GoFit is a company designed to support in-gym and at-home workouts. Founded in 1999, their mantra revolves around three words: “Train, Recover, Repeat.” This philosophy is the inspiration behind their lifting equipment, which is designed to support a “fit” lifestyle.
You’ll commonly see GoFit’s equipment in personal training and “Globo” style gyms. This company isn’t typically marketed to the competitive strength athlete, so when we got our hands on a pair of the GoFit Cotton Lifting Straps, I was curious to see how they compared to others on the market.
Since this is a versatile lasso single-loop style strap, I used them for a variety of movements including a barbell row, deadlift, and power clean.
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Feel
The GoFit Cotton Lifting Straps are exactly as their name depicts them to be: they’re your standard cotton strap. One thing I liked and noticed was that the cotton they use feels a little softer than some other cotton straps I’ve experienced. The cotton has a little more give, which was great for avoiding immediate chafing from increased friction.
While the straps were softer and had a little give to them, I realized they stretched somewhat when I used heavier weights. This would be a turnoff for those looking to perform frequent maximal loaded lifts with these straps. In regards to chafing, these straps chafed a little bit, but less than other cotton straps I’ve tried. While they’re softer, it’s worth noting, these straps still took a few lifts to break in, which is standard with cotton straps.
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Durability
These straps held up well during my experiences with them; there were no immediate signs of wear and tear issues. An issue I could see, like mentioned above, was the actual stretching of the strap. They weren’t the best strap at snapping back to their original length when placed under heavy loads. The last thing a lifter wants is a strap to have cotton that’s become stretched, this could lead to possible early rips. I could also see an issue with early fraying of the material when used on newer knurling.
Material
The cotton of these straps created a positive and negative reaction for me. For recreational purposes I enjoyed that the cotton is a little softer; my assumption would be that GoFit makes them this way to accommodate their target market. With a softer cotton, they break in quicker and don’t give that initial rope burn feeling on the wrist. The edge of the strap is merrowed, which is great to prevent early fraying.
The negative reaction spurs from my serious strength athlete point of view. When I did heavy rows, the softer cotton stretched and made the bar feel less secure in my hands. The last thing a lifter needs to worry about is a stretched cotton when focusing on their exercise. Also, from I noticed, there is single stitching at the loop, which could lead to early ripping.
Size
The size of the GoFit straps was pretty standard compared to other lasso styled straps. They’re 1 ½ inches wide and average in length. I like a 1 ½ inch width: it promotes bar security by giving the option of completely covering the bar. The length allowed me to wrap the bar multiple times if I wanted to. For someone with smaller wrists or who wants to feel the bar a little more, the 1 ½ inch width could be a turn off.
Price
These are your standard, recreational lifting cotton straps and the price point definitely matches that. The GoFit Cotton Lifting Straps start around $4.99, which is on the lower-end of lifting strap, especially lasso styled straps. While these straps do cost less, the serious lifter should account for their durability and material. They may not last as long, which would require a faster turnaround when buying a new pair of straps.
Rating 1-5 (5 being the highest)
Feel: 4
Durability: 2.5
Material: 3
Size: 3
Price: 4.5
Final Word
The GoFit Cotton Lifting Straps were your standard cotton lifting straps and held up well in a recreational lifting setting. Their cotton is a little softer than others on the market, so those with sensitive skin will appreciate the feeling of these.
If you’re a serious strength athlete, you may benefit from looking into other options and spending a little extra for a pair that holds weight better. The cotton stretched a bit under heavy stress, so if you frequently lift heavy with straps, a brand made specifically for that could be a better option.
All in all, the GoFit Cotton Lifting Straps performed how you think a lasso strap would and could be a solid option for the recreational lifter.
