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Peak Design Quietly Released a Super-Affordable EDC Game Changer

The innovative brand just reinvented an everyday essential to make it better than everyone else’s … again.

Blue metal rope tensioner with "pd" logo securing a black and gray braided rope held by a person.Peak Design
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By Steve Mazzucchi

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It seems like only yesterday-ish that Peak Design got into the mobile accessories business — until you look back and realize their original smartphone ecosystem was designed around the iPhone 12. 

That’s right, the brand that launched on Kickstarter 16 years ago with a (really awesome) tripod has now been making clever phone stuff for more than half a decade.

Brown leather AirPods case and gray fabric phone case attached to a blue cord worn over a denim jacket.
The Peak Design Mobile Crossbody Multi-Strap aims to overhaul how you tote your phone — and other stuff, too.
Peak Design

I’m a big fan, particularly of their bike mounts and moto mounts, which work seamlessly and satisfyingly with the Everyday Case, to the degree that I still show off how I can pick up my bike with my phone.

Now, PD is augmenting the lineup with a new trio of products sure to help them reach a whole new market: Mobile Straps.

Killer Straps

Question: Is Peak Design the first brand to make straps for carrying your phone? Not even close.

However, as the brand has expanded over the past few years (into not only mobile but also outdoor bags, wallets and even rolling luggage), they’ve stuck to a key guiding principle: either make a smarter, tougher, better version of whatever already exists, or don’t bother at all.

Hand holding a smartphone with a tan case and black wrist strap, wearing a gold ring and red sweater.
The Mobile Cuff is the simplest and most affordable of the Straps, offering a bit more security to your carry.
Peak Design

That mindset manifests here with three different approaches to strap-based phone carry.

The most basic is the Mobile Cuff, a $30 offering that provides a bit of extra control by attaching to your phone and looping around your wrist.

Though it is aimed at urban use, I can’t help but imagine it would also be pretty handy for talking and texting on a ski lift, where the fear of dropping is ever-present.

Black phone case with a camera cutout and attached black wrist strap, with a hand placing a black adhesive patch inside a light blue phone case.
The included Mobile Strap Adapter makes the Straps compatible with nearly any phone case.
Peak Design

As with its more advanced siblings, the Cuff features the Micro Anchor connection system, which attaches securely to your phone (or other small item such as a point-and-shoot camera), yet releases easily too.

All three products also come with a Mobile Strap Adapter that works with pretty much any phone case. 

Person wearing an olive green coat over a dark denim jacket with a tan phone case hanging from an orange strap.
The Mobile Crossbody Strap lets you carry your phone like, yes, a crossbody bag. Of the three, I would say it is the most stylish and stable option.
Peak Design

The next step up is my personal favorite, the Mobile Crossbody Strap ($50), which lets you carry your phone over your shoulder and on your opposite hip, like a small crossbody bag, via Micro Anchor housings on each end of the strap. 

I’ve never carried a phone this way, but I have buddies who swear by it. For example, my friend Courtney is fond of wearing long pocketless dresses; she totes her phone with a strap, in a case with space for a few essentials, so that it basically takes the place of a purse.

Peak Design’s edge, in addition to its rep for quality and durability, is that the strap is super-adjustable, it’s compatible with other items like cameras, and devices attach/detach easily via the Micro Anchors.

Blue metal carabiner with three black plastic clips attached to a gray and black braided cord on a beige quilted fabric.
The Mobile Crossbody Multi-Strap lets you carry up to three items on your hip rather than in your pocket.
Peak Design

At the top rung is the Mobile Crossbody Multi-Strap ($60), which adds another dimension via a custom-machined anodized aluminum carabiner that holds up to three (included) Micro Anchors.

With this option, you can have not only your phone but also two other key items — such as keys, earbuds, a small camera, a packable grocery bag, a small knife or multi-tool — in easy reach. 

The possibilities — and the prospect of un-bulked pockets — entice. At the same time, as someone who bikes everywhere, I fear the items will jangle around uncomfortably. That might happen even while walking, assuming you’re not wearing a puffy coat at the time. 

Hand holding a black cord lock attached to a black drawstring on a dark fabric background.
The Micro Anchors hold tight yet detach easily with the right technique, not unlike the bike and moto mounts.
Peak Design

Also, even though it takes technique to detach the Micro Anchors, I’d be worried about having my phone just hanging out there on a single connection point, practically inviting thievery. 

That’s not only a bit paranoid but also probably much less of a concern if you don’t live in a big, crowded city like New York. 

In any event, Peak Design calls this one “the most capable phone strap on the planet,” and considering the brand’s long, proven track record in the space, I can’t exactly argue.

Availability and pricing

The Peak Design Mobile Straps are available now in a variety of different configurations and bundles starting at $30.

About the Author:

Now managing editor, Steve has served in a variety of roles with GP since 2019. Having previously written and edited for such publications as Men’s Health, Men’s Journal, Esquire and ESPN, he enjoys covering a range of topics — but mostly those pertaining to cycling, snow sports, pocket knives and motos — and dreams of a utopian world in which everyone’s bike seat is at the proper height.

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