Elastic belts are free size and normally don't tear at all. meaning they can last for life.

I am kind of surprised that they are not commonly recommended in the anti-consumption/ buy it for life communities. Despite the fact that replacing normal belts with them at scale would save the world shitload of resources that are spent on normal belts annually.

Side note: I don't recommend wearing jeans or suit trousers on daily basis, as there is more durable options that can last for longer time.

Photo is for example, as this is a generic item.

Cant remember when I last wore a belt. But isn't the entire point of them is to be adjustable.

I bought one of these a few years ago and it's still in great shape despite frequent use.

Way better, and more comfortable, than a traditional belt.

Obviously it'd be better if they were made from sustainable materials but the fact that these outlast traditional belts by a wide margin is good.

Normal belts have a limited adjustability and can tear very rapidly.

It is but traditional belts are only adjustable by increments set by the manufacturer. Elastic belts allow total control by the user.

As someone who does need to wear a belt with most of my pants, it makes a huge difference.

Doesn't the elastic eventually perish? I think I had one that died.

I have one that has lost elasticity and has become warped, but I do think they're better than traditional belts.

Interesting, I didn't know they could lose elasticity. Maybe after more than 5 years of use?

I do think these are preferable to normal belts, but every one I've worn with regularity has torn rather dramatically in the middle of the workday. One of them I had to replace with a power cable.

I got one of these years ago and its held up really well. I work construction and have skinny hips and this does great double duty as a tool belt.

All elastic material degrades with time and use, this can be made worse by environmental factors like heat or moisture.

A good quality leather belt will outlast any elastic one, quality leather belts are just harder to find nowadays.

Ooh, somehow I've never heard of these before. Somebody ahould start making them out of dandelion rubber, algae polyurethane, or a flexible formulation of polyhydroxyalkanoates.

About your jeans/suit trousers comment, do you have a recommendation for more durable pants as well?

Depends on what kind you get. The belts you are talking about are made of two thin strips of leather sewn together with a cheap backing material. A solid leather belt will last decades and you can always punch more holes in it if you lose or gain weight.

How does a belt like the one in the image work? There are no holes, which I guess is a point of them, but do you just cram the metal of the buckle through the weave there or how does it hold?

I've been wearing one for three years. It's just good.

So what's more durable than jeans?

through the weave.

There are ratchet belts now that have much finer control of sizing than ones with holes.

"He's raggin on your cord, dude."

Yes, exactly. The buckle pin goes through wherever you choose, so the sizing of it is also more adaptable. I have one and use it daily, very happy with the type.

I bought a traditional leather belt a few years ago from Hank's Belts. They have a lifetime warranty on their belts, and so far is shows no sign of wear despite daily use. Most of your "department store" belts are made from leather "sawdust" glued together and they will not last since the glue breaks down. Leather itself will last a lifetime. There are several other small companies that make belts with a lifetime warranty. Often local "art fairs" will have some local craftsman who makes/sells belts that are also made of quality leather and will list a lifetime (but you need to know what to look for as some of them use the cheap "sawdust and glue" leather that won't last.

do you have a recommendation for more durable pants as well?

I recommend Cargo pants and pants made from polyester.

Cargo pants and pants made from polyester.

Though leather belts stretch over time, the only belt I ever had that actually broke did so after more than a decade of heavy use when the metal buckle eventually gave in.

I have a textile hiking belt (Fjellräven) that I am not particularly happy with. It doesn't really stay firm over time when walking for hours and hours, and adjusting it underneath the backpack is a pain. An elastic belt with a normal buckle would probably have been better.

I can't tell from pictures, but I do not believe the belt in the picture is elastic. It looks like Nylon which isn't elastic and should last for a long time. It will wear out, but with care should last for a lifetime. I've seen elastic belts similar to the above, and those the elastic will get old and wear out in 10-20 years. Belts like pictured can also be made of other fibers (both natural and synthetic), that are not elastic. Some of them will last longer than others - it is important to know what the belt is made of, not just the style.

i've been using the same cargo strap as a belt for the past 15+ years and it's still going strong. infinitely adjustable, too.

Beware. It is hard to tell from pictures, but my guess is the leather that holds the buckle part on is a low quality leather that will not last for a lifetime. To make this a lifetime belt you may have to replace the buckle a few times.

I love my ratchet belts.

That sounds complicated.

Yep. That part tears all the time. When that happens you can still use the belt by tying it, if you have enough length, but really you need to re-affix the buckle or buy a new belt.

Or buy a belt with a better buckle. They exist, but you have to know what you are looking for.

Do you have any recommendations? Cause I go through one of these probably every two or three years.

I usually recommend seatbelt belts to friends because they are highly adjustable and very long lasting. I picked up the black GM one over 20 years ago, it stayed with me when my weight fluctuated 50lbs up and back down again. It was extremely useful in my old physically active job, I can catch the corner of a box on the buckle and hold heavier weight a lot easier.

I love it so much, I bought the TMNT belt as soon as I saw it and because I looooove ninja turtles 😬

Elastic belts have rubber cores which very quickly degrade like the elastic in underwear.

They're easier to put on than a normal belt. It just slides through the buckle (clicking each segment it passes), and you stop when it's tight enough.

As I said elsewhere, I bought my last belt from Hank's belts. 100 year warranty leather belt. That is a different style belt from the one in this topic though and so perhaps not what you want.

If you are looking for the style of this picture a web search for "lifetime warranty belt" finds several options that are this style - but since I've never heard of the company until they showed up in a search I cannot recommend any. Do some investigation on the company and decide which one to risk buying from.

I switched to these a few years ago. They are amazing...as long you do not care about style. There is no way to make them look "dressy".

I got tired of having to replace my daily wear belt every year and eventually I went to a local leather shop and bought a belt from them. It cost the exact same as the department store crappy belt, but it's now been 18 years and I still have the same belt.

In fact, the belt outlasted the leather shop. I don't know what I'll do if something happens to my belt or my waist gets much larger.

The elastic in underwear lasts a lot longer if you don't put them in the dryer. Unless you regularly enjoy the sound of a buckle hitting the drum over and over, it'll last a while in a belt.

Second Hanks

Ahhh. I hadn't even heard of them until now.

Guess I'm shopping for a belt today!

That just feels like giving up. My belt is the first indicator that I need to lose a couple of pounds.

Any options that aren't plastic, but still business casual? Or that I can wear out and not look like my dad?

You probably want something a little more baggy, jeans can be snug around the thighs and that wears out the material fast. If you have the crotch fail then that is your problem.

There is also the material used, elastane and tencel/rayon have low tensile strength and wear out fast while polyester and especially nylon are very strong. Recycled materials are also weaker than they otherwise would be because the recycling process cuts them up. In general 100% cotton is good and I would give blends a close look. Wool and linen and ramie are all pretty uncommon in jeans and jeans adjacent things but despite their many other positive qualities they aren't super strong; wool has a low tensile strength and linen and ramie tend to fail when bent a lot.

Also consider the weight and the weave, thinner material is going to wear through faster while thicker stuff is going to be tougher. Also a reverse sateen weave should last a little longer, it is like the twill leave in denim but oriented sideways so everything is smooth while going forward (and not smooth up/down but what can you do) so it catches and snags and stuff less.

So you will probably have a better time with some baggy or at least roomy reverse sateen cotton-poly or 100% cotton military fatigues. Or other pants with those qualities, just fatigues are common to see like that

Good luck

There's quite a range of quality and durability in denim, but it can be extremely durable. It was associated with physical labor in the US for a long time and especially in its old West (cowboys, railway workers, etc). You can still find a pair of jeans that will last you the rest of your life and then be sold in a vintage store, but they're not cheap. Cargo pants have a similar range but I think they're typically made of duck canvas.

Elastic wears out.

Not BIFL.

Elastic ALWAYS breaks down and is made from polymers and nylon crap.

Horrible advice. Buy good quality leather and it lasts decades.

Shit advice OP.

Idk about this, dog. Elastic always seems to be the first thing to wear out on my clothes so I'm not excited to try it on a belt. My leather belts seem to be immortal, are you using good leather belts or cheap ones?

Look for selvedge denim for jeans and duck canvas for other pants. I've had some luck with Naked and Famous, but they can be a bit pricy.

These loose their elasticity over time, which is rather rapid in hot weather. I had a couple for summer, each lasted 2 seasons.

Real thick and plain leather lasts much longer (I have a hand - me - down I got 25 years ago that has distended and become ugly but works as intended), unless in wet weather where leather the requires a shitload of maintenance not to rot. Quality vegan leather lasts long from what I heard, but I have yet to go through the one I already own.

Quality "nylon" belts last rather long too if the metal parts are thick, but tend to either slip a bit or bite hard but damage the fabric. The ones that close over are the best, ones with the roller slip more. I prefer the ones made from cotton over nylon personally, as they are more confortable but last less.

Crap "leather" belts made of two thin leather strips with a padding inside don't last very long, even higher quality ones.

Real jeans last long, but thick fabric with no elasthane whatsoever is dissapearing from usual stores as thinner with elasthane is easier to manufacture and fits "better".