Do I really need padded straps?

Padding (neoprene or NeoTek) mainly affects comfort under heavy load, not grip. Verified-purchase reviewers and subreddit threads consistently praise padded cotton straps for reducing wrist cutting on deadlifts, but one recurring caution is that for lifters with smaller wrists, bulky padding can sit awkwardly. Thinner unpadded cotton is grippier but can dig in.