We may earn a commission from links on this page.If youre serious about lifting barbells, sooner or later youre probably going to want a belt. Belts dont prevent injury as people sometimes assume, but they do help you to lift more weight. This helps you to squat and deadlift heavierthus get strongerso theyre standard equipment for a lot of strong people. We have a guide here to understanding what belts are for, how they work, and who needs them. But once you get the basic idea, youll probably still have questions. So lets dig in. By the way, if you want the short answer as to which belt I, your resident expert, wear: I have two that I love. My trusty leather belt is a Pioneer cut with offset holes, 3 inches wide, 10 millimeters thick, in maroon suede. I've had it for five or six years now and it's still going strong. My other belt is a velcro belt from 2Pood, 4 inches wide. I don't wear it much anymore because the velcro is starting to wear out, but I got it signed by Kate Vibert just after she won silver in the 2020 Olympics, so I'm never throwing it out. When should you buy a weightlifting belt?Every coach has their own opinion on when is the right time for a new trainee to buy a belt. Some might want to see you lift a certain weight first, or demonstrate a certain amount of skill at the big lifts. But the truth is, theres no agreed-upon dividing line between people who need a belt and people who dont. A belt is a tool that anybody can use, at any point in their lifting career. It doesnt make up for not knowing how to brace, so it makes sense to learn how to brace first. But a belt can help you learn how to brace, since you can feel your belly pushing against the belt when youre doing it right.In my opinion, if youre wondering whether you should get a belt, its probably time to get a belt. A lot of the good leather ones need to be ordered online, and some have a lead time of several weeks, so you might not actually get the belt until a month or two after you decide youre readyin other words, you may want to order your belt sooner rather than later.Which kind of weightlifting belt should you get?If you search for weightlifting belt online, youll get tons of results, many of them marketed to gym goers who want to look cool but who dont really understand what a belt is for. Let me cut through the marketing to say: There are only a few kinds of belts that strength sport athletes commonly wear. A velcro beltFirst, theres the 4-inch velcro belt. Im starting here because its a good all-purpose belt, cheaper than the leather ones were about to talk about, and its arguably easier to adjust and wear, too. I have one from 2Pood, which is a popular brand among Olympic weightlifters and Crossfitters. These belts are 4 inches wide, they close with a velcro strap, and they have a locking mechanism around the strap so that it wont pop open even if the velcro fails mid-lift. The velcro will wear out over time, although mine put up with more than three years of frequent use before I started to notice any problems.Velcro belts don't have to be limited to Olympic lifts, by the way. They work just fine for heavy squats and deadlifts, too. Velcro belts will generally run you between $30 and $70, depending on the brand and any special features, like custom colors. Weightlifters' favorite, and it comes in sequin options 2POOD 4-inch Weightlifting Belt $64.99 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now $64.99 at Amazon Budget option ProFitness 4-inch Weightlifting Belt $26.45 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now $26.45 at Amazon A solid, basic belt Gymreapers 4-inch Weightlifting Belt $34.97 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now $34.97 at Amazon SEE 0 MORE A leather single-prong beltNext are leather belts that buckle like, well, a traditional belt. These look like a comically large version of a regular belt you'd wear to hold up your pants: they're either 3 or 4 inches wide, and made of a thick leather that is usually either 10 or 13 millimeters. The buckle is enormous to match. (When I got my first belt in the mail, I laughed. I couldnt imagine wearing it out in public. But now I just see it as a normal piece of gym equipment.) There are double-prong belts, which look cool, but they can be really annoying to operate. Remember, youll be taking it off and putting it on (or loosening and tightening it) between sets. The second prong doesnt make the belt any more secure, but it does make it fussier to fasten. In addition to my velcro belt, I have a single-prong leather belt as well, and mine is a Pioneer cut with offset holes. This way, instead of choosing between two holes that are an inch apart, I can adjust the belt in 1/2-inch increments. Adjustable with half-inch hole spacing LiftingLarge Leather Powerlifting Belt $149.80 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now $149.80 at Amazon The classic Inzer Leather Buckle Belt $139.95 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now $139.95 at Amazon A solid budget buy Steel Sweat Leather Weightlifting Belt $59.95 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now $59.95 at Amazon SEE 0 MORE A leather lever beltInstead of a buckle, you may prefer a lever belt. Instead of placing a buckle prong through the hole of your choice when you put it on, you use a screwdriver to install the lever into the appropriate hole in the belt. Then you simply close the lever to lock it closed, and pop it open when youre ready to take the belt off. The pop can be satisfying after a big liftsee this clip of Jessica Buettner for an example. (I do not have a lever belt. I am slightly jealous of people who do.) These belts are available in the same common sizes as the good single-prong belts: 3 or 4 inches wide, 10 mm or 13 mm thick. Pioneer, the same company that makes my adjustable prong belt, also sells an adjustable lever that gives you a little bit of room to fasten the belt tighter or looser without having to take the lever off with a screwdriver. (Pioneer isnt paying me to shill for them, I just happen to like their adjustable designs.) For an example of a non-adjustable, Inzers Forever lever is a popular and durable design. Good quality leather belts, both prong and lever, cost more than velcro. $100 to $150 would be a typical price range, with the thicker belts usually being more expensive. (Again, custom colors and designs will run you a bit more.) Inzer Lever Weightlifting Belt $139.94 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now $139.94 at Amazon Easy adjusting Pioneer Lever Weightlifting Belt $174.95 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now $174.95 at Amazon The adjustable lever by itself (attach to your old lever belt) Pioneer Adjustable Lever (PAL) (Silver) $90.00 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now $90.00 at Amazon SEE 0 MORE How to buy the right sizeYour waist measurement will tell you the length of belt you should order; refer to the sizing chart on the belt companys website to find the right size. If youre between sizes, consider whether youre likely to get bigger or smaller over time. For example, if you know youll be losing weight, you may want a belt that will still fit if you get a bit slimmer. On the other hand, its normal to gain muscle mass as you get stronger, and you may want to have the room to get bigger without having to buy a whole new belt. When it comes to the width, 4 inches is standard. (The maximum width allowable in competition is usually 4 inches for powerlifting and 12 centimeters, or 4.7 inches, in weightlifting.) The advice I got when I was a beginner is that almost everybody likes a 4-inch belt for squatting, but that some people prefer a 3-inch belt for deadlifts. I ended up getting mine in a 3-inch size, and it fits well for both lifts. Some people prefer a 4-inch belt for both lifts, but wear it higher on their waist for deadlifts. If youre not sure, see if you can borrow a belt to try on. The next thing to decide, if youre buying a leather belt, is whether to get your belt in a thickness of 10 millimeters or 13 millimeters. If in doubt, get the 10 mm. Thirteen is very thick, and many people find it makes the belt uncomfortably stiff, especially at the edges. If you are a large person and already very strong, you might need the 13 mm. But in that case, you will probably come to that conclusion through experience over time. If youre reading this, thats probably not you, and you want the 10 millimeter.My top picks for each type of belt: Velcro locking belt: 2Pood straight weightlifting beltLeather single-prong: Pioneer Cut 10 mmLeather lever: Inzer Forever lever 10 mmWhich kind of weightlifting belts to avoidSo are there belts you shouldnt buy? Arguably, yes: Double prong belts are fussier to open and close, and they aren't any stronger than single prong. If you want a buckle, most people will be happier with the single prong kind.Velcro belts without a lock can pop open mid-lift. Look for one that has a locking mechanism that holds the strap in place, like those from 2Pood or Gymreapers.Tapered belts, with a wide back and a narrow front, used to be popular among Olympic weightlifters. They arent used as much anymore, though; velcro belts have largely replaced them. Most tapered belts youll see online are lower quality ones aimed at people just trying to look cool in the gym. Fine as a fashion choice, but they wouldnt be my first pick. That said, if you already have one, might as well use it. It will be fine. Really cheap weightlifting belts (like the $20 ones you might find on Amazon) wont last as long and might not perform as well, but they honestly arent terrible. If you arent sure whether you need a belt at all, I wouldnt blame you for buying the cheap thing first and upgrading later.With that information, you should be well equipped to buy a belt that meets your needs. A locking velcro belt or a 10 millimeter straight leather belt, depending on your preference, will be best for most people. Now, whether you want a plain black belt or a custom sequin design, thats something youll have to figure out for yourself.