A crossbody lanyard is a long strap that clips to your phone and goes over one shoulder and across your body, so the phone hangs at your side like a very small bag. It keeps your hands free and the phone within reach, and it makes the phone much harder to drop or leave behind. This guide covers why people wear one, the kinds of strap, how a strap fixes to a phone that has no hole for it, how to get the length right, and how to keep the phone safe when you are travelling or in a crowd.
Why wear a phone across the body
A pocket or a bag works for most of the day. A crossbody strap is for the times when it does not.
- Hands free. Pushing a pram, walking a dog, carrying shopping, holding a child's hand or a coffee, the phone hangs at your side instead of in your hand.
- Always within reach. Train tickets, boarding passes, maps and payments all live on the phone now. On a strap, the phone is in your hand in a second, without searching a bag.
- Harder to drop. If it slips out of your hand, it swings on the strap instead of hitting the ground, or the sea, or the gap between a train and the platform.
- Harder to leave behind. A phone tied to you cannot be left on a café table or a train seat.
- No pockets needed. Leggings, dresses and running gear often have no pocket big enough for a phone.
There are other ways to carry a phone on the body. A small crossbody bag holds the phone and a few cards, with the phone out of sight. See crossbody phone bags. A neck lanyard hangs the phone at your chest rather than your hip. See neck lanyards. And a case with a strap already built in saves fitting one. See lanyard and crossbody cases. This guide is mostly about the strap you add to the phone and case you already have.
Who it suits
Crossbody straps suit anyone who uses the phone often while on the move: commuters tapping in and out at ticket barriers, parents with a buggy, people walking a dog, travellers with a boarding pass on the phone, and anyone at a market, a fair or a day out where hands are full. They also suit people who tend to put the phone down and walk away from it. If you mostly use the phone sitting at a desk, a strap is less useful, though it can still unclip and stay in a drawer until the weekend.
Adjustable, braided, beaded and chain straps
Crossbody straps come in four main kinds. They all do the same job; the differences are in how they adjust, how they feel and how they look.
Adjustable straps
A flat or round strap with a slider, buckle or sliding knot that lets you set the length. This is the most practical kind, because the right length over a T-shirt is too short over a winter coat, and an adjustable strap does both. If you share a strap, or are buying for someone else, adjustable is the safe choice. See adjustable crossbody lanyards.
Braided straps
Straps of woven cord, often nylon or polyester, round or flat, in plain colours or mixed. Braided cord is soft on the neck and shoulder, strong for its weight and does not stretch much. Many braided straps adjust too. See braided crossbody lanyards.
Beaded straps
Straps made of beads on a strong cord, sometimes the whole length, sometimes with a plain cord at the back and beads at the front. They are the most decorative kind, and go with charms. They are heavier than cord, and many are a fixed length, so check the length before you buy. See beaded crossbody lanyards.
Chain straps
Metal chain, in gold, silver or black tones, sometimes with a leather or fabric pad where it sits on the shoulder. Chain looks smart, like the strap of a small evening bag. It is heavier than cord, can be cold against the skin and chinks as you move, and the colour on plated chain can wear where it rubs. The NHS lists nickel in jewellery as a common cause of contact dermatitis, an itchy skin reaction, so if cheap jewellery makes your skin red, choose a chain with a pad or a description that says nickel-free or stainless steel. See chain crossbody lanyards.
Comfort and weight
A large phone in a case is heavier than it feels in the hand, and on a strap all of that weight hangs from one shoulder all day. A wider, flat strap spreads it and is kinder on bare skin in summer than a thin round cord, which can dig in. A chain with a shoulder pad does the same. If the phone is a big one, or you will wear the strap for hours at a time, comfort matters more than looks.
Think about colour too. The strap is seen against your clothes as well as the case, so a black, navy or neutral strap goes with most things, while a bright beaded or braided strap is the point of the outfit.
What is at the end
Look at how the strap meets the phone. Many crossbody straps end in a clip or a small carabiner, so the strap unclips and the phone goes in a pocket when you do not need it. Some end in a cord loop that ties on and stays. A clip is handier; a tied loop has nothing to come undone. Some straps have a clip at both ends, so the same strap works as a long crossbody strap or doubled as a shorter one. A short wrist strap or finger strap can share the same fixing, if you want both.
Lanyard patches and tethers: how they fit any case
Most phones and most cases have no hole for a strap. A lanyard patch is how a crossbody strap fits them anyway.
What a patch is
A patch, also called a tether, tab or strap holder, is a thin flat piece of plastic, rubber or fabric, about the width of the bottom of the phone or narrower, with a loop or a ring that sticks out from one end. It sits flat between the back of the phone and the inside of the case. The loop comes out of the case through the opening at the bottom, where the charging cable goes in, and the strap clips to that loop. Because the case holds the patch firmly against the phone, the patch can carry the phone's weight. See lanyard patches and tethers.
Fitting one
- Take the case off the phone.
- Wipe the back of the phone and the inside of the case, so no grit is trapped against the phone.
- Lay the patch flat on the back of the phone, with the loop at the bottom, in line with the charging port.
- Put the case back on, starting at the top and pressing it on round the edges, so the patch does not slide.
- Check that the loop comes out cleanly through the opening, and that the patch lies flat inside.
- Plug in the charging cable, and wired earphones if you use them, to check the loop does not stop them going in fully.
- Clip the strap on, hold the phone by the strap over a bed or a sofa, and give it a gentle tug.
Things to check
- The case needs an opening at the charging port. Most cases have one. A fully sealed case, such as a waterproof case or a pouch, does not, and a patch will not fit it. The guide to waterproof cases covers those.
- A tight case gets a little tighter. The patch adds a thin layer under the case. With a very snug hard case, the case may need a firmer push to go on.
- Wireless charging. A patch is thin and sits at the bottom edge, so it usually leaves the middle of the back clear. If wireless charging slows or stops after fitting one, take the patch out and try again.
- Wear. The patch carries the phone every time it swings. Check now and then for a tear or a stretched hole where the loop comes out, and replace it if you see one.
With a magnetic case or a phone wallet
A patch goes under a magnetic case in the same way, at the bottom edge, away from the magnet ring in the middle of the back. A magnetic card wallet or a magnetic mount then sticks to the case as usual. If the magnetic hold feels weaker, or charging on a magnetic charger slows, after fitting the patch, take it out and check whether it is the cause.
Patches cost little, so many people keep a spare, and buy one with each new case.
Cases with lanyard holes
The other way to fit a strap is to start with a case made for one. Some cases have holes, slots or small loops moulded into the bottom corners or the sides, so a strap can clip straight on. See cases with lanyard holes.
A case with lanyard holes has some advantages over a patch:
- there is nothing between the phone and the case, so nothing to affect the fit or wireless charging;
- the charging port is left completely clear;
- with a hole at each bottom corner, a strap with two clips holds the phone level, screen facing out, instead of hanging from one point.
When choosing one, look at how the hole is made. A hole through a thick, solid corner, or a loop that is part of the case's frame, is strong. A thin tab of soft plastic is not, and may tear with the weight of a swinging phone. A case with a lanyard hole still has to be the right case for the phone, with the right protection, and the guide to choosing a phone case covers the rest of that choice.
If you want a phone wallet as well, the two work together: a stick-on or magnetic card wallet goes on the back of the case, and the strap clips to the bottom. The guide to phone wallets and card holders covers those.
Getting the length right
A crossbody strap feels right when the phone sits at your hip or waist on the opposite side from the shoulder the strap goes over, where your hand falls on it naturally. Too short and it pulls up under your arm; too long and it swings against your leg and knocks into things.
Measuring
- Put on what you will usually wear with it: a T-shirt, a jumper or a coat.
- Take a piece of string or a soft tape measure. Hold one end where you want the top of the phone to sit, at the hip or waist.
- Take it up across the front of the body, over the opposite shoulder, down across the back, and round to the same point.
- That is roughly the length of strap you need, from clip to clip. Add a little if you want the phone lower, take a little off if you want it higher.
Compare your measurement with the length given for a fixed-length strap, or with the range given for an adjustable one. If your measurement sits near either end of an adjustable strap's range, check there is room for a coat as well as a T-shirt.
Other things that change the length
- A coat or a thick jumper takes up length, so an adjustable strap that suits you in summer may need letting out in winter.
- Wearing it at the front. In a crowd, many people shorten the strap so the phone sits at the front of the hip rather than at the side.
- A neck lanyard is measured differently: the phone should sit at chest height, where you can lift it to your face without taking the strap off.
Travel, festivals and keeping a phone safe
A phone on a strap is safer from drops, from being left behind and from falling out of a pocket. It is not safe from everything, and a few habits make a big difference.
In crowds and on the street
- Wear it at the front, where you can see it and feel it, rather than behind your hip.
- Look up, look out. The Metropolitan Police advise anyone using a phone in the street to watch for people on bikes and mopeds nearby, not to text while walking, to stand near a wall rather than by the kerb, and to use hands-free where they can.
- A strap is not a lock. A clip can be undone and a cord can be cut. Keep the phone in your hand or under your arm when you are in a crush.
Before you go
- Switch on the phone's own theft protection. The Metropolitan Police recommend Stolen Device Protection on an iPhone and Theft Detection Lock on Android.
- Note the IMEI number. Type *#06# on the phone keypad to see it, and keep it somewhere other than the phone. If the phone is stolen, the network can use it to block the phone.
- Check the strap and the patch before a trip: a frayed cord or a split patch will fail at the worst moment.
Weather and water
On a strap, the phone is outside your coat, in the rain. For a wet festival, a day at the beach or a boat trip, put the phone in a waterproof pouch on its own cord instead. See waterproof pouches, and the guide to waterproof pouches and IP ratings for what the ratings mean.
Bikes, machines and escalators
A long strap can catch: on handlebars, in the chain of a bike, in a machine at work, on a door handle or at the edge of an escalator. Take it off, or shorten it and tuck the phone away, when you ride or work with moving parts.
Small children
The NHS warns that cords can wrap round a baby's or toddler's neck, and RoSPA, the accident prevention charity, says most strangulation accidents with looped cords at home have involved children of about eighteen months to two years. A crossbody strap or a neck lanyard is a loop of cord, so never put one on a young child, and do not leave one where a toddler can reach it.
Questions people ask
Will a lanyard patch fit my case?
It will fit almost any case with an opening at the bottom for the charging cable. It will not fit a fully sealed waterproof case or a pouch. A very tight hard case may need a firmer push to go back on.
Can I still charge the phone with a strap on?
With a cable, yes: check after fitting a patch that the cable still goes in fully. With wireless charging, a patch usually makes no difference, but if charging slows or stops, try without it.
Does the strap have to stay on all the time?
No. If the strap ends in a clip, it unclips from the patch or case hole in a second, and the phone goes in a pocket as normal. The patch stays in the case, ready for next time.
Is a beaded or chain strap strong enough?
A well-made one is, but the weak points are the clasp and the point where it fixes to the phone. Check both now and then, and give the strap a firm tug over something soft after fitting it.
Can I add charms to a crossbody strap?
Yes. A small charm on a clip or ring near the phone end looks good, and is easy to swap. The complete guide to phone charms and straps covers the kinds, and the guide to making a phone charm shows how to make your own. See also charm rings and connectors.
Can I run with my phone on a crossbody strap?
You can, but a phone on a long strap bounces and swings with every step, and can knock against your hip. For running, an armband or a waist belt holds the phone still. See running armbands.
Which shoulder should the strap go over?
Whichever is comfortable, so the phone sits on the side of your hand that reaches for it: most right-handed people put the strap over the left shoulder, so the phone hangs at the right hip. In a crowd, wear it at the front either way.
How do I clean a braided strap?
Hand wash it in lukewarm water with a little mild soap, rinse it and let it dry completely before you clip it back on. Wipe chain and beaded straps with a soft cloth instead of soaking them.
Where to go next
All four kinds of strap, and the patches that fit them, are under phone straps. For the rest:
- Phone charms and straps: the complete guide: every kind of charm and strap, and how they fix on
- How to make your own phone charm: beads, cords and knots, step by step
- How to choose a phone case: including cases with lanyard holes and crossbody cases
