Wrist wraps are an essential accessory for anyone serious about bodyweight training. Especially in calisthenics and streetlifting, they provide extra support during heavy push-ups, planche holds, and weighted dips. Struggling with wrist stability or noticing your forearms fatigue before the rest of your body? Good wrist wraps can make all the difference.
In this guide, you’ll discover the best wrist wraps for calisthenics and streetlifting—selected for comfort, durability, and performance.
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What are wrist wraps?
Wrist wraps are thin strips of elastic material worn around the wrists during training. They are designed to support and protect your wrists, and can also help prevent or reduce wrist pain.
They come in different lengths, materials, and thicknesses. The best choice for you depends on your personal preferences and training goals.
Wrist wraps are worn to support and protect the wrists during heavy lifting. This includes powerlifting exercises like the bench press, as well as bodyweight movements like the planche, weighted dips, and handstands. Some people also find that wrist wraps help prevent or reduce wrist soreness.
Best wrist wraps
In the list below, you’ll find my favorite wrist wraps for Streetlifting and Calisthenics.
#1 MPDS wrist wraps
Do you train seriously with heavy weights or even compete in streetlifting? Then the MPDS Wrist Wraps are exactly what you need for demanding exercises like weighted dips, bench press, or explosive push variations. These wraps are built for maximum wrist stability under heavy load.
The strong closure ensures a perfect fit and reliable support when it matters most. The material is stiff enough to truly protect your wrists.
Whether you’re preparing for a competition or aiming to break a personal record, these wraps give you the confidence and support you need during your heaviest sets. Ideal for any athlete looking to reach their full potential without being held back by wrist limitations.
#2 Gornation Performance wrist wraps
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If you train seriously with calisthenics or streetlifting, you know how intense the pressure on your wrists can be, especially during explosive exercises like weighted dips, push-ups, and handstand variations. The GORNATION Performance Wrist Wraps are specifically designed to meet that challenge. They offer the perfect balance of stability and freedom of movement, allowing you to train hard without being held back by your wrists.
What really sets these wraps apart is their innovative design: no velcro or thumb loop, but a long strap you wrap around your wrist several times and secure by tucking in the end. This allows you to easily adjust the tension during your workout by tightening or loosening the wrap. It’s especially useful for varied training sessions where you sometimes need maximum support and other times more mobility.
#3 Gornation Power Wrist wraps
The GORNATION Power Wrist Wraps are designed for maximum stability during your toughest training sessions. Whether you’re working on heavy weighted dips, bench press, or static exercises like planche holds, these wraps provide the wrist support you need.
Thanks to the strong velcro closure and thumb loop, you can adjust them tightly and precisely so they stay in place under heavy load. The material feels robust yet remains comfortable, even during longer sessions.
In short, they’re an excellent choice for athletes who want to get the most out of their weighted sets and static strength training.
Wrist wraps vs lifting wraps
When you need extra support for your grip or wrists, you can choose between wrist wraps and lifting straps.
Wrist wraps help stabilize your wrist and are mainly used during push exercises like weighted dips or handstand push-ups.
Lifting straps don’t stabilize your wrist but improve your grip on a bar. That’s why they’re mainly used during pull exercises like the deadlift.
A lifting strap is placed around your wrist. You then wrap the strap multiple times around the bar, creating extra friction that helps you hold onto the bar while lifting.
Benefits of wrist wraps
Wrist wraps are used in many sports, from fitness to CrossFit and calisthenics, all with the goal of stabilizing the wrist joint and helping the athlete generate maximum strength. Below are the main benefits.
Support and stability
Wrist wraps provide stability and prevent your wrists from bending too far. They also allow you to train with heavy weights while maintaining proper wrist positioning.
Improved grip
A wrist wrap doesn’t just offer support, it also helps you hold the bar more firmly. By tightening the wrap, you increase compression and improve your grip.
Support after injury
After an injury, getting back into training can be challenging.
To return safely, using wrist wraps can be helpful. For example, if you’ve had a wrist, forearm, or elbow injury, wraps may help reduce pain and allow you to keep training.
This is not medical advice. If you’ve had an injury, always consult a physiotherapist or doctor first.
Choose the wrist wrap that suits you best
There are several factors to consider when buying a set of wrist wraps. For example, your type of training, fitness, calisthenics, powerlifting, or CrossFit. It’s important to determine how much support you need.
Below are a few key points to pay attention to when making your choice.
Mobility and support
The more elastic the wrist wraps are, the more mobility your wrist will have while wearing them. For example, in calisthenics it can be helpful to use more flexible wraps, since a session often includes a variety of movements.
On the other hand, streetlifters / powerlifters are better off using stiff, non-elastic wraps when testing their one-rep max on the bench press or shoulder press.
Fastening
There are several ways to fasten wrist wraps, with the most common being the velcro version. There’s also a style that uses a tie or string to secure the wrap. The main difference is that the velcro version is quicker and easier to put on and take off, while the tied version gives you more control over how tight or loose you want it.
Choose the option that best suits your preference.
Length
The longer a wrist wrap is, the more times you can wrap it around your wrist. The more it’s wrapped, the more support it provides. So if you want extra support, go for a longer wrist wrap.
FAQ on wrist wraps
What are wrist wraps good for?
Wrist wraps provide support to your wrist joint during strength training exercises.
Should I always wear wrist wraps?
It’s not advisable to wear wrist wraps during every workout. Doing so can limit the development of the muscles around your wrist joints, potentially leaving them underdeveloped compared to the rest of your body.
That’s why it’s best to use wrist wraps only during the heavy or working sets of your workout.
How do you put on wrist wraps?
Place the loop around your thumb. Then position the top of the wrist wrap at the base of your hand so that your entire wrist is covered. From there, start wrapping it tightly around your wrist.
You can decide how tight you want the wrap to be, the tighter it is, the more support it provides.
When bench pressing, you can choose to wrap the wrist wrap partially over your palm. This limits wrist movement and increases stability.
What are thumb loops for?
The thumb loops on wrist wraps help anchor the wrap and keep it in the correct position around your wrist. Once the wrist wrap is secured, you can remove the loop from your thumb.
Conclusion
Wrist wraps are the perfect addition to your workout routine, especially if you sometimes experience wrist pain. And cost isn’t an issue, they are very affordable.
Are you looking for other fitness support gear besides lifting straps?
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