Why Trust The DWYM Score?

DWYM is focused on helping you make the best purchasing decision. Our team of experts spends hundreds of hours analyzing, testing, and researching products so you don't have to.Learn more.

Easy to Adjust There are no holes needed with this ratcheted buckle design.

Easy to Adjust There are no holes needed with this ratcheted buckle design.

Durable, Classic Style The leather material is plenty strong.

Durable, Classic Style The leather material is plenty strong.

Reliable Everyday Wear At work or play, this belt holds up well.

Reliable Everyday Wear At work or play, this belt holds up well.

No Stetched Holes The buckle design makes this a breeze to adjust.

No Stetched Holes The buckle design makes this a breeze to adjust.

For almost as long as we’ve had pants, the humble belt has been a reliable workhorse. At a basic level, it has but one job: To keep those pants up. But any rope can do that, and you wouldn’t want to wear one to a date. Among other things, picking the right belt requires thinking about your outfit, where you’re going to wear it, and how much time you have to put it on.

Start with the occasion. The look and size of a formal belt are going to be noticeably different from those of the one you wear on the weekends. For starters, dress belts tend to be thinner. Belts in general don’t vary much in width, and most are anywhere from one to one-and-a-half inches. But that extra half inch will definitely stand out on a tailored suit, and not in a good way. The best dress belts have a polished look to them, so high-grade leather is a good bet. You’ll want the buckle to be smaller, and for bonus style points make sure that it matches the general color of your watch or cufflinks. Likewise, you should try to have the strap color match your shoes.

For casual or work belts, you can focus more on comfort and versatility. Any material or configuration is OK, as long as it fits your usual style. Want to wear that giant metal cowboy buckle? Have fun, as long as you’re not doing it to a job interview.

Now let’s talk about the material on the strap. Belts can be made out of just about any fabric or animal hide known to man, and you can certainly find “statement” belts out there made from alligator hide or snakeskin. If you can afford it though, quality leather remains a good choice that suits all styles. It holds up well against both harsh weather and sustained stretching, and it has a very distinctive look. Mind you, not all leather belts perform equally well. Full grain or top grain leather can last for many years. Belts advertised as “genuine leather” might sound fancy, but the designation actually refers to an inferior grade of hide.

Suede is another reliable material that can be both dressy and laid-back. Belts made of canvas or webbing can last a long time, but they’re best suited for casual outfits. Vinyl can be made to look very fancy or deliberately loud, but it’s usually not the most durable choice.

Finally, let’s focus on the buckle. For many years, most belt buckles had the same basic configuration: A plate or D-shaped frame with a prong that fit through one of the holes in the belt. That style is still the most popular one today, and usually is the most affordable (unless we’re talking about those Texas-sized novelty buckles). If you want your belt to last, make sure that the holes are nice and thick and the stitching is secure. Even quality leather can get stretched out around the belt holes with sustained use.

If you want a cleaner look, box frame or ratchet-style belt buckles are becoming increasingly popular. With these fasteners, there’s no need for any holes at all. The buckle simply clamps down on the strap, squeezing it between the two sides of the frame. With ratchet belts, you can sometimes even adjust the tightness on the fly with a couple of pulls. This style of buckle tends to work best with suede or canvas straps that won’t get worn down by the pulling, but well-made leather can also hold up well.

The best part about this fashionable accessory is the buckle. The ratchet design allows you to clamp it on quickly and tighten as needed with a few small pulls. When it's time to take off, a simple unlatch sets the belt free.

If you're looking for a work belt that can stand the test of time, this delivers. The leather material can do its job for years and resists scuffing. The two holes for the buckle prong make it extra secure.

The clean design makes this belt great for jeans or work pants. There's nothing fussy about the material but it holds up well even in high humidity. The reinforced belt holes are made to stand up to sustained pulling without stretching out.

This clever accessory can keep up even if your waistline grows. The ratchet buckle keeps hold of the belt without the need for unsightly holes. Simply pull it on in the morning and clamp it down, then adjust if you require extra room.

This belt can complement almost any formal outfit thanks to the distinctive leather material and lack of unsightly holes. The belt itself has subtle ridges that help the buckle take hold. The buckle itself has a ratchet that allows wearers to pick their perfect length.

For almost as long as we’ve had pants, the humble belt has been a reliable workhorse. At a basic level, it has but one job: To keep those pants up. But any rope can do that, and you wouldn’t want to wear one to a date. Among other things, picking the right belt requires thinking about your outfit, where you’re going to wear it, and how much time you have to put it on.

Start with the occasion. The look and size of a formal belt are going to be noticeably different from those of the one you wear on the weekends. For starters, dress belts tend to be thinner. Belts in general don’t vary much in width, and most are anywhere from one to one-and-a-half inches. But that extra half inch will definitely stand out on a tailored suit, and not in a good way. The best dress belts have a polished look to them, so high-grade leather is a good bet. You’ll want the buckle to be smaller, and for bonus style points make sure that it matches the general color of your watch or cufflinks. Likewise, you should try to have the strap color match your shoes.

For casual or work belts, you can focus more on comfort and versatility. Any material or configuration is OK, as long as it fits your usual style. Want to wear that giant metal cowboy buckle? Have fun, as long as you’re not doing it to a job interview.

Now let’s talk about the material on the strap. Belts can be made out of just about any fabric or animal hide known to man, and you can certainly find “statement” belts out there made from alligator hide or snakeskin. If you can afford it though, quality leather remains a good choice that suits all styles. It holds up well against both harsh weather and sustained stretching, and it has a very distinctive look. Mind you, not all leather belts perform equally well. Full grain or top grain leather can last for many years. Belts advertised as “genuine leather” might sound fancy, but the designation actually refers to an inferior grade of hide.

Suede is another reliable material that can be both dressy and laid-back. Belts made of canvas or webbing can last a long time, but they’re best suited for casual outfits. Vinyl can be made to look very fancy or deliberately loud, but it’s usually not the most durable choice.

Finally, let’s focus on the buckle. For many years, most belt buckles had the same basic configuration: A plate or D-shaped frame with a prong that fit through one of the holes in the belt. That style is still the most popular one today, and usually is the most affordable (unless we’re talking about those Texas-sized novelty buckles). If you want your belt to last, make sure that the holes are nice and thick and the stitching is secure. Even quality leather can get stretched out around the belt holes with sustained use.

If you want a cleaner look, box frame or ratchet-style belt buckles are becoming increasingly popular. With these fasteners, there’s no need for any holes at all. The buckle simply clamps down on the strap, squeezing it between the two sides of the frame. With ratchet belts, you can sometimes even adjust the tightness on the fly with a couple of pulls. This style of buckle tends to work best with suede or canvas straps that won’t get worn down by the pulling, but well-made leather can also hold up well.

Belts are super-functional, but there’s never been a belt more super — or more functional — than Batman’s utility belt. In the comics, this handy holder had pockets that contained smoke pellets, lockpicks, tracers, batarangs and even a pellet of Kryptonite. On the campy Adam West TV series, the earliest versions of Batman’s belt had pouches made out of kitchen sponges. Not nearly as useful, but at least they looked cool — on low-res 1960’s TV sets.

As we all know, belts are adjustable — but you’re still going to have to find the right size. Luckily, belt makers have made it pretty easy. Sizes are almost universally listed in inches, so you can compare it to your usual waist size. As a good rule of thumb, you want to give yourself a little wiggle room. Go for a belt that’s a couple inches longer than your pants size, but not much more.

Tod Caviness has been a features journalist and writer in Central Florida for the past 20 years. His stories covered everything from indie fashion to nightlife, but they have only slightly improved his taste in clothes or the quality of his homemade Manhattans. Luckily, he still looks good in black.

DWYM simplifies the research process by aggregating the reviews of the top product review sites. The result is the DWYM Score which represents the overall true rating of a product based upon a 1-10 scale.

For the Men's Belt category, we analyzed 0 of the most popular reviews including reviews from and more. The result is a ranking of the best Men's Belts.