Tactical Belts that balance form, function and cost

Choose your Tactical Belt carefully, your life may depend on it!

Buy a tactical belt that has thousands of delighted verified buyers – tactical belt reviews from actual buyers

What makes a tactical belt great? Not one single thing, but several. And these factors also depend on what you want the belt for.

Different people want tactical belts for different reasons - concealed carrying, tools, heavy-duty flashlights, rappelling, survival and more. Regardless of what the final objective is, all tactical belts have some key features, which actually put them in the category of a tactical belt.

Tactical belts must be very durable, they need to be strong and have high tensile strength, they must be stiff, they must be able to take load without sagging, the buckle has to be of a high quality and they also need to be comfortable.

We, went and asked some heavy users and fans of tactical belts, what was most important for them, when they were choosing a tactical belt. They came out with four major factors that influence their decision – the width of the tactical belt, how rigid it is, the material it is made from and the buckle it has.

Most of them agreed that a good width of a tactical belt is between 1.25 inches to 2 inches in thickness. The reason was that at higher thickness the belt was able to handle a load better, as it got distributed more uniformly across the belt length. The rigidity of the belt was another very important factor as it would handle load better if it had more rigidity and stiffness. A less rigid belt can sag because of load, and also if you need to access what you are carrying fast, then you don’t want any bending or sagging, which could slow you down. Those in law enforcement talk about how a less rigid belt can slow down the drawing of their weapon.

When it comes to the material there are a couple of choices. Webbing with the right kind of weave that delivers higher tensile strength, high-quality leather, and paracord are some options that actual users seem to prefer. The buckle is also a vital consideration. It obviously has to be robust and hold the belt snugly in place. Also, the looks of the buckle matter, as some people prefer an unobtrusive buckle that will not draw attention, some want bigger more visible buckles and then there are high-grade plastic buckles that can pass through an airport security check without any problem. Some buckles are also designed to help in rappelling, so the options are quite diverse.

We found that a great way to bring you a few good tactical belts was by going through reviews and feedback from actual buyers and then putting it all together in a simplified format. That way you will get to know how the belt performed for actual people, who have bought it and used it. These aren’t opinions or marketing speak, these are real buyers either recommending the belt or complaining about its shortcomings. Usually it is a mix of both, and the overall review leans towards one side.

We bring you the low down on what real customers think about these tactical belts, after buying them.

Relentless Tactical Belt Review

This is the best reviewed tactical belt on Amazon, and if that wasn’t enough, there are over 3,500 reviews for this particular belt. That is a lot of people who have bought this belt. It is amazing to see over 92% 5-star reviews and almost negligible negative reviews. This belt comes with a lifetime guarantee of not sagging, splitting or rolling over.

Here is what buyers have to say about the Relentless Ultimate Tactical Belt.

One buyer feels that the belt is very nicely finished, has even coloring and good stitching. He goes on to say that he wears a full-sized firearm 10 hours a day, and this belt makes it very comfortable. He totally swears by the belt saying that he would trust it with his life hanging over a cliff. Another buyer says the belt is very nicely weighted and solid, and perfect for his gun. Another buyer was very pleased with the Relentless customer care. He talked to them about how his belt was not the right fit, and Relentless send them a smaller size 38, which he is extremely satisfied with. That goes to say a lot about their customer care.

Another buyer found the belt so good, that he feels that it will serve him well for at least 15 years, even though his use is very heavy and very rough. Another buyer realized precisely why the belt had a lifetime warranty, as soon as he touched the belt. It had a solid, thick and stiff feel that he felt would perfectly support IWB and OWB holsters and even a full-sized handgun. This buyer was also extremely pleased by the way the belt looks, and felt he could wear it every day, and would only get compliments for the way the belt looked. Another thrilled buyer stated that he found the Relentless belt better than the Bianchi belt. He also talked about how due to some shooting classes coming up he realized only after the 30 day Amazon window had closed, that his belt was too big for him. However, when he called Relentless, they sent him a smaller sized belt immediately. He was absolutely floored by the Relentless customer service. Another customer was pleased with the quality of the belt, and was also happy to note that it was an ‘American’ made belt using authentic 1 1/2" wide USA leather.

Another customer was very specific in his assessment, and stated that the Relentless belt he purchased was of a very high quality, and the buckle, which was made from stainless steel was attached with very good quality hardware. He also wrote that the thickness and the leather quality was excellent. He then went on to state that the belt was good for using as an everyday work belt or gun belt. He found the leather to be pliable and comfortable, yet stiff and sturdy, which is why it did not roll over, sag or twist when carrying his tools, radio, heavy-duty flashlight or firearm. Another buyer noted that nothing can fit and become ‘individually comfortable’ like a high-quality leather belt. He had used belts back in the time when they were all made from leather and hand tooled, and he found the Relentless leather belt to be of that same quality.

With so few negative reviews it was hard to find one, but we did come across one buyer who was not happy with the belt quality. He felt that the Aker belt that was also available on Amazon was the minimum level of stiffness that he was willing to accept. He went on to say that he carries full size steel frames to compact polymers, and only the Aker doesn’t sag with them. He also talked about going in for a Magpul belt. Clearly, he had no real complaints, and was just trying to get other brand names into the reviews. However, you can check out the two belts he mentioned if you wish to. Another buyer gave a low rating because after just two months of using his Relentless, the stitching on the belt came loose, and the loop that the extra portion of the belt goes through, fell off. With over 3,400 5-star reviews, these negative reviews must be from those extremely rare defective products that may have gone through.

Fairwin Tactical Belt Review

Fairwin has been into the tactical products market since 2016, and has a wide range of products including their tactical belts. The Fairwin tactical belt is made from nylon webbing and is at a pretty low price point. The specific material used is 1000 Denier environment friendly nylon. Though you can say that Fairwin is a relative newcomer, their products are high quality. The Fairwin tactical belt features a military belt buckle that has been made from heavy-duty metal. You should be able to see from the image above that the buckle has quick release functionality by pushing down the two golden tabs. This quick release mechanism is very smooth and intuitive, and requires both tabs to be pushed down simultaneously. If only one tab gets pushed, the belt does not release, and in fact comes back to full re-lock position with both tabs pushed back out. Enough about the belt, let us get into what actual buyers have to say about this tactical belt. Currently it has almost 500 reviews on Amazon with an average rating of 4 stars.

One buyer was happy with the belt and found it to be a good and comfortable ever day carry belt. He felt that the belt was great and it worked very well with all of his holsters. He however was not happy with the fact that sometimes when he sat down his pants would press into the bottom release tab of the belt and it would unbuckle. He found the belt great for every day wear and highly recommends it. He, however, wished that this was thicker than a single ply belt as it would have been stiffer and able to support more load. Another verified buyer was very clear in his assessment of the belt. His primary use for the belt was to hold up his hiking pants, for which he felt the belt was perfect. He however went on to write that if this was for a tactical firearm, then the belt may not be stiff enough. He also wrote that if someone wanted a rigger’s belt for heavy loads, then they should opt for a proper rigger’s belt that would be in the range of 50 to 90 dollars.

A verified buyer uses it for every day wear and felt that it was thin and comfortable, yet strong. He would not recommend it for carrying guns, though he does not carry one himself, and also felt that it may not be strong enough for supporting heavy carrying. Another buyer who is a safety manager for a marine construction firm found the belt very suitable for his needs.

Yet another buyer put together a clear set of pros and cons. He found the Fairwin belt had a solid buckle which was easy to use. The belt was easy to get on and off and had a light weight webbing comfortable for daily wear. He found the price to be extremely reasonable. When it came to the cons, he pointed out that since the belt was made from light weight webbing, it may not be able to handle some tough field situations. It was not very effective with a holster, as the webbing bows out with a single loop hip holster. A buyer compared the belt with the more premium and better known 5.11 brand belts. He felt that the 5.11 was thicker, stiffer and much more solid in construct, but he found more value in the Fairwin belt as it was priced only $16.99 while the 5.11 was priced at $90. He was very happy with the Fairwin belt and gave it a 10 on 10 for light everyday tactical use.

A buyer who is a hunter found the belt to be excellent for his intended use, which was to hold hid tactical pants snugly in place. He has been using the belt regularly, but does not load it with anything, instead using a separate pack hip belt. He says that there was absolutely no slipping when used the belt, and he felt that for its price it was great value for money.

Once common negative feedback on this belt is about its buckle coming open under pressure. One buyer even posted a video of the buckle opening on being pulled apart. Yet there were other buyers who were satisfied and use it to carry lightweight guns, and found it buckle to be good quality. In fact they were quite happy that the buckle does not open on pressing one tab, and only opens when both the tabs are pushed down. Overall this seems to be a reasonably good tactical belt for the price, but should not be used for heavy duty or mission critical purposes.