I have been using the really narrow 1/4" wide zip straps for boning. They more closely resemble the baleen boning in stays that I have seen and they are very comfortable, since you can round the edges much more easily than steel.
Haven't had the best of luck with reeds, and I'm not liking the bulky look that many reproductions seem to have when they use reed.

I also am a fan of straps, keeps the girls in place and the stays from sliding around too much as they grow over the day. I have worked hard in mine for up to four days straight, 12 hour days and my body didn't seem to mind too overly much...mind you, it was hard woman's work, not men's work.