Figure-8 vs Classic vs Old School: Which REX Strap Is Right for You?

Most lifters buy a strap because their grip gave out before their back did. That is the right reason. The wrong part is buying whichever strap was on the shelf. REX makes three, and they are not interchangeable.

Figure-8 Straps — maximum lockdown

The Figure-8 is a closed loop. You thread your wrist through one side, wrap the bar, and the strap physically cannot unwind. There is no adjusting mid-set and no slipping at lockout.

Use them for: heavy deadlifts, rack pulls, shrugs, and anything where you are pulling near your limit and want the bar welded to your hands.

Do not use them for: Olympic lifts or anything you may need to drop quickly. A closed loop is a closed loop.

Classic Straps — the everyday workhorse

A single length of material with a wide wrist cuff and a Velcro closure. You wrap it around the bar as many turns as you want, so the tightness is entirely up to you.

Use them for: rows, pulldowns, dumbbell work, shrugs, moderate-to-heavy pulling. This is the strap most people should own first.

The trade-off: it takes a couple of seconds to wrap, and a sloppy wrap slips.

Old School Grips — control over convenience

The design that came before everything else, and the one experienced lifters keep coming back to. It gives you a direct, controlled connection to the bar rather than a mechanical lock.

Use them for: lifters who want the support without losing the feel of the bar in their hands.

Still not sure?

A simple rule: if grip is the only thing stopping you on your heaviest pulls, go Figure-8. If you want one strap for everything, go Classic. If you have been training long enough to have an opinion about bar feel, go Old School.

Every strap product page has a size guide. Check it before ordering — a strap that does not fit the wrist is a strap that does not work.