Buyer's Guides

Gear wraps, those flexible, soft squares of protection we use to cushion our cameras and lenses, are pretty much all the same, right? Wrong. Although they're all used for the same purpose (more or less), each brand has its own unique characteristics. Today we look at four wraps, each of which can be crowned king of its category.

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Does the World Need Gear Wraps?
Sure, you can slip a lens into an old sock to protect it. But I argue that gear wraps are indispensable. In addition to preventing your cameras, tablet, flash and lenses from banging together when in a backpack or camera bag, they can protect the equipment sitting on a hot car seat from direct sunlight, and even shield it from prying eyes.

I use a large camo-colored gear wrap to disguise my camera and long tele-zoom whilst stalking my local Great Blue Heron, an elusive critter my daughter named Michael for reasons known only to her. I regularly use them to prevent dust from collecting on the camera(s) on my desk. I use them on my workbench when I'm deep cleaning an eBay find.

All of the products included in this roundup are high quality and durable. I have personally used these brands and can recommend them without hesitation. So I'm not spending any ink on the pros and/or cons of each.

Prettiest Wrap
Available in two sizes (13.7 x 13.7 and 17.7 x 17.7 inches), PGYTECH's Protective Wraps are available in eight patterns: Geek, Geometry, Maze, Pop Collage, Artist, Ethnic, Flower and Doodle shown above. These are wonderfully crazy styles and clearly make them the prettiest offering.

The larger PGYTECH Protective Wrap costs $19.95 and the smaller one is $16.95. Both can be ordered from Amazon.

Most Impact Resistant
The Made in USA Domke F-34 Protective Wraps come in Black, Yellow, Red, Green and Blue so you can color code your gear for fast access. Available in 11-inch, 15-inch and 19-inch squares, prices range from $12.40 to about $24 depending on size and color, and all can be ordered from Amazon.

Visit the Domke Store at amazon.com to view a large assortment of popular Domke products and Tiffen filters.

Most Overall Protective — They're Water Resistant
Wrapz, from 3 Legged Thing, are constructed of four layers including an internal layer that provides water resistance. The soft outer layers keep gear safe from scratches when packed in with other hardware. They come in two patterns (Swirls and Retro) and three sizes: 12 x 12, 15 x 15 and 18 x 18 inches.

Wrapz are available online and in camera stores now, and from 3 Legged Thing priced at $14.99 (Small), $19.99 (Medium) and $24.99 (Large). A multipack of all three sizes costs $54.99. To find your nearest 3LT retailer, visit their website.

Best Camouflage Patterns
Easy Wrapper from Japan Hobby Tool absolutely leads the field in patterns, colors and sizes. Choose between Black, Red, Blue, Camo and Digital Camouflage Monochrome, or from their Shinkansen Camouflage Series: Hayabusa, Komachi and Doctor Yellow. Sizes are 27.9, 18.5, 13.7 and 11.0 inch squares. Prices start at $15.99 and range up to $68 for the XL (778 sq in) size.

Order today directly from Japan Hobby Tool and check out the other unique camera accessories you can't find anywhere else. Alternatively, Easy Wrappers are also available from Amazon.

—Jon Sienkiewicz

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