I have a bunch of the elite silicone straps - and they're great. This is my first of the soft line and it's been at least as fantastic! The color is excellent, the hardware performs well (and thank goodness for quick release spring bars), they are indeed soft, and it's not a fight to get the strap secured/use the keeper loops. I paired this one with a Trafford Crossroads and I think it's a hit. I might've sat too long on grabbing one of these for my collection - no longer! Ignore the cat hair at the bottom - that there isn't more stuck to it is a testament to the material's quality, far as I'm concerned :)