The stock strap is barely anything to grab onto, and it's never "open" in a loop. It's always just stuck together in one strip. Fortunately, with all the climbing I do, I have decent pinch strength, but really: seriously? Then I saw this upgrade. For about $16, it always presents in a loop. It feels totally different though, and the best way to describe it is comparing the loop on the top of a backpack vs the handle to say, a laptop/brief. I like the feel and it looks great too. It definitely looks better than stock. Also, it's not just a piece of velcro with two holes. You can see in the photos that there are details, but when you get it in person, you'll see right away. It's legit. I just wish I purchased this sooner. For those who prefer a stock look, like Bradon said on 2018.7.16 "Such a nice subtle upgrade", I'd concur; it is quite subtle, so many probably would not be able to tell that you had made some aftermarket modifications. The upgrade took less than 2 minutes, including the time it took to find the right screw bit. I really like it.