Weighted dip belts are a great way to add intensity to a workout. Whether it be for pull-ups, dips, or squats, if bodyweight gets too easy this is a quick and easy way to make it more challenging.
Weight belts fit around your waist and comes with a strap or chain that loop around the weight and attach to the belt.
You can attach weight plates, kettlebells, resistance bands and even chains to the dipping belt.
Surprisingly, nylon is our preferred choice. Even though it is not as elegant as leather, it is softer and is more comfortable while also being more durable (broken leather belt shown below).
Neoprene is out of the question as it is too soft and not nearly durable enough.
Metal is the winner here, although nylon is lighter and is more convenient. This part of the belt is in contact with the weight plate deals with the most abrasion especially is the hole is rather sharp. When it comes to nylon, even if it is double or triple layered and stitched it usually break within a year of heavy use.
On the other hand, we’ve never seen metal chains break. The only portion that breaks is the carabiner used to hook the loop onto the belt, but this can be easily replaced. Furthermore, nylon straps also have the carabiner so there is so getting away from this potential weak link.
Lastly, if you plan to use heavy weights 60kg+ we double recommend that you go for the metal chain.
The length is usually not very important as most belts provide enough length.
The only exception is if you are planning to add more than 3 big plates to the belt or if you plan to use bumper plates.
If you plan to use bumper plates or 60+kg, we recommend finding a belt with a long chain/strap length as it can hold more plates.
Some dip belts that use velcro double as a weightlifting belt that can be used for squats and deadlifts. The dual purpose belt can be a nice feature for those that also perform squats and deadlifts and don’t want to have to carry an extra belt.
One thing to keep in mind is that the dual purpose belts use the velcro mechanism and although adjustable they are usually not one size fits all. They come in sizes (XS, S, M, L, XL) so they are not ideal if you are sharing it with others.
Some belts also have a pocket for your phone. This is a nice feature for some individuals.
Dip belts can hold anywhere from up to 200lbs to up to 1000 lbs. Some like the one shown in the right is rated at up to 29,400lbs! Considering the World record for 1 repetition of a pull-up is around 250lbs you can see that the 1000 lbs limit is overkill.
Most people will not even need 200lbs for their workouts. Weight capacity won’t be an issue for 99% of the population.
However if you are the exception that can go very heavy on dips and pull-ups perhaps a belt with 300 or 400lbs limit will be great fro you.
You generally get what you pay for. If you go too cheap you will end up with cheap materials and will not get a belt that will be able to hold the weight you want comfortably. On the other hand if you go too high, you are generally paying for branding and excessive premium materials.
You can usually find a good weight belt that meets the general requirements for around $40-60.
