Voile makes a range of snowsports gear and the Voile Strap started life as a way to bind your skis together. That doesn’t quite do the utility of this unassuming orange strap justice, because it can be repurposed for a whole plethora of other uses.
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Voile Straps are an incredibly versatile, sturdy and reliable option for lashing things to other things, lashing things to themselves, lashing things to things that have already been lashed to other things and so on — you get the picture. Use them for all your attachment needs.
The design is very simple. The main strap consists of a UV-resistant polyurethane with a little stretch. A low profile aluminium buckle is moulded into the end allowing you to fasten the strap.
To do this, the strap is looped back on itself through the buckle, allowing you to really yank on it and cinch things down. That done, it’s secured by hooking one of the slots onto the curved prong of the buckle - similar to a belt.
Cinch down as hard as you will, the strap is also easy to get open again by pulling down and unhooking the strap. The design of the buckle also makes it easy to daisy chain straps together if extra length is required.
The elasticity of the polyurethane makes it remarkably easy to get things snug and it also has a pleasant “tack” that prevents the strap from slipping and keeps it in place.
I also love just how low profile the overall design is. The prong of the buckle sticks out very slightly, but that just helps with getting everything fastened when it's under tension.
In my opinion there’s not really anything out there that matches the reliability and nigh-on indestructibility of the Voile Strap design. Sure you can use duct tape, or bungees, or some cord - but nothing will offer the same simplicity, speed and security you have here.
So what can you use it for? Everything and anything. If you need to lash something, hold something in place, secure something - the Voile strap is the thing to do it.
That’s particularly useful for bikepacking for attaching all manner of things to your ride. They’re perfect for use with Salsa Anything Cages or attaching extra things to your bags.
In fact if you want a super simple bikepacking setup, then just grab some of these and a drybag and mount it either under your saddle or to your bars, as we recommend in our introduction to bikepacking.
Secure your bike to your bike rack when transporting it, make emergency repairs, strap a spare tube to your frame, . The possibilities are endless. It's well worth checking out the dedicated Voilestraps Instagram page too.
I have used copies of the design before and do think these are worth the extra outlay. They are admittedly not cheap for what they are - but given their uses, versatility and durability I’d be happy to spend the slight extra.
The standard strap is also available with a nylon buckle which is less likely to scratch any delicate surfaces. However I would argue that it’s easy enough to position the metal buckle so that it’s out of the way of any delicate surfaces.
The straps are available in a range of lengths, either 15, 20 or 25 inches long. There’s also an XL strap that is 20% thicker and 25% wider, either 22 or 32 inches long.
The aluminium and nylon buckle version cost between £7.00 and £8.50 depending on length. The XL version starts at £11. Here in the UK, the straps are available through Ghyllside Cycles and Charlie the Bikemonger.
Even if you think you don't need one, get one and I'm sure you'll find a use for it soon enough.
