Is a Magnetic Camera Strap a Good Idea?

Magnets have long been used for their quick and sometimes strong holds. But is a magnetic camera strap a good idea? 

One of the first accessories a new camera owner gets is a camera strap. So, it makes sense there are a ton of options and features to choose from. And when I heard of the Maglink camera strap from Falcam, I honestly didn't think it would be a great idea. I've seen and used some strong magnets before, but nothing I'd really be confident holding my camera from. But thankfully, the way I first envisioned a magnetic camera strap to work is not really how Maglink camera strap works. 

Instead, the camera strap features a set of quick-release magnetic buckles. These buckles are similar to other quick-release straps on the market, but are significantly smaller and easier to user. In fact, you can connect the strap to the buckle with just a single hand and no effort. And instead of relying on the friction/clips from these tabs to hold them in place, the Maglink system uses a design where the Magnets snap the buckles into place, and once there, they keep strong, so strong that each buckle can support more than 130 pounds, which is strong enough for any camera setup you would be comfortable hanging from a strap in the first place. 

This buckle system is surprisingly simple to use. Everything attaches and detaches so quickly and easily, yet feels strong and sturdy. So, while it's really easy to detach the strap from the camera, it doesn't feel like it could ever happen by accident. This comes from the Anti Mistouch design, which means the only way for the magnetic buckle to be pulled out is to pull from an angle that's unnatural to the way the camera or strap might be pulled on when in use. There is a little pull tab on the top of the buckle system, and in order to detach the camera, you have to pull this tab up and outward at a perpendicular angle. It sounds complicated, but in use, it's very quick, easy, and intuitive.  

From here, the strap features a set of tabs that can be used as part of the quick adjustment experience. These tabs are used to adjust the length of the strap, essentially making it three straps in one. You can go from a standard neck strap, to a sling strap, to a shoulder strap with the simple pull and tug of these tabs. And while this setup works really well, these tabs are probably my least favorite part of the strap — not in the way they work, though. Because they do work really well. I just don't like the way they look. The tabs just appear constantly loose and floppy. And while this length of the tab was probably used to make it easy to grab and pull, I wish they would have stuck with the magnetic theme and had the flap magnetically stick to the strap so they didn't always flop around. But again, this is purely an aesthetic preference of mine, and the system itself does work well. 

Another part of this strap that does remain part of the magnetic theme though is the strap ends. With past quick-release straps, when you removed the camera, you'd have to find a place to store your strap until you wanted to reattach everything. It's easy to do if you also have a bag, but if you just have your camera, this means shoving it into a pocket or trying to awkwardly hang the strap around your neck and keep a mental note on it to make sure it doesn't fall off. But with the Maglink strap, the ends of the strap are also magnetic. So, when you remove the camera, you can simply attach the ends together and the strap can simply remain on your neck or shoulder in a secured fashion. This setup works great for situations where you just want to remove the camera for a quick minute and don't want to deal with storing the detached strap. 

Another small and important feature I really love is the wear warning that's built into the buckles. It's natural wear and tear for this part of a camera strap to get frayed and torn. But with other camera straps, it's hard to know when a little wear and tear is fine or when it's a sign of needing to be replaced. But the Maglink wear warning is set up to give you a visual cue of when it's time to replace the buckle. It does this by having a three-layer cable design. An exterior black color means all is well and good. Then, as things wear out, you'll see a yellow second layer letting you know it's getting close to time to replace the buckle. Lastly, there is a red third layer to let you know it's definitely time to replace the buckle, and I probably would immediately stop the use of the buckle. But another good thing is that the straps come with extra buckles to begin with. So, you don't need to rush to the store or internet for replacement.  

When it comes to the overall design of the strap, it actually comes in three different offerings. There is a Pro and Classic version, which are the thickest offerings. Each features a different style of padded shoulder strap. Then, there is the Lite version, which is the thinnest strap, with no shoulder padding. I prefer the Lite version for my smaller mirrorless camera setups. But if you use a heavier DSLR setup or use larger mirrorless bodies and lens configurations, then you may want to go with a version that offers a padded shoulder. 

What I Liked 

• Quick, sturdy, and intuitive magnetic buckle 
• Quick length adjustment 
• Magnetic strap ends 
• Multiple styles 

What I Didn't Like 

• Floppy length adjustment tabs 

At the end of the day, I was pleasantly surprised by how well this magnetic camera strap worked. It makes everyday use a breeze with a quick-release magnetic buckle system and quick length adjustment feature. With a price tag of $59.99 for the Pro and $29.99 for the Lite, these useful features on the Maglink camera strap thankfully don't come with a high price tag.