Are Belts Supposed to Suck When They're New?

[Kazzin]

My belt is probably floppier than that. I rolled the absolute shit out of it when I got it.

[Cody]

Mine is much stiffer than that, although it is not uncomfortable at all.

[Adam Skillin]

My best belt has loosened up further since I got it, but it started out FAR less stiff than many other belts I've seen. I don't think "broken in" is binary.

[boot29342342]

mine is much stiffer than that, although it is not uncomfortable at all.

twss

[Nick Klemetson]

Here is mine:

https://vimeo.com/101771859

Is this considered completely broken in? I really have no idea. This is the only belt I've ever handled in my life. I've used this one for about 1 month, so it's a bit more pliable than it was day 1.

That's about how mine looks. I don't ever roll it into a tiny little ball though. It never needs to be rolled that tightly. The tightest I ever have it is when it's in my bag, where I cinch it on the smallest hole.

Since it's your first time using a belt, you probably just need to get used to it. Just make sure you're not using it too tightly. Just because it's designed to use the 4th hole, you could have mis-measured or something else might have happened. Use whatever hole allows you to get 1-2 fingers in between you and the belt. You shouldn't have to suck in your gut to cinch it up. My body composition has changed a lot over the last year, and I keep switching holes. I started out on the 4th, then 5th, then 6th, and now I'm back on the 5th again.

[idlehands]

My best belt has loosened up further since I got it, but it started out FAR less stiff than many other belts I've seen. I don't think "broken in" is binary.

Well I also think flipping it and rolling it around doesn't allow for the breaking in along the other direction. Which is what I think helps. Ie after 2 years of use my belt feels better when I squat so much that it doesn't bruise my hips. I just assumed the edges broke in around me a bit. Not the roll it into a ball floppy pliability that has been mentioned but pliability around the top/ bottom edges not length wise.

[Adam Skillin]

Well I also think flipping it and rolling it around doesn't allow for the breaking in along the other direction. Which is what I think helps. Ie after 2 years of use my belt feels better when I squat so much that it doesn't bruise my hips. I just assumed the edges broke in around me a bit. Not the roll it into a ball floppy pliability that has been mentioned but pliability around the top/ bottom edges not length wise.

Yeah, that makes sense. Most of us are not the exact same circumference along 4" of our middles. A little extra flexibility along the width, rather than length of the belt would theoretically accommodate that fact.