Home > Consumer Reviews > Domke 725-310 FA-031 U.S. Post Office Shoulder Pad

I have several of these and use them on all my bags. They are easy to attach to any shoulder strap and the weight distribution and comfort is beyond anything I've experienced from other bags. The image shown here isn't accurate - this shoulder pad has a thick foam padding under that is angled so it rests comfortably on your shoulder whether you have the bag on your shoulder or across your body (messenger bag style) - it's easy to remove to use on other bags and is seriously comfortable! I use this on the Domke F2 but also on Crumpler bags which I find very uncomfortable with the pad that comes with the bag. I also have one for my Freitag messenger bag that I use for school. I bought my Domke shoulder pads from bhphoto - they have a more accurate description and photo, but the price is the same.

Domke has a well-thought-out product in their U.S. Post Office Shoulder Pad. It's ergonomically designed to fit the shoulder and it's padded with a lightweight, yet, durable, flexible material. Works great whether you opt to carry your bag sling style on your dominant shoulder (i.e. like a purse) or across-the-body like a traditional haversack/messenger bag. No matter how much you weigh down your bag, the shoulder pad helps to distribute that weight, while eliminating any pressure points that cause pinching or irritation. In a real world scenario: I comfortably trekked through the Plaza, Brookside, UMKC campus and much of downtown Kansas City in one day (combination of college classes and conducting a photo shoot) without experiencing normal fatigue from carrying a messenger bag. And it was loaded with my 15" Macbook Pro, DSLR and spare lens, 3 textbooks, and other normal sundries. Best of all, I love three key features: (1) it's adjustable, so I can swap out bags on any given day, in just a matter of seconds, and (2) it doesn't "lock" the bag into a given position when attached; meaning I can wear it messenger style with the bag at my waist, pushed back onto my right hip, and if I need to access anything inside while wearing it, I can simple pull the bag forward and gravity holds the shoulder pad in place while the strap moves freely back and forth over it. And (3) once the pad is in place on your shoulder, it doesn't slip or slide...even if I'm wearing a tank top and sweating a bit. Anyone who is serious about their gear, is mobile, and cares about all day comfort should own and use this shoulder pad.

The only problem I have with this is that it did not come with my bag to begin with! :-) This is such a great pad, far better than I have seen any other piece of luggage.

It is thick, non-slip and really distributes the weight of the bag. My camera bad weighs in at a hefty 24 pounds. This this allows me to carry it around, with the strap over my neck and shoulder, comfortably all day long, even on hikes.

Well worth it!

This pad failed my "Will it slip off a very slick raincoat?" test, but only after a lot of walking. On other materials, it works superbly. This is the pad that all those bag and strap manufacturers were too cheap to include in the first place. It is very big, very comfortable, and very expensive for what it is. $10 seems about right. $20 doesn't.

A good product that has a lot of padding to protect my bony shoulder from other, more narrow straps from cutting in to it. Recommended.