Inzer Belt vs. SBD Belt: Which Should You Buy and Why? | PowerliftingTechnique.com (2023)

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Today I'm comparing two of the best slings on the market: Inzer belt vs. SBD belt.

So is the Inzer or the SBD belt better?The Inzer Forever offers better value for money compared to the SBD belt. Not only is it cheaper than SBD, but it also offers significant support with minimal training time. I prefer those10mmVersion because it's more versatile, but it also comes in13mmfor taller individuals or elite powerlifters (click Amazon for today's price).

Would you like to know more? Let's examine each of the belts further!

Quick overviews

I always like to start my comparisons by looking at the big picture. This way you can easily understand the actual differences and make a truly informed purchasing decision.

Inzer forever belt

I'm pretty sure there isn't a lifter, novice or pro, that hasn't heard of itInzer. Their gear is known for being the best quality at reasonable prices.

The "Forever" belt lives up to its name. I've owned the 10mm version for over 15 years now and couldn't be happier.

advantages

• Requires little time to break in
• Payable
• Comes in a variety of colors
• There are tine and lever versions
• Very durable
• Covered by a lifetime guarantee

Disadvantages

• The lever position cannot be adjusted without a screwdriver
• Doesn't look that high quality

SBD belt

Since it's fairly newSBDdoes not have that many products in its arsenal. Still, they pride themselves on offering superior quality and performance. That's why their equipment usually costs twice the average.

The most unique thing about their belt is the patent-pending lever design. As you will see later, it takes advantage of the adjustable tines while benefiting from the convenience of the levers.

advantages

• High quality, slim design
• A state-of-the-art hybrid lever
• Easy to clean

Disadvantages

• Expensive
• Might feel too stiff
• Needs time to break in
• Only comes in a 13mm version

A detailed personal comparison

Alright, let's start analyzing the actual differences that may affect or affect your lifting performance.

Material

To start this duel, let's look at the differences in the basic construction.

Inzer forever belt

Over the course of my training career I have encountered hundreds of poorly made belts. No-name brands often make their belts by stacking 3-4 layers of leather to achieve the required thickness. And to make matters worse, they usually use low quality glue to hold them together. You'll be lucky if a belt like this lasts longer than a year!

Inzer was one of the first companies to change this trend. The Inzer Forever is made from a single piece of high quality leather that will not stretch or tear over time. I've owned the 10mm version for 15 years and counting; it still looks like new!

SBD belt

Because SBD is based in England, they make their belts exclusively from English leather, which is known for being stiffer than usual. They even prepare it with special solutions for 5 months to fully exploit its strength.

The winner: Inzer Forever

You may disagree, but I think SBD's construction feels like overkill. You don't need this insane support unless you're a strongman athlete or world-level powerliter. If you're just starting out in the world of powerlifting, this belt would probably feel overly uncomfortable for you.

This is where the Inzer Forever excels. It's not soft, not by a long shot. But it offers just the right amount of tightness while maintaining comfort.

draft

Without a doubt, you should never base your belt choice on looks. However, it's important to highlight the differences in design as it can impact performance.

Inzer forever belt

The two sides of the Forever belt are laminated with individual layers of suede. To ensure durability, this sheet is stitched with four (sometimes six) rows of corrosion-resistant, high-density nylon.

In addition to enhancing comfort, the suede lamination adds a key anti-slip benefit. Without them, the belt could slip out of position when your body sweats too much.

By default, the Forever belt comes in black. But on theofficial site, you can customize the belt to your personality by choosing from more than 20 colors! While this may seem insignificant, it's actually quite rare for other brands to do the same.

However, it's important to note that you have to wait about 6 weeks to get colored belts; Your order will be handmade at your request. If you can't afford to waste time, the black version should be your best bet as it's always in stock.

SBD belt

Externally, SBD has painted its belt with black oil - that's why it appears slightly shiny when placed next to the Inzer Forever. Unlike suede, the slick oil does not allow perspiration to build up, making the cleaning process easier.

On the inside, SBD followed Inzer's idea and added suede lamination to improve stability. I don't know why but they dyed the suede a bright red.

According to their official website, if the red suede soaks up your sweat, it could bleed onto your shirt, similar to what happens when you don't sort your laundry! If you ask me, I don't think it's a pretty thing to experience this in a belt that costs more than $200.

The winner: Inzer Forever

The SBD's red suede is pretty absurd. It doesn't make the belt look cooler since that side is always facing your body. And as for the oiled exterior, it's not that helpful as most of the sweat is absorbed by the inner layer. So I think Inzer Forever wins this point.

Tension system

Both straps are tensioned by a lever that stands out from the classic spike in terms of comfort and ease of use. However, there are some significant differences in lever construction.

Inzer forever belt

Inzer has adopted the basic lever design that you can typically see on most other well-known brands. The lever base attaches to one of the belt ends with 2 pan head screws. The belt can be tightened or loosened by moving these screws forward or backward. And of course you need a screwdriver for that.

After this rather annoying setup, actual use couldn't be more convenient. All you have to do is hook the lever teeth into one of two holes pierced in the other end. Then move the latch of the lever to achieve maximum strength. And that's it!

Inzer also produces oneeinpolige Versionof the same belt to please old-school lifters. Just like the lever edition, it comes in two thickness settings:10mmand13mm.

SBD belt

The leverage of the SBD is probably the only thing worth this extravagant price. They actually applied for a patent, but it has yet to be issued. Their ingenious design combines the gliding action of a lever with the adjustability of tines.

The lever base attaches to one of the strap ends with 4 screws. There are no holes for the lever to slide between. Alternatively, all holes are pierced in the other end.

This allows you to hook the lever's teeth into whatever holes you like to achieve the desired strength in place. You don't need to use a screwdriver, which is much more convenient than inzer.

The disadvantage

Beginners may initially have a hard time getting to grips with SBD's leverage. See, there's no guesswork with Inzer. The tightness is already specified; You will just lock it and start lifting.

With SBD, you may not always hook your teeth into the right holes. Your only choice in this case would be to loosen the strap, change the holes and try again. You can't really predict the tightness of each hole as most of them seem pretty loose before you engage the lever.

With this, SBD proves once again that its belt is only intended for very experienced lifters. To make matters worse, no prong version will be released.

The winner: draw

I couldn't pick a real winner here. Beginners who value ease of use will appreciate the Inzer Forever for its guesswork-free engineering. However, the ingenious concept introduced by SBD is truly revolutionary.

thickness

The Forever Belt will be released in two thickness settings:10mmand13mm. SBD, on the other hand, offers a13mmversion only.

Not sure what to choose? Check the following points to know the differences.

10mm belts are generally more comfortable

It goes without saying that the thinner the belt, the more comfortable it is. 13mm belts don't easily bend with your body. Because of this, they usually dig into your torso on deadlifts, rows, and any exercise that requires bending over.

The more powerful build of 13mm belts would be ideal if you want to maintain an upright torso when squatting 400+ pounds.

10mm straps take less time to break in

I hate to tell you, but whichever belt you choose, you'll probably hate yourself the first time you wear it!

Any leather belt would feel stiff as hell at first. You'll feel like you're wrapped in a splint, you'll have a hard time taking them off, and you might be thinking of throwing them in your closet forever!

All of this will come to an end when the leather starts to "shrink" around your body, much like gloves fit your hands perfectly.

Thanks to the thinner construction, 10mm belts take much less time to break in compared to their 13mm alternatives. That's why I always recommend them for beginners.

10mm belts are more versatile

Because slight flexing is possible, 10mm belts can be used for various exercises such as squats,bench press, rowing, deadlifts, etc.

13mm, on the other hand, is typically only used for squats. In fact, I know lifters who have this thickness specifically for squats. After they're done, they return to their primary 10mm belt.

The winner: Inzer Forever

The Inzer Forever 10mm Belt was and always will be my favorite lifting belt.

I wrote a separate article that describes all the detailsDifferences between 10mm and 13mm straps; Give it a try if you still can't decide.

Admission to the competition

As you may already know, most professional powerlifting competitions prohibit the use of unauthorized equipment. Here are the technical guidelines that the slings must meet, as specified by theInternational Powerlifting Federation (IPF).

• The belt should be made of leather, vinyl, or similar rigid materials.
• Laminations can be glued or sewn.
• Padding and bracing are not allowed.
• The belt must be tensioned with a single prong, two prongs or a lever.
• The buckle must be securely fastened with stitches or rivets.
• The design must be plain and without logos unless approved by IPF.
• The belt must not be wider than 4 inches or thicker than 13 mm.
• The inside and outside width of the buckle should be 11 and 13 cm respectively.
• The tongue loop should be placed within 25 cm of the belt end.
• The tongue loop must not be wider than 5 cm.

Fortunately, both Inzer and SBD comply with these rules. You may use them in competitions organized by IPF,USAPL,USPA, etc.

sizing

Whatever belt you choose, you have to do itChoose a suitable sizeto ensure acceptable performance. Fortunately, the measuring process is fairly simple.

Get oneflexible tape measure, and measure the size of your waist. Ideally, you should measure at the level of your navel. However, if you tend to wear the belt higher or lower, mimic its position as much as possible.

Please do yourself a favor and don't suck in your stomach when measuring. This gives you an absolutely tight belt that can severely limit your movement.

So make sure you measure in a relaxed state. Then tighten the tape measure until it just begins to dig into your skin. But you don't want it too tight.

Now write down the measurements you read off and select your size from the table below. As you will see, the sizes of SBD overlap. Ideally, you should choose a size that has your measurement roughly in the middle. For example, if you measure 39 inches, you should choose XL (34.5-43.5) instead of 2XL (37.5-47).

As you have seen, the SBD belt offers remarkably large bandwidths compared to inzers. This has to do with the innovative hybrid lever I described earlier.

What distinguishes each belt?

Having discussed the previous aspects in detail, let's see what is unique about each belt.

Inzer belt

• Cost efficient:The Forever belt is around $100. Yes, you will find cheaper products on the market, but none of them can be as durable as this belt.

• Great power-comfort ratio:the leather construction of the forever belt provides sufficient support without cutting into it. The fact that it comes with a thickness of 10mm makes it ideal for beginners in strength training.

• Lifetime Guarantee:Inzer is so confident in its design and materials that it offers a lifetime guarantee! As I said, I've been using the 10mm version for 15 years now without noticing any major changes; it lives up to the name "Forever"!

• Variety of colors:Inzer allows its customers to customize the Forever belt to their personality by offering more than 20 color schemes. However, please note that you may have to wait around 6 weeks before receiving your shipment.

SBD belt

• Hybridhebel:The patent-pending lever combines the convenience of traditional levers with the adjustability of tines. You can easily change the tightness during exercise without a screwdriver.

• Premium-Design:The black oil finish that SBD has sprayed over the outside adds a nice premium touch. It also makes the tape smooth enough for hassle-free cleaning.

• Superior Power:SBD subjects the already tough English leather to a 5-month processing process that increases strength even further. And since it only comes in the 13mm thickness, you can't find anything stiffer.

The last word

Based on the facts I presented, I think Inzer easily wins the duel between Inzer belt and SBD belt. Nonetheless, here is a short list that summarizes their best uses.

Use the Inzer Forever belt if:

• You just started lifting.

• You don't want anything too stiff.

• You value longevity.

• They want freedom in the choice of color.

• You are interested in an inexpensive option.

Use the SBD Belt if:

• They usually squat with super heavy weights.

• You want to easily adjust the tightness during the workout.

• You don't mind spending more than $200.

• You want hassle-free cleaning

Remember Inzer offers10mmand13mmVersions while SBD offers13mmonly. I always recommend the 10mm as it takes less time to break in without being too uncomfortable.

Want to explore more options? Check out my articles on the best powerlifting belts formenandWomenin 2020!