So you’ve decided to get serious about lifting. You love the Squat like your mother’s peach cobbler. The Deadlift is like your long lost brother. Your spare bed is the Bench Press. Well, then it’s time for a PB busting new belt.

You’ve been at this for a number of years and now that you’re tweaking and refining your training, the weight on the bar is starting to look serious. You understand the importance of strength training and you’ve noticed every other heavy lifter has this magic band around their waist that gives them Herculean strength and power that only a titan like you can harness.

This my friend, is a weight lifting belt and it will change the way you powerlift for good. We cover the best weightlifting belts for powerlifting.

Finding the right weightlifting belt for powerlifting can be tricky. There are hundreds of brands with different sizes, shapes, and uses. Remember, whenever measuring the size of a weightlifting belt, ensure you measure around your belly button, not your actual waist.

The best weightlifting belts are what works well for you, but here we’ve outlined some of the most reliable, comfortable, durable, and affordable powerlifting belts on the market.

Now, these are typically heavy-duty belts but can be used for all sorts of things. Olympic weightlifting, powerlifting, CrossFit, even heavy lifting around the house.

If you want to skip ahead to our top 3 picks for the best powerlifting belts then check these out👇

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Best Weightlifting Belts For Powerlifting

Belt	Buckle Type	Material	Waist Sizes	Width	Thickness
RDX Powerlifting Belt	Double Prong	Oil-Tanned Nubuck Leather	26″ – 45″	4″	10mm
RDX Powerlifting Belt	Lever Buckle	Oil-Tanned Nubuck Leather	28″ – 44″	4″	10mm
Steel Sweat Powerlifting Belt	Single Prong	Vegetable-Tanned Real Leather	25″ – 50″	4″	10mm
Dark Iron Fitness Powerlifting Belt	Double Prong	Cowhide Leather	23″ – 49″	4″	–

Best Overall Weightlifting Belt For Powerlifting

RDX is one of the leading brands in the weightlifting and powerlifting scene, and have been around for over 20 years building very high-quality gear. The two-pronged weightlifting belt is built with very durable oiled nubuck leather.

This belt will carry you through your intermediate journey to advanced. Your squat, deadlift, and cleans will undoubtedly increase with this fierce support to your back.

Nubuck leather is made from the stronger outer layer from the animals hide across the full surface area, and therefore much more durable and long-lasting. Not only that, but RDX has also taken this material through an ‘oiling’ process which improves the leather’s resistance to water and stains – something essential to withhold the hard wear and tear of powerlifting life.

Alongside the leather is the stainless steel buckle for MAXIMUM durability and long-lasting use, and peace of mind.

Ranging from 26” to 45”, this weightlifting belt clearly caters to the bigger man. These sizes range from small, medium, large, and x-large. The belt has a 4-inch width for full coverage around the back and uncompromising lumbar support. Compared to basic gym weightlifting belts, this is much wider and may feel strange at first, but once you find the right position you’ll never go back.

The RDX belts are also 10 millimeters thick (roughly half an inch) which makes you feel safe and secure when strapped in, exactly what’s needed for heavy squats and deadlifts.

Having a ‘double-pronged’ belt more evenly distributes the stress placed on the belt as opposed to a single prong, and can hold everything together more securely. Not to mention they look more badass!

The build quality is second to none, there’s no fault there. A premium feel without a doubt, and for a reasonable price. The main downside is the size of these belts. They won’t fit into a rucksack, and if you have a small duffel bag then you’ll struggle to fit in much else. If you tend to carry a larger gym bag then this shouldn’t be a huge problem.

On the whole, this should be the staple of your lifting gear. It’s versatile, tested, solid quality, and does the job very well. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Best Weightlifting Belt With Lever Buckle

For all the reasons stated above, RDX’s lever operated weightlifting belt still ranks the highest for our standards.

The exact same high quality build as the two-pronged belt has just got an ‘ease-of-use’ upgrade which now makes it a whole lot easier to get the best fit for your lifts. The RDX lever belt comes with 7 precision holes for the lever to fit into.

Now, the main benefit of the lever is not so much when you’re strapping in, but more so when you’re done with your lift – it’s significantly easier to slap the clasp off and give you that immediate breathing space after a big lift.

Those athletes competing in CrossFit, either recreationally or as part of the CrossFit games – you’ll also benefit massively from this belt. As you go from an olympic lift to kipping pull-ups, you’ll want to very quickly strip off this belt. The lever buckle helps you do just that.

I’ve personally tested this belt for 3 months and found a few nuances with the lever buckle system. The ‘hooks’ on the lever are quite small and can often feel like they’re not locking into place, but rather digging into the belt material. This may sound like minutia, but when you’re stepping up to do a PB on the squat rack, the last thing you want to feel is a lack of support.

Although the belt I’ve tested has had no issues with the lever buckle itself, there are reports online that point out that it can break and a replacement buckle would need to be purchased.

Overall, a top tier build quality belt from RDX that suits powerlifting, bodybuilding, and CrossFit with the practicality of a new lever system, just as long as it doesn’t break! ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Best Single Pronged Weightlifting Belt

Unlike a two-pronged or lever belt, the single pronged weightlifting belt means you can very easily adjust the belt in the moment of your big lift, there’s little to no faffing around trying to make it fit – a single prong takes the effort away.

For those serious lifters, the Steel Sweat weightlifting belt is 100% compliant with the Powerlifting Federation. In terms of real comfort, the suede interior lining is perfectly designed to wrap around your torso with minimal discomfort or distraction.

This industrial-strength, purpose build, easy to use weightlifting belt by Steel Sweat is built for the big bodybuilder, strongman, and advanced lifter. Of all the belts we’ve looked at it’s the only one that has an XXL size for up to a 50” waist. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Best Weightlifting Belt For Beginners

If you’re new to the lifting game or even heavy weightlifting, then you’ll need a suitable belt to support you achieve your gains. Most of the belts we’ve looked at start at 25” and larger.

The reasons we’ve picked Dark Iron Fitness as the winner of the ‘Beginner’ category is for its size and versatility for those starting out. Beginners might take heed of some much-needed advice for muscle hypertrophy on their journey to great power…and responsibility 🕷

You can find sizes ranging from X-small, medium, all the way to X-large for the big body shaped beginners.

When it comes to the basics like squatting and deadlifting, this will help you on your journey to an intermediate lifter.

This belt opts for a double-pronged finish which as we’ve already mentioned, even distributes the stress of the load across the belt better than a single pronged belt.

The Dark Iron Fitness weightlifting belt is also International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) approved and meets the standards for competitions.

Whilst the company boasts a number of stats on their page, such as “10% more weight lifted”, and “Barbell Deadlift and Squat 275kg without breaking”, these aren’t verified scientifically, but purely anecdotal from the customer feedback. If a belt could guarantee a 10% increase on your lifts that would truly be magical!

Ticking all the boxes for a new weightlifter that needs an entry-level belt, the Dark Iron Fitness brand is great for beginners and small waist lifters. IPF approved and sturdy, it’s a strong contender for this category. ⭐⭐⭐⭐