10mm vs 13mm Belts, What is the Right Thickness for You?

We get asked this question a LOT! The answer can be very clear cut but there are some nuances that are important to explore. If you aren't sure what this even means, it's the thickness of the leather used, so a 13mm is 3mm thicker than the 10mm, making it a stiffer belt. 

TLDR: If you don't KNOW you want a 13mm belt, then get the 10mm belt. It'll break in faster and will give you all the support you need. 

Breaking it down a bit more. 

10mm Powerlifting Belts

We carry 10mm powerlifting belts from Inzer and SBD Apparel. The 10mm option will generally start out more pliable and break in more quickly. This will make it a more comfortable belt, especially for those lifters with smaller torsos. A 10mm belt isn't going to stretch out like we've heard some people claim, it is still a very thick piece of solid leather. What it will do is soften up and conform to your torso and body more quickly. Resulting in a better fitting belt sooner.

So what are the cons to a 10mm belt? It can be argued that the 10mm belt, being more flexible, won't provide quite as much support as the 13mm. The wall of the belt will flex out at the top and bottom when you are bracing against it, this is at most a few millimetres of deflection (this can also make the belt more comfortable for deadlifting). This is a very minor difference to be sure and probably won't be noticed by many people at all. 

13mm Powerlifting Belts

13mm is the thickest belt legally allowed in most powerlifting federations. The 13mm belts we sell from Inzer and SBD Apparel are designed to provide you with the maximum compression and support for lifting. That said, the 13mm belt will take longer to break in and conform to your body. This is even more of a problem with the Inzer belt as it starts out even stiffer than the SBD Apparel belt. 

If you want the absolute most support from a belt then you will want to go with the 13mm. We find lifters in the higher weight classes often prefer the 13mm option, whether they can feel the difference or not, their higher bodyweight is more likely to be able to bend and flex the belt. They also generally have larger torsos so won't have as much issue with the 13mm belt being uncomfortable.