element 26 self-locking lifting belt review

Element 26 Self-Locking Lifting Belt Review

Posted on by Andrei

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After doing some in-depth research on the Element 26 Self-Locking Belt, we came to the conclusion that there is much more to say about this gym accessory than we have already done. Although this interesting belt has been mentioned several times, we only covered the features of the belt that were related to the topic, so we never had a chance to talk about this belt specifically. Not for such a long time in the industry, Element 26 focuses primarily on functional gym equipment, such as hand grips, squat racks accessories, versatile lifting belts, and other lifting accessories. The product that caught our attention was the Self-Locking Lifting Belt differentiated by the additional piece of plastic inside the buckle, an interesting feature that helps the belt remain tight during an exercise if the Velcro loosens slightly.

Design

Let’s start with the design. First, customers can choose from 5 colors, namely red, black, white, purple, and green. Each of them looks good in combination with the black interior and logo, giving the belt a clean and fresh look. The edges are made of softer nylon, which prevents the belt from being scratchy or digging into the hips, as some stiffer models do. Because nylon is a softer material, there is no extra padding.  On the front side, we can see a fairly large square logo, which integrates well with the belt design. Red, violet and white can get dirty quickly, especially when it comes to nylon. If you’re not the type of person who cleans the belt regularly, it would be a better idea to go with black or dark green. Another advantage of the nylon material is how easy it’s to fold. The belt is easy to carry in gym bags, even in small ones, so as long as you pay attention to how you fold it, you are good to go.

How The Belt Was Made

Element 26 specifies that the 4-inch wide belt is made of premium nylon. As with most nylon products, the thickness is not specified, but although it should not be compared to a powerlifting belt, it’s reasonable. The Velcro strap is also decent.

Due to the material, its highest quality is how comfortable it is. Besides, the self-locking system is quite interesting. It consists of an additional piece of plastic inside the buckle that prevents the belt from popping open and helps it stay tight if the Velcro loosens slightly.

Although the name of the system sounds fancy, it’s actually easy to use and just requires placing the strap between the piece of plastic and the buckle and then pulling it.

Who Is This Belt For?

As we mentioned, this belt has already been included in several posts, such as Best Belts For CrossFit. This is because the Element 26 Belt is versatile and can be used for different types of activities, from CrossFit to daily use in the gym.

The material allows the belt to be suitable for functional training, unlike other leather products that some people might find too stiff, but at the same time, the nylon doesn’t prevent it from being good for compound or Olympic movements.

In conclusion, the belt seems suitable for both men and women, and as long as you are not a powerlifter, it should do its job very well. If you focus on powerlifting and the most important things you look for in a belt is the support provided, there are a lot of better options out there.

Why Should You Choose This Belt?

In addition to its versatility, another quality of the Element 26 Belt is that it does a decent job when it comes to stability compared to other nylon products. On a side note, it was used to break a deadlift world record in the men’s 60-64 age class. Obviously, there are a lot of belts on the market that would have been more suitable for this, but the fact that someone chose it is quite interesting. The self-locking system is not unique, which means that there are other nylon belts that use it, but there is no doubt that it is useful and something that will not be found in a cheap product. For a nylon belt, the price may seem a bit high, but given the materials used, we can say that it’s well-priced. In terms of durability, it’s no secret that leather is more durable than nylon, but it doesn’t seem to be the kind of belt that wears out extremely quickly.  On top of that, Element 26 offers a lifetime warranty for this belt, something unusual in the world of lifting accessories. This shows that the brand knows how good the materials are and trusts the final product.

Sizing

The belt fits true to size, so all you have to do is measure around the navel and choose a size based on the chart. If you are between sizes and do not intend to gain weight, the brand recommends that you go with the smaller size.

If you are not sure how to measure yourself for a lifting belt, you can check out our guide on this.

Pros And Cons

Pros

  • Self-Locking System
  • Provides good support for a nylon belt
  • Made of premium nylon
  • Lifetime warranty
  • Comfortable
  • Easy to carry in the gym bag
  • Well-priced
  • Great for functional training

Cons

  • Not the best option when it comes to powerlifting
  • Nylon is less durable than leather

Final Thoughts

Overall, the Element 26 Belt is versatile, comfortable, and can be used by both men and women due to its materials, shape, and design, but it’s not excellent for powerlifting.  The type of nylon used doesn’t disappoint in terms of support and is one of the reasons why the Element 26 belt is superior to other cheaper models. Given the design, materials, and lifetime warranty, we can say that the Element 26 belt is well-priced and deserves its popularity.
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