In the professional rigging world, lifting beams and spreader beams are long metal beams that are used as connecting pieces between cranes or hoists and sets of multiple lifting slings used on large or awkwardly shaped loads. These devices allow lifting slings to maintain a near 90° angle with the horizon, meaning they can operate at 100% of their working load limit.

A lifting beam only has one lifting point on top, usually its position on the beam is adjustable to account for unbalanced loads. In contrast, A spreader beam has two lifting points on top, one at either end. Spreader beams are efficient tools because they convert the weight of the load to inward compressive force and, as a result can attain relatively good capacity to weight ratios. Lifting beams a designed to handle bending forces, not compressive ones, and need to be heavier to achieve the same performance as spreader beams. However, lifting beams do require less headroom than spreader beams.