New Belt recomendations

[gunnerm109a6]

Friends,

I need to upgrade from a velcro belt to a decent competition leather belt. Not looking for anything too fancy, just want one that I can use everyday and competitions should I get a wild hair.

Does anyone have feature and brand recommendations?

Thanks!

[RLM5150]

After a lot of research I decided to go with Pioneer. They offer a unique option called the Pioneer cut that allows single prong adjustment in half inch increments. For the least cost Pioneer cut option you may want to look at their 8.5mm Stock Power Lifting Belt.
https://generalleathercraft.com/prod...-lifting-belt/

[cmoney]

I have a 3" and a 4" belt from Best Belts that I couldn't be happier with. Also have an Inzer forever belt from when I was 30lbs fatter that is also great. All are 10mm thick and single prong, which is my preference. Don't bother with double prong.

People also seem to like Pioneer Belts. I've never worn one so can't say.

My opinion is any of the major manufacturers (pioneer, best belts, inzer, rogue, elitfts) will provide you a solid, long lasting leather belt, and they'll all be in the $80-$120 range depending on some factors. My only personal opinion is I won't wear Rogue or EliteFTS belts because I don't want any branding on my belt. Inzer is probably the best value but some have had issues with their customer support (not me personally). Best Belts support is top notch, though if you want custom colors and such they can take a while.

[tfranc]

Pioneer cut 4”, 10 or 13mm.

The hole spacing is perfect for fine tuning, kind of like a Velcro belt. Unless you’re planning on seriously competing, I’d just get the 10. You’re not missing out on anything by not having a 13 and 10 is lighter/easier to break in.

I have a 10mm 4” suede “Athlete” from best belts. It’s a great belt, high quality, but it took months to deliver and their customer service wasn’t the greatest. That was 5 years ago though, so who knows.

If it had the hole spacing of the pioneer cut, my belt would be perfect.

[Squib]

I have a single prong 4" Pioneer belt which I think is great. If you do decide to compete, make sure you know which federation you want to go with, because Pioneer is not IPF approved, but it will likely fit the specifications of other federations that don't have restrictions on brands. I'm thinking of getting a Best Belt soon because it is IPF approved.

[llaffin]

I have a single prong 4" Pioneer belt which I think is great. If you do decide to compete, make sure you know which federation you want to go with, because Pioneer is not IPF approved, but it will likely fit the specifications of other federations that don't have restrictions on brands. I'm thinking of getting a Best Belt soon because it is IPF approved.

Unfortunately Best Belt is no longer IPF approved, they decided to not renew their approval.

You can find all the 2019-2022 IPF approved gear here: https://www.powerlifting.sport/rules...oved-list.html

I have an Inzer 4" 10mm single prong, and it's ...okay. Wish I went with something else.

[Squib]

Unfortunately Best Belt is no longer IPF approved, they decided to not renew their approval.

You can find all the 2019-2022 IPF approved gear here: https://www.powerlifting.sport/rules...oved-list.html

I have an Inzer 4" 10mm single prong, and it's ...okay. Wish I went with something else.

Dude thanks for the heads up. That's a bummer, I wanted it because it seems to be well regarded and well made (https://youtu.be/xjDu2bPJUu0) + Jordan uses it + IPF approved.

[llaffin]

Dude thanks for the heads up. That's a bummer, I wanted it because it seems to be well regarded and well made (https://youtu.be/xjDu2bPJUu0) + Jordan uses it + IPF approved.

Yeah I've heard really good things about Best Belt, a lot of people are really disappointed they withdrew from the IPF. But apparently the IPF charges ridiculous fees. Pioneer Belts said the IPF wanted $190,000/year to approve their belts. If that's true, I don't blame companies for taking no part in that lol

[teddyd]

Usd 190,000?!?!?! Wtf?!?!?!

[llaffin]

Yeah I just double checked - $190,000 USD to get their belts approved for 2019-2022 period, not per year. Still crazy expensive

[Serack]

I finally got a powerlifting style belt a couple years ago, and was amaised that the difference it made was as, or more significant than going from no belt to using my shitty sports authority weightlifting belt.

The thing is, I went cheap on amazon, and although it's a stiff 4" 10mm, it's multiple laminations rather than the single hunk of leather with suede stitched to it like I've seen recommended so often. It's still in great shape and I'm happy with how it works for me, but as I didn't know what I was missing when I was using that "weightlifting" belt, when I come across discussions like this I wonder what I might be missing out on by going cheap here.

So if my first belt upgrade doubled the benefit I got from using a belt, what kind of return would I get switching to a more expensive belt that isn't multiple laminations?

[rho]

I went from a cheap 10mm Strengthshop belt (which isn't all that bad) to a Titan Brahma 13mm belt.
While The main reason for switching was the buckle (the Strengthshop is a lever belt and the Titan is single prong), I'm still happy I spent the money on the Titan. I didn't expect any improvement in my lifting but a good leather belt seems to make quite a difference in comfort. It could have been a coincidence but since the first time I used the Titan belt I finally started to make progress again. For some reason heavy lifts just feel better with the Titan than with the Strengthshop belt.
I'm not saying you should get a Titan belt. I just think that a higher quality leather belt can have a positive impact on your lifting.

[teddyd]

I have a 10mm double prong Strength Shop belt. It is fine and cheap especially as compared to other belts (GBP 50, USD 55) and IPF approved. I got the double prong as I didn't know better at the time. If you want a basic but solid belt and may want to compete, it is fine, just get the single prong.

It is not the best belt, but it is fine. I will probably upgrade in that it is a luxury purchase some time in the future, but for actual lifting and the difference/effect, it is fine and would be like any other belt.

[bigbaltic]

I have a 10mm double prong Strength Shop belt. It is fine and cheap especially as compared to other belts (GBP 50, USD 55) and IPF approved. I got the double prong as I didn't know better at the time. If you want a basic but solid belt and may want to compete, it is fine, just get the single prong.

It is not the best belt, but it is fine. I will probably upgrade in that it is a luxury purchase some time in the future, but for actual lifting and the difference/effect, it is fine and would be like any other belt.

I want to reiterate what you say that a two prong belt is no better than single prong. I regret my two prong belt purchase just because it is a little annoying to use.

[Whip Chop]

I’ve owned an Inzer Forever Lever 10mm 4” wide, a pioneer 10mm 4” wide single prong and a Best Belts 13mm 4” wide single prong. The Best Belts is by far my favorite. I felt I got the best belt possible for the money. Sad to hear they are no longer paying for IPF approval but you can’t blame them due to that outrageous cost. Pioneer is great for customization but more expensive and I can’t get over how “cheap” looking the rivets are they use vs Best Belts, although I’m sure they are fine from a functionality standpoint.

[Evelyn9090]

What I heard is that you are best to call Inzer before you order to make sure what you want is in stock.I ordered a 10mm lever Size M from Gym Expert and it arrived within two weeks. Here is few inzer forever belt reviews if you are still interested in buying it.
One potential downside. If you do rows or other movements where the bar travels PAST your abdomen area, you will hit the lever and ruin your set. I keep an old velcro cheapo on hand for those sorts of lifts.

[mbasic]

What I heard is that you are best to call Inzer before you order to make sure what you want is in stock.I ordered a 10mm lever Size M from Gym Expert and it arrived within two weeks. Here is few inzer forever belt reviews if you are still interested in buying it.
One potential downside. If you do rows or other movements where the bar travels PAST your abdomen area, you will hit the lever and ruin your set. I keep an old velcro cheapo on hand for those sorts of lifts.

why hello there Inzer Spam-Bot.

[Millzners]

I have a pioneer / general leather craft 4” 13mm and 3” for DL. Love them.