The 7 Best Floating Cam Straps
Updated by · How we research
A floating camera strap must float your camera. Seven wrist floats, grips and cases compared on lift, buckle, fit and durability; the JJC ST-8R is first. When users buy our independently chosen editorial selections, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.
A rugged compact like the 249-gram OM System TG-7 can need more float than one strap gives. A floating camera strap is a foam wrist loop, hand grip or case that keeps a waterproof or action camera, or a phone in a dry pouch, at the surface if you drop it. Kayakers, snorkelers, boaters and swimmers use them.
Editor's Notes
October 18, 2026, by Ezvid Wiki Admin:
The JJC ST-8R, our pick, is rated to hold up to 11.2 ounces at the surface, enough for a GoPro, a DJI Osmo Action or an OM System TG-7. Most of the rest of the list had disappeared since the last update. The Catalyst Lanyard, the Double Blade strap and an old store-brand floating grip are no longer sold, one hand grip listing now sells something else entirely, and a second CamKix strap is gone. We kept the JJC ST-8R, the Nordic Flash 2-Pack and the CamKix 2-in-1.
The new picks answer what readers ask most: how much weight a strap really floats, what to use with an action camera, and what fits a heavier rugged camera. The FitStill Hand Grip, the PROfezzion StrapK1 pair and the HSU Floaty Case cover those.
We found no lab tests of floating straps, so we matched makers' weight ratings to camera weights from OM System and DJI, then added a dive-camera maker's notes on buoyancy, owner feedback and recall databases. Our advice: float your own camera on the strap in a tub or pool before you trust it on a lake.
April 21, 2020:
There is nothing worse than losing a camera while snorkeling or enjoying some other water-based activity. Not only are you probably looking at a costly replacement, but you'll also never get a chance to enjoy those irreplaceable photos and videos you were recording. While we can't guarantee that will never happen with one of these floating cam straps, the chances are significantly reduced.
Since floaters offer different levels of buoyancy, you'll want to consider the weight of your action cam before picking one out. If you have a heavier camera or phone you are trying to keep afloat, you'll need to choose a model with a lot of buoyancy, such as the JJC ST-8R, Catalyst Lanyard, Lotopop Hand Grip, AmazonBasics GP-FLP-03, and CamKix LUDSW. All of these can safely float devices weighing as much as 11 ounces up to the surface, and some even heavier ones.
When it comes to versatility, the CamKix 2-in-1 and Lotopop Hand Grip stand apart from the rest of the pack. The former doubles as a headstrap float, while the latter has a dry storage compartment that you can fill up with water if you want to make it neutrally buoyant for use while diving. This way you wont have to try and chase your camera to the surface if it slips out of your hand, which presents its own dangers, such as a risk of not properly decompressing. The AmazonBasics GP-FLP-03 should also be mentioned for its addition of a carabiner, which you can use to attach it to a BCD or life jacket when you want your hands free for other purposes.
The Nordic Flash Pack and JJC ST-8R are simple, low-priced options that work well enough for their intended purposes. Of these, we like the JJC ST-8R better since it includes a snap band you can use to tighten it on your wrist.
Special Honors
SeaLife Float Strap SeaLife, a maker of dive cameras, sells its own float strap with an orange-lined neoprene float, a 50-pound-rated cord and a clip for a diver's vest. It's one of the few float straps with a published lift figure, about 3.5 ounces at the surface, and its product page explains clearly why foam lifts less at depth. Look for it through SeaLife and dive shops. sealife-cameras.com
GoPro Floaty GoPro makes its own Floaty, a foam case that wraps a HERO camera so it floats screen up, in versions for different HERO generations. It was unavailable in our usual product data when we checked, so check GoPro's store or a camera shop for the version that fits your model. gopro.com
Match The Float To Your Camera's Weight
SeaLife also notes that neoprene foam compresses as you go deeper, so a strap that floats a camera at the surface lifts less at depth.
A floating strap only has to do one thing, so start with the numbers. Padded foam loops such as the JJC ST-8R and the PROfezzion StrapK1 are rated for up to 11.2 ounces (320 grams). Thinner neoprene loops such as the Nordic Flash are rated for 7 ounces (200 grams) each. Weigh your camera with its battery, memory card and anything else that goes in the water. An OM System TG-7 weighs 249 grams ready to shoot, which is too much for a single 200-gram strap. A DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro weighs 146 grams, so almost any strap will hold it.
Those ratings are for the surface. SeaLife, which makes dive cameras, rates its own float strap at about 3.5 ounces of lift and points out that what matters is the camera's weight in water, which is less than its weight in air. You can check it with a small fish scale. SeaLife also notes that neoprene foam compresses as you go deeper, so a strap that floats a camera at the surface lifts less at depth.
If your camera sits near a strap's limit, clip two straps to it, since their lift adds together. Then test the setup in a bathtub or a pool before it goes over the side of a boat.
Wrist Loop, Grip Or Floaty Case
Wrist loops are the cheapest and work with nearly anything that has a strap eyelet: rugged compacts, action cameras in their frames and phones in waterproof pouches. A floating strap does not make a phone waterproof, so the pouch has to be sealed and rated for water first. Look for a quick-release buckle between the loop and the camera cord, so you can hand the camera over or set it down without taking the strap off.
Floating hand grips suit action cameras. You hold a handle instead of a small camera, which is steadier for video and easier to grab in waves. Most grips use the same three-prong mount as GoPro cameras, and many add a 1/4-20 threaded socket, the standard camera thread, for a tripod or pole. Check the maker's load limit if you use a big dive housing.
Floaty cases, such as GoPro's Floaty and the HSU Floaty Case for DJI cameras, wrap the camera in foam, so there's nothing to wear. Each fits only one camera family, so match the exact model before you buy.
Wearing It Safely And Making It Last
A camera strap is not a swim aid. It floats a few ounces, not a person, so kids and weak swimmers still need a properly fitted life jacket around water, as the U.S. Coast Guard advises for boaters. For children, pick a strap with a quick-release buckle, keep the wrist loop loose enough to slide off, and choose a bright color an adult can spot.
Any tether can catch on a kayak, a rope or rocks in moving water. A quick-release buckle lets the camera go before your wrist does. SeaLife tells divers to clip its float strap to a D-ring on the buoyancy vest rather than to the camera or housing.
Salt, sand and sun wear foam and cords out. Rinse the strap in fresh water after each trip and let it air-dry out of direct sun. Look over the cord and buckle before every outing and replace a frayed cord. Do the same for the camera: Nikon's care guide for its waterproof cameras explains checking the seals and rinsing after salt water, and the steps apply to most rugged cameras.
How we researched this
We compared 17 floating straps, grips and cases, including every item from the previous version of this list. We read makers' listings and spec pages, a dive-camera maker's buoyancy guidance and camera weights from OM System and DJI, analyzed owner feedback, and checked every brand for recalls with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. We found no independent lab tests of floating straps.
Sources (6)
Frequently asked questions
Will a floating strap hold up a GoPro or other action camera?
Usually, yes. Action cameras are light: DJI lists the Osmo Action 5 Pro at 146 grams, under even a 200-gram strap rating. A big dive housing, a battery grip or extra mounts add weight, so weigh everything that goes in the water together.
Can a floating strap keep an OM System or Olympus TG camera afloat?
Only a strap rated above the camera's weight. The OM System TG-7 weighs 249 grams with its battery and card, so it needs a strap rated for about 320 grams, such as the JJC ST-8R, or two lighter straps clipped together.
Do floating straps work with phones?
Only with a sealed waterproof pouch, because the strap floats the phone but doesn't keep water out. Large phones can top 200 grams before the pouch, so check the combined weight against the strap's rating.
Will a float strap work when I'm diving?
Not as well. SeaLife notes that neoprene foam compresses under pressure, so a float that holds a camera at the surface lifts less at depth. Divers usually clip the camera to a vest D-ring as well.
Is a floating strap safe for a child's camera?
It can be, with a quick-release buckle and a loose wrist loop that slides off if it snags. Bright colors help adults spot it. The strap floats the camera, not the child, so kids still need a life jacket.
