Aerophone Neck Pain? 3 Neck Straps I Have Used, Compared
🌐 Read this article in Japanese（この記事を日本語で読む）
Hi, I'm Shuko.
I started playing the Aerophone in 2022, with no wind instrument experience. The Aerophone is a digital wind instrument, and you can practice it at home at any time. That is a big part of the fun. But when you practice, do you ever feel like this?
My neck and shoulders start to hurt so quickly...
If you feel this kind of pain or strain, the strap may be the cause. Changing the strap that holds the instrument can make a big difference.
In this article, I review the three straps I have used: the strap included with the Aerophone, the BIRD STRAP, and the BREATHTAKING strap. I compare how each one felt on my neck and shoulders, with photos of me wearing each strap.
I hope this helps you choose a strap that suits your body.
Contents
The Strap Makes a Big Difference
You do not need to buy a new strap together with the Aerophone. A neck strap is included with the Aerophone, so you can start playing on the day it arrives.
So I suggest you start with the included strap. For some people, it is all they need.
But your neck or shoulders may start to feel stiff, or the strain may slowly turn into pain. In that case, a different strap can reduce that strain a lot. Practice becomes much more comfortable, so a new strap is worth considering.
I have used three straps so far, in this order: the included strap, the BIRD STRAP, and the BREATHTAKING strap. The sections below follow the same order. Everything in this article is my own experience.
Here is a short comparison first. You can go to each review from the last row of the table.
Review 1: The Included Strap
The strap that comes with the Aerophone is a simple, narrow band about 1.6 cm (0.6 in) wide. You can change its length with the adjuster.
At the end of the strap is a plastic hook. It attaches to the strap ring on the Aerophone.
The Aerophone AE-20 weighs about 1.1 kg (2 lbs 7 oz) with batteries. That is much lighter than a saxophone. So why can the neck still feel strain? The strap is narrow, so all the weight presses on one small area of the neck.
In my case, this strap put too much strain on my neck. So I began to look for a strap that would be more comfortable for me.
The strap does not carry the Aerophone alone. Your thumbs and arms also support part of the weight. So together with the strap, it is worth checking how you hold the instrument.
Roland Aerophone AE-20
See full specs and details on the official page:
Roland Aerophone AE-20 — Official Product Page
Review 2: The BIRD STRAP
The next strap I bought was the BIRD STRAP, made by the Japanese brand B.AIR. It is a popular strap in Japan for saxophone, clarinet, and other wind instruments.
A narrow strap presses on the neck from the left and right. The BIRD STRAP has a part called the V-plate. The V-plate spreads the two cords apart, so they press less on the sides of the neck.
The part that touches the neck has a cushion, called the neck pad. It reduces the load on the neck.
You can choose the material and shape of each part, and there are many colors. Building your own combination is part of the fun.
Some neck pads are washable.
A Model for Wind Synthesizers
In October 2022, B.AIR released a BIRD STRAP made for wind synthesizers.
This model adds two things for electronic instruments. One is a holder for your earphone cable at the back of the neck. The other is an extra cord with a hook that keeps the instrument from shaking. It is sold as the "Auxiliary Blade & Hook Set".
When you play the Aerophone, there are moments when only the strap, your front teeth, and your two thumbs hold the instrument. At those moments, the instrument moves easily. I have not used this model myself. But I think the extra cord would make the instrument much more stable.
The extra cord connects to an adapter on the instrument. Adapters are sold separately for each instrument. The store page I checked in November 2026 lists the Roland AE-10, AE-20, and AE-30.
What I Bought and How It Fit
The wind synthesizer model did not exist when I bought mine, so I chose a standard model for saxophone. Here is what I chose:
- Model and size: WBS-AS-S (size S)
- Neck pad: Standard (the type with a thick cushion)
- V-plate: Standard
When I played with it, the neck pad supported my neck well. The strap no longer pressed into my skin the way the included strap did.
The hook is made of strong metal. The instrument felt much more stable than with the plastic hook of the included strap.
My neck pad is the washable type. It absorbs sweat, so my neck did not feel sticky. In summer you sweat a lot, so I think it is best to wash the pad regularly if it touches your skin directly.
One thing did not fit me well. The Standard neck pad has a firm, thick cushion. On my neck, the weight rested mostly on the upper edge of the pad, and the lower edge lifted a little.
This pad may sit flat more easily on a person with a broader neck and shoulders.
If I Bought It Again
When I bought the strap, I did not think much about it, but the V-plate comes in more than one width.
I now think the Wide V-plate would feel freer around the neck than the Standard one.
The Standard V-plate is 10 cm (3.9 in) wide. The Front Bar of the BREATHTAKING strap, which I review next, is 16 cm (6.3 in) wide. A wider part moves the cords farther from the neck, so they press less. It also moves the weight of the instrument from the neck toward the shoulders.
I have not measured the Wide V-plate myself. One European store lists it as 14 cm (5.5 in) wide. That is wider than the Standard plate and closer to the BREATHTAKING Front Bar. With a Wide plate, the cords would meet the pad at a gentler angle, so the lower edge of my pad might stop lifting.
A thinner and slightly smaller neck pad, the Slim type, might also have fit my body better than the thick Standard pad.
If I bought a BIRD STRAP again, I would choose one of these combinations:
- Option 1: Standard neck pad + Wide V-plate
- Option 2: Slim neck pad + Wide V-plate
You can also buy BIRD STRAP parts separately. So you can keep your strap and change only the V-plate to the Wide type.
I used this strap for about 10 months. Then I began to want more freedom around my neck and more of the weight on my shoulders. So I changed to the BREATHTAKING strap.
Review 3: The BREATHTAKING Strap
The BIRD STRAP reduced the pressure around my neck a lot. But it still hangs from the neck, and after a long practice session I still felt some strain in my neck. I looked for a strap that would move more of the load to my shoulders. The one I bought was the BREATHTAKING strap.
BREATHTAKING is a company in Hiroshima, Japan. It designs, makes, and sells these straps. The founder is a saxophonist. After an injury that affected her playing career, she spent years studying and hand-making straps that put less strain on the body. Later, she turned them into a product.
You can read the full story on the official site:
BREATHTAKING — Our Story
Today the strap is used by players around the world, including professional musicians.
You can see in every detail that it was designed to protect the player's body. The strap is handmade from real leather, so the price is high. I decided to think of it as an investment in my future with music, and I bought it.
- Model: Lithe Premium II
- Hook and size: Safety Hook / size S
- Color: Black
The current model is the Lithe Premium II-R, an updated version of the II.
In addition to the regular colors, limited colors and designs come out every year. You can see them on the official site.
How It Felt to Play
The whole strap curves along both shoulders, so it puts far less downward load on the neck.
My shoulders are usually very stiff. Even with this strap, the area around my shoulders feels a little tight. But the load on my neck is almost gone. When my shoulders get tired, a break of about 10 minutes is enough, and then I can play again.
One thing to know before you buy: when the strap is new, the leather is quite stiff. If you just put it on, it does not fit your body well.
The instructions tell you to soften the leather by kneading it with your hands many times before you use it. I kneaded mine about 50 times before it began to fit me.
In summer, the leather can feel sticky from sweat if it touches bare skin. So I always wear a shirt with a collar to my lessons. At home, when I practice in a T-shirt without a collar, I put a thin, clean cloth under the strap. After playing, I wipe the leather clean.
Is It Worth the Price?
The price is more than twice that of the BIRD STRAP. If you have just started playing, it takes some courage to buy it.
But now I am very happy with it. If I had known it would be this comfortable, I would have bought it much sooner.
At the same time, I may only notice how good it is because I used the included strap and the BIRD STRAP first.
The Aerophone weighs only 1.1 kg. Even so, I can feel the difference clearly.
Even Less Load: The Wraplift
BREATHTAKING also sells an optional part called the Wraplift. It is sold separately.
BREATHTAKING — Wraplift (official page)
You attach it to the inside of the strap. It creates a small space, like a cushion, between the strap and your body. The strap feels as if it is floating a little.
This reduces the downward load on the shoulders and neck even more.
The Wraplift is reversible. One side is suede and the other is leather. You can choose the side depending on whether the strap rests on your clothes or on your skin.
I tried the Wraplift soon after I bought it. At that time, the leather of the strap itself was still stiff, and the Wraplift felt hard to me. So I stopped using it. When I wrote the Japanese version of this article in March 2024, I tried it again.
In the photos, the strap looks almost the same with and without the Wraplift. My collar also sits at a slightly different height in the two sets of photos.
But when I held the Aerophone and played, I felt the difference. The strap lifts slightly off the shoulders, so my neck and shoulders felt lighter than before.
I have used the Wraplift every time since then. Now I cannot imagine playing without it.
Summary
In this article, I reviewed the three straps I have used with the Aerophone: the included strap, the BIRD STRAP, and the BREATHTAKING strap.
If your neck hurts or your shoulders are stiff, I hope you find a strap that suits your body.
- With less pain in your neck and shoulders, you can practice longer.
- When you want to keep playing, you enjoy the Aerophone even more.
Choosing a Size
The right size depends on your height and build.
I am 154 cm (5 ft 1 in) tall with an average build, and I chose size S for both the BIRD STRAP and the BREATHTAKING strap.
Some large music stores let you try straps on. If you are not sure about the size, I suggest trying one in a store.
BREATHTAKING has a sizing guide on its official site. It shows the height and weight of the fit models for each size. The site also lists authorized retailers outside Japan.
BREATHTAKING — Sizing Guide
BREATHTAKING — Authorized Retailers
The BIRD STRAP is also sold by some online music stores outside Japan (as of November 2026).
Where I Am Now (November 2026)
I wrote the Japanese version of this article in March 2024. More than two years later, I still use the same BREATHTAKING strap, with the Wraplift attached. It supports the weight of the instrument well. It turned out to be the right strap for me.
