Some people swear by the benefits of weightlifting belts. Others deem them detrimental if you want to maximize engagement of all your core muscles. Truth be told, both sides have a valid point. Our bodies are, indeed, built to execute those movements. Heck, our bodies already have a muscle (the transverse abdominis) that performs the same functions as a weightlifting belt and lifting raw only helps develop it further. However, wearing a lifting belt, much like a lot of popular fitness gear, can also make a difference in pretty significant ways.
The best weightlifting belts bring an additional layer of stability and support to your spine, which can mean the difference between giving up in the middle of a lift to actually completing the movement under heavy loads. Plus, having a lifting belt on usually makes people more confident about trying out a heavier lift than what they’re used to, making it a potentially crucial part of an individual’s progressive improvement.
The best weightlifting belts can also make it difficult to break good form, which is something you’ll always want to maintain when taking on challenging exercises like deadlifts and squats. It’s not easy to slouch or round your lower back when you’ve got additional pressure on your intra-abdominal muscles, after all. Heck, belts will probably make for excellent posture correctors if they weren’t so weird to wear around you at all times.
Simply put, if you incorporate Olympic lifts into your workout and you like pushing the amount of weight you can handle, the best weightlifting belts can help you in every inch of those movements. If you’re looking to get one, these are our picks.
Element 26 Self Locking Weightlifting Belt
Pros
- Excellent support during dynamic movements
- Nylon construction is easy to pack
- Self-locking buckle makes adjustments easy
Cons
- Doesn’t wear well over thick tops (e.g. hoodie)
Material: Nylon
Width: 4 inches
Fastening: XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL
Some CrossFit people we know prefer nylon belts to leather, largely because they like to keep the belt on during most of the workout. Leather’s a tad too stiff for exercises requiring more dynamic movements, while nylon tends to be a lot more forgiving when executing cleans, snatches, and other exercises that can still benefit from the intra-abdominal pressure a belt provides. This nylon belt delivers exactly that, along with consistent support across the ribs and lumbar due to its uniform four-inch width. We like the self-locking buckle and Velcro strap that make putting it on and off a breeze, while also enabling easy adjustments, so you can loosen or tighten quickly, depending on what the exercise requires. The fit is excellent, provided you choose the correct size for your waist size, with each size offering about four to five inches of adjustment, so it should stay usable even if you gain or lose an inch or two around the gut.
Gymreapers 10mm Lever Belt
Pros
- Stiff support
- Double stitching
- Even thickness throughout
Cons
- Takes time to adjust
- Feels too stiff at times
Material: Leather with suede liner
Width: 4 inches
Fastening: Lever
Lever belts are very common among people doing powerlifting and strongman training because of the high stiffness that fastening system creates. Due to this, though, they also tend to be on the more expensive end. We like this one as an affordable lever belt option – it’s thick (10mm), wide (four inches), and delivers a very rigid feel, which helps a lot for squats and deadlifts. Do note, there is a thing as being too stiff and this does feel that way at first. It eases up after a bit, but it took a while to be just a little more comfortable (about a dozen sessions). On the upside, it holds up amazingly well, still looking as good as the day we got it, even after months of use in training. It features double stitching for durability, rounded edges for comfort, and a suede interior for grip.
Eleiko Weightlifting Leather Belt
Pros
- Tapered design makes it comfortable
- Stiff, rigid support
- Premium quality leather
Cons
- Leather might be too stiff for some
Material: Vegetable-tanned leather
Width: 3.9 inches
Fastening: Double prong buckle
We love the Swedish rawhide leather they use for this weightlifting belt. It’s thick and supportive, but for whatever reason, doesn’t feel too stiff. Truth be told, the 10mm-thick leather does feel rigid when we hold it in hand, but it never feels that way when we wear it. We’re guessing that’s because of the belt’s tapered shape (four inches in the back and two inches out front), which provides just a little extra mobility across the ribs and hips, making it a comfortable belt to wear during your Olympic lifts. The double prong buckle feels a little tricky to adjust at first, but does get a lot easier once you get used to it. Suffice to say, this is way easier to adjust compared to lever buckles, so this is a better option for those who dislike the more involved adjustments lever closures cause.
Rogue Faded 4-Inch Lifting Belt by Pioneer
Pros
- Supportive yet comfortable
- Rustic, vintage leather looks
- Half-inch fit increments
Cons
- Not as thick as other leather belts
Material: Vegetable-tanned leather
Width: 4 inches
Fastening: Single-prong buckle
We buy weightlifting belts for the function, not the aesthetics. Despite that, it’s definitely the aesthetics that first drew us to this one, whose custom-dyed leather features a classic faded finish that just gives it a rustic, vintage feel. It just looks so nice. Luckily, it’s not just about the looks, either, as this belt brings genuinely stiff support that braces your core effectively. The leather is thinner than usual at just 8.5mm, so it’s a bit more forgiving, while breaking in a lot sooner than most other options in the list, making this just as good an option for Olympic lifts as it is for more traditional deadlift and squat movements. We also appreciate the half-inch fit increments, which allow us to dial in how it wears a lot better. It’s not something we’ve seen a lot in the category, so we really appreciate it. To accommodate those half-inch holes, though, they did have to stick to a single prong buckle, which feels secure enough throughout the times we used it.
Iron Bull 10mm Lever Lifting Belt
Pros
- Very thick and wide leather
- Super stiff
- Excellent support for deadlifts and squats
Cons
- Adjusting belt takes a bit of time
- Too stiff for dynamic movements
Material: Buffalo leather with suede liner
Width: 4 inches
Fastening: Lever
Iron Bull’s premium lever belt option, this IPF-approved weightlifting belt is cut in 13mm thick, grade A buffalo leather, which allows it to deliver incredible support during heavy squats and deadlifts. That 13mm thickness is even across the entire belt, too, so you get very rigid support across the entirety of your abs and lower back, making it ideal for those times you’re going really heavy. It pairs that thick buffalo leather with suede on the underside, which provides added grip, whether you wear it over your clothing, skin, or nylon belt, eliminating any likelihood of the belt slipping upward during movements. Because it’s wide and thick, it’s not as wearable during more dynamic movements, since the stiff hold is really limiting, although it’s absolutely perfect when requiring maximum support during deadlifts and squats. Adjusting the belt takes a bit more work, though, so it might frustrate a bit if you like changing up the fit from movement to movement.
Rep USA Premium Leather Lifting Belt
Pros
- Leather breaks in after a few uses
- Supportive
- Easy to clean
Cons
- Doesn’t feel as secure as double prong buckles
Material: Vegetable-tanned cattle leather
Width: 4 inches
Fastening: Single prong buckle
While this weightlifting belt’s robust leather felt plenty rigid at the start, it did break in rather easily after just a couple of uses. As such, it got a lot more comfortable to wear in short order, unlike many similarly thick and stiff leather belts out there. The result is a belt that delvers excellent support during big lifts, while being comfortable enough to keep on through different movements. Seriously, we were doing clean and jerks wearing this with no hint of the slightest discomfort, although your mileage may vary. It uses a single-prong buckle, which felt secure enough, although we still prefer dual-prong buckles, so we’re not quite big fans of that. On the upside, the buckles are very easy to adjust, so you definitely won’t mind tweaking the fit in between sets. We also like the fact that it uses “roughened” leather lining, which provides a good grip while still being very easy to clean compared to the more commonly-used suede. Simply put, if you want a lifting belt whose leather breaks in sooner than later, this is definitely the one you want to pick up – too many leather lifting belts just stay too rigid for far too long, in our opinion.
SBD Belt
Pros
- Unique gliding lever buckle
- Extremely stiff support
- Premium build and construction
Cons
- Red suede liner bleeds color
- Expensive
Material: Leather with suede liner
Width: 3.93 inches
Fastening: Lever
Probably the most iconic weightlifting belt out there, SBD’s popular belt is also one of the most expensive. Seriously, it’s quite an absurdly high price point, although everything about the belt does feel pretty premium. The gliding lever buckle, for instance, makes it significantly easier to adjust than other lever belts and it’s something you won’t find anywhere else, since SBD owns the patent for it. Like some of the best weightlifting belts out there, it’s thick (13mm) and wide (3.93 inches), ensuring it provides the necessary support across the abs and lower back. The leather it uses is treated for five months to ensure optimal hardness, so it delivers a lot of rigidity that provides the necessary support you’ll need during deadlifts and squats. However, that also means there’s no give whatsoever, so this is the kind of belt you’ll wear for an exercise and promptly remove as soon as it’s done. Yeah, it’s not comfortable at all when you need more dynamic movement. One annoying thing is the red suede they use as liner, which can bleed into lighter-color clothing when it gets sweaty, so we suggest wearing this over a nylon belt (or dark clothing) if you want to avoid the hassle.
