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Best Battle Belt

Best Battle Belts in 2022: Top 5 Best War Belt Picks

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The tactical belt market, like many other tactical products, is saturated with options, often making it difficult for users to select the best battle belt for the job. Even though most users will not be utilizing these products in dynamic combat operations, it is always reassuring to know this piece of kit is one of the best war belts on the market.

Fortunately, through years of development, testing, and utilization by warfighters, first responders, and responsibly armed citizens alike, some of these battle belts have stood out as being some of the best on the market. We will look into five such products today.

Best Battle Belts

#ImageProductScoreBrowse
1Best battle belt 2 - Crye AVS Low Profile BeltCRYE AVS LOW PROFILE BELT9.8check price
2best battle belt 3 - 5.11 maverick battle belt5.11 MAVERICK BATTLE BELT9.4check price
3Best battle belt 1 - Blue Force Gear CHLK Tactical Belt KitBLUE FORCE GEAR CHLK TACTICAL BELT KIT9.2check price
4Best battle belt 4- Grey Ghost Gear UGF Battle BeltGREY GHOST GEAR UGF BATTLE BELT8.9check price
5best battle belt 5 - Viking Tactics VTAC Cobra Belt and Battle Belt VIKING TACTICS VTAC COBRA BELT AND BATTLE BELT8.5check price
Best Battle Belts Table

What to look for When Buying a Battle Belt?

It is critical to understand what makes a battle belt good, as this piece of kit is an integral part of the overall system someone will be augmenting and wearing for a given mission set.

Just like in our budget battle belt review, we have found that material quality, comfort, webbing, belt design, and durability, in no particular order, are the key areas to analyze and consider when selecting a battle belt/war belt.

  • Material Quality – Strong, well-woven, and battle-proven materials must be used in the construction of battle belts. Nylon based materials like Cordura, 500D, 1000D, and other proprietary textiles have become standard material types and strengths often associated with the best war belts. These types of textiles ensure long term use and functionality. These materials exhibit extreme abrasion resistances, which is the hallmark of high-quality soft goods.
  • Comfort – Based on how a belt is worn and also designed, the level of comfort is critical to a user’s setup. Not only do long missions make comfort a premium, but also the different environments and operating parameters can influence comfort (vehicle ops, maritime ops, etc.). Since everyone has a different body type and structure, the different features each battle belt is designed with can greatly influence the level of comfort.
  • Webbing -The style of webbing and modularity a belt utilizes are essentially an industry standard. Virtually all soft goods, to include battle belts, utilize MOLLE pattern webbing. However, the webbing must be constructed to handle repeated abuse as well as reconfiguration over the life of the product. 
  • Belt Design – The overall design, layout, and construction of the belt are key to its usability. There are various designs, such as two belt systems with an inner and outer portion or padded versus nonpadded battle belts, with each product exhibiting different attributes that both users and the mission can be optimized for.
  • Durability – Of all attributes, durability may be one of the most important. Over the course of training events as well as real-world operations, a war belt must be able to handle both dynamic movement and stress being placed on the material, stitching, and attached pouches to ensure full mission capability of this piece of kit. Again, abrasion resistance plays a major factor.

Best Battle Belt List

We have considered our own experiences with these products, online reviews and feedback from other industry writers and influencers, as well as the reputations of the manufacturers in developing this list.

These types of mission-critical kits require users to do some research and consider what exactly they need to succeed at their intended objective. With those key areas in mind, we can now provide our top five battle belts on the market.

1. Crye AVS Low Profile Belt

The Crye Precision AVS Low Profile Belt is a single piece belt designed to be used in conjunction with the Crye Precision Adaptive Vest System (AVS). The belt can be tethered to the vest via built-in tether points on both pieces of equipment. This belt utilizes the standard materials, durable nylons, and MOLLE webbing found on most battle belts. 

Key Aspects and Features

  • Average price: $175.00
  • Maximized lumbar support for comfort
  • Weight: 14 oz
  • Sizes: 27” to 47”
  • Designed to be used in tandem with Crye Precision vests
  • Available colors are coyote brown, ranger green, and MultiCam

Material Quality

The Crye Low Profile Belt uses durable nylons and padding to provide the maximum strength and comfort while wearing this belt. The materials used are not ballistic rated.

Comfort

This belt uses built in padding and a wide width belt design to spread the weight of the carried gear across the waist and hips. Also, since this belt is easily attached to a tactical vest, this battle belt is able to shift the weight from the waist to the shoulders and back. This makes for a more comfortable way to spread the overall load out across the body.

Webbing

This war belt uses standard MOLLE webbing and durable stitching to allow for gear and pouches to be laid out for maximum comfort and accessibility.

Belt Design

Since this belt can easily be connected to a tactical vest, it has an enhanced design to maximize its adaptability. The built-in padding also offers users hours of comfort while on their feet.

Durability

Crye Precision is known for both the high quality of their products and a solid warranty backing them up. By using the same materials found in their tactical vests and pouches, this battle belt is guaranteed to last for a long time, even under the toughest of conditions.

Best Applications for this Belt

This belt is best used in conjunction with a tactical vest and is ideal for domestic duty use as well as for long range military patrols. Also, since this belt is a one-piece design, it would also work well as a standalone unit for home defense or as an emergency grab-and-go style of battle belt ideally staged in a vehicle.

Pros

  • This one-piece belt can be used by itself or easily tethered to a tactical vest
  • The wide range in sizes and the wide built-in padding are ideal for many body-types
  • The lightweight construction and modular nature of this belt make it multirole configurable
  • Crye Precision does not list details for many of their products, including this belt, online, so users will have to handle the belts to get a better idea of its fit, feel, and construction
  • The belt only has two rows of MOLLE webbing split into three areas on the belt, possibly restricting user configurations

OUR RATING

We review our products on a 1 to 10 scale. The higher the score the better the product quality in the performance category.

Performance CategoryRating Score
Durability10
Material Quality9.7
Comfort10
Belt Design9.8
Webbing9.4
Buckle Design & Quality9.9
Overall Score9.8
Product review rating table

2. 5.11 Maverick Battle Belt

The 5.11 Maverick Battle Belt uses a two-piece inner and outer belt with a built-in hook and loop system to securely and comfortably provide users with a strong battle belt system. The 1.75” belt has a contour cut designed to be extremely comfortable. The MOLLE loops cover the entirety of this belt and it utilizes a cobra buckle in conjunction with hook and loop to make it easy to take the belt on and off.

Key Aspects and Features

  • Average price: $145.00
  • Ergonomic curved shape
  • Weight: 12.2 oz
  • Sizes: small to xx large
  • Laser-cut laminate MOLLE
  • Strong construction using laminate and nylon webbing

Material Quality

The 5.11 battle belt uses TAC-LAM high strength laminate and dual nylon webbing to be extremely strong and tough. The top and bottom weaving and the centered laser-cut pill are also of high quality.

Comfort

This battle belt is contoured in an ergonomic curved shape, allowing it to better fit around a variety of waist sizes. With the two-piece construction, the belt also is able to move with a user, while also maintaining a high level of retention between the inner and outer belt.

Webbing

The webbing is laser-cut MOLLE, enabling a very tight and precise fit for the any MOLLE pouches and gear attached to the belt.

Belt Design

The design is fairly simple and reflects the decades of refinement the tactical industry has honed from user feedback and the progress made in materials science. The inner belt incorporates a hook and loop system to then have the outer belt placed around it, with a cobra buckle providing the outer belt with a convenient way to attach and release tension.

Durability

This 5.11 belt uses the industry standard materials of dual nylon webbing and proprietary Cordura nylon webbing to provide users with the expected durability of modern tactical soft goods.

Best Applications for this Belt

Although this belt is designed for duty use, it is better suited for domestic use by law enforcement and first responders, and not for long distance military patrols. This belt would also be comfortable to use at the range for practice or even at some competition venues.

Pros

  • This belt system uses the standard materials and configurations users and the industry have thoroughly tested
  • The simple yet robust design makes this belt a solid choice for duty use
  • The configuration of this belt at only a 1.75” width limits its use to being comfortably worn only for short to medium lengths of time
  • The tight layout of the MOLLE restricts the use of certain gear and pouches

OUR RATING

We review our products on a 1 to 10 scale. The higher the score the better the product quality in the performance category.

Performance CategoryRating Score
Durability9.5
Material Quality9
Comfort9.2
Belt Design9.5
Webbing9.4
Buckle Design & Quality9.5
Overall Score9.4
Product review rating table

3. Blue Force Gear CHLK Tactical Belt Kit

The Blue Force Gear CHLK Tactical Belt Kit utilizes the latest material and technology to create a lightweight battle belt that can be used as a both a low-profile pistol belt or as a full-on war belt, with plenty of real estate for a full loadout. This system uses an inner and outer belt to spread the weight out and maintain a solid level of gear retention. Such systems have become very common over the past few decades.

Key Aspects and Features

  • Average price: $250.00
  • MOLLE Attachments with an internal frame or rigid composite laminate
  • Weight: 12.5 oz
  • Sizes: 30” to 44”
  • Natural fitting cut, to ensure maximum comfort
  • Combat Helo load rated kit

Material Quality

The Blue Force Gear CHLK Belt uses rigid composite laminate, ULTRAcomp laminate, TEX 70 bonded nylon thread, and tubular webbing in its construction. The inner and outer belt interface using a hook and loop style of system, and along with the cobra buckle, ensure a high quality of retention and strength.

Comfort

This belt has a natural fitting, curved contour which better reflects the natural contours found along the human waist and hips. This ensures a higher level of comfort, rather than a rigid circular war belt.

Webbing

The Milspec load rated tubular webbing is used across the belt and is designed to meet and exceed the requirements for harness equipment. This webbing also is tied into the cobra buckle, ensuring a high level of strength.

Belt Design

This is a two-belt system, designed to ensure maximum comfort and modularity, while still allowing for the belt to be setup in both a minimalist configuration or a full-on war belt, with all the gear the modern warfighter needs.

Durability

The manner in which the rigid composite laminate, ULTRAcomp laminate, TEX 70 bonded nylon thread, and tubular webbing are structured ensures users can train hard and fight hard with the CHLK Belt.

Best Applications for this Belt

The manufacturer recommends this belt for tactical operations. We also find the CHLK Belt is an excellent option for civilians who want a modular belt system for the range and home defense, allowing for pouches to be easily added or removed. The lightweight construction can also lend itself well to duty, hunting, and general outdoor use.

Pros

  • The multilayered system incorporates extremely durable materials for hard use
  • The natural cut of the belt provides enhanced comfort
  • The design of this belt lends itself to a variety of applications
  • The two-belt system can be easily overloaded causing fatigue
  • The sizing will only fit young to middle-aged males of a certain body composition
  • The belt system has a load rating, but users must ensure this meets their unit/department standards

OUR RATING

We review our products on a 1 to 10 scale. The higher the score the better the product quality in the performance category.

Performance CategoryRating Score
Durability9
Material Quality9.2
Comfort8.6
Belt Design9.2
Webbing9.4
Buckle Design & Quality9
Overall Score9.2
Product review rating table

4. Grey Ghost Gear UGF Battle Belt

The Grey Ghost Gear UGF Battle Belt with inner padding is another quality two-piece battle belt incorporating many features users have come to expect. This padded battle belt is designed to be lightweight and comfortable, with a streamlined layout to minimize snagging and maximize mobility. This belt is optimized for range use and is marketed as unisex.

Key Aspects and Features

  • Average price: $152.00
  • Designed to be high speed/low drag at the range
  • Weight: 13.6 oz
  • Sizes: 34” to 44”
  • Available colors are black, coyote brown, ranger green, MultiCam, black MultiCam, and tropic MultiCam
  • Uses hook and look retention and has three built-in suspender loops

Material Quality

The Grey Ghost Gear belt uses high grade nylon and tough double stitching to ensure the belt can take a beating and still be strong and reliable. The belt also incorporates MOLLE webbing loops around the outer belt.

Comfort

The UGF belt relies on hook and loop on the inner belt to keep it connected, but flexible with the outer belt. The inner belt also incorporates 1.5” padding along the whole interior, allowing for the belt to be properly supported by the waist and hips.

Webbing

The nylon construction of this belt provides a tough and proven material to attach MOLLE webbing to. The webbing is also nylon, with large stitching and loops to optimize customization and ensure comfort.

Belt Design

This belt uses some traditional designs, such as hook and loop to keep the outer and inner belts attached, but also utilizes an inner pad to maximize comfort. This battle belt has three built in suspender connectors, which can be easily attached to a tactical vest to enhance the comfort and configuration of the belt.

Durability

Using industry standard nylon and hook and loop materials, this battle belt will be able to be called upon time and time again at the range.

Best Applications for this Belt

The design and configuration of this belt make it ideal for hard use at the range. It is marketed to be a unisex belt and comes in a wide range of sizes. This belt could be used for light duty use, but in that application, it would be best to use it in conjunction with a tactical vest.

Pros

  • The belt has built in suspender points and has a 1.5” inner pad
  • This belt comes in a broad range of sizes and colors
  • The UGF could be configured to be used in competition and or for light duty use
  • Specifications are not easy to find online from the manufacturer
  • The belt is targeted towards range use, but an individual may be able to also use it for duty use only after extensive testing to ensure durability

OUR RATING

We review our products on a 1 to 10 scale. The higher the score the better the product quality in the performance category.

Performance CategoryRating Score
Durability8.8
Material Quality8.9
Comfort9.3
Belt Design9.1
Webbing9.1
Buckle Design & Quality8.5
Overall Score8.9
Product review rating table

5. Viking Tactics VTAC Cobra Belt and Battle Belt 

The Viking Tactics VTAC Cobra Belt and Battle Belt form an excellent two belt system. Both of these products are modular and can be used with other VTAC products, but together the Cobra Belt and the Battle Belt blend the best elements of a daily carry belt and a padded battle belt. The cobra belt is looped through the battle belt creating the belt system.

Key Aspects and Features

  • Average price: $220.00
  • Modular design allows for each item to be used together or with other products
  • Weight Cobra Belt N/A; Battle Belt 8.0 oz
  • Sized: medium to xx large
  • Available colors are black, coyote brown, OD green, MultiCam, and black MultiCam (Battle Belt only)
  • Enhanced padding optimized for use with a tactical vest

Material Quality

These products are made from high quality nylon to include 500D Cordura, 1000D nylon, as well as a revolutionary hybrid PVT (pluma vires) material. This combination of fiber types gives this belt system a higher abrasion resistance than belts made with Milspec nylon.

Comfort

The Cobra Belt makes for a solid 1.75” belt on its own, but with the addition of the 5.5” Battle Belt, this belt system distributes weight across the waist, hips, and lower back. The lightweight construction of the Battle Belt, at only eight ounces, is almost not felt after the Cobra Belt is looped through it.

Webbing

The VTAC Battle Belt has large webbing, allowing for most aftermarket accessories to be easily attached to the belt. The webbing is every three inches and the MOLLE webbing is over stitched to be able to handle heavy loads without reducing the belts performance.

Belt Design

This belt system is designed to handle heavy weights for long durations of time. The belts are reinforced, lightweight, and made to be worn with or without additional gear on the user.

Durability

The textiles used in this VTAC belt system are made out of the latest materials and strongest materials on the market. The Battle Belt has an abrasion resistance eight times that of the Milspec standard for nylon. These belts are designed to be used for extended periods of time, in the most austere environments.

Best Applications for this Belt

The VTAC belt system is optimized for military patrols, as well as dynamic domestic use, like for SWAT teams and search and rescue units. Civilians who are serious about their gunfighting could also benefit from such a robust system.

Pros

  • Battle proven durability, both materials and by design
  • A wide, comfortable design, designed to be used with other products on the market
  • This belt system design is ideal for civilian emergency use as well as for long range military patrols
  • The two-belt system is the only way to utilize the Battle Belt; it cannot be used by itself in any way
  • The wide and large spacing of the webbing does not lend itself well to a minimalist setup
  • Increased cost and confusion because users have to purchase two separate items and assure, they selected the correct sizes

OUR RATING

We review our products on a 1 to 10 scale. The higher the score the better the product quality in the performance category.

Performance CategoryRating Score
Durability9
Material Quality9.2
Comfort8
Belt Design8.2
Webbing9.4
Buckle Design & Quality8.3
Overall Score8.5
Product review rating table

Key Takeaways

As we can see, there are a lot of similarities between all of these battle belts/war belts. The differentiating elements of each of these belts is found in the details.

If each belt can be physically inspected and handled by potential users, those details will sway a purchase one way or another. In this regard, purchasing a battle belt is like purchasing a handgun; fit, feel, and comfort are the core determining factors.

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