There are a lot of companies making belts for those of us who want to carry handguns on a regular basis — so many in fact, you might wonder what all the fuss is about.
I’m here to tell you a belt can be almost as important as the firearm you select.
So when I received the Titan EDC, Supreme Appendix, and Rogue EDC belts from Nexbelt, I was interested to see how they would stand up against regular carry. In short, they did well.
Today, I’m going to run you through the Nexbelt options I tested, layout the pros and cons, and help you decide if this belt system is right for you.
By the end, you should have a better idea of whether Nexbelt should end up in your concealed carry rotation.
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The Importance of Belts
As an officer on duty, I had to wear an enormous, leather, duty belt to tote all my gear.
I attached this heavy belt to a smaller belt that I wore under the belt loops on my pants. Together, the belts were rugged, stiff, and carried a lot of weight.
That stiffness was something I came to depend on. When I reached for a piece of gear in a hurry, I could always rely on it being there.
I developed muscle memory and quickness as a result.
When I switched to plainclothes for investigations, I was once again reminded of the importance of the belt.
The big clunker was not an option in a suit and tie, so I made the mistake many folks do — I enlisted a dress belt.
It wasn’t stiff and couldn’t handle the weight of my gear, even though I carried less. This makes sense in the end because it was only designed to look nice and hold my pants up.
Nexbelt: Belt…Evolved
The folks at Nexbelt knew about these struggles. So, they set about designing something that would accomplish the goals of gun carriers without previous limitations.
Nexbelt went with a ratchet system. And while they did not invent it, they improved upon it in a few ways.
If you’re not familiar, there is a strip of plastic teeth built into the belt. Wearers don the belt by placing the tail back through the buckle.
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A pawl, pulled into place with a magnet, holds the belt in the position where the wearer likes it.
Pulling out on the lever disengages the pawl and enables the removal of the belt.
Off the bat, Nexbelt set quality materials as a standard, using tough nylon or premium leather. Next, they upgraded the plastic teeth in their ratchet strip after trial and error.
Now the company claims their strip will outlast any other belt on the market.
Nexbelt also upgraded its buckle mounting hardware to stainless steel hex-head screws. This practically eliminates the buckle-to-belt attachment as a possible failure point.
The company admits they charge a bit more for their belts…but they argue the quality is worth it. I tend to agree, especially after I tried them.
EDC — The Way to Be
Nexbelt sent three belts and a few buckles for me to try out.
I mounted up the buckles to the belts and wore them over the course of a couple of months for testing, carrying a pistol every day I wore the belt.
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I found the materials to be of high quality. The leather belt was sturdy but refined, having a supple exterior and matching color nylon (I believe) interior.
The EDC nylon belts were thick and beefy, coming in around 3/16 of an inch. These straps felt so strong I was reminded of too many tow straps I’ve used over the years.
Following the theme of quality, the buckles were serious metal. The EDC buckle was a skeletonized affair, powder-coated black. It was all business.
Also included was a version of the Supreme Appendix Belt with a smaller buckle was designed for appendix carry.
Concealed carriers can move the buckle around where they need it for holstering, rather than keeping it in the traditional 12 o’clock position.
Nexbelts Assemble!
Assembly went really well and is straightforward. Nexbelt’s system for measuring and cutting the belt is smartly done.
The company marked a series of waist-size numbers on the inside of the strap. Simply add 4 inches to your normal waist size and cut the strap there.
Next, open the toothy clasp on the buckle and insert the buckle on the cut end.
When I closed the retainer I thought that might be more than enough to hold the buckle in place, but no, Nexbelt went even further.
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Finally, screw in the thread-locker coated screws into the buckle. Short of a rough encounter with some seriously heavy equipment, that buckle is not coming off.
Wear and Tear
Each of the belts I wore tested fantastically. Some of the things I worried about (like the belt getting tighter or somehow coming loose) never happened.
One of the qualities I appreciated the most was predictability. Its rigid nature ensured the items on my belt stayed right where I put them.
Whether I bent over, sat in a chair, or did other activities, the belt stayed in place.
Whenever I would unfasten it, I found it easy to put it back on and find that magical fit of “just right” by clicking the tail back in.
If I went too far, I simply backed it off.
Just as important, the rigidity of the belts made sure my gun stayed upright. Inferior belts sag and roll if they aren’t tensioned tight.
I loved that I did not have to use excessive compression in order to keep everything in place.
It was easy to get into a habit of slowly clicking the belt into that Goldilocks spot and heading out to face the day.
The adjustability of the ratchet belt well surpasses the traditional belt loop system. I’m not sure why these are just now becoming popular in the states.
One word of advice…the first time I put one of these belts on I clicked it into place in the morning and went about my day.
A while later when the coffee hit me, I headed to the bathroom and suddenly realized I didn’t know how to take the belt off. There was a frantic moment of exploration before I found the release and activated it!
In short, practice removing it when you first try it on.
Conclusion
As I indicated, importance of belts is crucial to carrying a handgun. It’s a fundamental part of the delivery system.
Should a belt fail, the gun may not be there at a critical moment. Even if the belt does a poor job, it’s a risky proposition.
Belts need to hold a holster in place, predictably, so users can access a firearm quickly in defense of life situations. This is not a place to scrimp, and it’s not a place to enlist the old dress belt you’ve had for years.
I can tell you that after trying the Nexbelt, I don’t see myself wearing anything else.
Have you used Nexbelt? Tell us your experiences in the comments below! See more belts by checking out our article 5 Best Gun Belts for Concealed Carry & Range.
19 Leave a Reply
My Nexbelt was great for the first year before it started to unravel or get loose threads along the edges and the red notches. They got worse and I read a lot of others posted online about the same issue and recomended I burned them of with lighter. I did but kept getting worse and belt got deformed and the inner liner plastic bent and broke. It was passed warranty so I just threw it out. I used to recommend the belts Can not anymore.
I just received my nextbelt love it. So tired of sinching up my other belt . Thanks for making things better
Bob W in Penna.
The Nextbelt Rogue EDC I purchased is not cheap...I choked on the price.
But then, I've never had a purpose-designed belt for EDC and figured its about time I do.
I don't know about Nextbelt "ripping-off" Kore belts, like some are fussing over.
All I know is this belt, and the valuable lesson it taught me:
You CANNOT cheap out on an EDC belt.
This thing is night and day from anything else when you strap it on and run it closed.
It was an immediate game changer. The gun rode where it was supposed to, it didn't shift or droop, and its perceived weight was immediately lightened by 25%
I know what I want for Xmas: another Nextbelt EDC belt.
Mine black one is fraying in two spots pretty badly and not sure what to do. It is not wearable anymore. It is 1.5 yrs old so the 1 yr warranty has expired. Any suggestions?
I’ve purchased 3 of the Titan EDC (different colors). The ratchet system and rigidity is awesome. Fast forward a few months and the plastic stiffener sewn into the belt has broken on two of them, so this is obviously a common problem.
Obvious knock off of the Kore belts which have a lot more variety and higher customer ratings.
Nexbelt has been around since 2008. Do your Research
Wearing a buckle that says PEWPEW on it is pretty much like announcing you're packing, so shoot me first. Isn't it? It sure aint grey man.
Found page doing some research on Kore battle belts that use the same track like system as there edc belts I guess. Now I want to run edc belt too. I cc frequently but have been getting into range training as well. Anyone here run there battle belts?
Sean I have had both brands and although my nexbelt is good I have to say kore is definitely sturdier thats why I got it and easier to adjust. And one of my Kore tactical belts is 1.75 inch wide ver and its as stout as they come. Btw pew pew has already reviewed the Kore ratchet brand saying it was pretty much the best for cc and I agree.
I purchased the EDC Belt (Nylon, with the USA FLAG ON IT. THE BELT LOOKS GOOD. THE MATERIALS SEEMS FINE, BUT THERE IS A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH IT. NEXTBELT SAID THAT WHEN YOU Ratchet it around your waist, it locks into place, and does not slip & open up. This is not the case at all. They teied to fix it, as I sent it back to them several times. They tried to fix it, but what they did did not change anything. Everytime I Ratchet it to my waist size (36), within minutes, it starts to open up, and it will not stay ratcheded for my waist size. I asked them to fix it, but they failed to fix anything! Eventually, I just gave up on it, and started to buy & use another brand. This Belt is a royal pain in the ass. I stopped using it. It was just became worthless to me. They just could not ever get it to work as they said. Ever! Horrible worthless product Forget about it. It just isn't worth the trouble. Period
I have a bunch of nexbelts and a Core essentials ratchet belt. The nexbelt is good -but the Core is better...... It's sturdier...
Thanks Steve,
I haven't tried Kore yet. I have a hard time imagining something more sturdy and imagine at some point it starts to feel like a fire hose around your waist. I'll be checking them out though!
I've worn one of their concealed carry belts for over 3 years. It looks and works as good today as it did on day one. And I'll never own another belt that doesn't have the ratchet system
Ed,
That's great perspective, thanks for sharing! Three years is a good test run. I've definitely been impressed over the last couple months but will look forward to years of service.
What makes the 'Nexbelt Supreme Appendix Carry Belt' specifically an 'Appendix Carry Belt' ?
Probably a smaller buckle footprint making more room for appendix carry
Nailed it right on the head Nick, I see you.
John,
The smaller size allows it to be worn more comfortably in non-traditional positions. Plus, the button is a little bigger, allowing for more frequent use.