The Best Weightlifting Belts in 2023

Rogue Fitness is one of the biggest lifting equipment manufacturers out there. Founded in 2004, they’ve had a staggering growth and now they’re industry titans. Nowadays, they’re renowned for their quality leather products. These are belts that provide strength athletes with the flexibility to use across multiple types of exercises, becoming a staple in their routines.

The Rogue Ohio Lifting Belt is one of the thicker products on the list. Made using leather, it’s hard and reliable, engaging your core to the max and giving you a lot of stability for intense reps. It’s an amazing product if you’re into doing quick sets of deadlifts, squat lifts, exercises that put a big strain on your lower back.

In terms of stability, it has a single-prong buckle, but it’s a thick prong and it won’t wiggle much if you get a tight fit. The belt is designed to fit a wide range of physiques, both male and female, although overweight people might find it hard to find a good fit. In terms of flexibility, it’s a bit harder than the norm, especially if you’re used to using nylon belts.

Overall, it’s great for powerlifting but won’t give you much flexibility if you just wanna freestyle. If you need a hard belt to keep your core tight and engaged throughout your entire workout and are willing to sacrifice a bit of comfort, the Ohio Lifting belt is a great pick. It’s sturdy, has a snug fit, and will fit most athletes out there.

We’re moving on to our second product, the Texus Weight Lifting belt from Steel Sweat. It’s another thick leather belt, so it’s perfect for those intense, long-rep lifting sessions. With 4’’ of width, it provides your core with plenty of stability. Made from cowhide, it’s rigid, it’s stable, and it’s reliable.

Steel Sweat is no industry giant or anything like that, and while that doesn’t reflect the quality of their products, it does reflect the price. You’re basically getting premium quality for an off-brand price. The design is a little rough around the edges, but that shouldn’t matter too much.

Basically, the single-prong buckle provides plenty of support while offering a smidge of flexibility, the thickness is on-par with that of the competition, and the size options vary for XS to XXL, covering most preferences. Overall, this is one of the makes the cut for the best weightlifting belt title, as it’s very durable and stable.

If you want a product that will undoubtedly unleash your inner beast, the Beast Gear PowerBelt should be your belt of choice. With a two-prong buckle system, it provides unparalleled stability, giving your core that boost in power that you need to keep shredding through those lifts.

Overall, when compared to everything we’ve reviewed so far, it’s nothing out of the ordinary, but that’s just because all the leather lifting belts we’ve featured up until this point are truly stellar products. The Beast Power Belt keeps your expectations up, bringing that same level of quality to your gym bag.

We’re not gonna go too in-depth because it’s just so similar with the industry-standard leather weightlifting belt, but we will say that the quality and the pricing is competitive. The two-prong buckle system is a bit harder to use since leather belts are pretty rigid and getting the right angle while the belt is stretched can be an issue, but it does provide more stability, so it’s a trade-off.

So, we’re at the point where we would like to look at some value-oriented products. Premium leather belts can be pretty expensive, and most of the money goes towards the design and the brand, not the materials. The Dark Iron Fitness Leather Pro belt is a pretty good in-between choice when you want a mix of value and quality.

It’s the same 4’’ wide 10 mm thick belt format, so you’re getting more or less the same level of pressure on your core. It’s important to mention that most of these leather belts require a break-in period, where the belt will mold itself to your body shape, and that this process is a bit more daunting for lower-quality products. That’s not to say that these products are bad, just that they’re less good than the premium items.

The Stoic Powerlifting Belt is a very good choice if you’re looking for that raw core engagement. The design is very polished and minimalistic, which in our view, is definitely a plus, and it comes in two variants: 10 mm and 6 mm. With the 10 millimeter thickness, you’re getting that high pressure, that extreme core engagement, something that you definitely need for chest pressing, deadlifts, squatting, the norm. On the other hand, the 6 millimeter gives you some extra flexibility to move around, allowing you to rely more on your natural strength during exercises and to get more gains in the process.

The single-prong design is, in our view, superior to double-prong belts, since it takes considerably less time to equip the belt without sacrificing any stability. While the 6-millimeter variant will definitely result in a performance loss, you gain more comfort. Leather belts have a break-in period, where you can easily bruise your ab area, especially if they put a lot of pressure on your ribcage.

If you’re looking for a product that’s considered the best squat belt, then look no further. For a very competitive price, you get an amazing design, premium looking materials, and a thick, durable belt. Pair it with your weightlifting shoes and wrist wraps and destroy that barbell.

Good leather belts are not cheap. Well, that used to be true, but ProFitness wants to change the game. The ProFitness Genuine Leather Workout Belt comes at a truly cheap price and brings quality and reliability. If you want to find a safe product without digging deep into your pockets, this comes at less than half of what you’d pay for the competition.

We won’t be spending a lot of time reviewing this product, because you already know everything you need to make the purchase. It’s for hardcore weightlifting, it’s reliable and durable, and it comes at an amazing price. The only real downside is the double-prong design, which does make it a bit harder to equip, but everything else makes up for it. Highly recommended.

We’ve already discussed how good Rogue products are, but if you’re looking for something with a bit more flex and less pressure, you’re not going to buy their leather workout belt. Luckily for you (and everyone), Rogue also has a nylon lifting belt. You won’t be worrying about bruising, about breaking in the leather, and you can focus on lifting right off the bat.

Coming at an amazing price, with the Rogue brand backing up the quality, you’re left with a 4’’ wide weightlifting belt that has a 5’’ taper for superior stability, and antimicrobial smooth buckle and a product that’s designed with the two-time CrossFit Games champion Mat Fraser. The thick foam frame makes it comfortable without losing a lot of core pressure in the process, so you get a high-quality belt that’s gonna help you blast through those reps.

If you’re not happy with Rogue’s Nylon lifting belt, then Fire Team has a pretty good alternative in this 6-inch lifting belt. With more width, you get pressure distributed across a bigger area. This will result in a slight decline in performance but will be much more comfortable.

If you’re not a hardcore lifter but you’re looking to get there, this is a great item. With an emphasis on comfort, you’ll have plenty support to tackle moderate and hard barbell workouts. This will also help you build your core strength more since your muscles won’t be isolated and you’ll mostly rely on your natural strength.

Nylon belts are easier to equip, with slide-stop buckles and more flexibility. You won’t have to put crazy amounts of pressure to get the right fit, it’s easier to clean and maintain, and it comes at a considerably smaller price.

Most products we’ve featured are unisex, but they’re also tailored to enthusiasts. If you have a frail physique and want to get a blend of support and comfort to start you out on your powerlifting journey, the Harbinger Women’s nylon lifting belt is an amazing choice. Sometimes, sizes are a big issue, and this also comes in small and extra small fits, for people with more slender waists.

It’s pretty cheap, so it’s nice to see that there’s no pink tax attached, but it does come in pink, purple, and merlot variants. The flexible nylon makes them comfortable, and the 5-inch width helps spread the pressure more evenly, eliminating a lot of discomfort in the process. Overall, good build quality, but don’t buy it unless you can’t find a good fit with the other products.