. 

COOPH offers a range of camera straps but it's the new braid-style camera strap that caught our eye. Available in a variety of colours for around £48, it definitely stands out from the crowd but is it as reliable as it is stylish? Let's find out. 

COOPH Braid Camera Strap Features

The COOPH Braid Camera Strap is available in 11 colour choices, two sizes (100cm and 125cm) and is constructed from a strong yet lightweight braid and Italian vegetable-tanned leather details.

The Braid Camera Strap is actually handcrafted, which is a nice touch, and as well as being colourful and eye-catching, the Braid Camera Strap is also dirt, mould and water resistant so even though it may not feel like you could be OK in a sharp shower, you should be. 

€54 Euros is what you'll be parting with if you fancy purchasing one of the stand-out designs and this price is for either the 100cm or 125cm version. 

COOPH Braid Camera Strap Main Features:

• Hand-Crafted
• Strong build quality
• Lightweight
• Colourful, eye-catching designs
• Italian vegetable-tanned leather details

If you want to see more details on the camera strap, head over to the COOPH channel where you can find a product video. 

COOPH Braid Camera Strap Handling & Performance

Once you have the Braid Camera Strap in your hands, you can certainly tell it is made from good-quality materials. The braiding is lovely and the leather details are well stitched and hold well. Even when giving the strap a really good tug, it didn't break or bend out of shape in any way which for a material-based strap is excellent. It's also nice to see that the strap is water, dirt and mould resistant, too. 

Even though the camera strap is strong, it's definitely not heavy and when worn around the neck or on one shoulder, it feels comfortable and doesn't add any extra weight to what can already be a heavy camera. The strap is also soft to the touch so doesn't rub or irritate the skin and the material isn't itchy as some rope-style straps can be. Some won't like the fact that the whole strap is rounded and there's no flat section to sit against your neck but with a small mirrorless camera, we had no issues in regards to neck ache or irritation when in use. 

COOPH does warn that the threads will fray if the strap comes into contact with 'sharp, abrasive or grippy materials such as velcro' but a t-shirt or jacket shouldn't cause too many problems. 

The Braid Camera Strap is suitable for small/medium-sized cameras and it had no problem holding the weight of the Olympus OM-D EM10 Mark II we secured it to. 

The leather detailing is a nice touch and they secure the split-ring fasteners, which are used to secure the camera to the strap, to the braided section of the accessory. 'Split-ring' is a fancy way to say key-ring but the split-rings on the strap are nowhere near as flimsy as a key-ring. In fact, it was a bit of a battle opening the split-rings up so we could secure the strap to the camera. Reassuring, in the fact, that your camera won't fall off but it's a bit fiddly getting the actual strap fastened on to your camera. But, do persevere with it as it will go on eventually. 

As well as having a practical purpose, the braid camera strap is also designed with aesthetics in mind as they're very eye-catching, a bit quirky and definitely stand out from the crowd. We can imagine them being popular among young photographers and could make an excellent gift for someone.  

Value For Money

The Braid Camera Strap from COOPH is priced at €54 Euros (around £48) which is a  bit of a premium price to pay for a camera strap but you do get a really lovely product for your money. 

If you don't have a big budget but still want a stylish alternative strap, the Stroppa rope strap is a neat choice. Available for £30, they are no frills and aren't length adjustable.

For more choices in terms of style and price, have a look at our 'best camera straps' article.
 

COOPH Braid Camera Strap Verdict

The COOPH Braid Camera Strap stands out from the crowd but don't let its quirkiness fool you as it's well-made, durable and very comfortable to wear. It's a stylish strap that should appeal to the younger generation and most photographers will appreciate the quality of craftsmanship on offer, too. 

Practical yet fashionable - a winning combination in our eyes and as a result, we are happy to 'Highly Recommend' it.

Own this product? Let us know what you think of it in the comments below.