Black & Decker Black/Orange 2" x 20' Recovery Strap - Light-Duty (9,000 lb Break Strength) for Emergency Off-Road Towing

What I used it for

I tossed the Black+Decker recovery strap into the cargo bin of a small SUV and treated it as a just-in-case tool for the last few weeks. It saw a handful of real tasks: extending a UTV’s winch line during a snow drift extraction, dragging a downed tree limb off a fire road, and towing a compact car a short distance to a safe turnout after a battery failure. These are the sorts of light-duty jobs most people encounter a few times a year. The strap handled all of them without drama and, importantly, without visible wear.

Design and build

This is a straightforward 2-inch-wide, 20-foot polyester webbing strap with looped ends that are protected by abrasion-resistant sleeves. The webbing is treated for abrasion, moisture, and UV resistance. Polyester is a good choice here: it has low stretch compared to nylon, which translates to predictable, controlled movement when you’re towing or extending a winch line. That matters if you’re operating near vehicles, trees, or people and want to avoid the elastic “snap” you get from kinetic straps.

The standout detail is the protective sleeving on the loops. Those sleeves did their job when wrapped around a frame-mounted recovery point and when used as a tree anchor for winching; they reduced scuffing and spread the load better than bare webbing would. The strap is reasonably supple out of the package, coils neatly, and at roughly 1.6 pounds is easy to stash behind a seat or in a side-by-side’s storage bin. The black/orange color scheme is highly visible in snow, dirt, and low light—small, but actually helpful when you’re trying to avoid running over or tripping on your recovery gear at dusk.

The strap is lab-tested to a 9,000 lb break strength with a 3,000 lb safe working load (SWL). The 3:1 ratio is conservative and appropriate for towing and recovery work, where loads can spike unpredictably. I treat the 3,000 lb number as the real ceiling and size my tasks accordingly.

Setup and use

Because the ends are looped (not fitted with hardware), you’ll want appropriate connectors: a hitch receiver shackle block or frame-mounted recovery points with rated D-ring shackles or soft shackles. Do not hook to a tow ball. With the right hardware, the strap is quick to rig:

• Towing a compact car on a flat frontage road: I attached one loop to a receiver-mounted shackle on the tow vehicle and the other to rated front recovery points on the disabled car. The lack of stretch made starts and stops smooth as long as I feathered the throttle.
• Extending a UTV’s winch line: The strap made a handy extension to a short steel cable. I wrapped the loop around a stout pine and protected the bark with the sleeved section. A soft shackle through the loop-to-loop connection completed the system. No fraying after several pulls in wet, gritty snow.
• Clearing a limb: Looping the strap around a 10–12 inch limb and back to a hitch shackle allowed controlled dragging without cutting into the wood or the strap.

The 20-foot length is versatile. It’s long enough to bridge the gap between vehicles or anchor points without being so long that it sags into obstacles. If you frequently need more reach, it’s short enough to double as an extension in a longer system.

Performance under load

Within its intended scope—light-duty towing and recovery—the strap feels confident. The webbing doesn’t appreciably stretch, so there’s solid communication between vehicles. That’s ideal for controlled, low-speed pulls. In my uses, the strap stayed cool to the touch (a sign it wasn’t slipping or abrading excessively), and the stitching at the loops remained flat with no puckering or pulled threads.

I used it on gravel, packed snow, and wet asphalt. The strap shed water quickly and didn’t stiffen after drying, which speaks to the moisture-resistant treatment. After several sunny days on the roof rack during a trip, I didn’t see color fade; UV resistance is hard to quantify without months of exposure, but anecdotally it held its color and flexibility.

The 3,000 lb SWL is the meaningful limiter. Towing a compact vehicle whose curb weight exceeds 3,000 lb can still be done safely because rolling resistance is far below curb weight on level ground. But you must avoid shock loads—no jerking starts, no kinetic “snatches,” no aggressive throttle inputs. If you need kinetic recovery in deep sand or mud, this is not that strap. For those scenarios, a purpose-built, high-stretch snatch strap with higher ratings is the right tool.

Durability and care

I examined the strap after each use. The edges are cleanly woven with minimal fuzzing after dragging through snow and across mild gravel. The sleeves on the loops show scuff marks as intended but no cuts. A quick rinse in a bucket and air-dry returned it to nearly new condition. Polyester’s resistance to mold and UV should give it a long service life if you avoid sharp edges and store it out of direct sun when not in use.

I’d pair it with a couple of rated bow shackles or soft shackles and keep all of it in a small gear bag to prevent contamination with sharp cargo. The strap ships with clear safety guidance; follow it, and it should serve for years.

Safety and limitations

• Stay within the 3,000 lb safe working load and avoid shock loading. Think steady pulls, not yanks.
• Use rated recovery points and connectors. Never tie knots in the strap—it weakens the webbing.
• Avoid tow balls, thin sheet-metal tie-downs, or unreinforced bumpers.
• Protect the strap from sharp edges. The sleeves help, but a corner guard or tree saver technique is smart around rocks or frames.

These aren’t unique cautions, but they matter more with a light-duty strap; there’s less margin for misuse.

Where it fits in a kit

A 2" x 20' polyester strap fills several roles well:
- Tow link for light vehicles, mowers, small trailers, and utility tasks
- Winch line extension
- Tree anchor strap for low- to moderate-load winching

If your recovery kit already has a heavy 3" or 4" tree saver and a dedicated kinetic rope, this strap still earns its keep as a compact, secondary option or as a sacrificial link in messy conditions where you don’t want to soak your primary gear.

What could be better

• Higher SWL option: A 12,000–15,000 lb break strength version with the same form factor would broaden the use case to midsize trucks. As-is, you need to be realistic about vehicle weight and terrain.
• Reflective accents: The bright orange is visible, but a strip of reflective thread would improve night visibility.
• Storage: A small roll-up pouch would keep grit off the webbing and make it easier to stash.

None of these are dealbreakers, but they’re worth noting if you’re assembling a kit from scratch.

Who should buy it

• ATV/UTV owners who need a compact, multipurpose strap
• Drivers of sedans, hatchbacks, and small crossovers who want a basic recovery/tow capability
• Homeowners and landscapers who occasionally move equipment, logs, or small trailers around a property
• Anyone looking to supplement a winch kit with an inexpensive extension and anchor option

Owners of heavy half-ton and up trucks, overlanders hauling fully loaded rigs, or anyone planning kinetic recovery in deep sand or gumbo mud should size up to higher-capacity straps and ropes.

Recommendation

I recommend the Black+Decker recovery strap for light-duty towing and recovery, with clear boundaries. It’s well made, easy to handle, and visibly tough enough for steady pulls, winch extensions, and utility chores. The low-stretch polyester webbing and sleeved loops make for predictable, controlled recoveries, and the high-visibility color is a practical touch. The 3,000 lb safe working load sets the scope: this is not the strap for heavy trucks or dynamic snatch recoveries. If your needs align with small-vehicle recovery, ATV/UTV work, or general-purpose towing around a property, it’s a solid, compact addition to the kit. Use it correctly with rated connectors and it should serve reliably for a long time.