Groove Life Ultra Belt review – It holds my pants up

REVIEW – Is a belt a gadget? Not really, but it does help hold your pants up which can hold gadgets so . . . maybe there’s a connection? Anyway, I get to review the Ultra Belt by Groove Life and I must say, it does a darn good job . . . holding my pants up!

What is it?

The Groove Life Ultra Belt is just that—a belt. The difference is the buckle design. The Ultra’s buckle is made of lightweight polymer with strong neodymium magnets that hold the belt together. It snaps together when closed. The belt’s length is more than enough for most waists. My belt is sized up to a 50″ waist. I’m big, but not that big.

The Ultra Belt is the least expensive belt Groove Life offers. The adjustment that loops over the strap bar is exposed—the more expensive versions hide this. The exposed loop may not be as “classy” looking, but I doubt anyone but the wearer will notice.

What’s included?

• Belt with buckle
• 97-year warranty

Tech specs

Design and features

Is the Groove Life Ultra Belt more than just a belt? Groove Life says that it’s the last belt you’ll ever need. Since there is one basic design (with many versions), I’m not convinced of that statement. But, I get their point. 

The belt is packed in an oversized box nestled in black paper strip “bedding”. The belt is tightly folded inside a board wrapper with instructions on proper fit. After adding the recommended 6 in. to your waist size, instructions call for trimming excess belt length and then burning the freshly trimmed edges to “seal”  the loose threads. The burning worked as advertised—plus it was fun.

The hardest part of sizing is loosening the belt through the buckle’s locking strap bar. There’s not a lot of play, but it will loosen enough with some patience so the belt webbing can be adjusted. With some back-and-forth adjusting, I got the fit I needed. That extra 6 in. Groove Life recommends leaving allows for infinite adjusting as a waist size can increase—or decrease—over time. Note that adjusting isn’t as quick or simple as an older belt design with its “many buckle holes to choose from.

Neodymium magnets are used to hold the two buckle halves together. While the magnets are powerful alone, the buckle also sports two “hooks” that fit into opposing slots for added strength and “holdage”. 

Note that the magnets may interfere with a pacemaker.

Unhooking the buckle is counter-intuitive. Instead of pulling the buckle apart, it needs to be pushed together as if to tighten the belt. This unlatches the hooks so the magnets can easily be pulled apart. It becomes second nature after a few tries. 

The Ultra Belt is comfortable to wear. The width is just right, so there is no digging into the waist when sitting. As I said, after a big meal, it’s hard to loosen the belt a bit discreetly.

What I like about Groove Life Ultra Belt

• Comfortable
• Affordable
• Made in USA  

What needs to be improved?

• Adjusting the belt as it’s worn can be difficult

Final thoughts

If you want a belt to set and forget, the Groove Life Ultra Belt could be the belt for you. It’s washable (great for outdoors), comfortable, and good-looking in a subtle way. Groove Life makes more expensive versions using different buckle designs, but the Ultra can be an excellent, affordable introduction to how they work.

Price: $39.95
Where to buy: Groove Life and a variety of belts are also on Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by Groove Life. Groove Life did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.