Key Points
- Before you choose either a Single or Double Prong lifting belt, first you should consider the material, width and thickness.
- Single prong belts offer a secure lock, enough tightness for the average lifter and the capacity to adjust easily during gym time.
- Double prong slightly improves the support offered by a less rigid material such as velcro and nylon. That can be counted as a benefit.
- Overall, the closing mechanism is a personal choice. Single prong belt is a winner!
Weightlifting belts are tricky to get right sometimes. With so many models in the market, it can be overwhelming to narrow down on the one that fits you the best.
This is what may have brought you to an important question.
So single prong vs double prong lifting belts, which is better? Overall, single prong belts will be better for most lifters as they are more affordable and easier to use. Double prong belts do offer more support for your core as well as spine protection. However, the addition of a prong and its benefits can be replaced with a good quality single prong belt.
In this article, we will take a look at the pros, cons, and differences of each belt model. We also outline the best options that are currently offered right now.
The single prong belt is the best option out of the two for most lifters, leaving the double prong down to personal preference. But to make an informed decision, you should see the pros and cons yourself. Don’t take my word for it!
Additionally, if you want to see how both the single and double prong compare to the lever belt, check out this in-depth article here.
If not, let’s take a closer look into the world of prongs and support!
How to Choose Between Single or Double Prong Lifting Belt
| Single Prong Belt | Double Prong Belt |
|---|---|
| Single hole closing mechanism | Double hole closing mechanism |
| Easy to adjust | Takes time for adjustments |
| Affordable | Expensive |
| Less secure as compared to double prong but a single prong belt with high quality leather material is enough, and leaves no difference. | More support and safety as compared to Single Prong belt |
Before we boil everything down to the closing mechanism of the belt, there are other factors to consider. The material plays a crucial role in determining how supportive the belt will be. There is a spectrum of support and comfort that we have to consider.
Velcro belts are the least supportive and most comfortable, while leather belts are the exact opposite. Nylon is somewhere in between.
If you are serious about making progress in strength, or you wish to take part in competitions one day, leather is the way to go. If not, the other options may be good as well, given that you price comfort over support.
The second thing you want to look for is the width and thickness of the belt. As you may expect, a thicker belt is a more supportive and less elastic belt. It provides the most support, but it can dig into abs right below the ribcage with ease. This can cause discomfort with some lifters, hence why they may choose to go for a more narrow option.
10mm or 13mm Belt – Choose the Right Lifting Belt Thickness
The same is true for width. Some individuals have shorter torsos, so a wider belt can account for more than the region you want to secure by the belt. This can cause discomfort, inefficiency, or both. Don’t take chances, look into it.
If you have all these aspects sorted out, it’s time to look into closing mechanisms. If not, you can check out these articles to help you make a better choice.
3 vs 4 inch Belt – Choose the Right Powerlifting Belt Width
Prong belts, be they single or double, are often praised by lifters for the ease with which they can be set up during exercises. Compared to the lever belt, the prong belt can be adjusted with relative ease. So, if you’re wearing thicker clothes, you can rest assured.
But what is the difference between the two? Let’s have a look at the pros and cons of both for more clarity on this issue. We will start with the single prong belts.
Pros and Cons of Single Prong Belts
The single prong mechanism is very easy to use.
As the name suggests, you just have to secure the prong in one of the holes and you are good to go! This is often seen as an advantage compared to the lever belt, which takes a lot longer to adjust to the current width of the torso.
Does torso width change that much? Yes, every time you eat or don’t eat before a workout, your torso width varies. The same is true for thicker clothing or hydration. Simply put, prongs make life easier for these variations.
4 or 6 inch Belt – Choose the Right Weightlifting Belt Width
The single prong does this the best, by being as straightforward as humanly possible. But having a single point of closing on the belt may be inefficient in some cases, as the strain put on it can break it. This is why the material and dimensions part was important.
But, for a high-quality belt, stability should not be an issue. What can be an issue is that prong belts offer pre-determined widths of the torso, by using the hole mechanism. But this is true for both single and double prong belts.
For the most part, single prong belts offer a secure lock, enough tightness for the average lifter, and the capacity to adjust easily during gym time. So it’s a solid option overall, hence why it is preferred by lifters worldwide.
Best Single Prong Lifting Belts
Curious about the top single prong belts on the market? Here’s my list:
1. Gunsmith Fitness Premium Weight Lifting Belt
This belt gets everything that I wrote about above right! With 4 inches in width and 10mm in thickness, it provides the maximum amount of support for your lifts and is competition compliant. The leather may be a bit hard to break in, but reviews from numerous users suggest that the waiting time is worth it.
2. Rogue Echo Lifting Belt
With the same specifications as the belt above, this one is on the more pricey side of the spectrum. But the premium look and professional feeling of the belt stand as justification for this. If you like to get fancy gym equipment and are not on a tight budget, this is the best option for you!
The other three lifting belts are similar to those above, with slight tweaks in design and leather rigidity. They are:
- DEFY Single Prong Powerlifting Belt
- Steel Sweat Powerlifting Belt
- FlexzFitness Single Prong Belt
All of these options have quality, width, and thickness checked for optimal performance, but there are other single prong models to look into if these don’t fit your preferences
Pros and Cons of Double Prong Lifting Belts
The double prong belt uses the same mechanism as the single prong, but it aims to distribute pressure on two points instead of a single one. If you opt for leather as your material of choice, this advantage does not really stand anymore, as the material is resilient to breaking and tearing.
But the double prong slightly improves the support offered by a less rigid material such as velcro and nylon. That can be counted as a benefit.
In addition, many people go for this model because of the aspect of two prongs. They think that a single prong looks weird and does not confer a good enough design, which is a fair point of view. If you like the aspect of this model more than of the other, you can definitely go for it.
But don’t be swayed by this alone because the double prong belt holds an important disadvantage: it’s harder to close.
Even though the prong system is relatively the same as with the other belt, having to buckle two prongs proves to be very difficult, especially if you want to go for extra tightness. Many lifters say that the second prong is many times harder to secure than the first because one half of the belt is secured, while the other is loose.
Comfort is not exactly a factor to consider, as it is similar to that of the single prong. The material, width, and thickness are much more important factors for this aspect.
So, is there anything to be gained from using a double prong belt? In my opinion no, not really. It does the same job as the single prong belt, but it’s more difficult to close, which can create undesired delays in training.
Best Double Prong Lifting Belt
Nonetheless, if you still prefer the double prong belt model, this is the best option on the market right now.
1. Dark Iron Fitness Pro Weight Lifting Belt
This belt takes the spot of an honorable mention because the mechanism aims to make buckling up easier than others. It provides three sets of holes instead of two so that the lifter can find a better fit for the torso. It’s made of quality leather, resistant, 10mm thick, and 4 inch wide. Certainly a solid option!
Final Thoughts
All in all, my victor in this debate is the single prong belt. As I said above, it’s more practical, equally secure, and offers better adjustment than the double prong model.
Of course, you are free to choose whichever fits your needs best, but I don’t see any benefits in going with two prongs instead of one.
The important thing is to keep all the other factors at high standards of quality to get the best deal possible. Once that is done, the closing mechanism is a personal choice.
Happy lifting!
