As you progress in your strength training, you will need a belt that can satisfy your needs. A weight lifting belt can greatly help support you during lifts and breakthrough plateaus. Choosing the right weight lifting belt can be tricky but not impossible. 

After many hours of research and testing, we give you a full review of the Steel Sweat Weight Lifting Belt. This belt is 100% genuine leather and a great option for budget conscious lifters. Is the belt ideal for you? Read on to find out about all of the belt's features and how it performed during workouts. 

Steal Sweat is a new company in the market of weightlifting accessories. They’re garnering a lot of attention for providing top notch weight lifting leather belts. Their products are also budget friendly and you don’t need to invest a whole lot to start.

They offer heavy duty weight lifting belts for women and men. Most of their product selection comes in beautiful leather but there are a few in Nylon. What I enjoyed seeing from Steal Sweat right off the bat is different types of leather used on various models.

So how do their weight lifting and powerlifting belts compare to others? This review will be focusing on the Bolt Leather Steel Sweat Powerlifting Belt for Weight Lifting for our review. We did all the research needed so you can make an informative decision about their belts. 

Started in the USA, Steel Sweat is a fully family owned and operated business. Their company is based on family values and focuses on customer satisfaction. Steel Seat emphasizes using eco-friendly products without sacrificing reliable quality.

The company also offers weight lifting gloves and many different wrist wraps. All their products are designed to last longer and great comfort. Most Steel Sweat products are up to the standards of weight lifting federation or IPF (International Powerlifting Federation).

The Steel Sweat Powerlifting Belt for Weight Lifting is made of 100% genuine leather. It’s beautifully covered with top grain high quality aniline leather. The leather has a dye color but doesn’t have a finish, so it feels and smells great. They use the old fashioned all-natural cowboy method for tanning hides which really gives uniqueness to each belt made. No two belts will have the same identical tone or leather feel. 

High grade industrial strength double stitching all around gives the whole belt a beautiful finish. The look and feel of the Steel Sweat belt are like the Rogue Powerlifting Belt. Measuring in at 10 mm thickness, the belt is International Powerlifting Federation approved and suitable for competitions.

What about all other variants of Steel Sweat weight lifting belts?

The Steel Sweat Hyde belt has a tan dark brown color and still made using the leather dying process. A difference we found is this belt offers an inner suede lining to increase comfort. The suede uses double stitching to combine with the leather component and suits the design well.

All Steel Sweat leather weight lifting belts have a stainless-steel prong buckle fastening mechanism. We were impressed by the detail and quality of the rivets here. The roller buckle has screws and won’t break over time as you use it more. It's also easy to adjust and fits like a regular fashion belt would.

Only the CLAW Steel Sweat leather weight lifting belt has a triple prong system, a first for me. Now usually more prongs help with increased stability so a triple prong system would help with securing your core. But as you can imagine, it can get slightly tedious when you want to rip the belt off after a set or workout. It may not come off as easy a single prong leather belt can.

The CLAW version of their leather belt is like the Dark Iron Fitness Weight Lifting Belt. At 5mm thickness, the CLAW belt is light and super compact weighing only 1.5 lbs. The inside of the belt has suede which gives a soft but non-slip contact surface.

If you’re a recreational weightlifter looking for a workout belt with added mobility, the CLAW variant might be for you. Like the Dark Iron Fitness model, the CLAW belt serves the purpose of stabilizing your spine and strengthening the core. At the same time, users of the CLAW tend to be involved in more active heavy lifts. Many CrossFit lifters find the belt beneficial to their performance. Check out our top CrossFit belts for in-depth reviews of weight lifting belts.

Fitting the Steel Sweat on my torso was straight forward and smooth. As you can imagine, the belt is tight because of the thickness but not uncomfortable. In fact, the belt was flexible. I attribute this factor to the tanned leather of the belt. Over time and use, tanned leather is known to wear quicker than other leather.

The belt is designed for powerlifting, so it was very supportive. During heavy squats, the belt did pinch into my hips but not to the extent of some other belts. When you think about it, you want your belt to be as tight as possible.

Imagine you’re about to squat a heavy weight, you breathe in and brace. But instead of feeling your belt pushing back, you feel…nothing. Your belt has failed you. You can’t brace with enough power to lift the weight because the belt is not tight enough. This situation is not only dangerous but annoying since you must rack the weight and adjust your belt.

During deadlifts, the Steel Sweat Weight Lifting Belt performed well. Many users, including myself, felt more support during the hip dominant deadlifts versus squats. I found the belt to pinch less during the deadlift movement. Even after a few sets, the leather became more flexible. After a few workouts, this belt will easily be more flexible. I would even go as far to say the belt can be worn without a shirt if you prefer working out that way.

Overall, I enjoyed working out in the Steel Sweat Weight Lifting Belt. After a few sets, the edges of the belt were already softer. The thickness combined with the width provided great stability and I felt secure during my movements. I was happily surprised by the softness of the belt and non-slip properties of the material. The fastening system was smooth and easy to use.

Although we didn’t review the CLAW variant of Steel Sweat Weight Lifting Belts, I could assume the craftsmanship would be equal. The lightweight CLAW belt is ideal for recreational weightlifters looking for support and extra mobility.

If the Steel Sweat Weight Lifting Belt doesn’t fit your fancy, there are many alternatives available. The Stoic Powerlifting Belt is very similar to the Steal Sweats version. The powerlifting belt is also 10mm thick and 4 inches wide. Further, there is a single prong fastening mechanism and versions with double prongs. However, the Steel Sweat belt is lower priced and does give more value overall.

The other alternative we mentioned above is the Dark Iron Fitness Weight Lifting Belt. This belt is nearly identical to the CLAW Steel Sweat belt. Lightweight and thin, the belt is great for CrossFitters and some recreational strength athletes.

The Steel Sweat Weight Lifting belt is perfect for many lifters. The leather design and simple to use fastening mechanism makes the belt a great value option. The belt also made our Best Weight Lifting Belt for CrossFit list which you should check out if you’re serious about the sport

Made of great quality materials and engineered with the user in mind, the Steel Sweat belt has very few drawbacks. Whether you’re a recreational lifter or serious strength athlete, the Steel Sweat belt will serve you and last for a long time. The cost savings from the belt makes it an attractive option for those who have a limited budget or want to buy a beginner belt.