I’ll be the first to admit that the camera strap that came with my latest camera hasn’t seen the light of day. I find them awkward, painful on the neck, and can make you look a bit of a tourist. Not to mention I do a lot of my street photography at hip height using the vari-angle screen, so a neck strap restricts where I can position my camera between chest and eye level.
So I was excited to get my hands on BlackRapid’s Sport Breathe strap which comes in left and right variations, to suit left or right-handed photographers, and as a cross-body sling, it hangs lower down by the waist so you look more professional than a tourist.
The Sport Breathe has been BlackRapid’s best-selling camera strap since 2009, it also makes up half of the Sport Breathe Double Harness, so if you plan to shoot weddings or events with twin camera bodies, then it could make sense to buy the double, as it will save you money in the long run and also give you the option of a single sling for those times when you need it.
I recently road-tested both the Sport Breathe and Blackline I straps while out for a day in Cambridge shooting street photography, changing over between the straps at midday to see how they compared and contrasted with one another. Here’s how I got on…
Specifications
Price: $99 / £99
Size: One size fits all
Colours: Black, Multi-terrain camo, Desert Arid
Strap adjustable length with pad: 66″ (167 cm)
Pad consists of: Nylon mono mesh, Vers TPE foam, polyester, and air mesh
Pad Length: 16″ (40.5 cm)
Pad Width: 2.2″ – 3.7″ (5.5 cm – 9.5 cm)
Pad Thickness: 0.3″ (.65 cm)
Webbing: 100% Nylon
Webbing Width: 1″ (2.5 cm)
Includes: ConnectR (CR-3), LockStar Breathe, Can-Locks, FastenR (FR-5), Underarm Stabilizer, Camera Safety Tether, Black Mesh Bag
Strap Weight: 6.4 oz / 181g
Features
The BlackRapid Sport Breathe comes in left or right iterations to suit either left or right-handed shooters, they can also be doubled up together to be used as a dual camera harness, and minus a few accessories you’d essentially end up with the BlackRapid Double Breathe dual camera harness.
The Sport Breathe Right actually fits over your left shoulder and goes across your body so that the camera hangs down next to your right hand, and vice versa for the Left model.
Differences between the Sport Breathe and the Blackline I are fairly minimal, though the Sport Breathe is about $30 less expensive and unlike the Blackline, has a bright white logo and shiny metal buckle on the back, which make it stand out more.
This makes the Blackline I a better option for street or news photographers who want to keep a low profile and not attract unwanted attention. The shoulder padding is a little wider and larger in general though, and its vents for breathability are small holes rather than large slits, which makes me think that the Sport Breathe will hold up better over time as it has more material over the shoulder so should take longer to wear down.
Your camera is attached by BlackRapid’s ‘R5’ fastener which has a 3mm thick rubber disc and screws into the tripod mount of your camera, or lens foot (if your lens has one). It’s then turned until hand tight and you can use the carabiner on the strap as a wrench to tighten it a little more.
The metal carabiner all feels really high quality and secure and BlackRapid’s LockStar gate cannot be closed until the carabiner is shut in the locked position which is great for adding peace of mind. There’s also a provided safety tether which adds another point of contact and a failsafe should your camera come loose in the worst-case scenario, though in my testing I never thought this would be the case.
Users can adjust the strap length to make your camera hang higher or lower until it’s in the perfect position for you to reach easily. As someone who usually freeholds a camera when out taking pictures, it was a really refreshing experience to be able to let go of my camera to free up my hands and pick things up, look at a phone, pay for a coffee, move a tripod, and such.
There are also front and rear ‘bumpers’ along the strap which can be operated with a single hand to lock off the range of movement your camera can travel on the strap. This is great if you need to bend over to pick something up, but don’t want the camera to come hurtling forward; just slide the front bumper down and it’s pretty well locked in place and won't lurch forward towards the ground when you bend down.
Also on the strap is an Underarm Stabilizer which can be tightened under your arm to add another point of security and to make the strap feel a little more secure. It’s removable so you don’t need to use it, though we found it added decent security. This section of the strap also has a piece of elastic material which has a bit of give to it and makes it a little more comfortable. There’s also a clasp on the stabilizer to help you tuck away any superfluous strapping and stop it flapping about.
Performance
Like all of the BlackRapid straps we’ve tested so far the Sport Breathe scores highly for comfort and security. Its wide shoulder pad was comfortable to wear for long stints with our Canon EOS R5 and wide angle lens combo weighing in at a little over 1.5 kg, I hardly even knew it was there.
Your mileage may vary when using a heavier setup such as a DSLR with a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens. I can certainly see this causing discomfort more quickly, but will still be leaps and bounds ahead of a leather strap (or similar) with no padding at all. If comfort with big heavy telephoto lenses is your main priority you might even be better off with BlackRapid's beefier Sport-Multi Terrain if this is a concern, we're also told this model will be available in black too.
The ConnectR, FastenR, and LockStar systems all do an impeccable job of keeping the camera securely attached to the strap - we felt like we could rely on it completely during our testing. The strap will also no doubt act as a deterrent to opportunist thieves. The lack of a metal core which would make the strap more resistant to slash-and-grab attacks is an intentional design choice, with BlackRapid saying that such a feature could cause an accidental injury, and that best practice would be to have good insurance in place.
I found the strap added good security and will be a deterrent to tech snatchers on e-bikes and scooters, it's also low profile enough to fit under a jacket to make it a bit more discreet too.
As the name suggests the Sport Breathe has holes punched into its foam padding for ventilation, though it was a bit confusing to see the BlackRapid Blackline I had larger slits and better ventilation - I actually found the Blackline I to be a little more comfortable and breathable, though there wasn’t a huge amount in it.
One small issue that was a bit of a bugbear is the Sport Breathe is a little more flashy, with a bright white logo and shiny metal buckle, so it’s not the best option when trying to stay incognito shooting street candids. While I can’t see this being a big issue for wedding, sports, or even studio photographers, it will be a concern for street and news photographers looking to attract as little attention as possible.
Verdict
BlackRapid’s Sport Breathe performed admirably with top-quality build and high marks in comfortability, features, and security. It’s clearly BlackRapid’s most popular strap for good reason and the numerous user reviews online back this up tenfold. The Sport Breathe strikes the perfect balance between price and performance and strikes its price point of under $100 will be the sweet spot for many photographers looking to buy a quality strap. And that latter point is an important one, this is a really high-quality and comfortable strap you can rely on and we’d happily trust it with expensive camera equipment.
Should you buy the BlackRapid Sport Right and Sport Left Breathe?
✅ Buy this if...
- You want a reliable and comfortable cross-body camera sub-$100 strap
- Your budget is limited to $100, if you can stretch to $130 the Blackline I is a little more discreet, breathable and more comfortable too
🚫 Don't buy this if...
- If you’re looking for a discrete all-black cross-body strap - BlackRapid's Blackline I will probably be a better option for you
- You plan to shoot with two cameras as it works out better value for money to buy the Blackline II Double Camera harness and save money in the long run
